How MISGIF Strengthened Its Sustainability Efforts With Local First Arizona
Sustainability has always been at the heart of MISGIF’s vision — in fact, it’s one of the main reasons CEO Jessie Whitfield created MISGIF in 2017: to eliminate wasteful photo booth practices at events.
While MISGIF was laying the groundwork with sustainable initiatives like its GIF Back Club, which invests a portion of photo booth profits back into local nonprofits, it wasn’t until 2022 when MISGIF embarked on a transformative sustainable business journey through Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp that the company’s commitment truly deepened and everything began to shift for the better — evolving from a grassroots effort into a structured, measurable, and award-winning sustainability strategy.
That decision led to MISGIF’s first Environmental Policy, the Local First Arizona Green Business Certification (2022–2024), and recognition as a Sustainable Earth Small Business Awards recipient. Today, MISGIF is proud to celebrate another milestone: renewal of the Local First Arizona Green Business Certification for 2025–2027!
This blog explores how Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp shaped MISGIF’s environmental ethos, the certifications and awards gained along the way, and why this matters — not just for MISGIF, but for its clients, the community, and the planet.
What Is Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp?
Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp (formerly SCALE UP) is an award-winning, seven-session program designed for locally owned and operated businesses and nonprofits across Arizona.
Each weekly session brings in expert speakers, peer learning, and hands-on training focused on benchmarking (energy, water, waste, transportation), project planning, financing, implementation, and long-term accountability.
Key program features include:
- Measuring baseline energy, water, and waste usage
- Setting goals to reduce impacts by ~20%
- Developing a sustainability project plan
- Accessing low-cost financing through the Green Loan Fund
- Building community through peer support and networking
For MISGIF, joining the boot camp provided the structure and accountability needed to take sustainability from an intention to an operational cornerstone.
MISGIF’s Journey: From Boot Camp to Certification
1. Benchmarking & Planning
Through the boot camp, MISGIF benchmarked its environmental footprint and began crafting a measurable sustainability plan.
2. Creating an Environmental Policy
A direct outcome of the program was MISGIF’s first Environmental Policy, a written commitment to sustainable practices in energy, waste, materials, and transparency.
3. Implementing Changes
MISGIF put its plan into action by:
- Switching to energy-efficient lighting and fixtures
- Reducing water usage through conservation measures
- Eliminating wasteful single-use props in favor of sustainable alternatives
- Actively promoting sustainable event practices and educating clients
- Officially partnering with environmental nonprofits via its GIF Back Club
- Fully restructuring it’s business structure and plan to be more sustainable
4. Achieving Certification (2022–2024)
Soon after, MISGIF earned the Local First Arizona Green Business Certification, which recognizes businesses committed to environmentally and socially responsible practices.
5. Recognition from Sustainable Earth
In the same year, MISGIF was honored with a Sustainable Earth Small Business Award (SESBA) in the “Businesses Transitioning” category, celebrating its dedication to building greener operations and inspiring other small businesses.
2025–2027 Renewal: A New Milestone
Since completing the boot camp and earning its initial Green Business Certification, MISGIF has rebranded and restructured its operations to put sustainability at the forefront of everything it does.
Today, more than 50% of the nonprofits supported through MISGIF’s GIF Back Club fall under one of the three pillars of sustainability, while a portion of profits from every print event is donated to local nonprofit Trees Matter to help plant trees at Arizona schools and a portion of profits from every event using AI (artificial intelligence) is donated to Sierra Club: Grand Canyon Chapter to help offset water used by AI data servers. Because of this, to-date MISGIF has helped redirect over $40K of its profits to local nonprofits in Arizona.
MISGIF has also transformed its website and social media presence to feature more educational sustainability content — using its platform to inspire both clients and peers in the events industry. In early 2025, MISGIF CEO Jessie Whitfield was even selected as a speaker at the world’s largest photo booth conference in Las Vegas, NV, speaking specifically about sustainable photo booth business practices!
In 2025, MISGIF proudly renewed its Local First Arizona Green Business Certification for the 2025–2027 cycle. This achievement demonstrates that sustainability isn’t just a project for MISGIF — it’s a continuous commitment woven into the company’s identity and impact.
The renewal signals:
- Accountability over time that guarantees action
- Trust with clients and partners who value eco-responsibility
- Differentiation in the competitive events industry
- Motivation to keep innovating sustainable solutions
Why Sustainability Matters to MISGIF
- Transparency & Credibility – Certification and policies demonstrate MISGIF’s commitment is real, not “greenwashing.”
- Competitive Advantage – Corporate clients and nonprofits increasingly benefit from partnering with eco-friendly vendors.
- Operational Efficiency – Sustainable practices reduce business costs in the long run.
- Local Investment – Initiatives like the GIF Back Club reinvest in Arizona nonprofits and communities.
- Environmental Impact – Less waste, less energy, and more responsible practices protect Arizona’s unique environment and wildlife.
- Leadership & Inspiration – MISGIF serves as an example for other small businesses in Arizona’s event industry.
At MISGIF, we are incredibly proud to be re-certified as a Local First Arizona Green Business for 2025–2027! This milestone reaffirms our dedication to transparency, sustainability, and supporting our Arizona community.
To our fellow event professionals and small business owners: if you’re looking for a meaningful way to strengthen your environmental impact and stand out in your industry, we can’t recommend Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp enough. It was the catalyst that allowed us to transform our passion for sustainability into a measurable, award-winning strategy — and we believe it can do the same for you!
