Membership ๐
What can I expect from a membership?
A membership at TSC unlocks access to a vetted community of senior sustainability leaders, offering expert advice, lifelong connections and endless opportunities. The promise is simple: At TSC you'll always find the right circle of peers to help you solve your challenges, elevate your skills and achieve your goals.
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Here's what membership includes:
- Personal Board of Advisors: Based on your profile, we match you with a tailored peer group, guided by an expert facilitator, for monthly sessions to tackle your most complex challenges and accelerate your professional growth.
- Sustainability Groups: Connect with professionals facing similar challenges on topics that matter to you, from industry peers to others who share the topics close to your heart.
- 1:1 Matchmaking: Gain lifelong connections for unlimited support, advice, and opportunities through 1:1 Match-Making programs, digital networking events and more.
- Vetted Network: Join a worldwide network of sustainability leaders, creating opportunities for deep connections that transcend geographical boundaries, fostering a global community of like-minded professionals.
- Insight Sessions: Join interactive peer sessions for unique insights on timely topics, or watch the recordings later. Because some things can't be taught in a course or learned from a book.
How much time do i need to allocate to get the maximum out of a Membership at TSC?
To maximize your value from being a TSC member, active participation and contribution within the TSC Network and its activities are essential. As outlined in our 6 Cultural Mantras, a baseline level of engagement and contribution is expected from all members. While your personal investment will vary based on your commitment and the outcomes you seek, regular participation in peer group sessions and a basic level of responsiveness to fellow members are required. We believe this commitment necessitates a minimum of 2-3 hours per month as an absolute baseline.
How does TSC assemble my Personal Board of Advisors?
At TSC, we carefully curate your personal peer group to support your professional growth. We follow a multi-step process to ensure that we match you with the right peers, from reviewing each application by hand, through a personal interview to understand the challenges and goals, until the final matching process.
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Here's what membership includes:
- Personal Application Review: Each application is meticulously reviewed by our team to ensure participants meet our membership criteria.
- Online Interview: Fitting participants are invited to a call with a team member to ensure we can deliver the value you are seeking. We'll learn more about your challenges and goals.
- Tailored Matching Process: We combine a deep understanding of your professional journey with key characteristics that weโve identified as crucial for forming exceptionally valuable groups. Leveraging our experience and insights from personal interviews, we blend algorithmic precision with human intuition. The process considers career stage, job function, industry, and expertise, along with qualitative factors like goals, personality, and personal connections. We also prioritize diversity, complementary aspirations, and logistical compatibility, such as time zones and schedules, to create balanced, dynamic groups that foster mutual growth.
What happens if I want to change my Personal Board of Advisors?
If you feel the need to switch, we understand that preferences and needs can evolve. We strive to create the ideal blend of 8-12 members initially, but we're flexible and ready to adjust based on your feedback and requirements. Should you wish to change, we're committed to facilitating this transition smoothly and swiftly.
Application ย ๐
Who can become a member of TSC?
TSC is for those at the forefront of (corporate) sustainability, dealing with complex challenges and making far-reaching decisions. Typically, TSC members hold ownership of the sustainability domain or a significant portion of it within their organizations. Common titles among our members include CSO, VP, Director, and Head of Sustainability.
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To protect our community as a space for open sharing and meaningful exchange, we do not offer membership to individuals with clear commercial interests in our members. This includes representatives of consulting firms and vendors of sustainability services and software.
For more information check out the membership criteria.
What can I expect from the application process?
The initial step in joining us is to fill out an application. If your application aligns with our membership criteria, you can expect to hear from us within 2 working days to arrange a 20-minute virtual interview. This conversation allows us to dive into your motivation and interest in joining TSC. It's also an opportunity for us to introduce you to our community, its values, and to address any inquiries you might have. Should you meet the requirements for membership, we aim to send out an acceptance notification usually within a week following your interview.
How much does the yearly membership cost?
ou'll receive all the information regarding pricing, reimbursement processes, and payment via email after we verify your eligibility. Since TSC membership is exclusive to sustainability leaders, start by checking if you qualify at no cost with a quick 3-minute application.
Is handing in an application associated with any obligations or costs?
No, there are no obligations or costs when signing up. Signing up simply secures your spot in line, giving you the opportunity to be invited, but you can decide against joining at any time. Being on the waitlist is completely free.
Iโm unsure if TSC is for me. Should I apply anyway?
Yes, you should! If you meet the membership criteria and receive an invitation to have a conversation with the TSC team, itโs a great opportunity to ask questions, learn more about TSC, and evaluate if it's the right fit for you. Without signing up, you wonโt have the chance to join, so why not give it a try?
If you're still uncertain after exploring our website, podcast, and newsletter, you can also approach an existing member on LinkedIn to hear about their experience. You can find members through our LinkedIn profile.
How can i get the membership reimbursed by my employer?
TSC membership benefits both you and your company. The skills you acquire at TSC enhance your capacity to deliver results that advance the business. For this reason, many of our members receive reimbursement from their employers through their company's Learning & Development (L&D) budget.
- Actionable Advice: Engage with peers to avoid costly mistakes, reduce blind spots, and gain fresh perspectives. Leaders benefit from eye-level interactions rather than content-based learning alone.
- Career-Making Support System: No matter the problem, one of your peers has faced it. You gain allies for every challenge, ensuring you never have to make critical decisions alone.
By leveraging your L&D budget for TSC, you invest in a support network that accelerates your professional growth and enhances your decision-making process. This practical, peer-driven approach offers immediate benefits to your role and organizationโbecause there are things that can't be learned in a course or read in a book.
What happens if Iโm not accepted to TSC?
Our membership is crafted for those who are actively driving sustainability within their organizations. We screen applicants for experience to ensure our members are in the company of true peers. If you don't meet our membership criteria just yet, think of it not as a rejection, but as a "not yet." We look forward to welcoming you as you advance in your career or as we expand our services.
How can I check in on an application?
If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact application@tsc.earth.
I applied to join TSC and haven't received a response
We encourage all applicants to reach out proactively to application@tsc.earth for updates or if their professional circumstances evolve to align with our membership criteria. We are in the process of refining our approach to ensure greater transparency regarding the status of pending memberships. Additionally, we offer comprehensive and explicit criteria on our website to provide applicants with a clear understanding of our vetting process for membership. For more details on our membership standards, please visit our membership criteria page.
What is the TSC Grant Program?
TSC was established to connect and uplift leaders in the sustainability field, recognizing that the diversity of our community enhances our impact. We envision a future where leadership is accessible to everyone, regardless of race, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality.
The TSC Grant Program is designed to lower financial barriers for professionals who have faced identity-based inequities and those working within the non-profit sector. It provides a subsidy towards annual TSC membership for both new and renewing members, with the subsidy amount being consistent across all grant recipients.
Who is eligible for a grant?
Our grants are aimed at professionals who have encountered identity-based inequities or are employed in the non-profit sector. This includes, but is not limited to:
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- Racial and ethnic minorities
- LGBTQIA+
- Non-binary/gender fluid individuals
- People with disabilities
- Non-profit sector professionals
Applicants are required to submit a personal statement to help us understand their unique circumstances. Given the limited number of grants, we prioritize applications based on intersectional identities, individual circumstances, and the potential inability of an applicant's organization to sponsor their membership.
How can I apply for a grant?
New members can apply for a grant after completing the TSC membership application process, with the grant application being a separate step.Existing members should contact us at application@tsc.earth as their renewal date approaches.We reviews applications monthly, considering various criteria including personal statements and the applicant's background. We aim to inform applicants of their grant status via email within 4 weeks of receiving the application.Due to the limited nature of our grants, we carefully consider intersectional identities, personal circumstances, and organizational support for membership when evaluating applications.
What is our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)?
At The Sustainability Circle (TSC), we are committed to changing the landscape of leadership within the sustainability sector. Founded with the vision to support and elevate sustainability leaders of all identities, we aim for our membership to exemplify what leadership should look like in an equitable and inclusive future. We acknowledge the significant challenges faced by individuals across the gender spectrum, compounded by factors such as race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and disability. Our goal is to cultivate a diverse community that embraces multiple and intersecting identities, striving to significantly increase the representation of underrepresented groups within the field of sustainability. We welcome sustainability leaders who identify as women, transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming, among others, to join our mission in creating a more sustainable and just world.
What is TSCโs non-solicitation policy?
We know how a solid network can spark members to collaborate and do business together, and we're all for fostering those connections in our community. However, it's key that our space remains a trusted zone for everyone involved. We have a firm rule against solicitation - this means we don't allow any direct sales pitches or marketing moves within our community if it's just about drumming up business.
Partnerships ๐ค
How can I partner or collaborate with TSC?
We're keen on exploring partnership and collaboration opportunities that complement our community goals. For more details and to propose a potential collaboration, please visit our partnerships page at tsc.earth/partnerships.
How do I submit an event or speaker idea to TSC?
We welcome and value event and speaker suggestions from our broader sustainability community. If you have an idea you'd like to share, please reach out to us via email at hey@tsc.earth.