Opportunity Green, a L.A.-based company, collaborated with UCLA’s Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies to host the third annual sustainable business conference to give start-ups and Fortune 500 companies the opportunity to display the latest green products and technologies. The main objective behind this event was to show to the world that there are viable and highly profitable business opportunities that are environmentally responsible. The two-day conference became a medium for executives from Fortune 500 businesses and start-ups to share their experiences on developing green products and sustainable practices.
Amongst the 25 start-ups spotlighted at the event were Alex Velez and Nikhil Arora, who grow gourmet mushrooms in an indoor farm and recycle coffee grounds from Peet’s Coffee & Tea outlets to use as fertilizers for the mushrooms. They earned more than $200,000 in during the first year of their business.
Nike executive Lorrie Vogel along with Michael Hopkins, editor in chief of MIT Sloan Management Review, spoke about Nike’s sustainability efforts like recycling millions of sneakers into sports playing surfaces. A 100-year old company, Clorox Co. also yelled out their green efforts of manufacturing a new line of plant-based household cleaners and reducing energy costs by selling concentrated liquid bleach. Another person who told about his green initiatives was Sean Kelly, who as a student at Columbia University got an idea of his business. He started a company named HUMAN Healthy Vending, which makes and sells eco-friendly vending machines with LED lighting and extra insulation.
Via: LA Times