FountainBlue

FountainBlue's Clean Energy Entrepreneurs' Forum was launched in February 2007 and provides networking and program benefits for 40-150 clean energy entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and investors across Silicon Valley and beyond. Our events are generally held on the first or second Mondays of the month, depending on holiday schedules, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. with the exception of our January Clean Green Trends event, which is generally held on the last Fridays from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Our annual event features corporate and intrapreneurial panelists and presenters speaking on trends, challenges and opportunities for six clean tech sub-industries, and the industry overall. Our monthly topics drill down more into individual clean energy sub-industries, as well as business innovations and challenges. Each event will feature a panel of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and investors speaking on challenges and opportunities, providing advice for information to all.

We would like to acknowledge FountainBlue's clean energy program advisers and partners on this page and welcome your active participation and interest as well.

FountainBlue is fortunate to partner with speakers, sponsors, volunteers, co-marketing partners, and others as we work together to support clean energy entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and beyond. Below is a list of oppourtunities to work with us. Beyond becoming a program adviser for our clean energy programs, you may elect to become involved in other ways:

• Attend one of our events and/or join the community. You will meet people who may be able to help you, and may have experienced exactly the kinds of challenges you're undergoing. Plus you'll have opportunities to assist other quality people in the network. Visit our community section for more information.

Become part of the program:

• If you are an investor or an successful serial entrepreneur or intrapreneur, participate on one of our upcoming entrepreneurs' forums as a speaker. Share your wisdom. Build your network. Send us an e-mail volunteering to participate in one of our upcoming events.

Get Support:

• If you are undergoing challenging business obstacles, bring your challenges to an upcoming event and connect with people who are going through similar challenges, and others who can advise you on how to overcome the obstacles, or connect you with those who can help you. It's likely that someone would be willing to lend an ear, lend a hand, or share some advice.

Spread the Word:

• If you have attended an event and felt your time was well spent, spread the word to quality people in your network and be an ambassador. Together we are stronger.
• If you found value in the content from our previous programs, forward the notes to others in your network who would also benefit from the information, with proper acknowledgment to FountainBlue and the respective speakers. Knowledge is power! 

Partner with Us:

• If you are involved with another organization in the valley serving clean energy entrepreneurs and executives, we welcome you to become a cross-marketing partner. See below for a current list of partners and directions on how to become a cross-marketing partner. 
• After you have been a cross-marketing partner, let us know if you would like to partner more closely with us to jointly produce events, or to have us participate in an advisory board, steering committee or SIG. See below for a list of organizations with whom we closely partner.

Sponsor Our Activities:

• Find out more about sponsorship opportunities by e-mailing us.

Report on Clean Energy Trends:

• If you are interested in reporting on clean energy trends, request a press pass to one of our upcoming clean energy events.

We welcome other ideas for partnerships.

FountainBlue's Clean Energy Program Advisory Board

The richness and relevance of our programs in a broad range of topics is largely due to the volunteers who have designed programs, recruited panelists, provided outreach, and so much more, for past and upcoming events. As program advisory board members, they:

• Assist in developing the topics and themes for our programs, and nominate and recruit speakers;
• Serve as ambassadors for FountainBlue and the series and/or program before the event by spreading the word, during the event in connecting people with each other, and following the event to solicit feedback and help make program and process improvements for the next event;
• Work with partner organizations in support of their programs and events;
• Stimulate thinking and conversation between events;
• Make connections between people between events; and
• Generally assist in advancing the sub-industry within and outside FountainBlue and the Silicon Valley.

We would like to recognize and acknowledge members of our program advisory boards and thank them for their contributions to the community. 

For more information about each of our program advisers for our clean energy series, become a member and attend an event and then request a meeting to discuss. We also welcome program advisers for our high tech and life science series and hope to see you at an event soon.

Jim DiSanto, President and General Manager, Earthrise Technologies Inc.

Jim DiSanto has experience in creating, developing, and introducing new business concepts, models and products; raising capital - over $70M raised in three early stage technology businesses, both equity and debt; building and leading teams, selling to strategic customers and partners, and building distribution channels through acquisitions. The majority of his experience is in enterprise software, mobile/wireless communications and applications, e-commerce, fleet and consumer automotive and telematics industries, and location based services.

Jim is currently serving as Executive Director and General Manager US, Earthrise Technologies, a business unit of Digisec Group.  Digisec is a leading Chinese developer and manufacturer of electronic platforms and devices for automotive telematics services, vehicle emissions monitoring and reduction, and fuel-saving technologies. He is also Executive Director of BBE BioEnergy which is constructing a biofuel processing facility and renewable power generation plant in Colusa County, CA. Jim has BSE degrees in Aerospace and Computer Engineering and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

As a FountainBlue clean energy program adviser, Jim speaks on and recruits for programs related to biofuels and the transportation industry overall.

Christine Hertzog, Managing Director, Smart Grid Library

Christine Hertzog is a consultant, author, and a professional explainer focused on Smart Grid technologies and solutions. As a consultant, she helps clients understand and navigate the intersections of emerging technologies and markets.  She is the author of the Smart Grid Dictionary, the first dictionary that explains the jargon, acronyms, and terminology used by utilities, regulators, standards organizations, and manufacturers. She has two decades of experience working with hardware, software, and services companies that range from small start-ups to multi-national corporations, and has recently been involved in the National Institute of Standards (NIST) initiative on Smart Grid Cyber Security standards requirements. Based in Silicon Valley, she is a regular presenter at industry conferences and blogs about the challenges and opportunities that Smart Grid solutions deliver to the evolving electricity supply chain. 

As a FountainBlue clean energy program adviser, Christine recruits for software, mobile and smart grid presenters for our monthly programs.

Christine Hertzog's Smart Grid Dictionary, 2^nd Edition, is the most convenient and concise collection of over 1200 Smart Grid definitions for industry veterans, new hires, and everyone who wants to learn more about the future of electricity and our electrical grids. There are over 400 new terms ranging from energy storage, home and building energy management, electric vehicles, telecommunications, sensors, energy efficiency, and cybersecurity as well as an expanded list of standards that apply to Smart Grid technologies, more international coverage of regulatory agencies, industry associations, and standards organizations and has included extensive Advisory Board review to ensure breadth, depth, and accuracy of definitions. Copies are available at http://www.smartgridlibrary.com/smart-grid-dictionary/.

Jim Hurd, Director, Molecular Business Consultants, VP for Strategic Alliances, GIVE Eco Energy

Jim Hurd heads the consulting firm Molecular Business Consultants, based in San Francisco, consulting for leading cleantech and nanotech start-up companies. Jim is also VP for Strategic Alliances for GIVE Eco Energy, a leading biomass technology integrator based in Cape Cod, MA that is developing projects for Greece and Ghana that takes waste biomass crops and converts them to electricity.  Jim was on the Steering Committee for Silicon Valley for "Cleantech for Obama."  Jim has been a first and second round judge for 2007, 2008 and 2009 World Bank Development Gateway Awards in Washington, DC and has spoken at numerous events on "Realities of Start-up Commercialization" around the U.S., in Shanghai and Beijing, China and in New Delhi, India.  Jim was on the 2010 Energy Faculty of Singularity University, based in Mountain View, CA.

Matt Lecar recently joined GE Energy as a Principal in the new Smart Grid Center of Excellence.  During a long career in the energy utility industry, Matt spearheaded new product development for Pacific Gas & Electric Company and developed and managed partnerships between US energy technology startups and the Electricite de France Group. More recently, he held investment positions with two venture capital funds, focused exclusively on clean energy investing.

He is a regular contributor to Greentech Media, Energy Priorities, Smart Grid News, and Metering International magazine, and wrote a chapter of "Inside the Minds: Energy Venture Capital Best Practices".  Matt serves on Advisory Boards for Smart Energy International, FountainBlue, and two environmental non-profits.  He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor's degree with high honors in physics and political science from UC Berkeley.

As a FountainBlue clean energy program adviser, Matt supports FountainBlue's ongoing clean energy and Tech2Green events with program, outreach and strategic input and advice.

Ellen Rudy, Managing Partner, The Hayden Group

Ellen Rudy has been creating award-winning brand development and strategic brand marketing campaigns for over 20 years, both in the San Francisco Bay and Boston Metropolitan Area. She served as Creative Director for Doerr Associates in Boston, and  as VP of Creative for Halleck in Palo Alto, before joining The Hayden Group in 2003. Clients include Polaroid Corporation, W.R. Grace & Co., and Edify Corporation, Agilent, Cisco Systems, Beaulieu Vineyard, and Larkspur Landing Hotels, as well as small companies, non-profits and start-ups.

She co-hosts the Synergos series, a monthly thought leadership event on the subjects of business, health care, and the environment. Ellen is an Astia Advisor, and serves as an advisor to World Hearing Organization and adsila. She is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University.

Cal Sloan is an Enterprise Software Executive in transition.   Cal specializes in the services side of the software business and is experienced developing the organizations that perform software implementations, integration, customer support and partner management.   As with all enterprise software solutions, substantial business transformation and optimization are required.   He has worked for established software companies such as Oracle and Mercury as well as startups and consulting firms. He has a BS from Stanford University in Industrial Engineering.

Tom Thayer is the Clean Tech Open Advocate for alumni companies in the transportation segment.  Alumni companies are those that achieved semi-finalist or finalist levels in CTO's annual competitions.  Previously, he has worked for high tech companies, reaching VP/ GM and VP Marketing positions at Covad Communications and Xerox. Currently, he has been providing strategic consulting services to high tech and clean tech companies. He holds graduate degrees in both environmental science and business.

As a FountainBlue clean energy program adviser, Tom supports FountainBlue's ongoing clean energy and Tech2Green events with program, outreach and strategic input and advice and has even stepped in to facilitate programs.

Dr. Richard Zeren is an advisor to energy executives, entrepreneurs, and governments on business, marketing, and technology strategy and execution. He has more than 25 years experience with start-up and established companies globally in realigning strategy, focusing marketing, and ensuring execution in energy services, management consulting, energy technology, and enterprise software. He has held leadership positions with the Electric Power Research Institute, Booz Allen and Hamilton (now Booz & Company), Siebel Systems, and start-ups in energy efficiency implementation and enterprise software. He earned an MS and PhD from Stanford University and a BS from Duke University in engineering, and attended the Stanford Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Cross Marketing Partners

At FountainBlue, we believe that reciprocal promotion between quality partners serving a common audience will benefit everyone. We therefore are happy to promote face-to-face, Silicon Valley based events from our cross marketing partners, and also invite their members to pay discounted partner rates to attend our own events.

To submit your event to our community, you may e-mail us the complete and final event details in text format (no attachments) to events@FountainBlue.biz with the information format below by noon on Thursdays, at least one week before your event, or complete the form at http://fountainblue.biz/resources/svevents.html:

Event Topic:
Sponsoring Group:
Date and Time:
Location:
Cost:
Discount Code for FountainBlue Members:
Registration:

Please note that some weeks in the summer or during the holidays, we will not be sending event recommendations to our membership. Note also that we are requesting cross-marketing partners to actively distribute FountainBlue clean energy event information, offering the partner rates, available at http://www.svcleanenergy.com for our monthly clean energy events or http://www.tech2green.biz for our monthly Tech2Green events. In addition, we are happy to provide one complementary pass for each cross-marketing partner for our clean energy event (but not our Tech2Green event).

We commit to active promotion of our cross-marketing partners’ events, and respectfully request the same. To inquire about becoming a cross-marketing partner, please e-mail us at events@FountainBlue.biz.

Founded in 1979, Asia America MultiTechnology Association (AAMA), formerly known as Asian American Manuafacturers Association, is Silicon Valley’s largest and most established non-profit organization dedicated to the Asia American high-tech community.  Having deep roots and a wide reach in the local Silicon Valley community and across Pacific Rim countries, as well as a proven track record of success as a Silicon Valley-based organization, AAMA expanded into China by launching chapters in Beijing and Shanghai to better serve as the bridge between Silicon Valley and Asia.  Each chapter hosts events to localize the effort to promote business relationships and works closely with Silicon Valley headquarters to ensure members realize the maximum benefit of the organization.

AltaTerra Research is a research consultancy specializing in sustainable business and the commercial marketplace for clean technology solutions.  Through research reports, executive events and advisory services, AltaTerra helps forward-looking organizations improve resource-efficiency in their operations and capitalize on new 'green' market opportunities. From our headquarters in Silicon Valley, we have been serving a global base of corporate, institutional, and government clients since 2007.

The mission of the Cleantech Open is to find, fund, and foster the big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges.

The Cleantech Open has established itself as the leader in developing clean technology startup entrepreneurs addressing these challenges. Since its inception in 2006, 125 promising teams have availed themselves of the Cleantech Open’s one-of-a-kind hands-on workforce development, nurturing, and funding programs, with impressive results:

• Cleantech Open Alumni have raised over $130M in private capital,
• 80% remain economically viable today, and
• 500 new clean technology jobs have been created, with an additional 700 new jobs anticipated by the end of 2009.

The Environmental Business Cluster (EBC) is a non-profit clean energy and environmental technology commercialization center in San Jose, CA. The Environmental Business Cluster assists emerging clean energy and environmental technology companies in reaching the market. The Environmental Business Cluster provides business assistance programs and aids in the formation of technology partnerships and industry networks. During our 15 years of experience, the Environmental Business Cluster has helped more than 150 businesses commercialize and market their products.

With her Silicon Valley journalistic experience and Cambridge credentials, Fresh Dialogues host Alison van Diggelen brings a unique global perspective to the green sector.

Going Evergreen works with communities across Silicon Valley and beyond to embrace change, value diversity, and create tomorrow by its actions today. Actions range from the adoption of renewable forms of energy, to enhancing energy efficiency and productivity, to adopting clean, reliable, affordable energy technologies, and to improving the reliability and efficiency of electricity generation and delivery. Find out how to get your community involved by visiting www.goingevergreen.org.

Gratitude Gourmet is the place to discover new gourmet foods, drinks, restaurants, farmer's markets, store, and events.  Check out my blog for the latest news, and signup for my weekly e-newsletter!
Many of you know that food choices have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions and our Oceans. The United Nations Climate Change Report states that animal agriculture causes more greenhouse gases (GHG) than transportation: 18 percent of worldwide GHG. UK hospitals are now cutting meat to cut carbon, and Ghent, Belgium is going vegetarian once a week. The medical journal, The Lancet, recently published health and climate benefits by reducing livestock production by 30%. Check out Bon Appétit Management's Online Food Carbon Calculator in my interview with Bon Appétit's CEO.  Water use is also an important consideration; it takes 1000 liters of water to produce 1 liter of milk. If we can change a light bulb, we can change our food practices to help our planet and our health today.

Greentech Media is an integrated online media company designed to deliver the highest-quality content in the industry, whether it is research, news or critical networking events. Greentech Media is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with operations in New York City, San Francisco and Munich. For more information, visit greentechmedia.com.

MIT Club of Northern California (MITCNC) is the premier regional alumni/ae club of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The club offers numerous resources in entrepreneurship, career development, and professional networking in the Bay Area. In addition, the Club provides many opportunities for social interaction between MIT alumni/ae as well as alumni/ae from similar university clubs.

The Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN) Silicon Valley was launched in 2001. OPEN is a voluntary, not-for profit organization dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurship and leadership in the Pakistani-American business community. Established in Boston in 1998, OPEN has chapters in Boston, Houston, New York, Chicago, Silicon Valley, and Washington DC.

As the world’s largest talent and career management consulting firm, Right Management has been a leading provider of workforce solutions since 1980. We help our clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Right Management helps organizations build leadership capability, retain valued talent and increase the strength of their talent pool, while improving the effectiveness of their workforce. We partner with organizations in creating and implementing a talent management strategy to proactively develop, redeploy and transition employees to meet changing market and workforce needs.

Leland and Jane Stanford founded the University to "promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization." Stanford opened its doors in 1891, and more than a century later, it remains dedicated to finding solutions to the great challenges of the day and to preparing our students for leadership in today's complex world.

SV Cleantech is a network of emerging students, entrepreneurs, and professionals  driven and passionate about promoting clean technology, renewable energy, and sustainability.  Our diverse disciplines include Business, Green building development, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Design, Environmental Studies, Computer Science, and beyond.

Our goal is to help build a more sustainable future. We help facilitate this by helping cleantech-driven student groups promote their cleantech innovations to the community. We are actively looking to create co-branding community partnerships to expand our network of those working towards a more sustainable future. We were founded in 2006 as a wholly-owned not-for-profit division of Silicon Valley Holdings. http://svcleantech.org

VSVN is the fastest growing professional organization in the nation focused on entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and inventors in the Vietnamese high-tech industry. VSVN is the leading hub for networking and doing business with Vietnamese professionals around the world.

• An E-mail to be sent out promoting the event jointly with FountainBlue while we do the same
• On-site support at the event, to help with registration
• Joint welcome of the audience
• Either separate registration for the event or having FountainBlue manage the registration with event earnings going directly to partner organization
• Support in program development, as needed
• And other tasks, as agreed

In turn, FountainBlue would:

• Work with partner to develop the program
• Compile all registrations and send out registration confirmations and follow-up notes
• Coordinate panelist communications and provide thank you gifts to panelists
• And other tasks, as agreed

To inquire about special partnership opportunities, please review our upcoming calendar and propose an event which would be of interest to you for partnership, or e-mail us with an event that you'd like us to support you with in cross-promoting.