2009

A Zero Carbon CEO Panel provided best practices and lessons learned from the burgeoning cleantech sector.  Here are some highlights from each of the four speakers:

Joseph Brakohiapa, with CleanPower Finance, helps make solar energy possible by providing various services that promote automation and easier financing.

“We’re trying to ride the adoption of solar and renewables into the mainstream,” said Brakohiapa, of the 24-member start-up based in San Francisco.

Brakohiapa said his business is trying to eliminate many of the barriers that make it difficult to expand solar infrastructure.  For example, he said there is typically no point-of-sale financing, meaning customers have to pay for solar up front.  He said there should be monthly payments available, much like paying for a car.  In addition, he said solar technicians need to have Web-based technology that eliminates much of the cumbersome paperwork involved in transactions.

A Zero Carbon CEO Panel provided best practices and lessons learned from the burgeoning cleantech sector.  Here are some highlights from each of the four speakers:

Michael Nark of Prenova shared some strategies of his company, which helps businesses reduce their energy consumption.  In 2008 alone, he said Prenova helped clients save more than $80 million in energy spending.  He said savings comes from lower energy demand and costs, fewer service calls and longer asset life.

Prenova’s customer base is 85 percent retail, and includes businesses like Home Depot, Walgreens, Gap and Bank of America.

Nark said one of the main lessons he has learned with green ventures is to “keep it simple.”

“Take it back to the basics,” he said.  “It’s not a build-it-and-they-will-come-type concept today.  There’s got to be a reason to do it.”

NC Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco told SJF Summit attendees that North Carolina is well-positioned for the emerging green economy.

“We want to be your partner in the green economy,” Crisco said.

Crisco noted that demand is growing for the state’s green business fund.  For its first year, he said there were 85 applications for $1 million in funding; the following year, there were 200 applications.  He said there will be additional funding for the green business fund in the next fiscal year budget.

Crisco said North Carolina has reorganized its state energy office and believes those changes will help the Old North State in tapping into the green economy.

“We will do the job,” he said of state officials.  “Hold us accountable.”

The day is finally here!  We’re excited to officially kick off our SJF Summit on the New Green Economy here at the Durham Convention Center.  The next two days promise to offer tons of great information on cleantech investment, green jobs, workforce engagement and multiple other topics.  Our more than 360 attendees are continuing to pour in and we should soon get started with remarks from NC Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco, Cleantech Group CEO Nicholas Parker and SJF staff.

Please stay posted throughout the next two days for reports on our keynote speakers, information sessions and much more.  It’s an exciting time for green investment and we’re excited that all of these industry leaders are coming together for the Summit.

As we “live blog” throughout the event, please jump in and participate in the dialogue.  Our blog is designed to be an open forum and we welcome your posts.

Thanks for reading and welcome (online) to the SJF Summit!

SJF’s Summit on the New Green Economy will feature more than 40 speakers with a great variety of backgrounds and interests.  One of our speakers, Bruce Kahn, served in the Peace Corps and obtained a phD in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before heading to Wall Street.  Kahn began working with Deutsche Asset Management last year and is now director and senior investment analyst with the Climate Change Investment Research Group.  With his background in environmental science and hands-on field experience, Kahn brings important perspectives to the world of cleantech investment.  We’re excited Kahn will join us for the Cleantech Investment Outlook panel, alongside Mary Bacon, of Ewing Bemiss & Co., John Moore, of Acorn Energy, Inc., and Tom Darden II, of Cherokee.  This event will take place from 11 am to 12:15 pm on Tuesday, June 2.

To watch an interesting video about Kahn, please visit:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/2409/eco-biz-bruce-kahn

Update: Bruce Kahn will be unavailable to attend the Summit on the New Green Economy.  Stay tuned for live updates from our numerous engaging and informational speakers.

In the days leading up to our “Summit on the New Green Economy,” which will be held June 2-3 in Durham, we’ll be highlighting our portfolio companies taking part in the event. Our investments vary widely in terms of services and products offered, but all match our mission of promoting sustainability and many are models of high quality green collar job creation. As more and more enterprises ride the green business wave, entrepreneurs can look to these companies as models for high-quality sustainable development.

Ryla
In the global economy, it is crucial for companies to have state-of-the-art telecommunications services. Today’s featured portfolio firm, Ryla Teleservices, Inc., marries business acumen with a proven track record of providing solid, good-paying jobs and, in effect, helping build quality communities. SJF began investing in Ryla, a minority-owned call center business, in 2002. Since that time, the Atlanta-based company has exploded from less than 30 workers to more than 1,700 employees. Mark Wilson is the company’s CEO and a speaker at our Summit on the New Green Economy in Durham June 2-3. In a statement on the firm’s Web site, he says the company’s model “combines the business mission of excellent interactions in multiple channels of communication and creating an atmosphere where our people feel it’s the best job they’ve ever had.” These are strong words from a company that invests in its employees, and that’s just the type of firm that SJF supports. Ryla has an 89-percent minority workforce and is on the path to reach $95 million in revenues for 2009. We’re glad Mark will be speaking at our summit. He will be participating in a CEO session on workforce engagement strategies. Expect Mark to share tools and techniques for employee investment drawn from his own successes launching and rapidly expanding Ryla.  For more on Ryla, visit the company’s Web site at www.ryla.com. And check back here for more news on the Summit.

In the days leading up to our “Summit on the New Green Economy,” which will be held June 2-3 in Durham, we’ll be highlighting our portfolio companies taking part in the event. Our investments vary widely in terms of services and products offered, but all match our mission of promoting sustainability and many are models of high quality green collar job creation. As more and more enterprises ride the green business wave, entrepreneurs can look to these companies as models for high-quality sustainable development.

Salvage Direct
Today’s feature SJF portfolio company is Salvage Direct. This Titusville, PA-based company pioneered the salvage industry’s first online auction. Today, the company operates exclusively through a unique web-based business model in providing turnkey salvage vehicle management services and hosting online auctions for the vehicle insurance industry. In addition to its core business, Salvage Direct has also developed a high value catastrophic event response team that services major insurance companies’ needs immediately following large natural disasters. Salvage Direct CEO Dan Hoversten will take part in the zero waste CEO panel at the Summit on the New Green Economy, June 2-3 in Durham. For more information on Salvage Direct, please visit http://www.salvagedirect.com. Please keep checking our blog to learn more on the Summit and green jobs news.

In the days leading up to our “Summit on the New Green Economy,” which will be held June 2-3 in Durham, we’ll be highlighting our portfolio companies taking part in the event. Our investments vary widely in terms of services and products offered, but all match our mission of promoting sustainability and many are models of high quality green collar job creation. As more and more enterprises ride the green business wave, entrepreneurs can look to these companies as models for high-quality sustainable development.

Intechra
Today we will feature SJF portfolio company Intechra, a leading provider of electronics lifecycle management, reverse logistics and recycling services. Intechra manages the critical data security and environmental issues associated with the disposition of information technology (“IT”) assets including desktop computers, laptops, servers and computer peripherals. In addition to providing clients with a green, environmentally-friendly disposal and recycling solution, Intechra has the logistics, chain of custody, and data wiping capabilities that meet U.S. Department of Defense security standards. The Jackson, MS-based firm serves more than 100 Fortune 500 enterprises, in addition to municipalities, schools and smaller companies. The company’s achievements have won praise: last year market research firm IDC gave Intechra a certification in Green IT Recycling and Asset Disposal for the Enterprise (G.R.A.D.E.). Intechra is one of only five enterprises to gain such certification. Entrepreneurs, economic developers and others can learn about Intechra’s best practices and accomplishments at the zero waste CEO panel at SJF’s Summit on the New Green Economy. CEO Michael Profit will take part in the panel, along with executives of fellow SJF portfolio firms CleanScapes and Salvage Direct and guest company Thrift Recycling Management. Learn more about Intechra at the company’s Web site, http://www.intechra.com. Please continue to visit this blog to find out more about our upcoming Summit, as well as other information on green jobs.

In the days leading up to our “Summit on the New Green Economy,” which will be held June 2-3 in Durham, we’ll be highlighting our portfolio companies taking part in the event. Our investments vary widely in terms of services and products offered, but all match our mission of promoting sustainability and many are models of high quality green collar job creation. As more and more enterprises ride the green business wave, entrepreneurs can look to these companies as models for high-quality sustainable development.

groSolar
Today we’re featuring groSolar, a White River Junction, Vermont-based firm that distributes and installs solar technology for homes, businesses and utilities. The company also takes solar infrastructure made by a variety of companies and fits it together into whole systems for people to use. groSolar has 180 employees and growing, with facilities in nine states, including Vermont, California, New York, Maryland, Colorado and New Jersey. groSolar has acquired three companies since SJF led its Series A financing and is one of the nation’s largest solar integrators. We’re excited to have CEO and co-founder Jeff Wolfe speak at our Summit. He’ll be one of our four keynote speakers, along with Nicholas Parker of Cleantech Group, Majora Carter of Majora Carter Group and Martin Eakes of Self-Help. During his Wednesday speech, expect Jeff to highlight the successes of groSolar as an enterprising firm creating high quality green collar jobs in the new green economy. For more on groSolar, check out the company’s Web site at http://www.groSolar.com. And check back here for more news on the Summit.

In the days leading up to our “Summit on the New Green Economy,” which will be held June 2-3 in Durham, we’ll be highlighting our portfolio companies taking part in the event. Our investments vary widely in terms of services and products offered, but all match our mission of promoting sustainability and many are models of high quality green collar job creation. As more and more enterprises ride the green business wave, entrepreneurs can look to these companies as models for high-quality sustainable development.

CleanScapes Inc.
Many emerging ventures are strong because they pursue smart business strategies alongside environmentally responsible practices. Today’s featured portfolio company, CleanScapes Inc., fits that description with its environmentally sustainable approach to solid waste and recycling pickup. The Seattle-based firm serves businesses, residents, stadiums and other clients on the West Coast. CleanScapes collaborates with cities to employ services like waste collection and street maintenance. Part of the firm’s mission is to help create “cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cities.” The company also pushes for local job creation, stating on its Web site that it has “a proven ability to move men and women from unemployment to highly productive members of our team.” CleanScapes CEO Chris Martin will share best practices and company successes during our zero waste CEO panel at the Summit on the New Green Economy, June 2-3.  To learn more about CleanScapes, go to the firm’s Web site at http://www.cleanscapes.com.  Check back here to learn more about our upcoming Summit and other case studies and successes in the booming field of green jobs.