July, 2009
Responsible Economy Roundtable

Roundtable pushes ideas for change
Local leaders from several sectors urge businesses to take more social responsibility.
By Sara Castellanos , The Denver Post
Posted: 07/10/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

A responsible economy strikes a balance between social responsibility and moneymaking, panelists at the Responsible Economy Roundtable told an audience Thursday. The event, hosted by the Progress Group, brought together 60 business leaders from the finance, social-service, nonprofit, city- government and religious sectors to brainstorm ideas for progressive social and economic change.

Panelist Eric Lee, president of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, said individuals, not just corporations, should strive to be socially responsible. "I look at the responsibility issue on a micro level rather than macro," Lee said. "Our role is to think of how we purchase and what businesses we purchase from."

Green solutions
Social responsibility also includes cultivating sustainable businesses, said panelist Andre Pettigrew, director of economic development for Denver. "The New Energy Economy is also about improving productivity," he said. "Companies that go green are reducing costs, which allows them to compete."

Richard Eidlin, founder of the the Progress Group, moderated the discussion. In addition to Lee and Pettigrew, panelists in the first of four discussions were the Rev. Ambrose Carroll and Rabbi Levi Brackman.

Ideas for change included redefining the terms "wealth" and "profit"; creating incentives for people to engage in social responsibility; and requiring companies to give back to the community as a prerequisite for obtaining funds from the government. Panelists later in the day discussed topics such as community prosperity and goals for building the responsible economy.

The Progress Group is a Denver-based company that provides strategic planning, business and policy developments that support social justice, clean energy, climate change and sustainability issues.

Sara Castellanos: 303-954-1381 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 June 26, 2009
Social Entrepreneurs
W3W3 Colorado's Voice of the Technology Community

To listen Click Here. Some say we are facing a moral as well as financial crisis
Richard Eidlin, Founder, the Progress Group, a consulting firm and Christine Marquez-Hudson, CEO/Exec. Dir. Mi Casa Resource Center were interviewed by Larry at the Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver. They were talking about collaboration while looking at the role of social entrepreneurs in the greater Denver community focusing particularly on low to moderate income people who are aspiring business people and wish to have a social mission attached to the business activity they're involved in. Christine says the mission of Mi Casa is to advance the economic success of Latino families, ("..we work with all other groups, but the Latino community is our focus") Mi Casa has been involved in business development for almost 25 years. They offer a 13 week program [in English and Spanish], that helps new and aspiring entrepreneurs start their business, including connecting with lenders. Mi Casa's interest is in helping these new entrepreneurs to think about incorporating social issues into their new businesses as well as strategies to be environmentally friendly. The Progress Group is sponsoring 'The Responsible Economy Roundtable' on July 9 at the Mi Casa Resource Center. Speakers include André Pettigrew, Executive Director, Office of Economic Development, City and County of Denver, Steve Murchie from the Keiretsu Forum and others...

January 5, 2009
Green Jobs in Colorado
View Presentation, PDF- Green is the New Red, White & Blue'

September, 2008
Report from the 2008 Republican National Convention
'Christie Todd Whitman addresses the Energy Forum, 9/1/08'
PDF Download

August, 2008
Meeting with T Boone Pickens during the Democratic National Convention
http://apolloalliance.org
The day after the Pickens Plan was introduced, the Apollo Alliance was contacted asking for its support. A meeting was arranged between T Boone Pickens, a few of his aides and key members of Apollo's National policy team.

June 18, 2008
YouTube - Richard Eidlin, Apollo Alliance and Carmen ...
Richard Eidlin, Apollo Alliance and Carmen Rhodes of FRESC.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kcffKTRmAs

April 22, 2008
A Timber Town Finds a New Future in New Crop - Imperium Renewables
A clean-energy revolution promises not just to renew big cities; clean energy is having a big impact on small-town America as well. Grays Harbor, a port hamlet near Aberdeen and Hoquiam on the coast of Washington State, was dying twenty years ago. Built on the abundant riches of the massive timber on the Olympic Peninsula, it enjoyed a century of harvesting, sawing, processing, and shipping lumber all over the world. Read More

February 5, 2007
w3w3.com Profits and Social Responsibility Become Partners
Profits and Social Responsibility Become Partners
Money motivates and now many are hopping on the bandwagon with an added push from customer demands. The 'buzz word' that has the attention of everyone in Colorado interested in economic development is 'sustainability'. Do you know what the CORE criterion is for being considered a sustainable organization? Read More

February 1, 2004
'How to Launch a Solar Powered Electrical Contracting Business'
Every minute the sun provides enough energy to power all of humanity's needs for one year, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Electrical contracting firms are turning to this abundant and free energy source to fuel niche businesses that specialize in photovoltaics, renewable energy, and distributed generation. Read More

April 26, 2002
New York Solar on Schools Program
Governor George E. Pataki today announced two new energy initiatives for New York's schools. The programs will help schools identify opportunities for energy efficiency upgrades as well as install solar electric photovoltaic panels to generate on-site power. The programs, offered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will greatly reduce the costs associated with installing renewable energy systems and conducting the energy audits necessary to identify efficiency opportunities. Read More

Audio Interview:  Dr. J. speaks with Richard Eidlin, Business Outreach Coordinator for the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor, environmental, and civil rights groups with a bold 10-year, 10-point plan to move the country away from foreign oil dependency through investment. Click here >

Making jobs that make clean energy work. BOSTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Alternative energy sources, including wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels, are being talked up in Congress, but clean energy isn't yet seen as a job-producing industry. Read More >