Hi, my name is Kosta and this is my first post as an Insider for The Green Light Distrikt.

Over the weekend, GLD has had a baby!

It’s a surprise, I know, and a very short pregnancy, but we now have a new member of the family: a new chapter in New York City.  Things move quickly around here!

Last week Chris put up a post expressing an interest in exploring the cleantech industry outside of Boston.  Which I personally believe is a brilliant idea because the industry has a presence in a number of locations around the United States. (Check out our survey)

One thing that’s really interesting about America is how it has organized itself.  There are over 300 million people here.  And like no other country in the world, cities are organized around industry clusters.  Washington DC for policy; Detroit for the car industry; Huston for oil and gas; New York for finance, fashion and advertising; San Francisco for technology innovation; Boston for R&D.

So why not take the platform that is GLD and take it national?

Chris and I got talking.  The thought was: “Can we create clusters of professionals in each city who are also uniquely active in their respective industries?  Wouldn’t that allow them to connect with people in other places, specializing in other areas?  New York finance people with Boston R&D people?   Washington policy people with San Fran project developers?”

I came to find Chris a little while ago because I have a background in the biofuels industry. Throughout 2007 and 2008, I was working for a publicly listed biofuels start-up and we were building a global portfolio of biofuels assets – ethanol, biodiesel, oilseed crushing, biomass power, fuel distribution, and alternative feedstock plantations in the US, Australia and Europe.  Our major asset was a 50 million gallon state-of-the-art biodiesel facility located in a little town called Beatrice, Nebraska.  I spent a lot of time there, and building that business was the most enjoyable and exciting time of my career.  Perhaps like some of you, I feel green energy pulsing through my bones!

I remember the very first time I saw GLD.  Something clicked.  My instant thought was “This is exactly what we need, a platform for young cleantech professionals to connect and share ideas.  Brilliant.”  Chris, I love your vision.

So we are officially announcing a new GLD “Cluster” in New York City

We have decided to replicate the model that Chris has pioneered in Boston and take the next step in New York City.

This is the plan over the next few months is to…

1. Collect a cluster of Insiders to write about the cleantech industry from the New York point of view.
2. Profile the most innovative companies and exciting innovations in the region.
3. Cover all the local cleantech events, and connect with local people in the industry.
4. We might even run a few events of our own.

Over to you

What do you think?  Do you like the idea of taking GLD national? Do you agree with the approach?

If you are based in New York and would like to get involved, let us know!  The doors are wide open.  We’re looking to create a cluster of about 10 insiders that can write about what is happening on the ground in New York City.

If this is something you think is interesting, why don’t you send us an email.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

About Chris Williams

Chris Williams is the editor of Green Light Distrikt and Chief Marketing Officer at HeatSpring . He has experience in business development, prototyping and new venture research with a focus on geothermal heat pumps, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic technologies. Chris is an IGSHPA accredited geothermal installer and NABCEP certified solar installer. Chris is focused on solving customer facing issues in the creation and adoption of clean energy technologies and products. Chris has installed over 300kW of solar and tens of geothermal systems. He's invented the PV Pal , developed many trainings at HeatSpring, publishes the NABCEP Study Guide , the Hitchhikers Guide to Cleantech and has done due diligence research for Urgent VC . Feel free to connect with him @topherwiliams , on Linkedin , or through email about new ventures, collaborating, writing, research or whatever is on your mind.

View Articles by Chris Williams