When Holly Harlan first started talking to people about
Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) ten years ago, "people looked at me like I had three eyes. But I said, 'I think they're going to get this and they're going to love it.'"
Today, Harlan notes that the E4S network has been growing by more than 20 percent every year since it was founded. "We've attracted nearly 10,000 people from all sectors," Harlan says. "We've helped over 50 companies create a strategic plan for sustainability."
The organization has also created a foundation on which Greater Cleveland can build a successful approach to sustainability.
"We've gotten much better known since Mayor Frank Jackson has stepped in and held sustainability summits the last two years," Harlan says.
E4S is a networking organization that unites professionals interested in sustainability for their businesses and their community, but its scope goes beyond that. "We're an economic development group that sees sustainability as way to create value in the world," Harlan says.
Harlan steps down from the post of president and founder of E4S this month to take on new projects. Mike Dungan, president and CEO of
Bee Dance, a Cleveland business that repurposes materials classified as waste, will take over as interim president of E4S.
Harlan looks forward to visiting other cities and gauging their take on Cleveland's sustainability efforts. "We were one of the first business networks in the country focused on sustainability," she says. "The buzz is that Cleveland is known for innovative sustainability ideas, particularly in the area of local foods."
Source: Holly Harlan
Writer: Diane DiPiero
This story originally appeared in Fresh Water Cleveland.