The document provides an agenda for a Green Business Section meeting. The agenda includes welcome and introductions, presentations on Recycletronics and Verus Carbon Neutral, updates from section committees on membership, resources, events, and collaboration, and time for Q&A. The document also provides background on the Green Business Section and its structure, as well as more details on the membership and resources committees, including their membership, goals, and current initiatives.

1. Green Business
5/14/2010
Section Meeting

2. Today’s Agenda
• 8:00 – 8:05 Welcome and introductions
• 8:05 – 8:15 Presentation by our host
Recycletronics… at Tommy Nobis Center
• 8:15 – 8:30 Tour of facility with opportunities
for Q&A
• 8:30 – 9:05 Updates from Section Committees
• 9:05 – 9:20 Presentation by Verus Carbon
Neutral
• 9:20 – 9:30 Q&A
• Adjourn

3. Welcome –
Green Business Section
Sections
• Member forum of GCS
• Guiding principles:
– Create Value for Members
– Create Value for the Section
– Create Value for the Chamber

4. Section / Committee
Structure
Membership Events Resources Collaboration Incubator
Green Andrea
Peggy
Eric Taub Whitlow Beth Bond Nic Mulliez
Business Paulinelli
Ratcliffe
Real Gail
Gus Cueto
Eileen David Dan
Edwards Nebhut Warren Bramblett
Estate
Clean
Tech

5. RESOURCES

6. Committee Members
• Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe
• Bria Sativa Aguayo
• Tracy Yount
• Drew Mathias
• Linda Doherty
• Eileen Nebhut

7. Current state
• Survey completed
• 10 articles submitted
• Articles reviewed based on
guidelines

8. Guidelines
• Must be authored by you or
referenced appropriately
• Must be Informative
• Not an advertisement
• Not pornographic / Racial etc.
• Must include: Author, Title, SME

9. Next Steps
• Create a process for ongoing
submissions
• Adjust the website to
accommodate a robust Resource
Section

10. MEMBERSHIP

11. Membership Committee
Members
• Andrea Paulinelli
• Greg Cantrell
• Gail Edwards
• Christopher Johnson
• Chris Brake (Staff Assistance)

12. Action Plan Q3
• Identify membership goals per company
segment
• Develop target list of companies and
contacts
• Develop collateral to support member
recruitment
• Map out the process
• Create an welcoming and retention
function (Ambassadors)

13. Membership Goals
By 4/2010 Add:
• 100 companies with annual revenues
under $5,000,000
• 25 Companies with annual revenues
of $5,000,000 - $25,000,000
• 5 Fortune 500

14. How you can help
New member recruitment
An increase in memberships adds value to you by
– increasing visibility (i.e. on the web),
– Increasing your network
– Adding credibility
– Providing more opportunities for business
– Connections
– And more
Testimonials
Send us you testimonies ! Why are YOU a member?

15. Roundtables
Eric Taub – Verus Carbon Neutral
Vice-Chair, Green Business Section

16. Concept
• 10-12 people invitation only
• Members of the Chamber would be in charge of moderating
the event.
– two clients, who may or may not be members
– other invitees would include potential members and existing
members who have an interest in a small, frank, discourse
about the topic.
• Video recorded and then edited down for the website.
– 1 hour meeting and create a 5 minute video.
– Charge to access the video at the end of the series (create a
highlight reel)
• Hold two to three roundtable events in 2010
16

17. Some ideas
• Solar panel provider would moderate and invite
two clients who have put up panels.
– Potential buyers of solar panels
– lawyers/accountants who can speak to grants/tax
incentives,
– REC/offset people who could speak to other sources of
revenue.
• High Return on Investment Energy Savings
– Ways to reduce energy costs for your business.
– Specialist in Energy Reduction Strategy (1-2)
– Paying for Changes (1-2)
– Valuing Reductions
– Beneficiary/Experience 17

18. GREENHOUSE PROCESS

19. The Green Chamber of the South –
Nurturing Green
GREENHOUSE
PROCESS II –
CASE STUDY

20. What do Entrepreneurs need?
1. Money
a) VC
b) Angel Investment
c) Traditional banking
d) Gov’t grants
2. Regulatory Advice
3. Pilot testing idea
4. Prospects
5. Marketing advice
6. Opportunities to get in front of
potential customers
7. Opportunities to get in front of
potential strategic partners

21. The Process - Example
Questionnaire
Initial Screening
Formal Presentation to Section
Members Provide Feedback
Meeting with Leadership
Strategy Session
Publicity
Targeted Meetings
Meetings with Business and Civic Leaders
Next Steps

22. Step I: Identification
Galit is out strolling around GA Tech’s campus one
day and can’t help but notice how amazing the
flowers and trees seem to look this year as
compared to previous years.
She must know why this is and she seeks out
groundskeeper Ofra to find out.
Grounds keeper Ofra remarks that GA Tech has
been buying its soil from a new vegetable
compost company and this has really improved
the quality of vegetation.

23. Step I: Identification (Cont.)
• Galit schedules a meeting with Sally Soillover
to learn about her company company and
discovers that they are a small, new soil
startup called Dirt Bag Compost and Soil, LLC
• They are very interested in growing but aren’t
sure how;
• They are interested in sustainability and they
work in a sustainable way
• Galit talks to them about the Green Chamber
of the South’s Greenhouse Process and they
would like to participate.

24. Step II: Screening
Greenhouse committee is made aware of
this company’s interest and asks them to
fill out the application
Galit and the Greenhouse committee reach
out to the Real Estate Section and ask
section members to form a screening
committee to determine if this company
will be invited to undergo the Greenhouse
process

25. Step II: Screening (Cont.)
Members step up to the plate and the following
members sit on the screening committee:
• Gary Childs: Commercial Real Estate Owner
• Gwenneth Ciarelli: Works for bank in SBA dept.
• Gweedo Cooperstien: Accountant
• Gilda Czalowski: Owns a landscaping company
• Guy Cessler: Prof. at GA Tech - land management
• Galit Cevitin: Lawyer – Real Estate and EPA Regulatory
experience;
• Gustov Chambers: Marketing Consultant and owns a PR
firm
• Garudi Chaturvedi: Was a real estate mogul until the
crash – now she spends her time gardening

26. Step II: Screening (Cont.)
Let’s look at Dirt Bag, LLC’s application:

27. Step II: Screening (Cont.)
• Gary Childs: “My main concern is keeping my O&M budget
manageable. If their product raises costs they don’t have a chance.”
• Gwenneth Ciarelli: “They’re in pretty big debt. But they have a good
concept. They stand a chance of getting funding.”
• Gweedo Cooperstien: “If others like the concept, they may be able to
do really well if they can get their books in tact. Right now it’s a mess.”
• Gilda Czalowski: “There is definitely growing demand in my industry
for better soil producers and local products.”
• Guy Cessler: “Interesting company. I am not sure that they are far
enough along in expanding their focus. And I’m pretty sure that rubber
chickens and socks don’t compost.”
• Galit Cevitin: “Have they accounted for the tough regulatory
environment in soil production?”
• Gustov Chambers: “there are great branding opportunities for a
company like this. I think that we can create demand for their product.
Their strategic plan has good bones.”
• Garudi Chaturvedi:”The world is changing and looking for new types of
companies. I think that they are worth trying.”

28. Step II: Screening
- the response
Thank you for applying to the Green Chamber of the South’s
Greenhouse process. We were impressed by your company
and feel that you would be a good match for the
Greenhouse process. However, we do not feel that Dirt Bag
is in a position to optimally benefit from this process until it
takes the following actions:
• Stop composting rubber chickens and dirty socks – it is not good
for your product
• Try to assess the value of your current land holdings
• Provide breakout numbers for your current expenditures
• Provide clearer sense of where you want to be in 5 years
We will revisit your candidacy on August 1, 2010 and make a
final decision at that time.

29. Step III: Entering the Process
On August 1, 2010, the Screening committee
revisits Dirt Bag’s candidacy and determines
that they are ready for the process.
They are assigned a mentor, Garudi, who has
been asked by the chamber’s greenhouse
committee and the screening committee to
oversee Dirt Bag’s navigation through the
process.
This mentor-company relationship is the key to
a successful process.

30. Step III: The Presentation
Garudi arranges for Dirt Bag, LLC to be invited to
deliver a 15 minute presentation on the company to
the Real Estate Section.
Subsequent to the presentation, the section goes
around the table and different members of the
section offer ideas, suggestions, and possible
commitments for follow up help.
Jerome says: “I will put them in touch with some landscape
architects I work with;”
Kelly says: “They may want to explore working with different
nitrogen/carbon combinations for soil optimization.”
Gary says: ”I’d like to let them do a full pilot using just their
soil on one of my properties’ green roofs.”

31. Step III Cont.: Recapping
with Garudi
• Garudi and the company have a
discussion about the presentation:
– 1) What went well?
– 2) What needed change or improvement?
– 3) What feedback was helpful?
– 4) What does the company need to do to
move to the next level?

32. Who will assist and How?
Member and non-member Companies can
provide assistance on three levels
• Network Builders– Provide contact and
connection
• Alliance Partners - Contribute their
time and work, mentoring, or providing
professional services
• Financial partners - Offer loans or
grants

33. Step IV: Calling on the
Chamber
• Garudi reaches out to some of her
colleagues from the chamber and
calls on them to provide some
ideas and basic resources:
– Gwenneth: Help them position themselves to go out
and ask for loans; (Financial Partners)
– Gustov: Help them understand how they can
structure a marketing campaign and who they
should work with; (Alliance Partners)
– Gilda: Help them expand their industry contacts;
(Network Builder)

34. Step IV: Calling on the
Chamber
• Garudi reaches out to some of her
colleagues from the chamber and
calls on them to provide some
ideas and basic resources:
– Gwenneth: Help them position themselves to go out
and ask for loans; (Financial Partners)
– Gustov: Help them understand how they can
structure a marketing campaign and who they
should work with; (Alliance Partners)
– Gilda: Help them expand their industry contacts;
(Network Builder)

35. Step V: Meeting with
Chamber leadership
Sally and Kyle meet with the leadership of the
Chamber to review their goals and to go over
goals for the process and to discuss, with the
leadership, what they hope to achieve and how
the leadership can help.
The board is impressed with Kyle and Sally and
begin to discuss potential resources that they
can concentrate for the company.
1. Committee members from Atlanta Beltline
2. Botanical Gardens Planners
3. VCs who will probably not lend them money
but will advise them on how to raise money

36. Step VI: Strategy Session
Strategy Session
Garudi sits with the Chamber leadership to review where the
Dirt Bag has gotten to that point.
Garudi sits with Sally and Kyle to review what the process
has achieved to that point and brings the following comments
from chapter leadership and the section members:
1) “They need to keep their focus on soil and forget biodiesel until they
generate good revenue from the soil”
2) “Their presentation should focus as much on how easy it is to do
business with them as it does on their soil.”
3) They need money soon or they will sink.
4) They need better branding.

37. Step VI: Strategy Session
Based on these comments, and the follow up commitments
from Chamber leadership and Section members, Garudi,
Sally, and Kyle consolidate a strategic plan for completing
the incubator.
They focused on achieving 3 main goals:
1) Raise capital
2) Generate a consolidated marketing and branding strategy
3) Develop a plan for expanding the company’s production capability

38. Step VII: Publicity
Green Chamber of the South and DirtBag
Soil Co. are excited to announce
DirtBag’s new Community Dirt Initiative.
DirtBag is an exciting and innovative local
soil producer which focuses on providing
clean, environmental product and
personal customer service…………

39. Step VIII: Targeted Meetings
Sally and Kyle will begin to engage in “targeted meetings” – meetings
pre-arranged by Garudi and other Chamber members/leaders in the
framework of the incubator. These meetings are specifically tied to
the strategic plan:
1) Meeting with colleagues of Gustov to get mentored on branding and
marketing – these colleagues even help them design a survey
2) Meet with local VC, Gil Charles, who helps them understand different
options for recruiting capital and directs them to resources and ideas
for consolidating a clear business plan;
3) Meet with Chamber board member who can assist the company to
qualify for EPA funding;

40. Final Steps in the Process
Targeted Meetings
Meetings with Business and Civic Leaders and
Deliver revised presentation on the company –
spend time delivering more than simply an
elevator pitch
Next Steps

41. Outcomes
1) Sally and Kyle have recently branded DirtBag, LLC and
have a newsletter which regularly is emailed to a
growing list of members (currently approx. 500) – the
newsletter is called Dirty Talk
2) The company leads workshops for residential
gardeners in home-composting and has been asked to
set up composting bins for homeowners.
3) Georgia Green Loans is in discussions with DirtBag to
help finance a large company expansion in order to
meet growing demand for its locally produced soil;
4) The Green Chamber benefits from active involvement
of DirtBag, and with their growing fan base and
customer base, more and more people are becoming
aware of the Chamber;
5) DirtBag earns enough revenue to hire an accountant

42. The End….but not really
Questions?

43. MEMBER PRESENTATION

44. www.Verus-CO2.com
800.275.1847