About
Founding SBC and Growing to 220+ Clients
Why I started Sustainable Business Consulting.
Seizing on the clear void in the market at the time for someone to make the business case for sustainability, I was surprised at how the business grew – as when I started I hoped to one day work with potentially 30 or more companies and a Fortune 500 company, to now our firm having worked with over 220+ companies. Our small firm has been a force multiplier and helped catalyze change to empower hundreds of organizations to have a greater, more positive impact on society and the planet. In fact, in 2022, we will have helped companies reduce emissions 100,000 times those of our own.
Moreover, I wanted to create a firm where I and my friends would want to work. One that prioritize meaningful, inspiring work and that was also a fun place to work. I wanted values of life-work balance, where we could take the work seriously but not ourselves, and where we could be part of the solution to many of society’s biggest challenges. I’m happy to say that those core values of excellence, partnership, authenticity and fun are still our values today.
My Journey
While sports was amazing, I realized that more needed to be done to save the planet and advance social justice. So I left my job in pro soccer, with the dream of exploring the west before it was gone. As I drove across the country, I saw beautiful areas across the country that were polluted and faced both economic and social inequality, and was wondering how I could on these issues. They were interconnected, and I just kept coming back to the thought that if business was part of the problem and capitalism created these situations, then business could be part of the solution. Having a background not in environmental sciences or social justice issues- but one of business, politics, sports and the non-profit sector, I was determined to try and find a way to do “business for good.”

Become a Bestselling Author of 5+ Books
I never had any intention of writing a book.

Return on Sustainability
This book came out just after the financial crisis of 2008, and my fear (which was proven correctly) was that with a recession, most companies would make the same old mistake of pulling back on their environmental, climate and community initiatives to save cost. This book was needed in the marketplace to show that companies can save money, enhance their brand value and inspire employees through better social & environmental practices - even in desperate times. I obviously never imagined that 12 years later, it would still have relevancy as the Covid 19 pandemic rolled out, but the same examples and lessors from that book are still relevant today.

Making Sustainability Stick
As companies kept approaching SBC asking for the keys to success in the long-term, I decided to create the roadmap for doing just that. At the time, I had consulted with about 65+ companies, and the keys to success for successful implementation kept being the same things, so I wrote this down to be “the guidebook for implementation.” The first half of this book focuses on the technical aspects of sustainability “the what” and the second half focuses on the human and organizational change elements of getting this done “the how,” which the second part is what so many organization neglect when trying to do this work.

Sustainability Jobs and Intangible Value
These books were written with the goal to help anyone transitioning the sustainability space learn how to prepare for a land their dream “green job”. Rather than having 30 coffees about landing a job, I included the expertise of over 30 sustainability thought leaders to get all this knowledge and wisdom in one book.

How to Talk to the Other Side
Written as a practical guide to help people break down the divisiveness, hate and vitriol that has come to fill our politics, social media and discourse. Unveiled at the start of the pandemic, this book provides practical, commonsense ways for finding solutions with people you might typically think of as on the “other side.” Full of case studies for finding practical ways to move forward between Republicans vs. Democrats, Business & Environmentalists and even how to cross the rural vs. urban divide.

Sharing My Learnings Through Speaking and Teaching
I teach Sustainability/ESG Reporting at Harvard Graduate School...
Let's take control of your sustainability journey and drive business value - now and for years to come.
About Kevin
Kevin Wilhelm is the one of the world’s preeminent business consultants in the field of sustainability and climate change. He is the CEO of Sustainable Business Consulting, a Seattle-based consulting firm focused on demonstrating the bottom-line business benefits of sustainability and then leading companies through successful implementation.
Kevin brings two decades of experience working with 220+ businesses ranging from Fortune 100 multinationals to medium-sized businesses. His clients include New York Life, Amazon, Expedia, Nordstrom, Alaska Airlines, REI, Eddie Bauer, the Seattle Sounders and many more.
Kevin’s latest book “How to Talk to the “Other Side: Finding Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession, and Climate Change” is a much-needed toolkit, especially in these uncertain times, that provides both hope and practical strategies to finding common ground and win-win solutions.
Wilhelm also wrote the critically acclaimed “Making Sustainability Stick” which truly is THE implementation guidebook for professionals and students of all levels of sustainability. This book has the why, what and how for making businesses sustainable and profitable in the competitive global market.
For professionals looking to enter the field, Wilhelm wrote “Sustainability Jobs” which is a staple for all those looking to break into the industry with practical advice, tips from sustainability professionals and hands-on worksheets.
His first book, “Return on Sustainability: How Business Can Increase Profitability and Address Climate Change in an Uncertain Economy” laid out the business case and is as relevant today as when it was released in 2009.
A few courses taught include:
- ESG Reporting
- Sustainable Finance
- Intro to Corporate Responsibility
- Sustainability as Strategy
- Managing for Sustainability
- Triple Bottom-Line
- Accounting
- Economics of Sustainability
- Sustainability Marketing
- Entrepreneurship & Eco-preneurship
- Intro to Business Sustainability
Kevin Wilhelm is one of the world’s leading speakers on business sustainability and climate change, sustainable business and business and climate resiliency.
He delivers inspirational keynote addresses, gives customized presentations and runs executive-level workshops that are tailored to the needs and interests of a wide range of audiences.
Kevin speaks regularly at national conferences, trade associations, universities and corporate meetings. He has shared the stage with many influential thought leaders on sustainability including Van Jones, Peter Senge, Hunter Lovins, Bob Willard and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.