An Internship Fair success story

by Lauren Lesser

I’m happy to promote the Bethesda Green Fields of Green Internship Fair — after all, it’s how I got connected with my current job at 4GreenPs, which I love!  If you’re on the fence about whether to come to the internship fair, here’s what my experience was like.

The best part of the Fields of Green Internship Fair for me was the opportunity to make connections with different businesses in person.  As a job seeker, the difference between interacting with a company’s website and talking to an employee (or even the owner of a company) is enormous.  It was invaluable to get to know the faces behind the organizations I had researched online, and get answers to my questions face to face.  I was also impressed by the turnout — last year the attendees ranged from high school seniors to post-grads from master’s degree programs.

With so many organizations and friendly people gathered in one place, I was able to get a much better sense of the interconnected network of organizations around me.  As Woody Allen is credited with saying, “80% of life is showing up,” and just being in the room with such a great network was a smart move for helping me learn about the range of programs and opportunities available here in my backyard.

I submitted several of my resume copies and made some great new contacts, but I ultimately interviewed with my future (now current) boss later that day, as the event was ending.  A few weeks later, I was on board for a short project; now I’m approaching my first year as an employee of 4GreenPs.  I’ve gained experience in marketing and the private sector, promoted sustainability and social causes, and met some great people in the process!

I couldn’t have done it without Bethesda Green and the Fields of Green Internship Fair.  I hope that you’ll take advantage of the amazing work this group does, especially in promoting green jobs — like mine!

Lauren Lesser is a Marketing Associate at 4GreenPs, a strategic marketing firm dedicated to promoting sustainable products, services, causes, and corporate social responsibility.  Say ‘hi’ to her on Twitter @LaurenLesser, or at the next Bethesda Green Happy Hour!

 

What Investors Are Looking for and How To Pitch

Entrepreneurs looking for financing?

Bethesda Green is presenting the second of its five finance workshops — What Investors Are Looking for and How to Pitch — on Thursday, January 31, 8-10 am. The panel includes two angel investors and an entrepreneur actively fund raising, who will share their first-hand experience about what it takes to impress investors.

SPEAKERS:

• Anthony Millin, Lerch, Early and Brewer, moderator
• Casey Berman, Berman Ventures, Dingman Angel
• Jason Shrensky, Dingman Angel in Residence
• Greg Merril, CEO, Brain Sentry

LOCATION: Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814

FEE: $15, no charge for incubator companies. Click here for more info.

DATE/TIME: Thursday, January 31. General networking and light refreshments at 8 am; program runs 8:30 – 10 am.

CONTACT US: Email Robert Snyder at rsnyder@bethesdagreen.org or call at 240-396-2440 x103 if you have any questions.

Register here

The Finance Workshop Series is sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

 

SAVE the DATE — Internship Fair, Saturday, Feb. 9

Fields of Green Internship Fair

Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013
10 am – 2 pm
4825 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

Second Floor above the Capital One Bank

Are you a college or grad school student looking for an internship or job in the environmental sector?  Have you recently graduated and need to get your foot in the door to kick start you environmental career?

If so, Bethesda Green’s 4th annual Fields of Green Internship Fair is for you!

This event is easily accessed via metro train (Bethesda Station), bus, bicycle or driving.  This year we will host over 25 environmental employers from the DC metro area.  Come to the fair prepared to impress as employers will be interviewing promising candidates on-the-spot.

Here is a sneak peak of some of the employers who attended the Fields of Green Internship Fair from 2012.  Please check our website in early January for updates on the 2013 employers.

• The Nature Conservancy
• Student Conservation Association
• Rock Creek Conservancy
• Habitat for Humanity
• Savenia Labs
• And many, many more!

We hope to see you on February 9th!  If you have any questions, please contact Sharon D’Emidio at Sharon@bethesdagreen.org.

 

Promoting Maryland Gone Green

The Gazette of Politics and Business, in cooperation with Bethesda Green, is providing a unique opportunity to highlight Maryland businesses that have “gone green” through a special publication distributed with its May 4th edition.

We are partnering with the Gazette and other business sponsors as part of our mission to:

• Educate the community about sustainability, raise awareness and inspire action.
• Incubate new start-up green businesses, fostering the next generation of green business models and solutions.
• Initiate green projects, leveraging community expertise and assets to improve sustainability in the community.

We believe this special publication will undoubtedly be a valuable marketing tool with measurable results for all of the participants. Each company featured will have the opportunity to tell their “green” story to nearly 20,000 businesses.

By targeting 92% owners/partners, CEO’s and presidents of Maryland businesses, your stories will undoubtedly influence many others on the advantages of sustainability. In addition, copies will be distributed by Bethesda Green and other  environmental organizations in the area throughout the year.

This is how it works — along with your promotional advertisement, The Gazette of Politics & Business will match you with equal editorial space to tell your company’s story. Each story page will be designed by The Gazette with photos, editorial, logo, and pertinent contact information at a special discounted rate. If needed, The Gazette will provide you with a writer to assist you at no charge or you are welcome to write your own editorial portion.

Each company who participates in this promotional opportunity will also be invited to attend a special “Meet and Greet Breakfast” at Bethesda Green, Wednesday, May 2 to get “hot-off-the-press” copies and to meet one another.

A companion electronic “flip book” of the publication will also appear on online throughout the year.

Contact Terry Tillman for more details at 301-670-2084 or ttillman@gazette.net. Space deadline is April 11, 2012.

 

Green job opportunities keep rolling in

Even though it’s been a month since the Bethesda Fields of Green Internship Fair, the green job opportunities keep rolling in. Check out this exciting opportunity for women interested in the green building trades.

A free, 6-week pre-apprenticeship training program in the green building trades, funded through the Department of Labor and administered by the Community Services Agency of the ALF-CIO, is starting in May 2012. An information session about the Building Futures class is scheduled tomorrow, Tuesday, March 27. Interested parties should immediately contact Jennifer Gajdosik, jgajdosik@wowonline.org or call (202)464-1596 ext. 109.

Back on February 25, Bethesda Green hosted its third annual Fields of Green Internship Fair, attracting 24 green employers and more than 120 intern prospects. The employers represented both national and international environmental organizations like The Student Conservation Association, The Nature Conservancy and Habitat for Humanity.  Several smaller local companies and non-profits including Rock Creek Conservancy,  Savenia Labs, Anacostia Watershed Society, DC Greenworks, Calleva Outdoor Camp and  Common Cents Solar participated as well.  Over one hundred paid and unpaid environmental internships were available through the employers participating in the event.

The overall feedback from students and employers was that the Fields of Green Internship Fair filled a great need for local area green jobs.  For many of the students who attended this will be their first step in the professional job arena.  And, for our employers who were hoping to attract top talent to their business, they weren’t disappointed.  Bethesda Green strives to create a sustainable community and support green jobs in our local economy.  There is no question that the annual Fields of Green Internship is doing just that!

For more information about employers that participated and internship descriptions, check out the Bethesda Green website.

 

Bethesda Green Internship Fair

(This article was posted at Montgomery County Sustainability News  or MoCo-Sustain.com, and is re-posted here by permission.)

by Dan Rudt

February is a good time for students to check in with potential employers for possible summer and fall internships. Bethesda Green will help area college students do just that when it hosts one of its signature events on Saturday, the 25th of this month. The Third Annual Fields of Green Internship Fair will give environmentally conscious college students the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from two dozen or more local companies and non-profits that have at least two things in common. They all, in their own way, strive to make our natural environment healthier and more sustainable, and from 10am to 2pm on the 25th, they will all be under the same roof.

The internship fair, of course, benefits employers as well. If past experience repeats itself, the fair may draw 100 or more smart, local college students looking for a future in environmental sustainability. That kind of talent pool offers great potential for green businesses and non-profits seeking interns who may one day become valuable employees.

Bethesda Green Executive Director Dave Feldman told Montgomery County Sustainability News that the internship fair was founded to fill a need on the part of students and employers alike. “When we launched our first Fields of Green Internship Fair in 2010,” Feldman explained, “the idea was prompted by both ends of the employment spectrum, those looking for internship opportunities and those looking for interns.  We’re excited to once again provide college-age young people an opportunity to meet representatives from a number of companies and non-profits offering job experience in the green business sector.”

Some of the employers internship seekers can expect to see at the Bethesda Green event include 4GreenPs, a strategic marketing firm for sustainable brands; Arganica, a “farm club” that delivers local farm food to homes from Hampton Roads to Philadelphia; Just Peachy Organics, makers of organic teas, skin care and household products; international conservation non-profit, The Nature Conservancy; Rock Creek Conservancy, a non-profit that protects and restores Rock Creek and surrounding lands; Savenia Labs, an independent testing laboratory that provides lab tested energy and environmental impact ratings on popular appliances such as coffee makers, toaster ovens, and microwaves; the Student Conservation Association, who protect and restore green spaces in all 50 states, and other companies and non-profits. The internships provide experience in various areas of green business and non-profit operations and may be paid or unpaid positions.

Sharon D’Emidio, Bethesda Green Program Manager, suggests internship seekers dress as they would for a job interview, and show up with resumes in hand. As for references, D’Emidio thinks they are a good idea. “I think it is always impressive when someone is totally prepared for the job.” She suggests internship seekers review the positions posted on the Internship Fair website and expect the interviews to last ten to fifteen minutes each.

John Jabara, the founder of Savenia Labs, told MoCo-Sustain.com the Fields of Green Internship Fair provided positive outcomes for his company in 2011. “Last year,” Jabara told us, “we were looking for interns with science and engineering backgrounds and were impressed with the number and quality of the candidates.  We ended up hiring one for the summer as a paid internship and this worked out very well.  We plan to attend again this year and expect it to be a great event.”

The Bethesda Green, Fields of Green Internship Fair is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, from 10 am to 2 pm. Bethesda Green is located at 4825 Cordell Avenue, at the corner of Woodmont and Cordell, on the Second Floor above the Capital One Bank.

 

Seeking green internship opportunities

Greetings Fellow Environmental Organizations,

Is your organization looking for some stellar interns this summer? Or, perhaps your organization has a need for interns year round?  If so, we have an excellent opportunity in which to participate.

On February 25, Bethesda Green will be hosting its third annual Fields of Green Internship Fair.  Right now we are in the process of inviting employers looking for highly qualified candidates to sign up to be a part of our fair.  Not only will you meet the candidates for the internships face-to-face, but your internship posting will be widely shared among our diverse network as well as posted on our Fields of Green webpage leading up to the event.

In year’s past we have matched many amazing candidates with wonderful green job sector opportunities.

Help us develop the next generation of green leaders and promote local job creation by participating in the Fields of Green Internship Fair!  We accept both paid and unpaid positions at the fair.

Interested in Sponsoring the Fields of Green Internship Fair?  Get details HERE.

Have a job or internship to offer? Download and fill out the Job Description Form HERE.

For more information, please contact Sharon D’Emidio at sharon@bethesdagreen.org.

 

BG Incubator Celebrates a Year of Success

by Robert Snyder, Bethesda Green Incubator Manager

The Bethesda Green Business Incubator developed and matured in 2011 as a place for young green companies to grow.  Some of our initial companies graduated, while new companies were added; our physical space grew; and services to our companies greatly expanded.   Today, we have 10 companies and two nonprofits, with several more waiting to join.

Four companies graduated this year:  SeeEco, Glen Eco Vapor Systems, Energy Light + Control, and Bkind Vending.  Three of the four were purchased by larger companies and their products and services continue to be sold.

The incubator welcomed five new companies this year, adding new vitality and diversity to our industry profile:

• Footprint Free, offering carbon offsets to small businesses
• Doo Consulting, offering LEED planning services for businesses and local governments
• A.I.R. Lawn Care, offering natural lawn care services
• Rock Creek Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Rock Creek watershed
• Geostellar, offering geospacial imaging services to the solar industry sector

At the end of 2010, with the generosity of Capital One Bank, the incubator expanded its offices to include an additional 1,000 square feet of space to accommodate full-time resident companies.  We are delighted to have filled that space this year with two existing companies and two new ones—Savenia Labs, Mark Leisher Productions, Rock Creek Conservancy and Geostellar.

Most importantly, we have expanded the services provided to our companies, increasing their access to business and technical expertise.  We are particularly proud to have launched a partnership with the University of Maryland for access to their wealth of business and technical resources.  These resources have included the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship in the Smith School of Business; Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTech) and the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE) in the Clark School of Engineering; and the Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center in the Law School.  In addition, the staff of the Small Business Development Center’s Capital Region office has worked closely with our incubator companies to provide counseling services.  Our incubator continues to work closely with Montgomery County’s Department of Economic Development, particularly with its Business Innovation Network where we share expertise and education and training programs.

The incubator has offered a robust lunchtime speaker series that has featured distinguished entrepreneurs and business services providers.  Our distinguished entrepreneurs included Seth Goldman, Honest Tea; Scott Nash, MOM’s Organic Market; Devin Schain, Campus Direct; Lawrence Winkler, Consolidated Green Services; Charles Segerman, Clean Currents; and Tony Clifford, Standard Solar.  Our business services providers spoke on a variety of topics including social media, company branding, angel investment, legislative issues in the Maryland legislature and deal structure for investments.

Our coming year promises to be an even better one:  more great companies and even better services.  Watch us grow!

 

Fields of Green Internship Fair May 7

In response to the great need for job creation, Bethesda Green is planning its second annual “Fields of Green” Internship Fair, Saturday, May 7, 10 am – 2 pm, at Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Suite 200, located on the second floor above the Capital One Bank branch at the corner of Woodmont and Cordell Avenues.

The goal of this event is to connect interested and talented young adults, ages 18-24, with local vocational and educational opportunities in our evolving green industry.

More detail, including a listing of regularly updated opportunities can be found here.

We expect to attract hundreds of students from local universities and colleges to visit over two-dozen tables showcasing local business, government, non-profits and academic institutions.

Register to Attend

 

Gazette of Politics and Business Publishes ‘Maryland Gone Green’

Cliff Chiet and Dave Feldman shake hands at the Maryland Gone Green event.

Today’s Gazette of Politics and Business features a special “Maryland Gone Green!” insert section, highlighting 35 companies and organizations that have gone green, provide environmentally friendly services, or educate people about environmental sustainability.

Representatives from most of those businesses showed up early—8 a.m.—at Bethesda Green, March 31, for an appreciation breakfast sponsored by the Gazette and Bethesda Green.

Cliff Chiet, publisher of the Gazette of Politics and Business, thanked everyone for participating in the special publication.

“It’s the first time ever we’ve published something showing off all the green things in the county,” he said. “You already see it,” he told the crowd, “how important this movement is. Montgomery County is really leading the charge, and what’s really exciting is this publication proves it.”

Chiet noted that all the legislators in Annapolis will get a copy, as will the 20,000 businesses that subscribe to the Gazette of Politics and Business.

Bethesda Green’s Executive Director Dave Feldman added, “We applaud that there are economic benefits to being green. You’re all companies that recognize that.”

Firms featured in the publication include large international companies such as Marriott International, Inc., and Lockheed Martin, as well as local outfits such as All Eco Center, and Sustainable Design Group.

The Bethesda Green Business Incubator also received a mention, with a sidebar about Aquabarrel.

Chiet noted he hopes to publish this section every year, and, referring to everyone in the room, said, “We have to be ambassadors.”

The Gazette has also gone green in one way, by using a color printing press that produces high-quality, color copies of the paper sooner in the printing process, thus reducing waste copies that cannot be distributed. Chiet said the press saves them 2,500 tons of paper per year.

If you don’t subscribe to the Gazette of Politics and Business, you can read the “Maryland Gone Green!” section here.