-
-
Green Light Distrikt
Green Light Distrikt is about entrepreneurship focused on the cleantech sector. Edited by Chris Williams with frequent guest posts from friends, experts and industry insiders from clusters across the globe. Our goal is to provide a place where cleantech entrepreneurs in various clusters across the globe can learn from one another. Green Light Distrikt is creating the "Hitchikers Guide to Clentech" to provide a resource for cleantech entrepreneurs. Read more
Subscribe
Local Events
October 16th, 2010
Market Something, Sell Something, Build Something
TOPICS: BOSTON, Local Events
If you’re interested in cleantech (renewable energy, green building, energy management, water, etc.) and you’re getting out of school put yourself in a place where you can actually create something. This is my takeaway and new piece of advice for all college students that I’ve stolen from Octobers Cleantech Student Mixer, hosted by Digital Lumens and Chen PR a couple weeks back. The event was half networking, oh how I love networking, and a portion of it was the panel taking questions. The panelists were asked a series of questions from the moderator and then it was opened up to the floor.
Surprise, surprise, many of the students’ questions were advice about the type of job or activity they should do after graduating or if they should just stay in school. My favorite response was when one of the panelists — I don’t remember exactly who — replied by saying that you should put yourself in a place where you can build something, anything, but something that you can point at and say “Look, I did that”.
It’s a very simple piece of advice but very profound. Also, in cleantech, as opposed to other industries, I feel like it makes a lot of sense. Almost all of the challenges the cleantech industry face have to do with creating new products, designing and installing new technologies on existing infrastructure, and getting people to change behaviors from old wasteful ways to more efficient ones. They’re all very hands on activities, so it’s useful to get your hands dirty.
Photo Courtsey: emrank
2 Comments
September 24th, 2010
How to Make the Most of Green Networking Events
TOPICS: BOSTON, Local Events
Last week I was sent an invite to a Cleantech – Student Mixer that is hosted by Digital Lumens and CHEN PR. It will be happening this Tuesday in Boston. I’m no longer a student, but I’ve decided to go because I love that the meeting expressly states the value of student interns, something you don’t notice too often. If you’re a student in Boston and are free on Tuesday night, you should come. I thought I’d share a couple dos and don’t green events that have been helpful for me over the past couple of years.
DOs
Be Working on Something – The number one item I’d suggest to anyone going to an event is to be working on something, anything. Even if it’s something small, like writing a column for the student paper (which you may or may not actually submit to the paper, and no I’m not suggesting you lie) Working on a project makes you seem proactive and productive. It will also make it easier to have something to follow up about in the future.
August 3rd, 2010
5 Marketing Lessons from the #greenENT Summit in NYC
TOPICS: Local Events, NEW YORK
Last week, I went down to NYC to get my feet wet and explore the green scene in the big, hopefully green, apple. So, I figured the Green Entrepreneurship Summit would be a good place to start. A huge shout out to Erica Grigg who told me about the event and invited me to come down.
There were two awesome panels, one on marketing and the other on financing. My buddy Kosta Stavreas did an awesome compilation of thoughts from the finance panel and I’m going to share what I learned from the marketing panel. + Continue Reading
July 22nd, 2010
LIVE from the Green Entrepreneurship Summit NYC
TOPICS: Local Events, NEW YORK
Right now, I’m sitting in a room at the Hope Lodge at 132 W 32nd Street in NYC waiting for the Green Entrepreneurship Summit to start.
If you’re interested in learning about the green scene in NYC, here’s your chance.
If you want to see what’s happening, follow the #greenENT tag on twitter
The event is sold out, but if you want to watch it we’ll be streaming live via ustream. Here is the agenda to event, there are going to be some great speakers. Finally, here is the Green Entrepreneurship Summit Ustream
I have my video camera so I’m planning on getting some more in depth videos that I’ll follow up with.
July 7th, 2010
Scaling up Without Selling Out: Green Entrepreneurship in NYC
TOPICS: Local Events, NEW YORK
I love the Boston cleantech scene, but I’m getting a little bored with it. There’s tons of events, business plan competitions and business developments constantly happening but I’m starting to feel like I’m just going through the motions.
Now, I’m really interested in seeing what’s happening in other US cities in cleantech.
I’m going to start with exploring the industry in NYC. I’ve started talking with pros in other cities and two weeks ago I had a great conversation with Erica Grigg who is helping to organize a great event in NYC on July 22nd called the Green Entrepreneurship Summit. The angle is very cool, ‘Scaling Up Without Selling Out’ the goal is to help green business owners who are looking to grow do so, without compromising their ideals. There are some great panelists speaking and I’m looking forward to going to the event. Personally, I’m very interested to see Michael Margolis speak as I’m realizing more and more business is about trust, relationships, and storytelling more then anything else. I’m planning on getting some great content at the event and doing a follow post. If you’re in NYC on July 22nd you should go, if you are fire me a tweet and I’ll be looking forward to seeing you there.
I’m very excited to go to the event and meet some amazing people and learn about what they’re working on in NYC. There are two other items I’m doing to explore the industry in other cities.
First, I’m in the process of recruiting more young industry insiders, working in cleantech in New York City and Boulder. We have one writer in each city right now, and our goal is ten. If you fit this profile, and are interested in joining our community, please contact me.
Second, The Green Light Distrikt is starting its yearly report on the Top 10 US Cleantech Cities. The goal is to crowd-source the research on the state of the cleantech industry and resources in US cities, compile the research, then make it free to the community. If you have any information that may be useful, think you might, or know someone who does, it would be awesome to get feedback. They survey is located on the post Top 10 US Cleantech Cities. Thanks for your help 
Chris
