Building A Marketplace of ESG Consultants

Green.org sat down with Tom Knowlton, the CEO of CSR Talent Group, to learn how they built a marketplace of ESG consultants to help the biggest companies on the planet meet their sustainable goals.

Tom, thank you for joining us. Tell us a little bit about you and your background:

I’ve been involved in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility, ESG, and Sustainability for over 30 years, most recently as a partner and leader of the corporate practice at a social impact firm called TCC Group. I recently started and lead CSR Talent Group, which focuses on helping companies find expert consulting talent in the areas of sustainability, ESG and CSR.

What would you do with $1 Billion dollars?

I would focus on building more systems and support for children – I think our priorities are skewed and we need to support children at an early age in all areas – education, child care, access to green space, etc. Sustainability is dependent on future generations having the ability and resources to live a healthy, successful life.

Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?

Because it impacts everything and will have a significant impact on populations that are under resourced.

What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?

We need more experts in sustainability that know how to work with companies and help them move to more sustainable goals. I envision (hopefully) that companies will be held more accountable and will need much more significant levels of sustainability expertise in their companies to succeed.

What can the average person do to make a difference?

Hold companies accountable. Let them know what they need to change if they want someone as a customer.

Tom, thank you for sharing how you built a marketplace for sustainable consultants.