LL: Tell me about the founding vision of Cultivating Capital and how the company was started?

CM: The vision for Cultivating Capital emerged while I was getting an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise from Dominican University. I was interested in sustainability consulting and was thinking about working with women business owners. As I did some market research, I came upon compelling statistics about the expected growth in women-owned businesses in the next few years. I realized that if that entrepreneurial activity could be harnessed and steered in a sustainable direction, it could prove to be a critical leverage point for transformation in business. Cultivating Capital was started in order to bring attention to and accelerate that process.

LL: How did you come to Cultivating Capital and what is your background?

CM: My background is in non-profit and small business management. As Health & Safety Director for the American Red Cross, I managed all First Aid and CPR classes and related programs for the Palo Alto chapter. As the Sustainability & Marketing Manager for Greenerprinter, I developed and implemented the company’s first social media marketing strategy, worked on SEO, and restructured the Adwords account, ensuring that all would coordinate with our overall marketing strategy. On the sustainability side, I handled two certifications for the company, B Corp and the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership. After completing my MBA, I decided to start my own company, Cultivating Capital. At about the same time, I also began working with the Alameda County Green Business Program as a Green Business Consultant and shortly thereafter joined the Board of the Sustainable Business Alliance, where I chair the Marketing Committee.

LL: What kind of consulting services does Cultivating Capital offer?

CM: Cultivating Capital helps small business owners in the two areas that are shaping business in the 21^st century: going green and marketing themselves online. Specifically, an audit of the business can serve as a starting point for evaluating its current sustainability and online marketing practices and then serve as a foundation on which to develop the overall strategy in both of those areas. I also work with business owners in business plan development and overall business strategy.

LL: Can you describe examples of women’s businesses with whom you have worked and describe how you have helped them develop more sustainable businesses?

CM: Some current projects include working on an online marketing strategy for a firm that helps social enterprises to raise capital; working with a sustainability-minded bookkeeping business on green business certification, marketing and operational improvements; providing business planning and development support for a sustainable business incubator; and developing a business plan for a boutique offering sustainably-produced clothing.

LL: What advice do you have for others in your industry who are trying to be more green?

CM: I think that consultants and business service professionals can do quite a bit to go green, beyond just using recycled paper or minimizing paper use. Are we using a big business bank for business checking services, or are we putting our money into local banks that are more likely to benefit the local community? Are we constantly driving to meetings, or are we using public transit and virtual meetings to reduce driving? Are we evaluating our own supply chain? For example, purchasing office supplies from a large chain store versus a local, independently owned business makes a difference. These are just some of the things that even service professionals can consider when trying to go green themselves.

LL: Have you faced any obstacles in the process of trying to be a sustainable business?  If so, how did you or how do you continue to overcome them?

CM: I wouldn’t call them obstacles, but I have had to do more research and in some cases pay more money in order to work with companies that share my sustainability values. It took me a while to find the right green-certified insurance agent and locally owned bank to work with. I also wanted to use a locally owned, green web hosting service but for practical purposes, it was easier to use the hosting service that my web designer used. This is one area that I’m hoping to change at some point in the future.

LL: Can you describe specifically your sustainable business practices?

CM: I’ve tried to make Cultivating Capital a sustainable business in several ways. First, I started my company with the intention of having it become a Certified B Corporation, so I worked with an attorney who was familiar with B Corps. We specified in the LLC operating agreement that due consideration would be given to the company’s effects on stakeholders and the environment, among other things. This ensured that the triple bottom line of “people, planet, and profit” is in the DNA of Cultivating Capital. Second, I chose a LEED-certified workspace (the Hub at the Brower Center; the Brower Center is itself also a Certified Green Business). Finally, I’ve also made it a point to green my own supply chain as much as possible by working with other companies that are either Certified Green Businesses or B Corps (or both), such as the Katovitch Law Group, Avail Insurance Services, and Greenerprinter.

I’m also going through the auditing process to become a Certified Green Business in Alameda County and have started my own B Corp certification process; both of these are reputable certifications that have established clear and transparent standards for green and sustainable businesses (and in an era of greenwashing, the need for standards is becoming increasingly important). There’s a post on my blog that explains more about my own sustainable business practices: Sustainability for One Small Business.

LL: What does sustainability mean to you?

CM: Sustainability is a framework through which we can create a world that is socially just and operates within natural environmental limits. Although in modern western society, we tend to act as if we can separate ourselves from nature, the reality is that we can’t – every single item that we use in our daily lives is provided by nature, if we trace it back to the original raw materials from which it was created, so working within natural limits is necessary. We also need to ensure that all people have at least their basic human needs met and that they can live with dignity. I don’t believe that this is an idealistic notion; rather, I see it as an imperative based upon basic human compassion and a necessity for stability in an inter-connected world. When a business takes responsibility for its social and environmental impact, it moves us closer towards this better world. Sustainability helps to make this possible.

LL: Why did you decide to join with the Green Chamber and how has it impacted your business?

CM: A lot of work needs to be done to move us closer to a just and sustainable world, and we each have a role to play. I respect the Green Chamber’s national advocacy efforts and want to support its work and also to be part of the green business community.

In a conversation with Nancy Roberts, Co-Founder of The Idea Hive, I learned why this group of green MBAs approaches sustainability not as though it is a mountain to climb, but rather a way of life…

LL:  Tell me about the founding vision of The Idea Hive and how the company was started?

NR:  All the founding members of The Idea Hive met in the Green MBA program at Dominican University of California in San Rafael.  We started out meeting to talk about how to incubate new green businesses and sustainable organizations, and gradually morphed into becoming a free-form consultancy, The Idea Hive.

LL:  How did you come to Idea Hive and what is your background?

NR:  I have 20+ years’ experience in marketing, communications and project management, mostly in the performing arts field.  In 2006 I reached a turning point: I quit my job and went back to school to get a Green MBA. Since then, I have worked on many amazing projects centered around green and sustainable communication strategies. Every day is different and challenging, and that’s the way I like it.

LL:  What kinds of consulting services does Idea Hive offer?

NR:  The Idea Hive offers research, consulting and facilitation to businesses and organizations of all kinds. Our mission is to promote sustainability as a strategy for thriving organizations.

We champion long-term, whole-systems thinking and experiential learning. By combining sustainability practices with cutting-edge thinking, the Hive helps individuals and organizations flourish and realize the power of creative collaboration. I should stress that Hive members work with all different kinds of organizations; we are more of a loose confederation of consultants; we form different teams around projects and call on fellow Hive members to advise on and discuss our work.

LL:  What advice do you have for other businesses in your industry who are trying to become greener?

NR:  It’s important not to fall into the “solutions trap.”  We often are drawn to what sounds like a simple solution; the complex challenges that we all face today will not have simple solutions, and some days it’s very hard to come to terms with that fact. 

LL:  Have you faced any obstacles in the process of trying to be a sustainable business?  If so, how did you or how do you continue to overcome them?

NR:  I think we find the balance of environmental and social responsibility the biggest challenge, mostly in terms of how to achieve a balanced personal and professional life while trying to launch a business, which requires a lot of time and effort. We are a virtual organization, which is great in terms of flexibility, but the lack of a physical hub presents communication challenges. We probably drive to meetings more than we should!

LL:  Can you describe specifically your sustainable business practices?

NR:  Our sustainability depends on technology that minimizes resource consumption, including virtual meetings.

LL:  What does sustainability mean to you?

NR:  Sustainability is a world view, a way of evaluating our actions.  It is a concept that is inextricably linked with justice; environmental and social justice must be at the core of all sustainable actions. Sustainability is not a goal, or some mountain that one can scale. It’s a way of life that questions unquestioning consumption and other actions that are potentially harmful to planet and people. 

LL:  Are there any special events, offers, initiatives or services provided that you would want other Green Chamber members to know about? 

NR:  We hold periodic workshops and presentation around incorporating systems thinking tools to assist your organization or industry to engage with complex problems.  More and more, we are seeing that enterprises need to refine their skills in risk management, stakeholder engagement and long-term thinking, and our techniques and experience can help with that. 

LL:  Why did you decide to join the Green Chamber and how has it impacted your business?

NR:  The Green Chamber is a great convening organization for like minded organizations. We recognize the importance of speaking beyond the “choir”, but it’s also nice to have a “choir” organization that speaks directly to and for The Idea Hive and our long-term goals and concerns.

LL:  Is there any other interesting aspect of your business that you would like to share?

NR:  The Idea Hive is a non-traditional business. While we are an LLC, none of us focus solely on working as part of the Hive. We coalesce into teams according to the work that comes our way and to our strengths.  We still meet regularly to both support the Hive and to challenge Hive members to stretch themselves and their goals.

LL:  How did Imagine the Power get started and what is your background?

AM: In January of 2009, I resigned from my training and development role at a local financial services firm and set out to provide customized training solutions for small companies, non profits and startups – the kind of solutions that I knew they needed. To me it made sense to teach skills in kindergarten, so to speak, rather than waiting until we were all grown up and didn’t know where the problems had originated from. They would have the skills to deal with whatever came up.

LL:  What kind of consulting services does Imagine the Power offer?

AM: As well as creating customized content to help teams better communicate and increase collaboration, I work with managers and leaders to help them better connect with their teams. At Imagine the Power, I talk about aligning people, purpose and goals because that’s when powerful things happen.

LL:  Can you describe the workshops done by Imagine the Power related to sustainability?

AM: We have the scientific data to demonstrate the part we play as humans with regard to climate change and species extinction for example.  So why haven’t we put our incredible collective ingenuity to work? That’s when I had an epiphany and realized that was the answer. There is no single silver bullet; it’s going to take people power to come up with the solutions. The part I want to play is helping companies take advantage of all that people power and the talents of individuals who want to do something but don’t know how to get started. In a sense you could think of me as the “Green facilitator” :-)

Right now that’s an area I am hoping to develop because there is so much work that needs to be done. As a society, we are too focused on the here and now and anything any further out than five years seems too distant. Fear over the economy is distracting us from recognizing that sustainability and “greening” our economy will get us to where we need to be.

LL:  What advice do you have for others in your industry who are trying to be greener?

AM: Look at going green as an opportunity to do things differently and involve everyone in the company. Make it fun, and tap into the healthy competitive nature of your employees.

LL:  What does sustainability mean to you?

AM: Sustainability is a way of thinking that emphasizes connectedness, ownership and accountability. Also, in my opinion it’s about thinking much longer term.

LL:  Do you see any trends emerging in your industry around conservation and sustainability?

AM: What I do covers every industry really. I see pockets of hope with regards to sustainability and would like to see those efforts develop into a full blown sustainability movement not unlike our “Sputnik moment.”

LL:  Why did you decide to join with the Green Chamber and how has it impacted your business?

AM: I joined the Green Chamber because I wanted to be part of an organization that took a stand against business as usual.  I want to stand alongside other business owners and say “we are doing things differently because the old ways are not working for the majority of us.”  Socially responsible businesses are the future – we can do well by doing good.

LL:  What was the founding vision for the Hub and how it was started?

TN:  I see it as coming out of a necessity to bring like-minded people together.  The founders had a lot of friends working as activists around a variety of causes, non-profits, start-ups, who were working out of their homes or coffee shops.  They didn’t have a place to connect, except for at random conferences, workshops or networking parties.  The idea was t collate those events plus provide a day to day working space where people could share stories share best practices, and move more quickly toward the creation of their businesses.  And to help them to build strong business models that would have a positive financial focus but also focus on social and environmental issues that they are trying to address.

LL:  What drew you to get involved with the Hub?  What was your background before the Hub that led you there?

TN:  I had just finished a Masters in Sustainable Development in Sweden, focusing on a robust environmentally-based view of sustainability.  While tenants of that framework still held true, I needed to flush out the social aspect of sustainability and how it interweaves with the environmental side.  The discussions with the most impact are the ones that hit on both and environmental and social understanding.  So I wanted to gain more experience in social enterprise and see what options were out there. Living in Sweden and then in London.  I went into the Hub at Kings Cross and ended up volunteering for 10 months.  It had just opened six months before and I was helping get it off the ground and gaining an understanding of what they were doing. 

LL:  I understand the Hub offers seed funding and other professional services to social innovators and entrepreneurs – can you expand upon these services provided?

TN:  We have partnerships with law firms and social networks and people well-versed in a variety of topics like how to use social media to leverage your business. Hanson Bridgett, a law firm who was a founding member, gives free legal counsel to other members.  We have a variety of people in accounting, marketing, branding, and business development that provide a wide breadth of available tools and resources.

Hub Ventures is rolling out in the New Year, which will be focused on finding top business models and helping them connect with funders and seed funding to get those ideas off the ground.  It’s a seed fund that will be distributed to ten different businesses within the Hub community.  We did a similar project last year called the West Coast Village Capital  – a collaborative competition of 15-20 businesses who helped each other build stronger business plans while competing against those same businesses for the final round of funding.

LL:  Are there any special events coming up that Green Chamber/Hub members should know about?  What exactly are the Hub Labs and can you give examples of recent topics?

TN:  You can check out our events calendar to look at upcoming events. Our Hub Labs are member generated content where members can take an hour and teach a skill to other members who are interested.  For example, we just did a nonviolent communication Lab last week and lawyers have done a presentation on intellectual property.  We are working to drive a strong, robust program in the New Year where all offices working in the space will be involved in the Hub Labs and Hub Workshops.  Members have discounted access to workshops.  Labs are free for members and usually an hour during lunch, while workshops are 2-6 hours around specific topics like social media 101.

LL:  What does sustainability mean to you personally?

TN:  Sustainability is a term that is used a lot, but is curious because it can be used in so many contexts.  Financially, sustainability is making enough money to continue to run a business.  Sustainability is not taking away from the future needs of society, building something so that future civilization can meet their basic needs.  We understand our environmental boundaries pretty clearly at this point, in terms of energy and how much we can take from the environment before it collapses.  The environmental side is clearly defined – we know how many fish we can take out of ocean before fish stocks deplete.  But it gets trickier when it comes to the social side.  What are basic human needs and how are we enabling them, such as sustenance, love, creativity, and connection to others.  How do certain societies value those things more than others?  We have to find a delicate balance between environmental and social sustainability and make sure you are focusing on both sides. 

LL:  Can you describe the mentorship program at the Hub and how folks can take advantage of it?

TN:  One form of Hub mentorship is through the Consumer Web Working Group – made up of a group of people focused on building businesses that would be on the internet getting together to discuss challenges of their businesses — how do they pitch to investors, how do they do appropriate marketing, etc.  Peers get together to address similar challenges.  We are also working to better define how best to link up more serial entrepreneurs with people who are just getting their feet wet so that both are benefiting from each others’ knowledge equally and can have the experience to move forward. 

LL:  How would you say the Bay Area Hubs are different from other Hubs around the world? 

TN:  We have grown significantly faster and I believe we have a much more driven and robust group of people — not in sense that entrepreneurs of other groups aren’t, but San Francisco has such a strong entrepreneurial spirit.  Plus the team that I’m working with and the founders have a lot of passion for making sure it succeeds and that same entrepreneurial spirit that is pushing us as well. Within 6 months of opening, we’ve had 500 members join, bringing the total Hub Bay Area (including Berkeley) total close to 800 which accounts for 20 percent of Hub members worldwide.

We have a strong set of businesses as well because of how people in the Bay Area view entrepreneurship and business generation.  Also the time is right because people are starting to see the benefits of social enterprise, working on business together.  A focus has come on the idea of collaboration and how to this economy more effectively to create wealth for more people without destruction of the environment and social capital.

LL:  Tell me about the Hub space – the facilities available to members, the sustainable build-out and what kind of environment it fosters?

TN:  Berkeley Hub is a Platinum LEED certified space highly regulated by the David Brower Center – that includes everything from the type of material for tables, type of glasses used for catering, etc.  The SoMa Hub is in the San Francisco Chronicle building which is old and took a lot of work.  We brought it up to LEED certification standards and are working to get LEED certification in the building. The whole space is 8600 sq ft, which includes within this a 5,000 square foot co-working and events space and 1,400 square foot gallery space.  There are 70 seats for people to do work during the day, privacy booths for one on one meetings or phone calls, three larger meeting rooms that hold 6-20 people that members can book by the hour (non-members can book for added cost), and lounge areas.  We also have six private offices for more established teams for when they need more privacy or growth, but also want to be a part of the collaborate process. The art gallery space is curated by Intersection for the Arts, a San Francisco based arts NGO that focuses on using art to build community around social and environmental issues.

People that are members have access to Hubs around the world.  People choose a home Hub and can use both Bay Area Hubs interchangeably, although there are a few differences so as we don’t go over capacity.  It’s really a local business with international connections around the world.  There are plenty of co-working spaces in San Francisco, so we don’t think we are doing something totally different in that regard.  But we are a professionally hosted space in that we have people working to connect members to other members.  My role is to know everyone in the space and ensure they are reaching out to others to build their business faster and better.  I think that is rare compared to other co-working spaces.  In the U.S., there is another Hub in Atlanta and expect to see one in New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles within the next year. 

http://www.hubbayarea.com

http://twitter.com/HubBayArea

http://www.facebook.com/hubbayarea

Hub Berkeley Address:
2150 Allston Way, Suite 400
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: 510 649 7700
Email: berkeley.hosts@the-hub.net

Hub SoMa Address:
901 Mission St, Suite 105
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415 624 5881
Email: sanfrancisco.hosts@the-hub.net

Lammers:  Tell me about the founding vision of Earth’s Flame and how the company was started?

Leighton: 55 years ago my father and and an associate were discussing the difficulties in using paper and kindling to ignite their wood fireplaces. During this period in Southern California, there was a lot of wood, hardwood, orange and eucalyptus, which was difficult to split for kindling.  They discussed bringing gas into the fireplace and as a result invented Blue Flame Log Lighter and Valve, to ignite wood in fireplaces and started Canterbury Enterprises.

This concept of bringing gas into fireplaces grew from igniting wood to using gas for the Gas Log products. So our company has been at the intersection of wood and gas for many years.  Wood Burning Fireplaces is an American Tradition and in many areas, such as here in California it is becoming extinct.

This project has been about doing something for our environment and knowing that our little company has the ability to make a big difference throughout our nation. My Dad started the vision and changed the industry forever by inventing the Blue Flame Log Lighter and gas valve.

Throughout the past few years, I grew to understand the reasons why the EPA and Air Quality districts were focusing on the impact of emissions from wood burning fireplaces. There are 38 million across the U.S. and as a result there is 70,000 tons of harmful pollutants emitting from these fireplaces.

This was the problem and we needed to find a solution. I was not an expert in air pollution, emissions, working with the neither EPA nor air quality districts, therefore I knew that it was crticial that I found someone who had this knowledge. I was working with the Durango chamber of commerce because this was the town where I wanted to open up our division of Earths Flame and relocate from California and they suggested Steve Marple, a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Delaware. . Steve was involved in helping the Durango Silverton Narrow Gage Railroad reduce emissions from their historic turn of the century coal fired locomotives by developing a scrubber.

At the HPBA Expo in Reno, 2009, I set up a meeting with John Crouch, with the HPBA and Gil Wood, with the EPA and asked Steve Marple to join us. We discussed the problem that there are millions of fireplaces.  However, they cannot be changed out like a wood stove. Therefore, the only solution is to have a retrofit, which is designed to reduce emissions. Since we had the original log lighter and gas valve it made sense that we attempt to develop a product which would satisfy the EPA and the Air Districts. At the time I truly felt like my dad was passing the torch to me to turn wood burning fireplaces from black to green.

A year later in 2010, we won the Vesta “Green Award” at the HPB Expo in Orlando.  Earth’s Flame was recognized by the industry, winning the prestigious Vesta Green Award by Hearth and Home this past March for its innovation in design and technology.

Up to 7.2 tons of fireplaces’ particulate emissions will be eliminated for every 1,000 fireplaces using Earth’s Flame.  Today we stand at the forefront of making wood burning fireplaces part of the Green Movement.    

Lammers:  Can you explain the process by which Earth’s Flame fireplace retrofit grate reduces wood burning emissions by up to 78 percent and increases radiant heat?

Leighton: Earth’s Flame, the New Hybrid grate for wood burning fireplaces addresses the main cause of fireplace emissions, a poorly burning fire. Earth’s Flame creates a quicker, hotter, and cleaner burning fire.  The unique design of the grate along with the hotter fire gives off substantially more radiant heat than a standard fireplace. It features a gas-enhanced combustion system combined with an emission-reducing grate. The unique design addresses the “Three T’s” of good combustion: Time, Temperature and Turbulence. Earth’s Flame starts with a Blue Flame log lighter underneath the fire grate that creates a rapid and sustained ignition of the wood diminishing the initial smoke when a fire is lit. The refractory plate above the fire keeps combustion gases in the fireplace longer for a more complete combustion. The refectory plate also prevents gases and particles from going straight up the chimney, creates turbulence and doubles the radiant heat.  A complete description of the numerous technical features of the grate can be found @ www.earthsflame.com under the Technical Features tab and testing data under the Test Results tab.

The benefits of Earth’s Flame

• Decreases pollutants by 78%
• Improves Indoor Air Quality – reducing health risks associated with inhaling wood smoke
• Doubles the Radiant Heat (up to 115%)
• Increases the fireplace draft by 76%
• Reduces the chance of smoke spillage
• Has a reduced carbon footprint compared to gas log fireplaces
• Energy Savings
• The operating cost of natural gas, using Earth’s Flame is 31 cents per hour
• Has a reduced carbon footprint compared to gas log fireplaces
• Constructed of Stainless Steel – Built to Last
• Proudly Made in the U.S.

Lammers: This product claims to be a cost-effective option for reducing emissions from existing fireplaces.  What are the other options?

Leighton: There are 38 million households in the U.S. with fireplaces, which emit a total of 70,000 tons of harmful pollutants every year.   Up until now, the only options to reduce fireplace emissions have been replacement of the fireplace, use of a fireplace insert or not burning the fireplace at all.  Replacing a fireplace is a huge expense and not feasible in most cases since fireplaces are part of the house structure.  Fireplace inserts cost multiples of the price of an Earth’s Flame retrofit grate; the user also loses the “open hearth” experience and in some cases the wood burning experience traditional to fireplaces.  Earth’s Flame gives the consumer an opportunity to maintain the open-hearth wood burning fireplace experience in an environmentally friendly fashion while gaining other user benefits -improved radiant heat and indoor air quality for example.

Lammers:  Do you see this technology catching on?  Do you think it is the future of fireplaces?

Leighton: We do see this technology catching on. Up from 10% in 1993, 43% of all fireplaces in 2009 were gas fired – with 1 million of these new fireplaces being installed per year.  Fireplace inserts in many cases are either gas or electric fired, converting the traditional wood-burning fireplace to a different fuel source.  The use of these non-renewable and Green House Gas producing fuel sources concerns Earth’s Flame, negatively impacts our environment, and further increases our dependence on fossil fuels.  The Earth’s Flame technology promotes the use of renewable and carbon friendly wood as a fuel source while substantially reducing the traditional emissions associated with wood burning fireplaces.

Lammers: Do you have much competition in terms of similar technology out there for products, which reduce fireplace emissions?

Leighton: Earth’s Flame is a concept unlike anything that the hearth industry has ever seen. Traditional emissions-reducing products, like catalysts, focus on removing the pollutants from a poorly burning fire. The Earth’s Flame product addresses the source of the fireplace emissions – a poorly burning fire. It reduces the pollutants by having a hotter, cleaner burning fire. Earth’s Flame is the cleanest burning open-hearth retrofit in the industry – at 2.7 g/kg.

Catalysts, have a limited life span of 3 to 5 years, where as Earth’s Flame is constructed of Stainless Steel and removes emissions with the same efficiency for every fire. Earth’s Flame has no parts to replace and is easily installed. Earths’ Flame is freestanding and does not in any way attach to the fireplace structure, as catalysts do.

Lammers:  What is the regulatory state of the fireplace industry and where does Earth’s Flame fit?

Leighton: Wood stoves have been regulated by the EPA for some time now and great strides have been made in the wood stove industry to improve efficiencies and reduce emissions while promoting the use of a renewable and carbon friendly fuel source.  Fireplaces and other wood fired appliances have been unregulated but are expected to be regulated by 2012.  The concept of lower emissions fireplaces is in its infancy.  To keep the American fireplace experience alive we must continue to innovate, as the wood stove industry has done.

The EPA Voluntary Program to reduce fireplace emissions presently has a handful of new fireplaces designed to reduce emissions. We’ll certainly see more innovative offerings in the fireplace industry as more stringent regulations are imposed by the regulatory community. A large issue confronting the regulatory community is the 38 million existing fireplaces and how to control emissions from those existing fireplaces.  The Earth’s Flame technology is one of only two technologies currently commercially available to reduce emissions from existing fireplaces.  It represents an opportunity to turn the clock back on those 38 million existing fireplaces making them more environmentally friendly.  The Earth’s Flame technology also has great potential in our plans to offer a new fireplace for the industry.

Lammers:  Where can readers find Earth’s Flame?

Leighton: Earth’s Flame can be purchased on line at www.earthsflame.com or in some Ace Hardware stores throughout the nation.

Lammers:  How did you come to Earth’s Flame and what is your background?

Leighton:  I worked with my father, the founder of Canterbury Enterprises for 30 years, until he passed in 2005. Since then we have continued to sell the original Blue Flame Log Lighter and gas valves to Hearth Dealers throughout the Nation, and I am very familiar with the Hearth Industry, as a result.   Earth’s Flame was incorporated in 2009.

Steve Marple, Owner, Project Services International, is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of the University of Delaware.  Steve has a truly diversified and worldwide background with his 30+ years experience in the industrial engineering and construction environments. Steve’s experience with the design, construction, operation and trouble-shooting state of the art combustion and pollution control systems brings a wealth of knowledge to Earth’s Flame and its design.

Steve’s been involved in helping the Durango Silverton Narrow Gage Railroad reduce emissions from their historic turn of the century coal fired locomotives and roundhouse facility for a few years now. A chance meeting between Lisa Leighton & railroad owner Al Harper lead to Steve’s involvement in the development of Earth’s Flame. Steve takes great pride in his contributions to Earth’s Flame and the potential environmental benefits derived from its use.

Lammers:  What advice do you have for others in your industry that are trying to be more green?

Leighton: There is nothing like the ambiance of a wood burning fireplace, the smell, the warmth, the sounds of a crackling fire. The hearth is truly the most intimate place in a home and Earth’s Flame will protect wood burning fireplaces, while protecting the environment. There’s a disturbing trend across the US and in states like California, fireplaces are being banned from new construction and the operation of existing fireplaces is being limited.

Our mission is to keep alive the American tradition of enjoying wood burning fireplaces, while protecting the environment.  We now we have the solution to fireplace emissions, Earth’s Flame.  To continue to work directly with the air quality districts throughout the nation and the EPA to keep wood burning fireplaces alive for future generations.  Ultimately we want to prevent the ban and extinction of wood burning fireplaces by offering a new generation of lower emissions fireplaces across the US and Canada.  Our Motto is One Earth…One Vision.

Focus on homeowners enjoying their hearth for generations to come, while being conscious of the pollutants from wood burning fireplaces. By installing an Earth’s Flame, the homeowner can change their fireplace from Black to Green which is our message.

Lammers:  Have you faced any obstacles in the process of trying to be a sustainable business?

Leighton: We’re a small company with a large mission.  Our biggest obstacle is getting the word out to those wanting to make a difference.  We’re also actively involved with the regulatory community helping move the idea of green fireplaces forward:

• We are American Made, which is more costly than overseas, however we are a supporter of keeping jobs in the USA and that is why Earth’s Flame is proudly manufactured and distributed in Colorado.
• We have an estimated energy savings for every earth’s flame installed of 3.4 million BTUs (or 400 lbs of CO2) annually, compared to a traditional gas fire log set.
• The operating cost of natural gas, using Earth’s Flame is .31 cents per hour.
• We are a family owned business which wants to burn green and ensure families are breathing clean.

Lammers:  Aside from the green Earth’s Flame fireplace, can you describe other sustainable business practices of Canterbury Enterprises?

Leighton: Earth’s Flame is working with the Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service to help replenish our forests. When Fireplace Dealers purchase Earth’s Flame products, we will plant a Tree in the Dealers name and are promoting the Arbor Day at all Trade Shows we attend.

Lammers:  What does sustainability mean to you personally?

Leighton: To maintain the ecological balance and prevent more pollution to our environment.  To be consistent as a role model, to your family, community and environment. Being accountable and giving back throughout the year, not just during the holidays.

Lammers:  Do you see any trends emerging in your industry around conservation and sustainability?

Leighton: While Earth’s Flame concentrates on reducing emissions and better air quality we’re also part of the biomass industry.  The industry is gaining momentum centered around conservation of those non-renewable energy resources we have and promoting sustainability of those resources that are renewable.  We promote the use of a renewable and sustainable energy source.

Lammers:  Are there any upcoming special events or offers from Earth’s Flame that you want Green Chamber members to know about?

Leighton: We will be attending the Home Builders IBS Show in Orlando, in January, the Chimney Sweeps Convention in Connecticut in February, the Hearth, BBQ Patio Expo in Salt Lake City in March and the Green Festival in Seattle, WA in May. We will offer to all Green Chamber of Commerce members a discounted price of $100.00 for and Earth’s Flame. Please go to the website at www.earthsflame.com and the coupon code is Green Chamber.

Lammers:  Why did you decide to join with the Green Chamber and how has it impacted your business?

Leighton: We attended the Green Festival in San Francisco and realized that the individuals who understand the negative impact of pollution would be involved with the Green Chamber. This is a vehicle for us to get the word out to the homeowners who love their wood burning fireplaces and want to make a difference and reduce pollutants from their fireplace and others within the organization.  For members to view the comparison (on our website) of smoke from a fireplace with and without an Earth’s Flame.

LL:  What advice do you have for others in your industry who are trying to be more “green”?

WA: For all types of businesses, the important thing to remember is that the process of becoming more green is just that – a process.  Start with the low-hanging fruit.  Embrace a culture of education and transparency.  You won’t be able to make all changes overnight, but by continuously looking for opportunities to improve the efficiency of your operations, reduce your consumption of goods and energy, and educate your company about green initiatives, you’ll start to notice the cumulative effect of your efforts.

LL:  Have you faced any obstacles in the process of trying to be a sustainable business?  If so, how did you or how do you continue to overcome them?

WA: In the beginning of any big initiative there are always those people within the organization who are reticent to change.  It challenges people to think outside of their comfort zone or to break and rebuild habits of behavior.  In our case, we built a change team that included people from all areas and roles within the firm.  By including multiple voices in the planning process, we were able to identify how the implementation of an idea in one area might impact other areas. This allowed us to mitigate negative impacts and streamline the transition process. We also found that the employee morale and the recruiting benefits for the firm were directly impacted by our green program.  That really created ongoing inspiration to keep pushing ourselves.

LL:  Can you describe specifically your sustainable business practices?

WA: We’ve implemented numerous changes throughout the firm, both big and small.  As lawyers, our industry uses an unconscionable amount of paper. The courts now require 30% recycled content in paper submitted to them.  Our firm goes further and uses 100% post consumer waste recycled paper for both work product and marketing materials.  We look to green suppliers and products wherever we can, cut waste, recycle and compost.   We share information that allows our business and employees in their personal lives to adopt more sustainable practices. We were the first law firm in the country to be certified as a green business and we’ve been through two recertifications with the Bay Area Green Business Program since then. Our Green Business Practice group is a member of 1% For the Planet, by which we donate one percent of our annual revenues to approved environmentally-focused non-profits.  Most recently, the firm became a B Corporation, furthering our commitment to being an environmentally sound law firm with a commitment to good corporate citizenry.

Our efforts have not gone unnoticed.  We’ve been recognized locally and national for our green practices in publications including the San Francisco Business Times and the National Law Journal.

LL:  What does sustainability mean to you?

WA: Sustainability isn’t an initiative or a fad.  It’s a culture change.  We’ve been on this path for a number of years. Sustainability is recognizing your impact on your surroundings and then doing what you can to make a change for the better.  As new ideas, products and information become available, you have to be open to change.  It’s about being authentic.  You don’t have to be perfect, but you should be open to finding opportunities to improve.  It’s also about being part of community of people and businesses that embrace those same values.  The more we are able to support each other, the stronger we become as an economic force.

LL:  Do you see any trends emerging in your industry around conservation and sustainability?

WA: Certainly there are many law firms that are now paying attention to sustainability.  Some of those firms may be true believers, others may be simply trying to tap into a marketing trend.  That being said, many firms (especially in the Bay Area) continue to reduce their own environmental impacts.  It’s much more common to walk into a law firm here and see cans for waste, recycling and composting and email signature blocks that ask the receiver to think before printing.  Firms are joining organizations like the Green Chamber and 1% For the Planet, and/or seeking independent certifications of their operations through the Bay Area Green Business Program and B Corporation, to name a few.  Law firms are using their traditional business connections to help launch or sustain growth at emerging green business companies.  The Bar Associations at various local, state, and national levels are all engaged in educating their members about green business and legal issues.  We applaud these types of efforts.

LL:  Is there anything unique about your business that you want Green Chamber members to know?

WA: Yes.  We’re looking to work with the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.  When we launched our Green Business Practice Group in 2003, only a select few clients and friends of the firm really paid attention.  As our dedication to green business deepened, we began attracting a lot of attention from potential clients and competitors.  Given our pioneering efforts, we understand the motivations (and, sometimes, the frustrations) of being on the vanguard of business initiatives.

In our practice, we’re seeing green economy companies that launched within the last few years maturing and on the verge of major expansion.  Because of our long history working within the green business community, we’re well positioned to help these companies identify opportunities, spot potential pitfalls and execute their growth strategies in a thoughtful way.  They are suddenly tackling issues ranging from complex contracts, licensing and distribution agreements, or protecting intangible assets such as trademark portfolios and trade secrets, to managing an expanding workforce and purchasing or leasing real estate to run their growing operations. Green and CSR issues can touch all of those aspects of running a business, and there are aspects that probably would not occur to a lawyer practicing solely with “traditional” businesses.

We regularly host green business seminars and events at our office, and our attorneys are very active in the Green Chamber, Build It Green, the USGBC, B Corporation, and 1% For the Planet, to name a few organizations.  In addition, we’re engaging our clients, potential clients, and friends on Facebook (www.facebook.com/wendelrosen) and Twitter (@WendelRosen).  We invite other Chamber members to connect with us in those online communities, as well as in the real world.

LL:  Why did you decide to join with the Green Chamber and how has it impacted your business?

WA: For one thing, the Green Chamber is a pioneer in its own right.  We respect the tremendous initiative and success of the Green Chamber to engage other leading-edge businesses and create a forum for triple bottom line-oriented businesses to become engaged.

For professional service providers, like attorneys, it is important to develop relationships with people you trust.  Being a part of the Green Chamber allows us to further develop our network with companies that share our values.  We find the educational and networking opportunities that the Chamber supports a great way to connect with like-minded businesses.  Thank you, Green Chamber!

LL:  From your website, it’s clear that you’ve done work for green-minded businesses.  Are there sustainability standards by which you try to choose your clients so that they are aligned with your principles?

ES: When I decided to go freelance, I made it my mission statement to try to work for companies I believe in.  Try is the key word. Finding clients that need your services can be tough.  I found a local company down the street from me, Be Sweet, which supports Indigenous people in South Africa.  I had to go after that job.  It doesn’t always work out that way.  With the work for Green Chamber, I had a network through Melinda Cheel.  I’ve also done work for my husband’s company, Yuba Bicycles, a utility bicycle company all about sustainable transportation.  With this job I was staying true to my core values; I had commuted for so long and it’s such a waste of time and resources.  So I’m really trying to work for companies that have a good mission.

There have been a few jobs that I didn’t feel right about, but then sometimes have been pleasantly surprised.  For example, Oracle was a great place to work.  They did little things like composting campaigns for their cafeteria that I was involved with. Now I feel bad about judging a big company right away, especially when they are doing little things to make themselves more sustainable. 

LL:  What does sustainability mean to you?

ES: As a graphic designer especially, it means picking your resources and selecting your vendors wisely because in a way you are the broker.  You are deciding what the client ends up purchasing and how they are transporting materials.   It’s not just about shutting your computer down when you’re not using it.  It’s selecting the right papers, inks and delivery methods.

LL:  What advice do you have for other graphic designers who are trying to be more sustainable?

ES: In graphic design, advice really depends on what sector of the business you are in.  So much has to do with decisions, whether it be packaging components that go into packaging materials, who to get materials from, samples from printers to see what can be done, etc. My advice is to try to do research often.  What is cheapest and easiest to sell to clients is not always the greenest.

Stay on top of your options. With printing, it’s good to stay current on other vendors’ green practices because you become the middle man between your client and the printer.  It is difficult to stay on top of new practices because things are ever changing.  But vendors are realizing green is what clients want and are better able to gauge demand.

Also, the “acting locally” approach works.  Support your local print shop, where you don’t have as much transportation involved.  Find a place where you can pick up a print job rather than have it delivered.  Sure, there are lots of printers in China, but it has to come a long way.

LL:  Have you faced any obstacles in the process of trying to be a sustainable business?

ES: Often with your client base as a designer, you may not be able to decide who you design for in a tough economy.  Work is work, and a company is not always going to be sustainable.  As a designer, it’s hard to say you will only work for green businesses, to pick and choose.  Sometimes you have to take work that is there.

At the same time, you can add your input to the end result and try to make that as sustainable as possible.  It’s as simple as taking a print piece that could be a PDF or non-print piece.  The world has turned in many ways to create annual reports as PDFs that don’t waste paper.  There have been a lot of changes in print.  In some ways you lose the craft — the feel of the paper, ink, varnishes, and other printing practices that have gone to the wayside because people have realized they are not sustainable. If you’ve been doing this awhile, you miss some of the same tactile qualities of receiving a nice catalog or annual report.  But you can’t argue it the other way when you see the cost, resource and distribution benefits.

LL:  Why did you decide to join the Green Chamber?

ES: I’ve worked with Melinda before and she came to me with this very nice opportunity to jump in and start doing design for the Green Chamber.   It seemed like a great group to be a part of and a chance to get to know like minded individuals and client opportunities.

LL:  What was the vision for creating Green Chamber advertisements for Sustainable Industries?

ES: I collaborated with Janet Pomeroy at the Green Chamber, who already knew what she wanted to achieve.  The goal was to highlight members like Greener Printer and Green Dentistry and put a face with names as far as membership.   The ads are simple and clean, reaching out to potential members who might say, “I can relate to that.” Testimonials are comforting and it’s nice to see a face with a company.

LL:  Are there any services that you want Green Chamber members to know about?

ES: I would love to work with other Green Chamber members on any design needs they may have or help them select design resources.

Emily Sarrazin

Sausalito, California

415.225.5356

Emily.sarrazin@gmail.com

www.emilysarrazin.com

LL:  How did the idea for Exygy first come about?

ZB: There was no “ah-ha” moment.  Exygy happened because we all wanted to do what we’re great at — build kick ass technology — for important things we care about like sustainable enterprise, changemakers, innovators and entrepreneurs.

LL:  Why did you decide it was important to incorporate sustainability into your business practices?

ZB: It was easy to take the first step and incorporate sustainability into our business practices: our servers are green, the whole team bikes to work, and we make sure our old hardware gets re-used rather than dumped.

Taking our sustainability practices to the next level — by becoming B-Corp certified, sponsoring the Green Chamber, and becoming a founding member of The Hub — was all about being able to announce our values loudly and clearly.  The clients we want to work with — change makers and social innovators — want to work with us not just because we build great product, but because it’s clear we’re in business for the same reasons they are and so our goals are aligned.

LL:  What does sustainability look like to you?

ZB: For Exygy, sustainability is about empowering change makers to fulfill their visions.  There are so many innovative folks out there with powerful ideas around sustainability and social impact.  Our goal is to work with innovators to build transformative technology and empower you to be more effective at making the world better.

LL:  Did you face any obstacles along the path to becoming a sustainable business and what challenges do you still face?

ZB: No.  It has been easy and fun. We hire folks who already care about what’s going on.  They are working here because they don’t just want to be technologists, they want to empower social innovation.  It’s been easy because there’s no resistance since people are here because this is what they care about.  As a simple business, it’s less about the materials we use and more about our process and the people we choose to work for.  We can be geeks for good by choosing clients who are doing good work and who share our values.  So working with these innovators and organizations like the Green Chamber allows us to build a business network of people who are in business for all the right reasons.

LL:  Can you tell us more about specific sustainable business methods that your business practices?

ZB: Our servers are green, the whole team bikes to work, and we make sure our old hardware gets re-used rather than dumped.

LL:  What advice do you have for other businesses who are trying to adopt green business models?

ZB: Talk to others.  Have big goals and start small.  Think about how you can make changes that are good for the environment and good for your business.  Do those things first.

LL:  Do you see any trends in your industry emerging around conservation and sustainability?

ZB: Lower power consuming hardware is good not only for the environment but also for your data center’s pocket book and for your users who get longer device life.  To this end, a lot of our clients in the developing world are working with custom charge controllers to make batteries last longer and be discarded less often.

LL:  How did you find out about the Green Chamber and what made you decide to join?

ZB: Melinda Cheel and Luke Fretwell.  Exygy immediately became a Green Sponsor of the Chamber because we knew that the Green Chamber was an idea whose time had come, and we saw it as an opportunity to both support an important new organization as well as get in early with an exciting group of innovators.

LL:  Is there anything else about Exygy that you want GCC members to know?

ZB: We are more than a typical software vendor: we are a technical partner, a kind of CTO for hire.  Our clients are visionaries and our job, before we begin building anything, is to first help shape the vision by identifying the interplay of business requirements and technical requirements.  For startups and social innovators time to market and executing on a budget is always important so together with our clients we shape multi-phased project plans that get core functionality built quickly in order to cost effectively prove the model, build traction, generate customers and revenue, and then we dig deeper.

Here are some examples of the clients we have worked with recently who are doing great things:

The Story of Bottled Water

We built this website, supporting a highly publicized video targeted at radically altering consumer behavior, and it has been a huge success.  Featured in the New York Times, the Colbert Report, and more.

http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

VeeV

Website for world’s first carbon neutral spirits company. Flash AS3 front end + custom content management backend.

http://www.veevlife.com/

MyPlastiki

Website supporting the epic sea voyage of adventurer/environmentalist David de Rothschild.  Featured on Oprah, CNN, and more.

http://myplastiki.com/

Skoll Foundation and Social Edge

Widgets for finding and connecting with social entrepreneurs funded by Civic Ventures, The Draper Richards Foundation, PopTech, The Schwab Foundation, The Skoll Foundation, Ashoka, GSBI, and more.

http://exygy.com/social-entrepreneurs-search-widgets/

EurekaFund

Crowdsourced Fund Raising platform to fund early stage scientific research, specifically solar, wind, water, transportation, and energy storage.  A “Kiva for Science”.  Featured in the New York Times in February this year.

http://eurekafund.org/

GreenLeafSF

GreenLeaf has been committed to the local, sustainable model of food distribution for decades, long before it became a trend.

http://www.greenleafsf.com/

NomadsLand

A video publishing platform for nonprofits, social enterprises and responsible companies.

http://nomadsland.com/

PharmaSecure

Counterfeit medications are an urgent public health menace in the developing world.  PharmaSecure is a venture-backed company with offices in the United States and India.  We built for them secure sms based infrastructure to print and validate codes on medical packaging.

http://www.pharmasecure.com/

HowYouEco

A social networking site and business directory supporting a sustainable lifestyle

http://howyoueco.exygy.com/

The Brand Accelerator

An equity-funding source that brings together entrepreneurs, consumer goods companies, and capital to build and grow the next generation of innovative and healthy consumer brands.

http://www.brandacceleratorinc.com/

BeRewarding.com

An innovative platform to educate about and raise money for important social issues including water, climate change, energy, poverty, health, human impact, education, biodiversity, and human rights.

http://berewarding.com/

Resilient Cities Initiative

RCI invites Cities and their Business, Civic and Government colleagues to create positive climate change, now.

http://resilientcitiesinitiative.org/

Exygy Web + Mobile

576 Natoma, SF, CA, 94103

415.992.7251

http://exygy.com/

LL:  How did the idea for Direct Dental first come about?

JC: I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area and went to UCSF Dental school where I became very aware that San Francisco is a thought leader when it comes to building transformative business practices that benefit the greater good. Early on in my career I became very involved with the American Dental Association as a national spokesperson for the value of self-funded dental plans to improve patient benefits and save money for employers. As a practicing dentist in Marin, I was seeing that patients with quality dental plans maintained better health and were more likely to complete dental care necessary to remain healthy.  And it has been proven that oral health has a powerful impact on heart health and overall immune system functioning–keeping clean teeth and gums translates into far more than looking good from the outside, it can save your life!

Unfortunately, many of the dental insurance plans available were full of exclusions, limitations and restrictions that passed costs onto the patient.  Working with the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association, I became a leading advocate for improved dental benefit plans that put more premium dollars into patient care and eliminated the high profit margins found in traditional plans.  These principles of “putting the money where the mouth is” lead to the formation of Direct Dental Administrators and our tagline of Simple. Honest. Benefits.

LL:  Why did you decide it was important to incorporate sustainability into your business practices?

JC: As stated above, our mission was always based on improving health through more efficient use of benefit dollars.  Our plans always returned all excess funds to the employer every year that claim experience was favorable — as often as nine years out of 10 for many plans.  We adopted the idea of “sustainable benefits” because we found that once a client adopted one of our plans, they stayed with it because it worked well and improved employee health.  Sustainability has been in our DNA for quite some time, so joining other like-minded businesses was a natural progression for us.

LL:  What does sustainability look like to you?

JC: In our plans, sustainability is manifest as Simple. Honest. Benefits.  Our simple plan designs have more efficient use of plan dollars to drive the most dollars into patient care.  Returning excess dollars and transparency of how the plan funds were used supported our mission of Honesty.   And sponsoring plans that fit the needs of each client to improve health of their employees and their families brings a real “benefit” to that company.  We are also very committed to our nonprofit community and donate back to our many nonprofit accounts with money and employee time–where they are paid to be a part of helping our community thrive through volunteerism.

LL:  Did you face any obstacles along the path to becoming a sustainable business and what challenges do you still face?

JC: Of course we are always challenged by big insurance companies who dominate the marketplace and do not comply with sustainable practices or transparent plan designs.  The insurance industry is full of wasteful practices and we needed to upset the status quo while remaining competitive.  Becoming a sustainable business was easy.  Being a smaller company, we could get everyone on board and grow into an efficient sustainable business.  We continually meet to review best practices and develop innovative practices.

LL:  Can you tell us more about specific sustainable business methods that Direct Dental practices?

JC: We have developed a practice of eliminated paper reporting whenever possible.   We are initiating a full web based portal for connection with clients, dentists and patients.  Internally, we have eliminated most of our paper and use the electronic methods of data storage that is efficient.  We also do the usual recycling, online meetings, and providing sustainable wages and benefits to our employees.

LL:  What advice do you have for other businesses who are trying to adopt green business models?

JC: Small steps will lead to a sustainable cultural change.  Disruptive change is most likely to reduce employee compliance.  Routine reinforcement and review of practices is essential.

LL:  Do you see any trends in the dental industry emerging around conservation and sustainability?

JC: There are dental offices, like Dr. Nammy Patel in San Francisco, that have been certified as Green Businesses.  Given the chemicals used and harmful waste produced in a typical dental practice, this is an admirable achievement.  As more dentists move to paperless practices, we’ll see an increased awareness of environmental impact and hopefully adoption of more green initiatives.

LL:  How did you find out about the Green Chamber and what made you decide to join?

JC: I found out about the Green Chamber of Commerce from William Acevedo at Wendell, Rosen, Black & Dean Law Firm.  They are a client as well as a certified Green Business.  We already were a certified Green Business and B-Corp member, so it just made sense to expand our support of the organizations with our same business philosophies.   We’ve found that word of mouth and personal contact within the Green Business Community is a refreshingly personal way to do business and builds the base of sustainability in our community.  This is a choice of business practice that fulfills our personal and business goals.

Direct Dental Administrators

P.O. Box 542

San Anselmo, CA 94979

www.directdentalplans.com

415.457.2836

LL:  How did the idea for Vee Horticulture first come about?

VK: I had been apprenticing to a designer and contractor for five years and decided it was time to strike out on my own.  A friend was helping me make business cards and I realized I didn’t know what to call it so he came up with Vee Horticulture. Vee is my nickname and horticulture is my focus so that is where the name came from. I gardened my whole life growing up in New Hampshire.  I came out here to go to California College of the Arts-CCA to study metalsmithing. One summer during school I needed a job and wanted to find something where I could be outside of the studio.  That’s when I started doing landscaping and just completely fell in love with it. I realized I really enjoyed being in the outdoors, working in all the elements with the added bonus of working with living things.

LL:  Why did you decide it was important to incorporate sustainability into your business practices?

VK:As a general rule, folks in the landscaping business are a pretty sustainable bunch. We have to be stewards of the land and take care of it.  At one point I was working with another designer who loved to use pesticides.  I decided I didn’t want that in my business.  My own life practice of taking care of my surroundings naturally extended into my business practice of caring for others’ surroundings as well.  Vee Horticulture has been sustainable since the very beginning in 1997.  As the years have gone on sustainability has become a buzzword, but at the same time it’s become a practice, which is a good thing.  We all need to move in that direction.

LL:  Did you face any obstacles along the path to becoming a sustainable business and what challenges do you still face?

VK: I imagine I could say yes, I have faced challenges, but in reality it was more a matter of sticking to my principles.  It was about saying to clients, “I can’t do that for you.  Here is how we can make this work in a more sustainable, practical way.”  One example, coming back to pesticides, was someone who wanted a huge lawn they would never use.  That just wouldn’t be a part of my design.  So even though folks think they should spray their roses with pesticides and have huge swaths of lawn, I have to stick to my guns.  I have to explain to them that it will not only be more beautiful, but it will cost less in all kinds of ways to you and the environment if we make this a sustainable landscape.

People either come on board or they don’t.  That’s my biggest challenge, to have to edit some of my clients out because they want me to do something that wouldn’t work in a sustainable way.  Being a sustainable business means you don’t cave in to folks just because they think they want a certain thing.  You have to consider that maybe the person isn’t educated about the dry climate of California and why a large lawn doesn’t make sense.

I’ve been working a lot with folks who want to grow their own food. I love cooking and find it extremely satisfying to make a meal out of your own backyard.  I love to help folks put edible landscapes in.  It involves clients in their own garden and gets them excited to see what’s coming up next if they are out there working in it.  Also, an edible garden doesn’t have to be a big hippy mess.  Aesthetics are important to most of my clients.  It can be a simultaneously useful and beautiful space.

LL:  Can you tell us more about specific sustainable business methods that Vee Horticulture practices?

VK: Some of my clients live at the edges of parks and wild lands.  The best practice would be to integrate the native landscape with plants that need less maintenance and water.  I try to choose plants that are also beneficial to local insects and wildlife populations such as bees, birds and all those wonderful things.  We try to plant things that will attract pollinators.

I do a lot of small gardens in urban environments and people often ask for native plants.  Things need to look good all the time in a small urban garden and native plants have rest cycles that sometimes look kind of scruffy.  If folks are up for that, I support them.  But if they want it to look good all the time, I’ll use adaptive plants from other Mediterranean climates like South Africa or Australia to bloom at different times and fill out the look.

One of the main things I do in terms of sustainability is to not use pesticides.  I focus on feeding the soil with compost and mulch to create a healthy garden.  If you feed the soil, you feed the plant and that makes for healthy gardens that do not need pesticides.  If you see a plant is not doing well, then it’s not the right plant for that space.  It doesn’t make sense to poison the whole system by pointing to one thing that’s not doing well in a garden and dumping chemicals on it.

We conserve water by using drought tolerant plants, adding lots of compost and mulch and installing smart water meters.  These meters monitor temperature, humidity and soil moisture to determine proportional watering.  If it’s a cloudy day in spring, the water doesn’t go on.  This can increase the effectiveness of your watering system and reduces the clients need to call you because this technology works automatically from the client’s computer and weather stations to program the system.

We also don’t put in giant hedges that need pruning all the time or huge swaths of lawn. I don’t own a blower or lawnmower.  I design gardens that don’t need constant maintenance so we won’t have to constantly come and haul yard waste away, which saves fuel as well as human labor energy.

I use recycled materials from onsite whenever possible. I’m not a fan of scraping everything away, massively re-grading and basically starting all over.  You have to ask yourself, “What is the land saying?  What is the architecture saying?  How can we come in and integrate the landscape in the least invasive way possible?”  Some of these things are second nature.  It is not as though I think, “Oh, I’ve checked that sustainable practice off the list.”  One thing always leads to another.  One practice naturally seems to make other aspects work.  For example, if I’m feeding the soil properly, I know I can create an edible space without toxic chemicals, without bringing in new materials, and without gas-powered mowers.

Composting on site is also a no brainer. However, people in the city generally don’t have a lot of room for a compost bin so worm bins can be a great alternative.

LL:  What advice do you have for other businesses who are trying to adopt green business models?

VK: Keep it simple.  As I mature in my business and my own life, my aesthetics are moving more toward simplicity.  Of course, simple is never as easy as it looks. In business, you have to have the willingness to try and sometimes fail.  I also recommend just getting out there and getting experience.  Really observe, be empirical and adapt to whatever observations you make.  Move forward in a scientific manner.  Be consistent and persistent.  Don’t be afraid to try and keep on trying and be creative!

LL:  Do you see any trends in your industry emerging around conservation and sustainability?

VK: Growing food is a trend which is wonderful and important and radical considering the level that big business, corporations and even our government is trying to control the source of our food.  For example, people are rejecting the major meat finishing and packing industry’s inhumane way animals are raised, fed and slaughtered.  Folks aren’t wanting any of that and are fighting back with buying locally raised, grass fed animals not pumped full of hormones.  It was exciting to watch Jamie Oliver’s TED Talk where he was discussing food as being this revolutionary idea.  They showed him going to inner city schools and holding up mushrooms and other veggies.   The kids had no idea what it was he was holding in his hands.  So I see gardening as an important way to contribute to this movement.

LL:  How did you find out about the Green Chamber and what made you decide to join?

VK: I heard about the Green Chamber through Pam Evans, Coordinator of Alameda County’s Green Business Program (a part of the Bay Area Green Business Program whose sustainability standards we meet).  She also connected me with another great resource, Bay Friendly Landscaping, which provides tools and resources to grow healthy, sustainable gardens that protect the San Francisco Bay and its watersheds. I like the fact that if I want to install solar panels, dry cleaning, house painting, etc. I can go check out other members of the Green Chamber or the Green Business Program and use them as a resource for green services.

I had always been offered to join other Chambers of Commerce.  The first time I felt really good about it was when the Green Chamber approached me.  I had gone to mixers and events of other Chambers of Commerce and sometimes felt like these aren’t my people. They were all business, and I am not willing to compromise my aesthetics and principles.  And the thing is, with the Green Chamber you don’t have to. It’s kind of nice!  I hope that GCC grows to the point where we can advocate for public policy.