The CEO Action Initiative: Leading Equitable and Inclusive Companies is a 5-month facilitated program for CEOs, Founders, and Presidents of natural products companies wanting to operationalize JEDI change in their organizations while learning from executive peers with JEDI experience.

The CEO Action Initiative is designed to provide support, guidance, and knowledge for CEOs, Founders, and Presidents implementing justice, equity, diversity & inclusion changes within their company. We are creating a community that holds each other accountable for making and implementing commitments while providing a safe space to deal with the real emotions, pains, and mistakes that emerge when doing J.E.D.I work.

During this 5-month experience, learn from experts in DEI and CEOs who’ve done the work. They will share insights & practical case studies on implementing structural change. Learn from leaders who have studied & implemented J.E.D.I changes and hear about their challenges & successes.

Learn more and apply here

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One Step Closer Fosters Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Natural Products Industry, Announces New Board Members & New VP of Operations, Membership, and Belonging.

Mission-driven Nonprofit Adds New Board Members, Rebrands Itself, and Inspires Companies to Drive Positive Change through Compostable Packaging, Climate Reform, and Social Justice Alignment and Action.

Oakland, CA (June 3, 2021) – One Step Closer (OSC), a mission-driven, natural products industry nonprofit     , is pleased to announce that visionary leaders José Corona and Konda Mason have joined the      board of directors. In addition, Cynthia Billops has joined the team as OSC’s Vice President of Operations, Membership & Belonging, and will guide OSC operations, membership and growth strategy and      oversee our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion project known as J.E.D.I. Collaborative.

Formerly known as ‘One Step Closer to an Organic Sustainability Community (OSC2)’, the organization rebranded to its current name as ‘One Step Closer.’ OSC envisions a society that collectively brings people One Step Closer to manifesting a shared vision for a just and prosperous world. Together, advocates and corporate partners meet to discuss policies that drive change while focusing on OSC’s three core competencies: moving one step closer to zero-waste packaging, reversing climate change, and implementing      JEDI values and vision throughout the industry     . In this capacity, they have launched the OSC Packaging Collaborative, Climate Collaborative, and most recently, J.E.D.I Collaborative.

“At One Step Closer, we work with our network of CEOs and business community to address challenges that seem too big for any one of us to conquer alone.We are thrilled that Konda and José have joined the OSC Board and Cynthia is now a part of our executive team. Leveraging      their      experience, authentic approach to leadership, and advocacy, we will continue to shine a light on topics that allow us to manifest meaningful change—particularly in advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in business     .”

New Board Members

Joining the OSC Board is José Corona, Vice President of Programs & Partnerships, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. José is a social entrepreneur who has built a reputation as an innovator and relationship-builder. He is recognized for building mindful and creative organizational cultures and convening public, private, and community people and resources to solve complex community, business, and public sector problems.

“I am humbled and honored to join the OSC Board, whose members and efforts align with my values and allows me to continue walking my path in life,” said Corona. “My path and mission in life has been dedicated to ensuring all people have the opportunity they need to fulfill their life mission and goals.”

Konda Mason is also new to the OSC Board of Directors and brings decades of experience. She is the Co-founder and President of Jubilee Justice, Inc, a non-profit working to bring climate-resilient farming and economic equity to Black farmers in the rural South to restore and accelerate Black land ownership and stewardship and create thriving Black farming communities.

Along with her partner, actor Woody Harrelson, Konda opened the first home delivery service of organic food in the Los Angeles area and was responsible for negotiating the first organic food section in a major supermarket in the area.

“Leveraging the incredible companies in its network, OSC is very smartly guiding them to an even better version of themselves with the J.E.D.I. initiative. The work of OSC and their commitment to racial justice in the natural food sector made my joining this Board a no-brainer,” said Mason. “Plus, I get to hang out and learn from some really cool and experienced entrepreneurs. That’s my version of heaven!”

Membership Details

The OSC member community is made up of leaders in the natural products industry who maintain the highest sustainability standards in business and personal lives. For more information about our Core Chapter, Rising Star Chapter, and Cannabis Chapter memberships visit, osc2.org/join-osc/.

About Jose Corona, Vice President, Programs and Partnership, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation

As Vice President of Programs & Partnerships, Jose leads all grantmaking, partnership, and programmatic efforts for Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation – a new foundation the Curry’s launched in 2019 that is becoming one of the country’s most innovative and impactful philanthropic organizations through its commitment to creating equal opportunities and bright futures for every child.

In 2020, Jose served as the Co-chair of the City of Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council, charged to safely open businesses in Oakland during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Jose is an Aspen Fellow and serves on the Boards of Northern California Grantmakers, The Unity Council, and the Oakland Museum of California.

About Konda Mason, Co-founder and President of Jubilee Justice, Inc

Konda is a social entrepreneur, financial activist, earth and social justice activist, and mindfulness teacher. She is also the Co-founder and VP of Potlikker Capital, a charitable loan fund specifically designed to deploy integrated capital to Black American farmers.

Konda is Co-Founder and was? founding CEO of Impact Hub Oakland (newly renamed Emerge Oakland), an award-winning co-working space that supports socially engaged entrepreneurs and changemakers. In addition, she is the Strategic Director of RUNWAY, a micro-lending fund for African American entrepreneurs, and the co-founder of the annual COCAP (Community Capital) conference in Oakland, focusing on closing the racial wealth gap; restorative economics, and the next economy just transition.

Konda is on the Board of Directors of The Historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, TN, On Being with Krista Tippett, One Generation with Paul Hawken, and Lion’s Roar Magazine.

About Cynthia Billops, OSC & J.E.D.I VP Operations, Membership & Belonging

Cynthia is a business strategy and operations expert who has spent the last few decades planning, designing and launching complex IT, Web, and SaaS services. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills college – focusing on small group interactions and the importance of each individual’s contribution to optimal success.

Her unique understanding of the challenges (and opportunities) faced by developing organizations combined with her determination to ensure open doors and “on-ramps to opportunity” for persons living in and coming from systemically marginalized communities; helps collaboratively create systems and processes that lead to sustainable growth, better staff retention and higher profits due to optimization and efficiency gains.

About One Step Closer (OSC) 

One Step Closer (OSC) is a non-profit community-based organization centered in the natural products industry. OSC was founded in 2012 to build regenerative businesses and tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our industry and planet. With a carefully cultivated membership of 50 mission-driven companies, OSC has three leadership chapters: Core Chapter, Rising Star Chapter, and Cannabis Chapter. In addition to regular chapter meetings, OSC hosts industry-wide programming and member-focused continued education programming through OSC University. OSC has launched three industry-wide projects with a network of partners: Compostable Packaging Collaborative, the Climate Collaborative, and J.E.D.I Collaborative. For more information, please visit osc2.org.

The post One Step Closer™ Fosters Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Natural Products Industry, Announces New Board Members & New VP of Operations, Membership, and Belonging. appeared first on One Step Closer.

Seeding Change explores how businesses are working to create positive change

This Earth Day, Sambazon, the first company to bring açaí products to the marketplace, is proud to publicly debut Seeding Change, an award-winning, thought-provoking documentary that gives an inside look into how large corporations affect climate change, inspiring consumers to shop smarter. Directed by renowned filmmaker Richard Yelland, the film takes a first-hand look at mission-based businesses that are working to fight poverty through Fair Trade job creation, protect the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest and regenerate topsoil through organic and sustainable agriculture. Seeding Change will premiere on April 22, 2021through a variety of video on demand platforms.

“Making this film led me on an incredible journey, documenting every step these companies are taking to not only minimize the effects of climate change, but also improve human life around the world. You can’t truly understand the milestones a mission-based business is making until you see it first-hand.”

— Richard Yelland, Director

With the increasing frequency of natural disasters, temperatures rising, and indigenous communities at risk, Seeding Change challenges shoppers to pay more attention to the way they interact with our planet, starting with what’s on their shopping list. While there isn’t one solution to climate change, the corporations within the film are taking the first steps to show their consumers that they too are part of the puzzle, and they too can make a difference. By making the choice to buy from socially responsible businesses, they are sending a message to the world’s largest distributors that it’s time for change, environmentally, socially and economically.

Seeding Change is brought to life by social entrepreneurs and environmental activists sharing howthey have built their businesses by putting the planet and people first whether it’s reinventing their supply chains, creating safe work environments or implementing sustainable farming practices. Key players within the film include:

• Jeremy and Ryan Black, Founders of Sambazon
• David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s
• Gunnar Lovelace, Founder of Thrive Market
• Chris Mann and David Karr, Founders of Guayakí Yerba Mate
• Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, Founders of Numi Tea
• Sarah Wallace, Founder of The Good Bean
• Rob Machado, Professional Surfer
• Paul Hawkin, American Environmentalist
• Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests
• Zach Bush, MD Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Hospice Care
• Mike Burbank, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley
• Kelly Slater, Professional Surfer and Entrepreneur
• Mark Walker, CEO of OuterKnown
• Mark Gruin, Vice President of Rainforest Trust
• Lara Dickinson, Founder of OSC2
• Daron “Farmer D” Joffe, Director of Agriculture Innovation, Coastal Roots Farm

By working with RoCo Films, the leading distributor of documentary films, Seeding Change will be brought to the forefront of university curriculums as well as distributed through a partnership with Net Impact, a non-profit organization for students interested in businesses that support social and environmental causes, to create a Seeding Change mentorship program for its 200k+ members.

To view the trailer and watch Seeding Change when it premiers on April 22, visit seedingchangefilm.com. Join the conversation by using #IVoteWithMyDollar.

The post New Documentary Inspiring Consumers to Shop Smarter for the Planet, Debuts on Earth Day appeared first on One Step Closer.

OSC is  excited to announce that we have partnered with ForceBrands to power our new OSC Member job board, found on the OSC website. You can view it here: jobs.osc2.org

OSC Members now have the ability to post your open roles to the OSC job board for free, with the ability to cross-post to the ForceBrands job board at a 20% discounted OSC member rate. ForceBrands.com is the largest consumer brand job board with over 200,000 candidates from the CPG industry using it to find their next opportunity.

If you haven’t had a chance to use the job board yet and want to get set up, please email Simone Schroeder at simone@forcebrands.com and let her know you’re an OSC member and would like to get set up on the job board.

The post OSC Teams Up with Force Brands appeared first on One Step Closer.

Featuring Larisa Rapoport, CPA, MBA, CGMA, Partner @ Baker Tilly | Advisory, Tax and Assurance

The latest round of economic relief passed through Congress in late 2020 extends and expands the employee retention credit (ERC). This presents a significant opportunity for food producers. If qualified, a business can receive up to $19,000 per employee in refundable payroll tax credit over the course of 15 months (for 2020 and 2021 combined). Following are considerations in determining whether and how your business may benefit from the Employee Retention Tax Credit. There are nuances to each of these items.  

 Eligibility

When combining all related entities, did your business experience a:

• Partial or full suspension of operations as a result of a COVID-19 government order? Examples include:
  • Reduced production from compliance with social distancing (e.g. 6 feet apart) mandates, and
  • Supply constraints caused by government closures of key vendors.

        OR

• Significant decline (more than 50% in 2020 and 20% in 2021) in gross receipts compared to the same quarter in 2019 (or prior quarter for quarters in 2021)?

Type of Credit

It’s refundable, so businesses benefit even when taxes are not owed. It reduces payroll taxes, so having an income tax liability is not required.

Amount of Credit

• 2020: Up to $5,000 per employee, calculated as 50% of annual qualified wages, and
• 2021: Up to $14,000 per employee ($7,000 per quarter for the first half of 2021), calculated as 70% of qualified wages.

Qualified Wages

• W-2 wages and tips and certain health care expenses paid after March 12, 2020.
• Excludes: Wages covered by paid leave or work opportunity tax credits, and amounts paid with forgiven PPPL funds.

• If the average number of full time employees among the combined related entities exceeded 100 in 2019 (500 for 2021 wages), wages are limited to amounts paid to employees unable to work due to the circumstances described under “Eligibility”.

For more info, contact Larisa Rapoport larisa.rapoport@bakertilly.com to discuss further.

The post Does your Food & Beverage business quality for Employee Retention Credit for 2020 and/or 2021? appeared first on One Step Closer.

Now is the time for accountability, resilience + love. On January 20, 2021, we will witness a transition of power and celebrate democracy at work. The next day, we will make a commitment to our deepest values at the #PeoplesInauguration.

This event features artists, thought-leaders + influencers who will be posting content on their own social media platforms throughout the day. Join us virtually on 1.21 for a celebration of new beginnings. Sign up or updates  +  the ongoing 12-month journey to fulfill our oaths: https://thepeoplesinauguration.org/

#RebuildingTheUnion
Art: @obeygiant

What’s Next?

After the #PeoplesInauguration kickoff event on January 21st, join us for our virtual teaching series with @SoundsTrue, “10 Days to Activate Revolutionary Love” from January 22-31, 2021.

During this 10 day journey, led by Valarie Kaur + a community of visionaries, artists, activists, and healers will offer wisdom to deepen our commitment to heal, reimagine, and rebuild together. In the wake of turmoil, violence, and insurrection, it is more important than ever to come together around justice, healing, and renewal. May The People’s Inauguration be medicine for the moment.

Register to join us HERE or check out our EVENT PAGE for more info.

Get updates about this ongoing journey by texting “WETHEPEOPLE” to 97483.

Art: @obeygiant

People’s Inauguration Partners Events

There are events, podcasts, and opportunities to engage deeper with the work of reimagining our nation from friends and partners of The People’s Inauguration. Two are highlighted below, and you can find more events here:

• 1/19 – Building Back Hope: A Service of Release and Renewal, an online event hosted by the United Church of Christ (UCC) and featuring Valarie Kaur, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Rev Dr. Chris Davies, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
• Revolutionary Love & The People’s Inauguration with Valarie Kaur and Baratunde Thurston (Live on Clubhouse), a podcast from Love Extremist

The post Tune in for The People’s Inauguration on Thursday, January 21 appeared first on One Step Closer.

In 2017, OSC launched the Rising Star Chapter for emerging, mission-driven Founders & CEO’s in the natural products industry. Together, this innovative group of leaders helped us establish how earlier-stage brands and their teams can better support each other and the larger community of environmentally and socially minded natural products companies. 

Recently, we celebrated the graduation of two Rising Star members, All Good, and PathWater, to the Core Chapter. We are now seeking nominations for new members to join the current crop of Rising Star brands, which include Beyond Broth, Imlak’esh Organics, Kuli Kuli, Nana Joes Granola, and The Town Kitchen, and Uncommon Cacao.

Scholarship opportunities are available for BIPOC and Latinx leaders.

To bolster the diversity of leadership in our industry, OSC has secured funding to underwrite 80% of the annual participation fees for BIPOC and Latinx founders and CEOs. 

Know someone who might be a good fit?

Send your nominations to Michael Anzalone, Rising Star Program Director (michael@osc2.org)

Or interested in participating yourself?

Contact Michael, by way of referral, expressing your interest.

Nomination Deadline: February 15, 2021

Download the OSC Rising Star Info Packet

About the Rising Star CEO Leadership Chapter

One Step Closer (OSC) is a trusted network of values aligned CEO’s and founders working together to support each other and address some of the greatest challenges facing food, agriculture, and our planet. Together, we work our business and industry challenges with a carefully facilitated agenda that involves thoughtful evaluation and meaningful connection.  

Our leadership chapters convene regularly to work through tough business and industry challenges with a carefully facilitated agenda that involves thoughtful evaluation and meaningful connection. Members also participate in committees across different chapters to inform future OSC programming and Collaboratives. A lot of the magic happens beyond these meetings with the ongoing growth of our community trust and connection. We continue to lean in to support each other and our impact work.

Member Benefits

• Monthly member meetings +  seasonal events & gatherings
• Custom development plan for each member
• Rotating ceo-founder buddy system with other RS members
• Present/attend OSC Core Member meetings
• Access to OSC University – continuing-education for you and your team
• Department Forums – online community for department specific connections (Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, HR/Admin)
• 6-month mentorship with a senior founder/CEO from the Core Chapter
• Ad-hoc advisement from Core Members 
• Preferred access to OSC events

Membership Criteria

• Leader currently engaged in the business. He/she must be a CEO, President, or C-level founder
• Leader models sustainable and/or J.E.D.I. values in their life and business
• Leader demonstrates high integrity, humility, and openness to giving/receiving constructive feedback
• Company is approx. $1-$10 mil in revenues (special considerations made for BIPOC and Latinx leaders)
• Company has a socially conscious and/or sustainability mission
• Presence in the natural products industry, CPG or other strong sustainable cause
• 100% non-GMO Food or agricultural products
• Organic or strategy to move toward organic
• Addressing a food system issue within the DNA of their company
• B-Corp’s preferred or on the path to it
• Non-competitive with other members – current members will validate

Annual Membership Fees

$3,500 – $4,500 per year, with no additional cost for a second founder. 

Scholarship opportunities are available for BIPOC and Latinx leaders. Approximately 80% of annual membership fees will be underwritten.

CONTACT: Michael Anzalone, Rising Star Program Director (michael@osc2.org)

The post OSC Now Accepting Nominations for its Rising Star Chapter appeared first on One Step Closer.

More than a third of registered voters have already voted in this year’s election

Originally article by: Ethan Cohen, Liz Stark and Adam Levy, CNN

Pre-Election Day voting is skyrocketing nationwide amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and states are reporting record-breaking turnout as voters are energized to vote by mail or early in person before November. As of Wednesday afternoon, over 35% of registered voters have cast ballots ahead of the Nov 3 election day.  Early estimates indicate that voter turnout could reach 150 mil+.

Notable stats include:

• Montana, Washington, and the state of Colorado maintain the highest early voting turnout
• In an additional 13 states, at least 40% of registered voters have also cast ballots.
• Besides Colorado — North Carolina (roughly 50%), Texas and Florida (both 48%) are seeing the highest turnout as a share of registered voters so far

The post Early Voting Tops 74 Million! #YourVoteCounts appeared first on One Step Closer.

We are excited to announce that we’ve recently completed a rebranding project! As part of the project, we updated our logo, our messaging and our website. 

From now on we’ll be known as One Step Closer or OSC. We decided to simplify the organization name and drop the two/squared but we won’t completely lose sight of it! – you’ll see it used in new creative ways. In updating our messaging, we wanted to accurately capture all that we do as an organization yet make it succinct and easy to articulate. As we updated the website, we wanted to both create a hub for current members and clarify for potential members or community partners who we are, what we do and how they can get involved.

We look forward to using this brand refresh as an opportunity to increase awareness of OSC in the industry!

A HUGE thank you to Guru for designing our new logo and helping us simplify our name and messaging. Their incredible team went above and beyond to help us reimagine our logo while keeping key elements that have been a part of our brand from the beginning. We landed on a hopeful, uplifting landscape crafted out of our O-S-C letters. Thank you thank you Guru crew!

Our website update was done by the awesome team at Thomas Digital. Thank you for helping us create a more comprehensive, user-friendly, easy to read site! It was no small project to take all of what we do at OSC and organize it so thoughtfully and creatively. Thank you thank you!

The post New Look. Same Stellar Community! appeared first on One Step Closer.

Think Globally. Vote Locally.

#YourVoteCounts

In response to recent social and environmental injustices across the nation, the OSC member community is encouraging all eligible voters to participate this November in Federal, State, AND Local elections.  As a community, we encourage thoughtful and purposeful choices at all levels. Let’s take the time before Nov 3 to educate ourselves, and each other, by way of conversation. #YourVoteCounts

Ballot Box Update.

Due to overwhelming popularity our special edition Ballot Boxes are all gone! But don’t worry, we’ve got a digital version, which will feature special offers from our member community.  Sign up HERE to receive yours.  There is no cost to participate.***

About the Campaign.

#YourVoteCounts is a nonpartisan voter turnout campaign organized by One Step Closer (OSC), and intended to increase voter turnout this November. OSC is a member-community of purpose-driven brands committed to tackling the toughest sustainability challenges facing our world.

The post Ballot Boxes are gone, but Digital Ballot Box available! appeared first on One Step Closer.