Do You Have the Stuff to Be an Ecopreneur?

Yes, the job market is dismal but it hasn’t stopped the environmentally inclined from creating their own version of green jobs (without the help of stimulus money to boot!).  Good old American ingenuity and green entrepreneurial spirit are alive and well even in the downturn.

Ann Yin and her husband, Yulin run a new neighborhood store called Local D’Lish at 3^rd Ave N and 1^St Street North in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis.  The venture is a general store of sorts with food, cleaning products and specialty goods.  They have the best eggs, milk and fresh trout in the world!  All are local and sustainably produced.  She will greet you by name and knows the farmer or producer of everything she sells.  It’s truly the old fashioned general store that once existed everywhere in America.

The Yins had, well, bad timing.  They opened when the economy tanked.  But against all the odds they seem to be hanging on, and even flourishing, because of their green business plan. www.localdlish.com

Likewise, Gina DiMaggio and Tony Pavelko started a new green venture in April 2009, Food4Thought.  You may think they are nuts, but they sold to capacity by early May!  They offer a weekly delivery service for local organic fruits and vegetables to homes and businesses in the Twin Cities area.  Their customers pay up front for the entire season to receive a delivery of the freshest berries, lettuce, herbs and tomatoes available via CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture).   www.food4thoughtmn.com>

Have you heard there is a new vodka in town? Yes, another green success story involves 3 guys from Minnesota who decided it was a good time for a new, handmade, top shelf vodka made from local corn, called 45^th Parallel Vodka (Minneapolis is on the 45th parallel halfway between the equator and the top of the world). It isn’t made from certified organic corn, but it is from a small local farm that uses sustainable practices.  www.45thparallelspirits.com

I receive calls weekly from people who are looking for “green jobs”.  More than ever people of all ages are on a quest looking for work that not only pays the bills, but is meaningful and fulfilling.

If you are on a quest for meaning in your work-life, know that there are non-traditional green opportunities out there.  If you don’t have the ability to start up your own venture, look for a company that is already on the path to sustainability.   But don’t forget that any company can benefit from a passionate employee who can jump-start the process down a new green path.  Any job can be a green job!