Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Welcomes New Board Members
Burlington, Vt. (February 18, 2025) – Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, the statewide, nonprofit business association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact, is pleased to welcome three new members to the organization’s Board of Directors: Rooney Castle of Rhino Foods, Ashley Laporte of Burton, and Eliza Leeper of Vermont Creamery.
“We are honored to have Rooney, Ashley and Eliza join VBSR’s Board,” said VBSR Executive Director Roxanne Vought. “They each bring such unique perspectives to our work of building a just, thriving, and transformative economy, while expanding the already rich tapestry of industries, geographies, business types, and identities that make for a strong and effective Board of Directors.”
Rooney Castle has been a member of the Rhino Foods team for the past 12 years and is currently its second-generation president and CEO. Rhino operates on the notion that companies are well positioned and, therefore, have an obligation to create innovative solutions that drive positive social change. Leading with a human centered approach, Rhino has a long history of living into its purpose of impacting the manner in which business is done.
Castle is a regular volunteer at Feeding Chittenden, recently began participating in King Street Center's Book Buddy Program, and has served on the board of the Vermont Children's Trust Foundation. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Castle lives in Charlotte and enjoys partaking in many of the outdoor activities Vermont has to offer.
“A career in the family business was never the plan growing up, but over time I realized that the secret sauce of Rhino isn’t in the cookie dough: it’s in the values and culture upon which the company is built,” said Castle. “In my current role I focus on maintaining and enhancing that culture established by ‘Rhinos’ past and present. We’ve been a member of VBSR for many years and I feel like our journeys are intertwined. I am excited to contribute what I feel is a unique perspective as a white male leader trying to center equity, justice and humanity in my work and personal life. I believe in the important work of VBSR and hope to do my small part to continue the movement.”
Ashley Laporte, VP of Purpose & Impact at Burton, leads the Burton teams working on sustainability and climate, justice equity diversity and inclusion (JEDI), sports advocacy, and philanthropy. Ashley comes to this role after co-leading RALLY’s corporate practice, helping companies build impactful issue advocacy strategies. She previously led the Integrated Marketing team at Seventh Generation and helped drive the company’s participation in the 2019 Youth Climate Strike. Her team also led the creation of “Believe in a Seventh Generation”, which launched after the State of the Union in 2020.
Ashley grew up in Lamoille County in Vermont, and now lives in Duxbury with her partner Luis, and their son Santi. She is a proud Vermonter, a Black woman, a daughter of immigrants from Quebec and Haiti, and a snowboarder. Ashley graduated from Deerfield Academy in 2006, and Harvard College in 2010.
“I believe companies must play a role in solving the biggest social justice issues of our time. I have focused my career on exploring if business can really be a force for good,” said Laporte. “I am as skeptical as I am hopeful – and am energized to identify models that are working, and to address the ones that are not. I look forward to serving on the VBSR board and supporting the many Vermont businesses committed to use business as a force for good – even as we face increasing headwinds in that work.”
Eliza Leeper is Vermont Creamery’s Mission & Sales Operations Manager. She oversees the company’s sustainable business strategy, B Corp certification, and community initiatives. In addition, she manages customer logistics and works closely with the Vermont Creamery sales team to deliver on sales acceleration and new business development – all while doing her part to ensure Vermont's goat dairy farmers are successful.
Leeper previously held a corporate social responsibility role at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and managed programs for the Yampa Valley Community Foundation (Steamboat Springs, CO) prior to that. She has served as a member of the City of Montpelier Community Fund board and is an organizing team member for the Vermont B Corp Collective (VBCC). She has more than a decade of involvement in VBSR participating on the committee level and attending a wide variety of VBSR-produced activities and events. A Vassar College graduate and Vermont native, Leeper lives in Montpelier with her husband and two daughters, and enjoys outdoor adventures, gardening, and live music.
“I'm committed to leveraging resources to improve our communities, ensuring Vermont remains a thriving agricultural environment,” said Leeper. “I believe businesses have a responsibility to be leaders in our communities, working together to support ongoing critical issues and in times of need. Since my first VBSR Conference in 2011, I have felt embraced by the VBSR community. I fully believe in the organization's mission and purpose and am honored to return that embrace as a Board member.”
Annually, in the late summer, VBSR makes a call for Board Nominations. Members and friends of VBSR are asked to consider who might be a great addition to VBSR’s Board of Directors, including those who would benefit from the opportunity. VBSR especially seeks board members who identify as women and non-binary, people of color, veterans, individuals with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, rural businesses, and other identities and lived experiences traditionally underrepresented in dominant business culture. Learn more here.
About VBSR
VBSR is a statewide, non-profit business association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. VBSR’s 600 member businesses and organizations strive toward a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet through shared learning, community building, and collective action. Learn more or join the cause at www.vbsr.org.
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