Greening in Sports, a Game Changer

Drexel student Danny Ricciardi wrote “Greening in Sports, a Game Changer” for Buzz On Broad. Read the full article here.

We live in a world where a change is needed, because a change is coming. The environment is not what it used to be, and the things we live on are the reason why. Before you read this please know that this is not a lecture on climate change or how you should recycle. Although you should recycle, this is a bigger movement.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a nonprofit environmental organization that since 1970, have worked to protect the world’s natural resources. The organization was created to protect public health, the environment and the world’s natural resources. The NRDC has more than 1.3 million members, and that number continues to grow.

Continue reading on Buzz On Broad’s website

Can You Leverage a Social Enterprise in the Era of Crowdfunding?

by Ron Ben-Zeev*

That is the question I asked myself a few months ago. I was listening to Brian Meece, Founder and CEO of RocketHub, the third largest such platform in the U.S., who was speaking at a Start-up Weekend event I co-organized in Orlando, Florida.

Crowd funding or crowdfunding (alternately crowd financing, equity crowdfunding, or hyper funding) describes the collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.

As Brian was speaking, my mind was spinning in many directions. Can this help my start-up? How? Can the funds raised make a true difference or is the potential exposure enough?

Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Cleantech and Renewable Energy

By Zhan Zhou*

Based on the database of the Cleantech Group, there are about 19,200 cleantech companies in the world, of which over 1/3  are based in the United States.[I] Despite some minor setbacks, there is no doubt that cleantech has become one of the most targeted sectors for both public and private investment. A few numbers can shed light on the fact that the cleantech industry has emerged to be a fast-growing industry of great political and environmental significance:

• During 2012 alone, cleantech companies around the globe raised $6.56 billion of venture capital across 732 deals [II]
• For the global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the cleantech sector ranked as the second largest sector after oil and gas by attracting $12 billion from the global FDI into the U.S. in 2011, making it the fastest growth sector for the past decade [III]
• Through July 20^th, 2012, the §1603 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act program had awarded $13.0 billion to nearly 45,000 renewable energy projects [IV]

Market Challenges
With a seemingly growing appetite for investment in cleantech, some important market challenges lie ahead.

Clean Energy Challenges and Opportunities for Investing in Sustainability

by Sharon Muli*

Jason Baxter of Drexel University

If the Earth had six massive solar installations measuring 200 miles long by 200 miles wide filled with 10% efficient solar cells, it could generate enough energy to meet global demand.  While this is a powerful vision that demonstrates the high potential of solar power, it sounds like a rather absurd thought. Yet this image raises a fundamental question; how can we take better advantage of solar power?

This issue was discussed during the Clean Energy and Sustainability Investing Workshop at the Wharton Social Impact Conference on November 16, 2012, organized by the Wharton Social Impact Initiative.  This year, the theme of the conference was “The Finance of Impact:  Innovative Approaches to Social Change”. The discussion of photovoltaics (PV) emerged as a clear example of how financial investments and technological development can lead to more sustainable change.

UBS Q-series Inflection Points: Towards Sustainability

*by Candice D. McLeod

Last month, UBS hosted Inflection Points: Towards Sustainability at the Bloomberg headquarters, as part of their annual Q-series initiative. The Q in Q-series stands for asking questions, particularly tough questions, as noted by Penn alumna and UBS Head of Global Sector Research, Erika Karp, who helmed the event.

Erika Karp, UBS, Head of Global Sector Research

The event’s main tough question: How do companies not only identify the inflection points in the their industry –“defined as accelerating rates of system-wide change that alter the manner in which industry leaders think and act”- , but also leverage these changes into driving sales and profits?