Business Spotlight: Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute

Stephanie Richards, Managing Principal of Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute, has lived here in Bloomington, Indiana for about 19 years. Then, in 2009 Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute was created. Stephanie moved here for graduate school in 1998 and felt right at home. She has a Master’s in Public Affairs in environmental policy and nonprofit management and a Master’s in Business Administration in marketing, which she uses to consult their clients on environmental policy design and sustainability management. They have deep roots in the community. They have built a passive solar lodge-style home near Lake Monroe in 2017, and spend most of their spare time converting their yard into a low-mow botanical garden, volunteering at the nearby Sycamore Land Trust preserve, helping their neighbors eradicate invasive species, enjoying our Labradoodle, and experimenting with plant-rich recipes. 

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Questions & Answers

​What motivated you to start your own business? How did you develop the skills to start your own business? I was inspired by my time overseas, meeting people who had founded their own businesses and seemed very happy pursuing a variety of different activities within their “portfolio lifestyle.” I liked the idea of designing my own dream job and have enjoyed creating a great place for my team to work and feel supported in their career goals. I had a solid base of skills from my graduate education at Indiana University. I have built upon that strong foundation of skills by educating myself, taking executive education courses, seeking the wise counsel of others, and recruiting great team members with complementary skills sets.

What inspires your work and what sets you apart from everyone else? I am inspired by the opportunity to put our skills to work effecting positive social change, to create a work environment where everyone feels valued and heard, and to mentor students so they’re prepared to be the next generation of sustainability leaders. What sets us apart from other organizations is we embrace complex sustainability issues that don’t have a standard methodology. We care deeply about sustainability and our clients, partners, and team members. We lead by example, as the only certified B-corporation in Bloomington, Indiana. We have a broad network of experts in academia, nonprofit organizations, and consulting that we can quickly and nimbly organize around a wide variety of complex sustainability challenges.

What makes your business stand out from other businesses in Bloomington?
We help our clients address complex sustainability challenges by engaging customized teams of academics, consultants, and students to apply their knowledge of policy and management theory with lessons from real-world experience and best practices to provide clients with cost-effective, creative, and collaborative solutions. We work with clients from the private, not-for-profit and government sectors, and at all levels from local to international.  At the same time, our unique approach to our work helps us prepare sustainability leaders for the demands of tomorrow.

Have you won any awards or had any special recognition or acknowledgement of your business? If so, name them! B-corporation certification 2017 (100.8 points)
 
What has been your biggest success to date? Expanding our firm during the COVID pandemic, when many other companies were downsizing.​

What has been your biggest challenge? Building our brand recognition while trying to keep overhead costs low for the benefit of our clients.
 
What are your plans for the future of your business? Expanding our work to more Midwest municipalities and businesses while continuing to serve our clients at international organizations and federal government agencies. ​

To learn more about Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute, you can find them online at:
Website: www.gnarlytreesustainability.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gnarlytreesustainability
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/gnarlytreesustainability