Green Options » VivaTerra http://greenoptions.com/tag/vivaterra Posts tagged 'VivaTerra' Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:46:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Top 10 Ecopreneurs of 2008 http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/24/top-10-ecopreneurs-of-2008/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/24/top-10-ecopreneurs-of-2008/#comments Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:46:50 +0000 Reenita Malhotra http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/24/top-10-ecopreneurs-of-2008/

2008 has been a year signifying economic depression culminating in the worst holiday retail season in years. However it has also been a year of entrepreneurs burgeoning a variety of exciting new green businesses. Ecopreneurist has covered many of them over the course of the year. Here is a review of our favorite Ecopreneurs of 2008.

1. Van Jones - Pioneer of the Green Collar Economy

Van Jones is undoubtedly the Ecopreneur of the Year. He has spoken out against our unsustainable economic model that is based on consumption not production, run on debt vs. savings and thrift, and environmental destruction vs. preservation. But he has also shifted the rhetoric to one of hope by building a new economy with clean energy power centers and a clean enemy corps.

Read Jennifer’s post  Van Jones’ Ecopreneurial Vision for the full story.

2. Derek McLeish - Transforming Carbon Emissions into Fuel

Carbon Sciences’s CEO Derek McLeish tells us that his company is the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform CO2 into the basic fuel building blocks required to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other portable fuels.

Reenita gives you the full story in her post A Breakthrough Technology to Transform CO2 into Fuel

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/24/top-10-ecopreneurs-of-2008/feed/ Green Business Founded on Desire to Meld Beauty with Social Responsibility http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/03/05/green-business-founded-on-desire-to-meld-beauty-with-social-responsibility/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/03/05/green-business-founded-on-desire-to-meld-beauty-with-social-responsibility/#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:46:50 +0000 Leah Edwards http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/03/05/green-business-founded-on-desire-to-meld-beauty-with-social-responsibility/ vivaterraI recently had the chance to talk with the co-founder of VivaTerra, Bonnie Trust Dahan, about her motivation to found the catalog- and online-retailer of high-design, green products. Dahan had authored three books on interior design and headed merchandising and/or branding for major retailers including Banana Republic and Smith & Hawken. However, it was her personal shopping preferences that made her want to market beautiful products made from organic, recycled, and renewable sources.

I have noticed that a number of entrepreneurs have started business based on their personal frustration at not finding a source for a desired product or service. (Another example is Beth Gerstein’s fiancé wanting to buy an engagement ring that he could feel good about, and Beth then co-founding another green business, Brilliant Earth.)

When asked about having the vision to start VivaTerra, Dahan says, “It wasn’t cool to VT.glass.recycledbe green yet. Even as recent as five years ago organic and green products generally looked pretty awful. I was committed to buying eco products, but I didn’t want to sacrifice style.” Dahan figured there were more people like her, certainly enough to support one retailer, so she started writing a business plan in 2000. 2001 did not turn out to be a great year to start a business, so she re-launched, with partners in 2004, and her timing couldn’t be better.

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