Speakers

Greg "Gadget"Abbott
Chief Technical Officer and Founder
Electric Motors Corporation
Greg Abbot is one of the foremost Electric Car conversion specialists in the country. He has been designing and converting electric vehicles and motorcycles for over ten years.  Greg is an expert in integrating complex electrical systems into automotive applications and in assembling and connecting multiple components into simple-to-understand, user-friendly, turn-key kits. He is recognized for his work in adapting electric motors to automotive drive trains and for designing specialized differential and yoke systems for electric vehicles.   Greg has extensive experience leading teams in the design and installation of systems including subsystems required for converting power brakes and steering into fully-electric operations.  Greg’s renown precedes him – he has converted cars for Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tommy Chong of the Cheech and Chong movies and of numerous high-profile EV enthusiasts.  He has been interviewed on television, in the press and in movies, and has been featured in a Discovery Channel documentary and in the movie Who Killed the Electric Car?

Dave Barthmuss
Group Manager
General Motors Western Region Enviornment and Energy Communications
Dave Barthmuss is the Group Manager for General Motor's Western Region, Environment & Energy Communications team. Dave has served in various communications functions at GM for nearly 20 years covering several product, marketing, sales, issues management communications positions before assuming his current role in Thousand Oaks, California. As head of communications for the automaker's largest region in the United States, Dave is responsible for a wide variety of public relations assignments, including engaging GM and its brands with key stakeholder groups to help communicate the company's environmental, technology and policy initiatives.

Sherry Beall
Host and Producer
Healthy Planet, Healthy Me!
Founder and CEO
At Home Naturally™
Sherry Beall is a mother, an environmental journalist & activist, CEO, radio host & producer, driven by her passion. She hosts & produces the only exclusive Environmental-Health radio talk show (since 2003), Healthy Planet, Healthy Me!, on KPFK 90.7FM, Los Angeles and 98.7FM, Santa Barbara, podcasting worldwide. Sherry worked for many years in the entertainment industry as Executive Assistant for Frank G. Mancuso, Sr. during his 6 year helm at MGM. She also made nearly 20 feature films in the capacity of 1st A.D., U.P.M., or producer. Currently, Sherry is the founder & CEO of At Home Naturally.com, a web-based eco-store with products for the entire home and family. Additionally Sherry is working on her certification as a Bau [Building] Biologist, one of the most stringent trainings for making the home environment the healthiest possible for its inhabitants. Stay Tuned!

Andrew Beebe
President
El Solutions
Andrew Beebe is President of Energy Innovations, where he is helping to build one of America's leading solar technology and service companies. Previously, Andrew was a partner with the consulting firm, Clean Edge, where he served as an advisor to companies working on a range of renewable technologies, from solar and wind power to hydrogen and biomass. In 1998, Andrew co-founded Bigstep, a small-business services company. As CEO, Andrew led the company in building an award-winning service, raising over $60 million from top-tier venture firms, hiring over 150 talented employees, and developing partnerships with such leading companies as AOL, VeriSign, Oxygen and Compaq. After reaching profitability with 9,000 paying customers, Bigstep was sold to Affinity Internet, Inc. Andrew serves on the boards of Global Green and The Apollo Alliance. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and lives with his wife, Jessica, son, Jackson, and twin daughters, Ella and Georgia.

Ed Begley Jr.
Host
Living with Ed
When it comes to taking personal responsibility for the environment, few individuals can match the record of actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. Known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, he has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.  He serves on the boards of organizations including the Thoreau Institute, the Earth Communications Office, Tree People and Friends of the Earth.  His work has earned awards from numerous environmental groups including the California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay, the Santa Monica Baykeeper and the Southern California Gas Company.  Currently, he is the co-star of the hit HGTV series Living with Ed, a look at the day-to-day realities of “living green” with his not so environmentalist wife Rachelle Carson.  The series is currently in production on its 2nd season.

Shelley Billik
VP, Environmental Initiatives
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Shelley Billik is Vice President of Environmental Initiatives for Warner Bros. Entertainment, where over the last 15 years she has established a wide variety of sustainability projects. Warner Bros. is proud to have built the first LEED building and the first solar energy project in the industry. Shelley is a LEED accredited professional and was recently selected as an Environmental Leadership Catto Fellow by the Aspen Institute.

Anselm Bossacoma
Executive Director
Trade development Office of the Government of Catalonia in Los Angeles
Anselm Bossacoma is the Executive Director for overseas trade relations between the government of Catalonia and the state of California. He builds business relationships and develops investment strategies for Catalan companies with a desire to do business in the Western United States. Anselm is a specialist in creating international business opportunities and converting them into global enterprises. Proud of his Catalan heritage Anselm joined the Los Angeles Trade Development Office where he was appointed as the executive director in 2005. Over the past five years, he has advised over 50 companies and overseen a multitude ventures in entertainment business as well as a variety of other industries.

Tom Burns
Director, Post-Production Infrastructure
Technicolor
Tom Burns is currently Director, Post-production Infrastructure for Technicolor. He has built large-scale server farms for 3D feature animation production, broadcast network origination and cable TV head-ends. His current interest is in workflow management tools and high-speed networking infrastructure, so that the work can be moved to the technology, not the other way around.

Barry Cinnamon
Chief Executive Officer
Akeena Solar
Barry Cinnamon founded Akeena Solar literally over his garage in Saratoga, CA  in 2001 and took Akeena Solar public in 2006 (NASDAQ: AKNS). Barry's solar energy career actually started long before he was an undergraduate at MIT doing research on active solar and parabolic concentrator collectors.  During the late 1970s and early 1980s he designed and installed active solar, passive solar and ground coupled heat pump systems. What sets Barry apart as a solar industry leader is his technical knowledge and experience. He is a NABCEP Certified Solar Installer and a licensed California C-46 Solar Contractor who has designed and installed many turnkey solar energy systems on the rooftops of private homes and on commercial buildings and wineries in California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As the President of the California Solar Energy Industry Association, Barry successfully drove the push for legislation to assure consumers access to the lowest cost energy available, which is power from the Sun.

Leila Connors Peterson
President and Co-Founder
Tree Media Group
Leila Conners Petersen is director, writer and producer of The 11th Hour, the feature length documentary with Leonardo DiCaprio and 54 leading thinkers and scientists about the state of the world and the state of the human condition. Leila is also the president and co-founder of Tree Media Group, a production company with the goal of creating media to support and sustain civil society.

Robert DeFranco
211(me) Green
Robert DeFranco is the Chief Executive Officer of 211(me), a leading edge green media company. Robert has over 15 years experience in entertainment, sales, media and executive leadership. Robert started his career in the entertainment industry as a set decorator, and has worked on more than 30 films, television shows and commercials. He eventually co- founded an entertainment company, Division 1 Entertainment, and directed the film TELLING YOU distributed by Miramax Films. In this startup environment, he was directly responsible for forming the corporation, securing projects, acquiring funding, managing the development, direction, and production of films and the companies Internet content business.

Susan Docherty
General Manager, Western Region
General Motors Corp.
Susan Docherty was named General Manager of GM's Western Region in March, 2006. Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, Susan leads the sales, service, marketing and distribution efforts in the Region's 16 states, which includes more than 1,000 GM dealer locations. Prior to her position at the Western Region, Susan was the General Manager for GM's HUMMER brand. In this role, she was responsible for marketing, sales, distribution, dealer development and management of the HUMMER brand worldwide. During her time at Hummer, Susan was charged with launching the new H3, which increased Hummer's sales by greater than 70%.

Tom Feegel
Founder and Principal
Brand Neutral
Tom Feegel is the founder of the environmental business strategy consulting firm Brand Neutral. He has nearly 15 years experience leading several successful management consulting firms, and capitalizing on new media to create and sustain competitive advantage for his clients. Tom recently returned from a 1-year sabbatical, during which he served as the Chief of Staff for Live Earth, the worldwide series of 9 concert events produced and broadcast on July 7, 2007, to raise awareness of the global climate crisis and to call citizens to participate in lifestyle-based solutions every day. In April 2007, Tom joined a diverse group of 1000 volunteers from every corner of the USA to be trained by Al Gore to present a version of the slide show on which the Academy Award-winning film, "An Inconvenient Truth" is based. He can be reached at tfeegel@brandneutral.com

Alan L. Friel
Partner
Kaye Scholer LLP
Alan L. Friel is an AV-rated, intellectual property transactional lawyer at the international law firm Kaye Scholer LLP, where he concentrates on serving the advertising and promotions, film, television, animation, music, publishing, technology, interactive game, software, Internet and eCommerce, manufacturing, telecommunications and consumer products industries in the areas of contractual transactions, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, financing, licensing, distribution, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances and general counsel. Mr. Friel regularly speaks and writes regarding media, technology, privacy and advertising issues.

Steve Glenn
Founder and CEO
LivingHomes
Steve Glenn is the founder and CEO of LivingHomes, a developer and builder of modern, prefabricated homes, designed by world-class architects that feature healthy/green materials and energy systems and great price value. The company's first home, designed by Ray Kappe, was installed in eight hours on April 13. It was the first home ever to received a LEED for Home Platinum rating and was the only home to receive the AIA's 2007 Top Ten Sustainability Award. Before LivingHomes, Glenn worked full-time with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative(CHAI) and managed the development of a $200 million program in Mozambique. Glenn is founder and former Chairman and CEO of PeopleLink, www.peoplelink.com, and a Partner and a part of the founding team of idealab, www.idealab.com, a business incubation firm that founded a number of companies including GoTo/Yahoo Search (OVER), NetZero/United Online (UNTD), CitySearch (TMCS), Tickets.com (TKTS), eToys and CarsDirect. Glenn worked for Walt Disney Imagineering as co-director of the Virtual Reality Studio. Glenn co-founded Clearview Software which was sold to Apple Computer where Glenn served as a marketing specialist.

Howard Gordon
Showrunner/Executive Producer
24
Howard Gordon is the Showrunner/Executive Producer of the hit series 24, winner of the 2006 Emmy Award for Best Drama Series. A twenty year industry veteran, Mr. Gordon first gained national attention for his award-winning work on Fox's groundbreaking series The X-Files. His other credits include Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Beauty and the Beast, Spenser: For Hire and Sisters. He was also the creator and executive producer of the innovative 1999 drama Strange World.

Nina Guralnick
President
Live Earth
As president of Live Earth, Nina Guralnick identifies the company's long-term strategic vision and works to engage a global audience through the development of programs that leverage the power of entertainment to arm audiences with the tools to solve the climate crisis. She is responsible for advancing relationships with The Alliance for Climate Protection and international NGOs, as well as working within the live events industry to share Live Earth's expertise and encourage adoption throughout the industry. During the course of the concerts on 7/7/07, she was tapped to serve as Live Earth's executive-in-charge, overseeing broadcast relationships and strategic partnerships, brand communications and all aspects of Live Earth's interactive and new media elements leading to millions of personal commitments and the most watched online entertainment event ever.

Ariel Hauter
Executive Director
The Hollywood Hill
Ariel Hauter is Co-Founder & Executive Director of The Hollywood Hill (www.hhill.org), an entertainment industry trade association providing Hollywood's business and creative professionals with the tools they need to apply their skills, talents and resources towards social change. Prior, Ariel worked at United Talent Agency (UTA), where he trained under the co-head of the motion picture literary department and other top agents in the motion picture literary and indy film packaging division. Full bio at www.arielhauter.com

Allen Hershkowitz
Senior Scientist
Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. Hershkowitz is a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, specializing in issues related to sustainable development, supply chain ecological management, industrial ecology, the paper industry, health risks, solid waste management, recycling, medical wastes, and sludge. He joined the senior staff of NRDC on February 16, 1989 and is the Director of NRDC's National Solid Waste Project and NRDC's Paper Industry Reform Project. Learn more about his work greening the Academy Awards.

Doug Hileman
Advisory/ Performance Improvement
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Mr. Hileman has over 30 years of experience in environmental, health, safety (EHS) and Sustainability issues, including nine years in industry.  He has developed and implemented compliance programs, and has been a driver for creative projects involving reduction of EH&S footprint and risks, reporting and stakeholder engagement, and business strategies.  His entertainment and media experience includes projects at several studios.  He helped develop an EH&S management framework, created a program to reuse waste materials, and improve relationships with municipal authorities.  He facilitated year-long process at a utility to develop a strategic plan for environmental stewardship and corporate outreach via philanthropy.  He has been active in the [EH&S] Auditing Roundtable for 20 years, including national leadership positions, and taught at U.C. Irvine Extension for eight years. 

Brad Hole
President and CEO
Sustainable Group
Bradley Hole, President and CEO of Sustainable Group, was born with a fishing pole in his hand. He grew up on the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York and attended conservation camp at a young age. This passion, along with hiking, cooking and traveling, was why Hole was interested in starting a company that helped him and others live an eco-friendlier lifestyle. In 2003, Hole co-founded Sustainable Group; a manufacturer of earth friendly office supplies used by companies as branding tools in presentations and proposals. Since then, the company has been recognized extensively by the media: including Fast Company Magazine who, in 2007, ranked Sustainable Group #20 out of 50 Global Businesses "doing extraordinary things for the environment."

Kirk Iwanowski
EVP, Marketing, Branded Entertainment and Sponsorship
Sundance Channel
As Executive Vice President Marketing, Branded Entertainment and Sponsorship, Kirk Iwanowski oversees consumer, affiliate and trade marketing and advertising for Sundance Channel. This includes national consumer and trade campaigns and promotions, strategic partnerships and the development of acquisition and upgrade campaigns for cable and satellite. Additionally, Iwanowski oversees all integrated sponsorship sales and branded entertainment initiatives across all Sundance Channel-branded platforms: on-air, online, VOD, EST and wireless. Prior to joining Sundance Channel in 1998, Iwanowski served as the Time Warner Cable National Account Director for Showtime Networks Inc. During his tenure at Sundance Channel, Iwanowski has been responsible for striking significant, high impact alliances and branded entertainment deals to supplement original programming development and marketing initiatives.

Mike Jbara
EVP and COO, WEA Corp.
Warner Music Group
Mike Jbara manages the day-to-day operations of WEA including the pre-production, production and distribution of content from WMG as well as the worldwide digital distribution of WMG’s content.  He has also served as Senior Vice President, Production and Media Operations and Vice President, Production and Media Operations where he oversaw WEA’s entire U.S. production and global digital operations. He was instrumental in the creation of WEA’s online music and in-house studio operations which performs audio preparation, digital mastering and content quality control for the digital supply chain.  Before joining WEA, Jbara started the New York-based Media and Entertainment Practice at Andersen Consulting.
Jbara holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Michigan...

Michael Kanellos
Editor at Large, News.com
CNET Networks Inc.
Michael Kanellos is editor at large at CNET Networks News.com, where he covers clean technology, emerging technologies and the tech industry overseas. He has appeared on National Public Radio, The Early Show on CBS, CNBC, Fox News and other media outlets on behalf of CNET News.com. He is also a regular speaker at conferences such as CES, the Japan Business Strategy Summit, West Coast Green and Clean Energy Venture Summit. In 2005, he, along with two other News.com writers, won an award for online feature writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. A graduate of Cornell University and the University of California Hastings College of the Law, he has also worked as an attorney, a travel writer and a busboy at a pancake house.

Larry Kasanoff
CEO
Threshold Animation Studios
Larry Kasanoff is a film producer who is CEO of Threshold Animation Studios (TAS), one of the world's leading digital animation and visual effects production studios. TAS is backed by a unique alliance with IBM. Currently, Kasanoff is producing and directing FOODFIGHT!, a full-length digitally animated feature film.

Miles Kelly
VP, Marketing & Strategy
365 Main Inc.
Miles Kelly brings over 12 years of marketing leadership to 365 Main Inc, a developer and operator of modern data centers. Kelly is responsible for defining and executing the company's strategic marketing initiatives, increasing global awareness of 365 Main, and accelerating 365 Main's reach into new and growing markets. Kelly also oversees 365 Main's green initiatives including a commitment to building all future data centers to meet the US Green Building Council's LEED certification.

Jeffery Kempler
Chief Operating Officer
Capitol Music Group
Jeff Kempler is the Chief Operating Officer of the Capitol Music Group, which was formed as a full-service multi-genre label group in January, 2007 from the merger of EMI Music’s Capitol Records and Virgin Records labels.  In this position, he oversees all of the label group’s business affairs and business strategy initiatives and activities.  Kempler also guides the company’s environmental policies and practices.  Kempler is an active supporter of the Natural Resource Defense Council, the International Rescue Committee, the Sierra Club, River Keepers, and the North Salem Open Land Foundation.

Dave Laux
Global Executive, Games and Interactive Entertainment
IBM
As the Global Executive for Games and Interactive Entertainment, Dave leads IBM SMB's Sales and Marketing efforts in this rapidly growing and strategically important Industry. A long time industry participant (played a lot of games) Dave is responsible for helping Games and Entertainment companies leverage IBMs strength and assets to reduce expenses while increasing efficiency and profitability. Dave joined IBM in 1994 to help form a new sales organization, which grew in sales from $25 Million to $1.6 Billion in 1998. Dave went on to lead a national Telecommunications Sales Team for IBM and IBM's GMB 'NetGen' Business Unit. In 2000 Dave joined IBM's Venture Development Organization to explore new emerging opportunities for IBM, as well as managing IBM's relationship with several key Venture Capital Firms.

Rich Lechner
VP, IT Optimization
IBM
Rich Lechner was named Vice President of IBM's newly formed IT Optimization business unit in March, 2007. In his current role, Mr. Lechner oversees an extensive portfolio of solutions that combine hardware, software and IBM services to help IBM customers simplify, better manage and do more with their existing infrastructures. As part of this, he is responsible for IBM's virtualization, grid and platform management offerings.

Ted van der Linden
Board of Directors
U.S. Green Building Council
Ted van der Linden, Director of Sustainable Construction and a Senior Preconstruction Manager for DPR, offers a tremendous wealth of expertise in all phases of commercial, industrial and sustainable construction. With more than 22 years of experience, van der Linden serves on the national Board of Directors for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is an active leader of the USGBC's Northern California Chapter Board of Directors.

Josh Mark
Executive Director, Special Event Production
Creative Services at FOX Broadcasting Company
Joshua Mark’s responsibilities include handling the technical production and logistics for FOX’s corporate meetings, sports hospitality programs, premier parties and special events.  Over the past year, Josh has also been responsible for “Greening” special events at FOX including making the 2007 Upfront Presentation a carbon neutral and green event.  Most recently he was responsible for FOX’s greening efforts at the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards including the installation of the 13KW Solar Canopy on the Recycled Red Carpet and the Incandescent Lighting Free Media Tent.  Prior to FOX he has worked in production on numerous TV shows including Saved By The Bell, California Dreams and City Guys.  Josh holds a bachelors degree from North Carolina School of the Arts in Stage Management and Masters Degree in Producing from the American Film Institute.

Phil Nail
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Affordable Internet Services Online, Inc.
Phil Nail, founder and chief technology officer for Affordable Internet Services Online, Inc. (AISO), conceived the company out of an inspired "What if" moment. In the mid 1990s, Nail began brainstorming to create a "green" web hosting and network environment that would use the power of the California sun, in lieu of energy produced through traditional fuel sources. To implement his vision, he moved his family 50 miles from the sun-drenched coast of Dana Point to the arid desert of Romoland, Calif. where, ironically, the nearest town is called Sun City.

Ujwal Nirgudkar
Fellow
SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers)
For the last 26 years Ujwal Nirgudkar has been working with Patel Group of companies which pioneered the entertainment technology in India. He is currently Technical Director of Patel India Distributors Pvt.Ltd. Mumbai, a company which is the distributor for FUJIFILM Negatives & Data Storage Media for the entire India & also has the latest Film Processing facility FILMLAB at Mumbai. He initiated the use of environ friendly UL-Bleach Process (Process Trademark of Eastman Kodak Company, U.S.A.) in India for processing the Motion Picture Films, using Akzo Nobel’s Dissolvine® range of Chelating Agents. This technology replaces the conventional, polluting Ferricyanide based bleach technology. He has been retained by Akzo Nobel as Global Technical Consultant, to promote this Environment friendly technology worldwide.  Akzo Nobel is a Dutch Fortune 500 MNC.

Patrick Nye
Vice President, Sales
LEED® AP
Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Based in Portland, Oregon, Patrick Nye leads the non-profit Bonneville Environmental Foundation's primary fundraising activity of selling carbon offsets from renewable energy facilities (such as wind and solar) across North America. Patrick serves clients ranging from organic food producers and film productions to events, households and utilities. Patrick also serves green builders and is a LEED Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council. In October 2007 Patrick's pioneering SkiGreen™ program won national recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Leadership Awards. Patrick's first experience in environmental work took place on board the U.S. Coast Guard Ice Breaker, Polar Star, where he participated in Arctic research around the North Pole.

Eileen O'Neill
President and GM
Planet Green
Eileen O'Neill oversees the strategic development of Planet Green, Discovery Communications' global, cross-platform initiative including the first-ever 24-hour television network dedicated solely to green lifestyle programming. O'Neill provides leadership and coordination of Planet Green's investment in new original content and a robust multi-platform offering information and resources related to sustainable development, conservation, organic lifestyles and healthy living.

Tony Pace
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund
As senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the SUBWAY Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust (SFAFT), Tony Pace develops integrated marketing and advertising programs to drive profitable sales in nearly 28,000 restaurants around the world. Pace has been integral to the development of many successful advertising campaigns including the David Spade "No" campaign work for Capital One, "The Whopper Says" for Burger King, the immediacy marketing extensions of "Always" for Coca-Cola, and the Ray Charles work for KFC. Pace was formerly the executive vice president and group managing director for McCannErickson Worldwide. During his tenure, Pace was asked to take over Momentum, an event-marketing firm the agency had acquired. In addition to his experience at Momentum, he has had stints at Wunderman and Burson-Marsteller while he was with Young and Rubicam. Pace also served as associate director of marketing for Y&R.

Chris Paine
Director/Producer
Papercut Films
Chris's film, Who Killed the Electric Car? premiered at the Sundance in 2006 before its international release by Sony Pictures Classics. Chris produced Faster with Ewan McGregor about the world's fastest motorcycle race, and No Maps For These Territories, a road trip with cyberpunk author, William Gibson and featuring U2 front-man, Bono. Outside of film, Chris was an early player in California's dotcom boom with his firm Internet Outfitters. His company, Mondo-tronics, provided materials for the Mars Pathfinder mission. Paine's activist work includes campaigns to protect forests and to curb US nuclear programs. He supports the Black Rock Arts Foundation, the Rainforest Action Network and Plug-In America.

Paul Polizzotto
CEO
EcoMedia
Paul Polizzotto was raised in Manhattan Beach, California, and spent much of his youth on a surfboard. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, Paul melded his passion for the ocean with his keen entrepreneurial drive, inventing a groundbreaking method to reduce pollutants from flowing into storm drain systems and thus protecting the waters into which they feed. The Zero Discharge process provided the basis for Paul’s first green business – Property Prep – and earned him recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency as an “Environmental Hero.”

Greg Reitz
Principle
REthink Development
Greg Reitz is a Founder and Principal at REthink Development. Greg entered the real estate business as a green consultant for E2. During his stint there he worked for John Picard, a world-renowned sustainable development consultant on developing master planned communities. In 2003, he was named the Green Building Advisor for the City of Santa Monica where he established the city as the recognized leader in the US for green building initiatives. Greg is a LEED accredited professional and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Chapter of the US Green Building Coucil. Before entering the field of green building, Greg helped start several businesses in the high tech industry including multi-national Velodea, Inc., and was a Customer Relationship Management / Business Process Re-engineering consultant for Anderson Consulting. Greg holds a degree in cybernetics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Eric Ritz
Founder and Executive Director
Global Inheritance
Ritz founded Los Angeles-based Global Inheritance in 2002 to compel activism and provide creative solutions to solve global resource and environmental imbalances. Ritz started organizing benefit concerts as a student at the University of Oregon in the mid-1990’s. After graduation, Ritz started working at concert promoter Bill Silva Presents where he promoted some of the largest bands and highest profile venues in the world, including Sublime, Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, Santana, Hollywood Bowl, The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and The Mayan. Ritz continued to organize caused-based concerts and subsequently relocated to Australia to work at Frontier Touring and then returned to Los Angeles to run the marketing department at apparel company JNCO. He left JNCO to help launch A.D.D. Marketing, an outfit specializing in youth campaigns.  He soon was tapped to assist with launching American Legacy’s TRUTH anti-smoking campaign.

Heather Rosenberg
Director of Sustainable Community Services
CTG Energetics
As an ecologist, LEED Accredited Professional and Certified Permaculture Designer, Ms. Rosenberg takes an integrated systems approach to environmental problem solving on land use, infrastructure and building projects. Working closely with clients such as NBC Universal and developers Lennar, Forest City and Thomas Properties Group, she leads the sustainable design process at both the corporate and community levels. By developing the CTG Sustainable Communities Model™, she has assisted developers and design teams find the most environmentally preferable, cost effective approaches to sustainable design.

Matthew Rosenblum
EVP and CFO
Neuwing Energy
Matthew Rosenblum is executive vice president of strategic alliances and CFO of Neuwing Energy. He started his career as an investment salesman at JP Morgan Chase and ran equity hedge fund Hayden Capital Management for three years. Most recently, Matthew was portfolio and risk manager for KKR.

Doug Scott
Executive Director, Branded Content and Entertainment Group
Ogilvy
Douglas Scott is Executive Director of Branded Content at Ogilvy North America, responsible for branded content initiatives for clients including IBM, Cisco, Unilever and BP. Prior to Ogilvy, Douglas was Senior VP, NY General Manager at Bragman Nyman Cafarelli. In 2004, Scott launched MATTER, an entertainment marketing company that produced LOHAS 8, a three-day forum focused on renewable energy, organic food, eco-tourism and other health and sustainability issues. Prior to MATTER, Doug was EVP, Branded Entertainment Creative Director at Hypnotic. Prior to Hypnotic, he was EVP, Sales & Marketing and General Manager of the Hollywood Stock Exchange. After finishing the Green Curve short films for BP in 2006 at Ogilvy, Douglas is currently developing both scripted and unscripted eco-based series for multi-platform entertainment. Scott is a boardmember of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) and Goal4.org, and is an advisor to Treehugger.com, the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC), and Desihits.com. He holds a B.S. in Economics from University of Maryland, College Park.

Lauren Selman
Principal
ReelGreen Media
Lauren Selman founded Reel Green Media in 2007 which assists productions implementing environmentally conscious practices on and off set. As a simultaneous degree honors graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BS in Conservation Resource Studies and a BA in Theater Performance Studies, Selman merges her passion for both the environment and entertainment. Her interest in the environment sparked when was studying the effect of petroleum development in the Ecuador Amazon rainforest and then riding her bicycle across the United States, from Connecticut to San Francisco. At University she conducted an "A+" two year study that investigated the environmental impact of the film industry titled "Lights, Camera, Eco-Action!" which makes her a knowledgeable asset to a discussion about greening the films.

Liana Shwarz
Vice President, Campaign Development and Operations
Participant Productions
In May 2007, Liana joined Participant Productions’ Social Action and Advocacy Department as Vice President of Campaign Development and Operations.  Prior to joining Participant Productions, Liana served as Political Director for Laurie and Larry David and as Advisor to the David Family Foundation, where she oversaw the David’s political and charitable activities.  Liana served as Executive Director of the Stop Global Warming Virtual March (www.stopglobalwarming.org), and played a strategic role in all of Laurie David’s global warming projects including the Academy Award winning An Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David and Sheryl Crow’s Stop Global Warming College Tour, HBO’s Too Hot Not to Handle and two books.  She was also Special Advisor to Earth to America, the first of its kind comedy special about global warming which aired on TBS in 2005.  In addition, Liana served as Director of Special Initiatives for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and on the staff advisory committee for the NRDC Advocacy Center in Washington D.C.

Yalmaz Siddiqui
Environmental Strategy Advisor
Office Depot
Yalmaz Siddiqui is Office Depot’s Environmental Strategy Advisor. He is responsible for advising the company on the development and integration of a wide range of environmental programs into the global organization. Office Depot’s industry-leading environmental programs span all parts of the company - from the supply chain (buying green) to internal operations (being green), to business and consumer markets (selling green). Siddiqui’s role includes improving the understanding of environmental issues and opportunities among suppliers, associates and customers and helping to improve the environmental performance of Office Depot and its range of stakeholders.

Paula Silver
Founder
Beyond The Box Productions
“It’s Not Easy Being Green” for most people, but for Paula Silver, being green is second nature.  Long before it became fashionable to support sustainability, Paula was championing environmentally-friendly causes through pop culture.  After leading Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing, where she first practiced bringing enlightening marketing techniques emphasizing meaningful storytelling, she then became the master marketing guru in the world of independent film.  She has consistently invested her time and energies in “media that matters” in order to persuade audiences worldwide to care enough to bring about change in their lives and the lives of others.  She even took LOHAS from a parochial sideshow and made it into a mainstream media event with a broad impact on affecting a positive change in how multi-media  tells the story on fighting global warming and saving the planet.  In short, she has been and continues to be a visionary for our times.   

Rich Sootkoos
CEO
ReProduct
Rich Sootkoos has 20 years of operations, M&A, and strategic planning experience in Fortune 500 and emerging growth companies. Before C2C Holdings, Rich was COO of Susteen Inc, the software leader in cell phone backup, restore and sync where he was responsible for all sales, marketing, operations, engineering, finance and administration.

Terry Swack
Founder and CEO
Clean Culture
Terry Swack, Founder & CEO, is a 25-year veteran of the design and technology industries, a leading experience design strategist and an environmental entrepreneur. The focus of her career has been to make complex ideas and new technologies useful, usable and desirable.  In 2005, Terry founded GreenBuildingBlocks.com and The Beam (now BlueEgg.com), a venture-backed Web 2.0 marketplace for consumers, manufacturers, and service providers to power the demand for clean and green products and services. Terry's first company, TSDesign, was an Internet strategy and product design firm founded in 1994. The development of the User Experience AuditSM in 1996, was the first offering of its kind and positioned the company as the industry leader in design analysis and user experience strategy.

Ana Paula Tavares
Deputy Director, Director of Development
Rainforest Alliance
Ana Paula Tavares is the Deputy Director and Director of Development at the Rainforest Alliance, an international conservation organization with headquarters in New York and work in over 50 countries.  As Deputy Director, she represents the Rainforest Alliance at international conferences and meetings, collaborates with government and intergovernmental agencies in the development of sustainable development projects, helps Rainforest Alliance division directors define projects and shares cross-organizational responsibilities with the executive director and other deputy directors.  She has been involved in initiatives to increase production of sustainable products and services in Latin America and promote greater linkages with mainstream global markets.  She has been leading the organization’s development department for six years.

Casey Verbeck
VP, Business Development
GenGreen LLC and GenGreen Foundation
Casey Verbeck is a true entrepreneur and marketing professional who has developed and started careers for many artist and companies across multiple platforms. Casey has made a personal quest in shifting the mindset of the general public around environmental consciousness and sustainability by building and executing campaigns through corporate culture and working closely with events in his current business relationships with GenGreen and Act Now Productions. Prior to joining the green sector, Casey previous entrepreneur businesses have been featured in Billboard magazine, Rolling Stone, New York Times, Time Magazine, CNN, LA Times and other media. Casey was the founder of Partners In Music an agency out of Boulder CO, business consulting and management firm, producing over 5000 worldwide events, working with clients such as Mindy Smith, Yonder Mountain, The Gap, NOLA Jazz Festival, Fuji Rock Festival, CMT, MTV, VH1, BMG, BBC, CBS, and Lifetime Network. Casey is a founder of Vault Alliance/IGGLI Inc., which focuses on digital media distribution and social networking, was responsible and maintains relationships with Country Music Hall of Fame, PBS, Jazz Alley TV/BET, NPR Affiliates, University of Colorado, iTunes, Rhapsody eMusic, to name a few.

Lawrence Vertal
Senior Strategist
AMD
Lawrence Vertal brings more than 20 years of operational management, strategic relations, corporate governance, and marketing experience to his role as Senior Strategist for AMD. In this role, Mr. Vertal is responsible for both the strategy and execution of selected corporate and commercial initiatives. Prior to joining AMD, Mr. Vertal held various positions with AT&T and NCR, including Director of Strategic Relations and Director of Product Marketing. He previously served as Vice President of Marketing for Conita Technologies, and was also a founder of Condor Data. Lawrence Vertal holds a bachelor of science degree in Bacteriology from California State University, where he also performed graduate research in chemistry with a focus on paramagnetic resonance.

Mark Ward
President and Chief Executive Officer
COPAN Systems
Mark brings over two decades of storage industry leadership experience to COPAN Systems at both the start-up and global enterprise levels. Most recently, Mark was Managing Partner at Ward Capital LLC, where he devoted his time and energies to developing sales, marketing, and business strategies along with investing in emerging cutting-edge storage companies and technologies. Prior to this, he served as VP and GM of North American Sales at StorageTek where he consistently delivered sequential revenue growth.

Arthur B. Weissman, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Green Seal
Dr. Weissman has over 25 years of experience in environmental policy, standards, and enforcement. He joined Green Seal in 1993 as Vice President of Standards and Certification, becoming President and CEO in late 1996, and he served as Chair of the Global Ecolabelling Network from 1994 to 1997. Prior to joining Green Seal, he was responsible for developing national policy and guidance for the Superfund program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also served as a Congressional Science Fellow and worked for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in physical geography and environmental science, a masters in natural resource management from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a bachelors degree from Harvard University.

Dale Wiley
CEO and President
American Green Holdings
Dale Wiley is a former trial lawyer who served on many national boards and committees. He was named Chairman of the American Association of Justice's New Lawyers Division Board of Governors Committee. Dale oversees the strategic aspects of American Green Holdings and Bid for Green, building relationships, pricing services, and setting the course of the company.

Cindy Wymore
Director of Government and Public Affairs
BP America
Cindy is the Director of Government and Public Affairs for BP. In her current role, she is responsible for corporate reputation and external communications to elected officials, the media, opinion leaders and key stakeholders in the western region of the United States. Prior to her position with BP, Cindy was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Director of Communications within the State and Consumer Services Agency responsible for key message development and public outreach campaigns. She has also assisted Vice President Cheney and President Bush in a variety of rolls.

Lauren Zalaznick
Chair, NBC Universal Green Council, President, Bravo Media and Oxygen Media
NBC Universal
Lauren Zalaznick, appointed President of the Bravo cable television network in May 2004, most recently expanded her oversight in May 2007 when the network announced the formation of Bravo Media, a new multimedia global content company. Bravo Media, formerly The Bravo Company, expands beyond the current core television and digital content offerings to include every consumer touchpoint, including publishing, merchandising, a talent management alliance, Bravo To Go (wireless), radio, and international markets. Additionally, Zalaznick was named Chair of NBC Universal's Green Council by CEO Jeff Zucker in May 2007.