A new greener economy will be shaped by both large and small businesses. Our StartUp category, usually published on Friday as part of the Startup Friday theme features new companies, small entrepreneurs, and sometimes just hair brained business ideas all of which are aimed at solving some kind of environmental of social problem – through business. Enjoy.
While Harvard’s most well-known innovative (droped-off) student was at the center of media frenzy last week, the university is already thinking on the new Zuckerbergs. Harvard is hoping to nurture the culture of innovation in campus through a new innovation lab (i-lab), aiming to foster team-based and entrepreneurial activities and deepen interactions among Harvard students, faculty and entrepreneurs.
It seems everywhere you look these days, people are proclaiming this the year of collaborative consumption, C2C, otherwise commonly known as the sharing economy. But one company lives up to the hype.
On Monday, Recyclebank and Zumbox, the world’s first digital postal system, announced that Zumbox is joining Recyclebank Ecosystem, a network of companies working with Recyclebank to motivate and reward people for taking green actions. Will it help Zumbox to lead the digital mail market? Will it help Recyclebank to become the Amazon of the new Gconomy?
Venture capital investments in US cleantech fell 4.5% in 2011, though transaction numbers held steady, according to Ernst & Young, a relative victory given the difficult economic, market and industry conditions.
Ignore Shakespeare. Do not kill all the lawyers. You need yours in good health, walking around, and capable of keeping your business on track.
At the VerdeXchange Marketmakers Conference that took place in downtown Los Angeles this week, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave a keynote speech to an audience of about 500 industry leaders working to build and shape the green economy of Los Angeles and the nation. In his presentation, Mayor Villaraigosa explained how his focus on developing Los Angeles’s clean technology market is helping him address some of the biggest challenges facing the city.
Farm Plate is a fantastic sustainable food initiative – it is a rather newly launched website which features a searchable directory of more than 40,000 business listing across the US. Users can search the site by category and by location to find sustainable foods and drinks. Farm Plate links ”farmers, fishermen, foragers, food artisans, restaurants, markets, [...]
What a difference a year makes! In 2011, the Pipeline Fellowship began as a single program in New York to train ten women to become angel investors and support women social entrepreneurs. In 2012, the Pipeline Fellowship is expanding to include two locations, four programs, and will train forty women.
One opportunity for struggling Kodak lies in thin-film solar technology. The company is partnering with Natcore Technologies to create flexible solar cells.
Getting rid of mattresses is difficult. Most landfills don’t want them as they are bulky and the springs in them damage the crushing equipment. This is where Spring Back, the mattress recycling initiative comes in. Nashville-based Spring Back Recycling is a non-profit organization that works to break down mattresses and build up the lives of formerly incarcerated [...]
Applying genetic modification technologies, the company developed plants that can overcome harsh conditions of seawater irrigation. CEO, Amir Avniel: “This experiment is another step towards production of improved plants that will provide farmers with excellent yield even in drought conditions”
PrintEco creates plugins to substantially reduce printing costs for by optimizing print jobs. Their goal is to help companies save billions of dollars on wasteful printing, from web printouts littered with ad images and blank space to spreadsheets with poor formatting, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Did you know Bank of America donated around $200 million last year to charitable causes? It sounds impressive, until you find out that that’s 0.02% of deposits. With all the consumer uproar around banks adding new fees, and the huge success Bank Transfer Day had getting people to move their money to a local credit [...]
Designers have been taking center stage in companies across many industries and leading them toward profitable outcomes, based on better customer experiences. Over the past five decades, we have evolved the contribution of design past those of pure aesthetics to include strategy, business models, the deployment of technology, leadership, and total business sustainability.
Fort Collins, Colorado-based start-up, Ridekick, has a new take on the electric bicycle: they offer something that’s not a bicycle at all. Instead, they think an electric powered trailer that can be easily attached to most conventional bikes is a better solution. The Ridekick is an option for the cyclist who wants either full time, [...]
A start-up called re:char has a new take on an ancient idea that’s designed to enhance crop yields in the developing world by making biochar accessible and affordable. Biochar is made by a process known as pyrolysis, which heats organic matter such as waste farm produce, without oxygen. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide into the [...]
They say the best days of boat ownership are but two; the day you buy it, and the day you sell it. In the time between, the hassles and cost of insurance, maintenance and storage are a large burden to bear for a few days of fun, when you actually get to use it. Even [...]
2011 was the year that crowdfunding came of age, with Kickstarter leading the way, along with IndieGoGo and others, presenting an appealing idea: support an innovative new product, service, creative project, or cause, and in return get a reward depending on your level of money pledged. Though the models vary, they each provide effective incentive [...]
Design strategy and Innovation are preparing businesses for survival. Many aspects contribute to a business succeeding. I believe these include intuition, speed, and agility.
Too many hot new companies depend on employees to live for the ever-approaching IPO despite crazy working conditions. How can these companies survive and become sustainable? Core to the answer is the need to carefully craft a company culture.
Source4Style is using the Internet to facilitate commerce between two groups that are disconnected in the global marketplace – the leading sustainable suppliers and the independent designers and apparel brands that are trying to find them.
Can the local manufacturing movement maintain momentum? How is the current economy shaping the next generation of workers and entrepreneurs? The evidence may be more hopeful than you think.
The sharing economy is usually identified with the 99 percent. Think Airbnb, BookMooch or Freecycle. You probably won’t find the 1 percent crashing in a spare room or scoring a free microwave. These rich people don’t have the need or will to share resources, right? Well, they actually do. Apparently, the 1 percent is interested [...]
Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo give social entrepreneurs a way to test product and service ideas, reach new audiences and generate marketing buzz with minimal risk and upfront investment.
By Piper Kujac Since the crowdfunding bill, officially called the HR-2930 Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act, was accepted by the House on November 2nd, and is expected to pass in the Senate any day now, we’re all wondering what this really means for small business fundraising. Is this the access to fundraising start-ups need from [...]
Fremont, CA-based GreenVolts has emerged publicly with a first of its kind turnkey concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power system and a strategic partnership with ABB.
Tackling complex problems, fostering creativity and positive impact requires well-formed teams. This is the future of business. Those with the ability to combine innovative scenarios with well thought out strategy in a collaborative team setting have the potential for outstanding results. The sustainability of innovative teams will require proper communication methods.
3p is proud to partner with the Presidio Graduate School’s Managerial Marketing course on a blogging series about “sustainable marketing.” This post is part of that series. To follow along, please click here. By: Fergus McGrath I’m a big supporter of local economies because I believe doing so will help solve many of the social [...]
E-waste is a serious problem in all parts of the world. A UK-based start-up WEEE Systems has ambitious plans to tackle the growing issue of e-waste. They recently revealed that they are in the process of developing a prototype plant capable of providing closed-loop recycling services to leading electronics manufacturers. WEEE Systems wants to involve at [...]
Webinar: Feb 17Greening Stonyfield Farm: As a consultant with Stonyfield Farm for the past 12 years, Switzer Fellow Tim Greiner will discuss efforts to broaden and deepen sustainability within the company. He will discuss the company's efforts to track its environmental impacts, barriers the company had to overcome.Webinar: Feb 29Product Scorecards for Sustainability: Product scorecards that detail and evaluate environmental and sustainability aspects of products are increasingly adopted by leading companies. This webinar covers the best practices in this area and a case study by Seventh Generation.
NY: Mar 19-20Wall Street Green: The longest running and most comprehensive environmental market event in the industry. The Wall Street Green Summit covers cutting edge content, industry developments and features the practitioners and the leaders of tomorrow.
Bay Area: Mar 22-23GRI Certified Training: Demand for sustainability experts is growing rapidly as companies look for proven professionals. For companies, GRI trained employees mean faster implementations and better use of the GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework. Join our partner ISOS group for this two day session. Early bird discounts apply!
SF: Mar 26-28Cleantech Forum San Francisco: The 2012 Cleantech Forum San Francisco will mark the 10th anniversary of Cleantech Forums, the annual gathering of the global clean technology innovation community. Our theme this year is “The Power of Global Partnerships,” an exploration of how strategic relationships are playing an ever more important role in the future of clean technology. For a $300 Discount use code "VIPofTriplePundit " More Info.
SF: April 10-12 Navigating the American Carbon World: The must-attend event for professionals in the carbon landscape. Over the past decade, NACW has consistently provided informative content, thoughtful discussions and outstanding opportunities for collaboration.
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