The Green 35 Under 35: Part 2

San Diego is on its way to becoming a leader in the clean technology economy, and many of these companies are being started by people under 35. Here are 35 “green and clean” eco- entrepreneurs identified by SDNN. Please let us know about others.

The 35 are be broken into three parts; the first was published last week and expect the third part next week. Here are the next ten companies and 14 entrepreneurs in no particular order:

Science Aide, Founded: 2008

Science Aide, Inc. manufactures sustainable educational tools, such as scratch sheets, study guides and lab coats.

Jung and Jaysond Miclat met in an organic chemistry class as lab partners at UCSD. Jeff Miclat later joined the duo to create the OCHEMPLATE, a plastic organic chemistry stencil. When the product proved unpopular, the team returned to the drawing board to reevaluate their target market. They looked at themselves and their own study habits in order to focus on products that would help other students.

“We would use so much scratch paper in school, by the time we were done studying for a mid-term our waste basket would be filled to the top with scratch paper” said Jung.

They finally came up with The Scratch Sheet, an erasable sheet made out of 8 ½” x 11” cardboard coated with whiteboard laminate. Unlike traditional whiteboards, less material is required to produce The Scratch Sheet, making the product cheaper. The sheets also use a unique coating that outlasts standard whiteboards.

The UCSD bookstore was the first to start stocking the innovative sheets. Now 15 schools in California sell their erasable board and Science Aide has expanded its product line to include lab supplies and test prep tools.

Over the next two years the young company hopes to increase sales and expand their presence to major universities and large retailers.

Cleanology, Founded: 2003

Cleanology, a San Diego-based cleaning company, credits its success and consistent annual growth to going green. Founder Christine McDannel initially started Cleanology in December 2003 as a non-green business, since green cleaning products were expensive and ineffective at the time. When environmentally friendly cleaning products matched the price and effectiveness of their non-green cleaning competitors, McDannel decided to switch. The conversion took six months, and Cleanology has been completely green for the last three years. Whether it be banning Styrofoam cups from company parties or requiring that all printing be done on both sides of the page, McDannel must constantly keep up Cleanology’s strictly green philosophy.

The company started with a staff of three and now has 16 employees. McDannel says the company’s increase in sales revenue from $50,000 in 2004 to $490,000 in 2008 has given her reason to believe that green living has become a permanent way of life for San Diego consumers.

“This new generation coming up is really interesting for that reason” says McDannel, on the green lifestyle practiced by San Diego’s young, professional community. McDannel forecasts that Cleanology annual revenues will reach $1 million by 2012.

HELIX Environmental Construction Group, Founded: 1991 (parent company)

Justin Fischbeck, is the president of HELIX Environmental Construction Group Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc., an environmental consulting firm. Fischbeck, who started as an intern at HELIX, has been the president of HELIX Environmental Construction Group, Inc. for the last four years.

The HELIX Environmental Construction Group works to help clients in meeting environmental and regulatory obligations. The group is “green minded as a whole” says Fischbeck, and specializes in the restoration, installation and maintenance of native habitats. Under the supervision of qualified biologists and well-trained crew, HECG installs a project’s habitat mitigation requirements, then monitors and maintains the site as part of a five-year follow up plan.

Fischbeck’s strong background in biology and specialty in habitat restoration helped him to contribute to the development of a company where biologists and construction crews work side-by-side. In the next five years, Fischbeck hopes to be completely independent of irrigation system usage so that areas of habitat that have been restored are able to maintain high levels of sustainability. The company has an expected annual growth rate of 15 percent.

Greener Dawn, Founded: 2009

Courtland Weisleder is the founder of Greener Dawn. Weisleder first became enthralled with clean technology while studying at the University of San Diego in the Masters of Science in Real Estate program.

“After moving here I saw that San Diego will become the clean technology capital of the country” said Weisleder, on his move from Virginia. While Weisleder was completing his studies at USD, he used the money from the sale of his previous company, Interactive Financial Marketing Group, to start up Greener Dawn in January.

Greener Dawn offers clients energy and water efficiency consultation for both residential and commercial properties. Consultation on maximizing financial performance of commercial assets through sustainable green retrofits, including LEED consulting, energy efficient solutions, and a carbon credit program, is also offered to commercial clientele. The offshoot investment group provides clients with financial advice and capital maximization consultation, and publishes institutional quality clean technology research.

Pulse Staging & Events, Founded: 2005

Midori Connolly, co-founder of Pulse Staging & Events, Inc. has created the first sustainable AV staging company in the United States.

Several years ago, she asked herself how audio-visual can go green. Initially there were no guidelines for Connolly to follow, so she created her own. After extensive research in green building and materials, Connolly established a set of guidelines for greening audio-visual, which have been adopted by many other firms.

“We focus on maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste by using and buying only what we really need. I think that this has helped us pull through these rough financial times” said Connolly.

Pulse Staging & Events uses local equipment and labor at events, provides operation booths with recycling bins, and recycles used batteries. Clients consist of Fortune 500 corporations and other large-scale companies. The company recently took the first step towards earning a BS8901 certification, a sustainable events management system standard, the first U.S. supplier to do so.

Pulse is currently testing a new device that captures real-time data on energy use at events, which would allow unused or idle equipment to automatically turn off. Once developed, this could increase revenues dramatically. Connolly aims to continue growing by 50 percent each year.

Wherever Shuttle, Founded: 2007

Brazilian native Bruno Mora and San Diegan Ryan Wilcox are the founders of Wherever Shuttle, a green transportation company. The two had met while working together at the W Hotel. Intrigued by the concept of using waste cooking oil instead of gasoline, the duo decided they would start a transportation service that was easy on the environment and fuel costs, launching Wherever Shuttle in July 2007.

Wherever Shuttle vehicles run on waste vegetable oil, including soy, corn, and walnut oils and grease from restaurant kitchens. “We didn’t have to pay for fuel and it was better for the environment. We believed in that” said Mora.

The maiden Wherever Shuttle vehicle was a Mercedes Sprinter van. Wherever soon adopted a Mercedes E320 CDI sedan and stretch H1 Hummer limo into their alternative fuel fleet. Their eco-friendly, vegetable oil guzzling limo proves that one does not have to sacrifice size or luxury when the concept of alternative fuel is used.

Wherever Shuttle and Limousine Services offer their services throughout the San Diego area, and even transport guests staying with Mora and Wilcox’s former employer, the W Hotel.

New Leaf Biofuel, Founded: 2006

Jennifer Case is one of the original six founders who started New Leaf Biofuel in 2006. New Leaf Biofuel is a San Diego-based biodiesel company focused on transforming the way companies fuel their vehicles, concentrating on providing biodiesel to the San Diego area.

The mission behind New Leaf was to launch a sustainable program in San Diego that would reduce dependence on foreign oil.

New Leaf collects waste cooking oil from local restaurants and processes the waste at its Barrio Logan headquarters. The freshly manufactured biofuel is shipped to the Pearson Fuel Station, an alternative fuel facility located on El Cajon Boulevard.

After receiving an Alternative Fuel Incentive grant from the California Air Resources Board, as well as a support from the City of San Diego Technology Fund, growth at the biofuel startup soared. Initially, New Leaf was able to sell a couple thousand gallons of biofuel each month. Now, they currently sell approximately 70,000 gallons a month. Case estimates that the New Leaf Biofuel team should double the amount next year.

Green With Envy Events, Founded: 2009

Carlee Gerardi and Laura Rankin are the founders of Green with Envy Events. The two met at the age of 10, and based on their shared passion for maximum style and minimal waste, the life-long friends launched their company this year.

Green with Envy Events is a full-service event design and production company. The Green with Envy women believe that “celebrations should leave a lasting impression on the guests, not the planet.” They aim to reverse the wasteful trend in the event industry by working with eco-minded vendors, eliminating waste wherever and whenever possible, and offering clients a range of affordable eco-solutions that will lower the impact of events on the environment.

Green with Envy plans and executes a wide variety of events, including social soirees, corporate events, and weddings. Gerardi and Rankin have also donated their event planning services to a series of environment preservation promotions.

Jiva Activewear, Founded: 2008

Vanessa Lynch-Lillegren is the founder of Jiva Activewear, a sustainable active wear design and manufacturing company. Lynch-Lillegren saw a need in the market for active and loungewear made from something other than the frumpy, coarse fabrics most natural apparels were made from.

Lynch-Lillegren began creating comfortable, chic, and sustainable active wear composed of refined and organically grown hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo. Besides making a natural product with high quality fabrics, Lynch-Lillegren also wanted to increase the accessibility to her natural products and create a competitive price point. Each piece is designed so that those who buy Jiva “feel they are adding something special to their wardrobe,” said Lynch-Lillegren.

Jiva has more than doubled its online retail business in 2009, the company says. Jiva’s three-year goal is to expand distribution to eco-spas worldwide, large outdoor retailing stores and major department stores, and to further its exposure in online shopping communities.

JPS Global Investments, Founded: 2006

Jan Schalkwijk is the president and founder of JPS Global Investments, LLC, a San Diego-based sustainability-focused investment advisor.

Schalkwijk has over 10 years of investment industry experience, and served as vice president of investment platforms at Franklin Templeton Investments before founding his company. Schalkwijk observed that the traditional investment community was “mostly about self enrichment and not so much about clients.” In 2006, he launched JPS Global Investments based on the need of investors for greater access to sustainable and environmentally conscious investments.

JPS provides individual and institutional clients with investment advice, asset management, and investment solutions. Prospective companies are selected based on their level of financial appeal and ability to meet certain environmental and social standards. JPS invests in a broad range of sustainable industries, including solar energy and clean tech. According to JPS, companies that practice sustainability will have stronger ties with their stakeholders and will ultimately outperform those that operate under unsustainable practices.

Initially, Schalkwijk was the only member of JPS, but has since expanded into a team of two partners, three staff members, and four advisory board members. In the next year Schalkwijk hopes to at least double revenues. Schalkwijk also wants JPS to expand nationally and eventually overseas.

See Part 1 and Part 3

Tags: 35, Business, clean-tech, cleanology, Economy, enrepreneur, green, green with envy, greener dawn, helix construction, jiva, jps globablinvestments, La Jolla, money, new leaf, profit, pulse staging, science aide, SDNN, sustainable, Uncategorized, wherever shuttle

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