Sustainable Business Expo

Calling all Orange County locals! Join us today for the Sustainable Business Leadership Council's Green Business Expo. The leaders in sustainable business in Southern California will be there to demonstrate how going green affects your bottom line and how to get started in greening your business.

There will be drinks and appetizers and plenty of time for networking before a great panel series and keynote speaker Glen Croston, author of 75 Green Businesses. It's an event not to be missed!

Find out more information sblc.org. See you there!

Build It Green

I just got back from a green building professional training course put on by Build It Green, a California based program that certifies homes and industry professionals. The course was well organized and very informative, plus I got to brush up on my construction knowledge and meet new people in the industry.

I highly recommend checking out the organization to learn about green building practices, regardless of where you live. It's not overly technical and they definitely preach the doable versus an over the top doom-and-gloom stance on sustainability.

The one thing I want to say is that we all need to be informed consumers. Don't be afraid to ask questions: you need to know the pros and cons in order to make the best decision at that moment. Things are constantly changing and it's easy to get overwhelmed, but awareness and a little common sense goes a long way. And if you are looking for some help, there are lots of organizations out there to guide you in the right direction.

Green Guide Network is a business directory for green companies. They currently have listings for Southern California but are expanding nationally within the next few months.

The Green Spec Directory lists building products that fit the criteria needed for most green organizations (third party certification, etc.)

Treehugger.com is a great resource for those who don't know where to start with their education.

Or you can contact me at linsi.brownson@gmail.com. I love to educate (i.e., hear myself talk).

award winning

I spent this past weekend in the Celebrity Retreat at the Teen Choice Awards. Rachel Hulan of Path Design was chosen to design the eco-friendly lounge, and I went along to help setup and break down.

While some of the actors received surfboard shaped awards, I got to take home my very own prize: a papier mache bird that was used in our lounge decor.



This little guy, from Stray Dog Designs, is so cute! It's handmade from recycled materials and coated in a non-toxic paint. Personally, I think my prize is better...thanks Rachel!

Check out Rachel's blog for pictures of the space.

Dwell On Design

This year's Dwell show in Los Angeles proved to be a success. There was a nice mix of building materials, modern architecture, furniture and accessories (much of it sustainable, of course). Here are a few highlights.

A great way to start off the show, the Vegetal chair from Vitra is lightweight, stackable, suited for both indoor and outdoor use, not to mention that it just looks really cool. Oh....did I mention that you could win one? Click here to enter.

A lovely, but not too sweet, nursery from Amenity Home

Cement tiles from Granada Tile are just gorgeous in person. Using a centuries-old technique of pouring pigmented cement into intricate molds, they create a look unrivaled by ceramic tile. But I don't want to say too much...I have a whole blog post I want to do on these guys. Stay tuned!

These awesome planters from the Woolly Pocket Garden Company really made a statement.

This chair from Atik has beautiful lines and I love how it's upholstered with different fabric on the front and back. The whole booth was filled with unique, well-priced items. I will definitely be looking them up for client projects.

Alt-Build

Yesterday I took a trip to Santa Monica for the Alternative Building Expo to see what is new and innovative in Green Building. Here are some of the highlights.

Real Door, Inc. makes custom doors, furniture, shutters and misc (they had a sink with a built-in towel rack on display. It looked like a frying pan) using scrap wood. Everything is built in Los Angeles and uses sustainable practices and materials.

Patrick Vogel is a Long Beach based artist who works with various cities on beautification projects. He also does custom metal and glass work for residential and commercial buildings and has created a line of outdoor furniture on the side. His fun, funky and inspirational work uses a finishing process on the metal that is chemical free and requires no maintenence on the pieces once they are installed. The 'Alma' bench shown above is currently retailing for around $1300.00. Pretty sweet.

Samuel Moyer uses a lot of raw edge sustainable woods and traditional joinery to create a look that is highly unique and suitable for a variety of spaces.




Dicover Green is a building supply in Los Angeles that is a great resource for many materials that can't otherwise be found locally or sold to the public. They have everything from paint to flooring to LED light fixtures and solar panels

This easy composter leaves no excuses. It uses heat to break down the material quickly and without having to be churned or drained. Made from 100% recyclable materials and costs about $0.50 per month to run, this is a great option for apartment or condo living. Find it at Vernare.com.

back to the grind (well, sort of)

Last week was Earth week, which meant a busy week for me. There were so many events going on in the area that it would have been impossible to be everywhere. I had a booth at several shows and got to attend a couple of others and am very excited to report that each place I went had a great turnout!

my table at the Mitsubishi Electronics Eco-Fair

But, alas, it's time to get back to the office. Lucky for me 'work' includes reading blogs and trade publications, researching new green companies and technology and selecting materials for client projects. This morning I got to attend a Wellness Day at Tangram, a local Steelcase dealer. The topic covered some new research that looks at Health as an important part of the workplace environment.

Steelcase is known for paving the way for ergonomic, functional and environmentally-friendly office furnishings. Now they are focusing on the rest of the picture; the health epidemic and how it affects both employee work habits and the company's bottom line.

Without going into too much detail (though I find this incredibly fascinating), research concludes that our brains process things much more efficiently when we are moving. Our bodies were built to move and doing simple things like walking around or changing positions can increase productivity tremendously. Not to mention that people feel better and enjoy work more.

One of the many products designed to fit this need is the walkstation. This 'workstation' features an adjustable height surface and a treadmill that goes up to 2 mph. Just fast enough to get our brains pumping without interfering with typing or talking on the phone. It has wi-fi so that anyone in the office can saddle up with their laptop and get right to work(ing out).

Of course I had to try it!

I hopped on, adjusted my height and set the speed. As I paced along at a comfortable level I couldn't help but wonder what my AutoCAD drawings would look like if they were done while walking...but it would be a great place to check email and return phone calls.

Then it was time to try out the wii fit. I practiced yoga and watched a sales rep hula hoop and then wandered over to get a massage. Seriously, it's been a rough day.

the veggie van

Anyone who has read my blog lately has probably noticed my obsession with the documentary Fuel; Sundance winner... blah blah blah. I may have mentioned this once or twice before.

Well, we went to see it the night that it opened in Irvine (which, by the way, is showing until this weekend) and got to come face to tailpipe with the star of the show; The Veggie Van.

Luckily, my friend Jason of Living Green Homes was there to capture the moment. Here we are, inhaling the fresh scent of cooking oil


and here is Jason with the director, Josh Tickell.

global green pre-oscar party

Yesterday I got the great opportunity to be a guest at Global Green's annual Pre-Oscar party in Los Angeles. The party was at the Avalon Hollywood and we were the guests of K.L.Nicolai & Associates, my local distributor of Caroma (Yes, the toilets. If you need a refresher take a look back at the Product of the Week post in January '09) who were a sponsor of the event.

The party had a fantastic turnout and lots of energy, with A-listers and local greenies alike, mixing and mingling into a great big ball of eco-madness. At least that's what it looked like from my view, which was right in front of the stage while enjoying musical performances by Gavin Rossdale and Sheryl Crow. A supportive Gwen Stefani watched from the balcony above while her hubby did a great acoustical set.

The theme of the evening was Greening Our Schools, which is one of the fundamental goals of Global Green. Matt Peterson, the CEO of the organization, and Neil Patrick Harris urged guests to contribute what they could via the oh-so-simple text message donation, which I personally think is genius. I can only hope that the response was tremendous.

my husband and I after rockin' out

Environmental Sustainability Conference

Last Friday, Vanguard University in Costa Mesa put on one of the best local green events that I have been to. It's rare that an event outside of LA is so organized and brings such a great crowd in terms of speakers and exhibitors.

The event featured local green business owners who have been making waves in Orange County for the last several years. A few of them even began the movement well before OC was ready for it. As a result, their struggles have proven that not only can sustainable businesses be successful but they also create a community that thrives.

Keynote Speaker, Pierre Senizergues, is the founder of the local Sole Technology- the parent company for some of the largest action sports companies in the world. He started his environmental journey many years ago and built the first green building in Orange County as well as taking the manufacturing industry by storm when he demanded that his shoe plants go green several years ago. Pierre was also the Executive Producer of the film 'The 11th Hour.'

Pierre is somewhat of a hero in the local green business world, having recently been the 'bar' that was set for OC Metro's Green Issue. His presentation at the conference met all expectations as he described his efforts with such enthusiasm that it was hard not to just jump up and hug him.

The rest of the speakers were equally notable, though I don't think I could keep your attention if I went into detail on each of them. But I do want to note who they were because each of these people are worth checking out. It's always nice to know who the players are.





Shaheen Sadeghi, Founder of the LAB and the Camp in Costa Mesa
Spencer Brown, Owner of Earth Friendly Moving (the baby diaper boxes)
Rachel Hulan, Owner of Path Design. Rachel is a fellow Interior Designer and was my previous employer and mentor in green design!
Martin Diedrich, Owner of Kean Coffee in Costa Mesa
Christina Kull, Environmental Engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation
Jim Woodrow, Professor at Vanguard University
Helene Kennan, Bon Apetit Restaurant

Go Green Expo

I visited the first annual Go Green Expo LA on Friday. I probably should have posted something about this before I went, but the expo runs in Los Angeles through Sunday if you are so inclined and I would definitely say it is a worthwhile trip. The show will be in Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta throughout the spring.

We walked the floor, which had a large collection of green businesses ranging from non-profits to skincare to electric cars and everything in between. But the real highlight was the discussion panels which ran almost consecutively throughout the day. As a greenie in Orange County I hear a fair bit of what is happening in LA but am a little bit disconnected from it. Los Angeles has always been a leader in the green movement so it would come as no surprise that a large number of 'eco-celebrities' would show their faces at this event.

I've never been big on celeb sitings. In fact, I have been told numerous times that I was up close and personal to a celebrity after the fact and I didn't even notice (just ask me about the Tom Cruise story). But the green movers and shakers I can recognize in an instant and I did a fair bit of head turning as I walked the show. So imagine my excitement to get the lowdown from the guys and gals that are making things happen in a big way. The panels were very informal and the audience had lots of opportunities to share their thoughts as well. Never before had it seemed like there was such a big 'family' of sustainably minded people.

Check out www.gogreenexpo.com for information on the show and it's exhibitors. Here are a couple of my favorite things:

www.perfgogreen.com
www.h20mwater.com
www.greenrootsinc.com
www.greenplanetbuilding.com
www.ghaliaorganicdesserts.com
www.weeplant.com