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No Risk, No Reward

As people become more environmentally conscious, venture capital firms are increasing investment in green technologies.

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Podcast

  • Green Corporations

    Join us as we discuss investing and the environment. We'll also visit with the U.S. Commerce Department's environmental industries office to see how U.S. corporations are going green.

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Feature Article

Entrepreneurs Put Passion to Work ... and Change the World

The field of sustainable energy and “green” design is rife with entrepreneurs. Many of them studied at elite business schools and worked in Fortune 500 companies before setting out on their own. They possess business savvy, but also a desire to do things differently, better or greener. Here are some examples:
  • Peter Liu

    Peter Liu

    Founder of New Resource Bank

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  • Robin Chase

    Robin Chase

    Co-founder of Zipcar Inc.

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  • Luke Fishback

    Luke Fishback

    Founder of VisibleEnergy

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About the Entrepreneurs

  • Peter Liu

    Peter Liu

    Saving energy represents good business, according to Liu, who founded the New Resource Bank in San Francisco in 2006. The bank specializes in making loans for environmentally sustainable projects. It finances solar projects, housing developments in which “green construction” is paramount, construction of commuter drop-off points near public transportation systems, and a car-share business.

    See related article: Taiwan-born Entrepreneur Finances "Green" Business Development

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  • Robin Chase

    Robin Chase

    Chase and Antje Danielson were co-founders of Zipcar Inc., a business built on a car-sharing idea they brought home from Europe. Chase said that while marketing the business she tried to make the environmental movement “cool and hip.” Car-sharing allows city dwellers to forgo the expense of owning their own cars and promotes greater use of public transportation.

    See related article: Car-Sharing Business Grows Quickly in U.S. Cities

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  • Luke Fishback

    Luke Fishback

    Fishback has had entrepreneurial ideas from the time he was a teenager. When he recently bought a house, he wanted to track how energy-efficient it was (and to motivate himself and his family to save on electric bills). A $30 meter installed in the kitchen and connected to the Internet was the start of a new, environmental business: VisibleEnergy.

    See related article: Entrepreneur Empowers Homeowners to Save Money on Electric Bills

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