Trudy Heller

As a young child Trudy Heller was introduced to nature by her father who took her and her sister on walks in the woods in all seasons. Very early she developed a keen observation of others, how people dealt with challenges and how they stood up to limits imposed on them by others that held them back from their full potential.

This ultimately led to a Master’s and Doctorate in Organizational Psychology and a position as a university counselor.  Then she began to focus on how companies and organizations limit people’s creativity and their ability to innovate. She earned a second Ph.D. from Wharton, in Management and Innovation included research at Bell Labs and Arco Chemical in new product innovation and development, before becoming a professor of Business Strategy and Organizational Behavior.

She began to realize her heart was in finding innovations that provided green solutions, that made sustainable differences globally… and found an increasing sense of dissatisfaction that traditional companies and business schools weren’t taking the lead on this important trend into the future.  Seeing the disconnect between businesses and sustainability advocates, with each side often entrenched in an “either-or” mentality,  She knew her background and training ideally prepared her to bring all the players into the conversation.

“Many people who feel passionately about sustainability find it difficult to connect with those who are more skeptical of the need for change; Trudy Heller’s gift is that she can bridge that gulf, and she does.”

Trudy spent 7 years in full-time academic positions before beginning her career as an independent sustainable business speaker and educator.  Her mission today continues to be to open the eyes of business owners, senior management, government officials and academics to the massive economic opportunities green solutions offer. Over the last 20 years she has worked with corporations and universities in the U.S. as well as Mexico, Ecuador, Finland, Russia, and India, where she led the first executive education program at the new Indian Institute of Management in Shillong, an IIM with a mission to promote sustainability.

Her enthusiasm for the green economy and her experience in educating and motivating adults helps her open the eyes of business leaders to the exciting business opportunities the green economy holds, to innovate, invent or reinvent businesses that can prosper for years to come.  This makes Trudy an invaluable part of the USGCC Advisory Board.