Essay Questions Submitted To Echoing Green

Q: What is your new, innovative idea to create lasting social change? Be clear, specific, and jargon-free in your answer
A:

In order to avoid the catastrophic effects of further environmental degradation, everyone must embrace the practice of green living. Yet a growing number of economically disenfranchised populations simply cannot afford to do so. GreenRight aims to address this problem by creating equal access to ecological information, goods, and services - regardless of socio-economic status.

How can we achieve this monumental goal? GreenRight will introduce its new eco-brand into the marketplace, one that attests to conscientious consumers that their purchases will support both an environmental cause as well as authentically green businesses that truly support that cause. This innovative marketing campaign will work to perpetually generate licensing revenues that will then be used to subsidize the costs of eco-products/services to target populations.

Thus, GreenRight will achieve its mission by rendering equality within the green marketplace and empowering all consumers - especially those most vulnerable to the ill effects of ecological disaster - to make a difference for themselves, their communities, and the globe.

Q: What drew you to this issue? When and how did you come up with your idea?
A:

While working in the construction industry several years ago, I had the opportunity to work on a few design projects, one of which entailed remodeling a bathroom. In helping our clients select a new $3,000, single-sized Jacuzzi tub to replace their perfectly good double-sized one, which they planned to haul to the dump, I realized that such work wasn't fulfilling for me. In fact, it violated some of my core convictions regarding capitalistic consumption - the needless waste and destruction to the environment produced by the building industry. This was my "moment of obligation" when I realized that I needed to do something more meaningful with my life that helped both people and the environment.

From there, I mapped my course back to college in order to study green design and nonprofit business. There, as both a student and a single parent struggling to make ends meet, I began to realize just how unaffordable eco-products/services are to economically disenfranchised populations. Never mind cork flooring and solar panels when organic food isn't within reach. Therefore, access became the most pressing issue as I began to explore market solutions to bring costs down.

Q: As specifically as possible, demonstrate the need for your organization. Use statistics and references
A:

Presently, the green market is taking shape primarily in the middle to upper income brackets of society. However, is this transformation happening quickly enough to make a difference for our planet? According to the United Nation's recent findings: "the world's spiraling growth in greenhouse gas emissions must end no later than 2015 and must start to drop quickly after that peak. By 2050, carbon dioxide and other atmospheric polluting gases must be reduced by 50 to 85 percent" - a formidable goal considering their steady incline.

The UN goes on to state that "Changes in lifestyle and behavior patterns can contribute to climate change mitigation across all sectors" and that "changes in housing occupancy behavior, cultural patterns, consumer choice and use of technologies can result in considerable reduction in CO2 emissions". However, without the participation of all segments of society, in our nation and around the globe, efforts to create a green economy and shift toward a more sustainable society are crippled. Therefore, this is not a movement that can afford to leave out the poor and the disenfranchised, which unfortunately represents majorities of people around the globe.

Q: What's the root cause of this problem? How does your idea tackle this root cause?
A:

Problems: * Environmental degradation * Inaccessibility of eco-products/services * A struggling green economy

Symptoms: * Pollution, global warming, species extinction * Toxicity, poor nutrition, disease * Limited distribution and growth, high production costs

Root cause: Inequality within the marketplace

Here's one example of GreenRight's solution: According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, personal care products are not regulated by the FDA and it's perfectly legal and very common for companies to use ingredients that are known carcinogens in their products. However, safe/nontoxic products are typically sold by specialty retailers and are significantly higher in cost. By helping to provide equal access to such products, currently disenfranchised consumers are presented with the opportunity to a) increase supply and demand of eco-products, b) decrease the dumping of toxic chemicals into the environment via production and waste, and c) consume safer personal care products that promote preventative healthcare.

The end results are the greening of our marketplace, greening of the environment, and equal access to ecological information, products, and services.

Q: Help Echoing Green visualize what your organization will do. Describe the specific programs that your organization will engage in to deliver your long-term outcomes
A:

First, GreenRight's unique brand will be created and marketed to partnering business by highlighting the benefits of cause marketing as they relate to consumer trends. Licensing contracts will be negotiated under which products/services are co-branded as GreenRight affiliates in exchange for a percentage of the profits of sales.

Second, the licensing revenue generated will be used to finance, subsidize, and promote authentically green products/services to underserved populations via 1) synergistic not-for-profit initiatives, and 2) GreenRight's own storefront facility/facilities. The nine general areas of information, goods, and services that will be made accessible to qualifying members include: organic food and fibers, clean water and air, health care including preventative and holistic therapies, green building materials and energy systems, cleaning and office supplies, and fuel efficient transportation.

Third, GreenRight will engage local communities by providing a library of ecological research and publications, translation services, a community garden, and public areas in which to organize meetings and events such as eco-seminars, workshops, and cooking classes.

Q: Describe your long-term desired outcomes. How will you measure your progress toward these outcomes?
A:

Taking advantage of market forces, GreenRight will create systemic change over the next 10 years by: 1) immediately reducing the cost of selected eco-products/services by 50% for the underserved, thereby using economic principles of supply and demand to make them more permanently accessible over time; 2) increasing growth of authentically green businesses by 25%, thereby spurring the sector's technological innovations; and 3) decreasing both gray industry pollution and global warming.

Outcome measurement will be assessed using Point K online tools provided by Innovation Network, Inc. Data will be collected within our storefront facility to track price reduction of eco-products/services. Other baseline data will be identified and will rely heavily upon credible and non-partisan reporting agencies. For example, Consumer Reports may be used to track availability and declining costs of eco-products/services in mainstream shopping facilities and UN Reports may be used to track reduction of pollution and global warming. Finally, public business records will delineate distribution and growth patterns of green industries, with special focus on GreenRight's affiliate partners.

Q: Innovation is important to Echoing Green. Explain how your idea is truly innovative. Identify other organizations that are addressing this issue and how your approach is different and has the potential to be more effective
A:

There are many different institutions working to alleviate poverty and many more that are effectively educating the public on a variety of important environmental issues. Still others are working with government agencies to create green jobs for the poor - Green For All is an example. However, within our capitalistic economy, the real driving force for change jingles from within the pocket books of consumers. While GreenRight will work in tandem with these other programs, it is the first to provide the poor the ability to embrace their health and environmental principles via greener, better consumer choices.

Another innovative aspect of GreenRight is its strategy for generating self-sustaining revenue streams. In light of the integration, popularity, and growth of Socially Responsible Investing and Cause Related Marketing in the marketplace today, the innovative Cause Dedicated Marketing campaign that GreenRight introduces has great potential. These correlating growth patterns in combination with GreenRight's self-perpetuating branding mechanism suggest enormous opportunity for service expansion and organizational growth on both a national and global scale.

Q: Building a new organization is challenging. How are you entrepreneurial? Describe your skills and experiences that demonstrate you can lead a start-up organization
A:

After several years of studying the fields of marketing and nonprofit business, and then putting theory into practice as a worker and volunteer, I have had ample opportunity to hone my entrepreneurial and service skills. One example worth highlighting is that in 2001, I had the opportunity to work within an internet startup company where I participated in the innovation of early internet-era branding and advertising strategies. Our group of talented executives and developers were successful in securing one million in first-round funding. As another example, I managed a small family-owned construction/contracting business for just over four years ending in 2006. There, I conducted a significant amount of investigative research and application on a variety of issues relating to business development and operations. More recently in 2007, I worked on a formidable residential renovation project in which I lead a team of unskilled laborers to job completion despite 20 years of piled clutter and toxins filling approximately 4,000 sq feet. Finally, I'm currently embarking upon a project to replicate a "Green Matters" workshop at Habitat for Humanity's new location here in the valley.

Q: Why are you uniquely qualified to lead your specific organization? Describe your experience working with this issue and population
A:

As someone who has experienced the hardships of poverty, I understand well the socio-economic barriers that prevent so many of us from embracing our environmental principles. Therefore, I carry this torch because my unique life experiences have led me to and because I choose to embrace what I believe is a worthy cause.

With that said, I have developed a compelling idea and hold a clear vision of the tremendous impact it will have on our future--a mission that I want very much to be a part of. Whatever qualities I may lack, I know that I have the acumen and energy to use those essential qualities I do have to accomplish my goals. Therefore, I intend to give it my very best, to create an effective team that will compliment my strengths and compensate for my weaknesses, and to continuously search for and learn new ways to become a better leader.

With a growing environmental consciousness and a new government administration, the timing couldn't be better for GreenRight. It is the missing eco-link that will fuse together corporate, consumer, and nonprofit energy in order to rapidly green the marketplace and help create a sustainable society - sooner rather than later.

Q: How much money have you fundraised to date? Who is your largest funder and what is the size of their grant? Provide an estimate of your total budget for each of the next two fiscal years
A:

I have conducted one direct e-mail fundraising drive in order to finance two separate conference events related to environmental leadership and entrepreneurship. Because GreenRight is not yet a 501(c)(3) organization with tax exempt status, my donors were mostly personal acquaintances. Although I did not fully meet my monetary goal, we were able to raise $1385 - our largest donation in the amount of $500 from an individual donor. We are also receiving some in-kind donations including web hosting and development in addition to pro-bono legal council.

As I outline in my business proposal, GreenRight's fundraising and development consists of three phases: 1) Startup - budget requires $50,030 and has an estimated completion time of 6-9 months. 2) Generation of Revenue - budget is being developed and is expected to total approximately $250-300K and span 12-18 months. 3) Generation of Service - has no budget to date, though it will be funded by its own revenue streams created in phase two. Ideal support for the project will entail a fellowship followed by subsequent grants from private foundations to fund phase two.