About Green Business Networking
Green Business Networking was formed in 2005 when a small group of business leaders began meeting informally to discuss ways to work together to advance green, sustainability and wellness ideas and businesses. The group grew quickly, and now boasts participation from over 3,500 business leaders, entrepreneurs, consultants and evangelists in the Los Angeles area. Yet despite this growth, it strives to remain a place where doers can go to meet like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere.
Green Business Networking is the LA County Network for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, operates as a non-profit under the umbrella of the Earthways Foundation, and is currently lead by Greg Wendt, Ferris Kawar, and Benjamin Shakin.
Greg Wendt
Gregory Wendt is the Director of Sustainable and Responsible Investing for Enright Premier Wealth Advisors, Inc., recognized as one of the top 100 independent Registered Investment Advisory Firms in the nation. Greg advises clients who want to align their wealth through investments that reflect their priorities and concerns for a better world. Greg is one of only a handful of Sustainable Investing experts in Southern California with a career that began in 1991 as a financial advisor in leading firms Smith Barney, Paine Webber and Prudential Securities. He is frequently profiled or quoted as an expert in the media including "Living with Ed" Television Show on Home and Garden Television, Business Ethics magazine, Daily Variety, Financial Planning magazine and Yogi Times magazine. Mr. Wendt is co-founder of the non-profit "Green Business Networking," and the conference "Green Economy Think Tank Day" - an annual effort to gather Greater LA's sustainability leaders to evolve solutions for our region's green economy. A native of Southern California, Greg has lived in Santa Monica for 27 years. In his spare time Greg enjoys swimming surfing, gourmet cooking, reading, meditation, hiking and hosting wonderful events for his family and friends. learn more from www.gregwendt.com and Greg's blog www.sustainablewealth.blogspot.com.
Ferris Kawar
Ferris Kawar is currently the Recycling Specialist for the City of Burbank and a LEED AP. Before going to work for the City, Ferris was the VP of Sustainability and co-founder of Greenopia, a consumer-friendly directory designed to help individuals easily locate local eco-friendly alternatives to the products and services they use every day. Prior to Greenopia he was the Residential Program Coordinator for Sustainable Works, a non-profit environmental education organization that was tasked with promoting sustainability to residents and businesses in Santa Monica.
Armed with a degree in Marketing and experience from a previous career in advertising in San Francisco, Ferris has found his home in Los Angeles where he is an active leader in the green business movement. He sits on the board of advisors for Sustainable Works, is a member of Green Business Networking’s steering committee and previously sat on the Venice Neighborhood Councils Environmental Committee.
Benjamin Shakin
Benjamin Shakin is founder and president of Sprout Business Consulting - consulting and virtual incubation for startup and growth companies and non-profit organizations making a positive impact in the world. Sprout Business helps passionate entrepreneurs polish and realize their visions by providing experience, resources, relationships and critical support where they are most needed, and also provides grant writing expertise for promising non-profits. Benjamin is a member of the Green Business Networking steering committee, and the Los Angeles county Business Alliance for Local Living Economies launch committee.
Benjamin earned his Masters of Business Administration from USC's Marshall School of Business, and his BA in Philosophy from New York University. He has 10+ years experience in retail and B2B sales, marketing and business development, and 20+ years in startup, early stage and growth company management. You can reach him through Sprout Business and LinkedIn.
Ambassadors & Volunteers
Becki Kammerling (Volunteer Coordinator)
The Law Office of Becki Kammerling, Esq. is dedicated to assisting individuals, businesses and non-profits interested in creating sustainable and lasting organizations that seek to have a positive impact on their community. Becki works with a wide range of companies from sole proprietors selling merchandise in their small online stores to complex corporations with triple and quadruple bottom lines. She also works with a wide range of non-profit organizations including those that seek to alleviate poverty across the globe to those that seek to preserve their local cultural history. Becki's legal counsel and services are rooted in established principles of business and non-profit law with a specific eye toward assisting business and non-profit clients in maintaining the integrity of their environmental and social change mission.
Jeff Hayes
Jeff is president and CEO of The Vector Group, an LA-based consultancy providing small to mid-market businesses with performance management tools and services. The firm was founded by Jack Hayes in the late '60s to drive top-line growth at mid-market logistics companies. Jeff joined the firm in 1998, and when he proposed shifting The Vector Group’s business development focus onto social and environmental entrepreneurship in 2005, Jack responded with, 'over… my… dead… body…' But times change and people do too, and Jack has since become a big fan of The Vector Group’s groundbreaking eco-business tools, FootPrinterTM and CONDUCTORTM. Prior to The Vector Group Jeff created visual effects for films and directed animation for gaming and ride experiences for everyone from Disney to garage startups, and his projects earned >250MM in combined revenue. In his free time, Jeff surfs under the full-moon at Leo Carrillo State Beach and is a fan of both Edward Tufte and John Singer Sargent. The Vector Group: for business performance excellence.
