A very active and informal board formed in 2006 and officially incorporated as a 501(c)(6) trade association in 2007, the Green Spa Network (GSN) was established with the mission of promoting the natural connections between personal well-being, economic sustainability, and the health of our planet. Michael Stusser (Founder of Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary) invited a dozen leading spas from across North America to contribute their time and financial resources as “Seed Spas” to officially form the Green Spa Network and hire sustainability expert Gil Friend to conduct an assessment of each of the founding members. All convened with Gill to evaluate the assessments and compare notes at a gathering in Sonoma County in April of 2007.

This became the basis of the idea for an annual congress and opened the door for spa and wellness companies to become members. GSN believes that social and environmental responsibility can take many forms and emphasizes its intention of supporting the spa industry in making changes step-by-step and as they are feasible.