Boston’s Greentown Labs Nurtures New Cleantech Businesses

I recently attended a networking event at Greentown Labs, a non-profit that provides incubator space for clean technology start-ups. The offices are located at 311 Summer Street, in Boston’s new Innovation District. The building is just 3.5 blocks from South Station and less than 1.5 blocks from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Greentown Labs is looking to play a part in helping strengthen the Boston cleantech cluster by providing the facilities, services, and resources early stage cleantech and clean energy entrepreneurs need to grow.

From what I saw, they are well on their way toward succeeding in this endeavor. Representatives from several start-ups that operate in the building, in the neighborhood, or in the greater Boston area were on hand to discuss their companies, the opportunites they see, and the challenges they face. Among the friendly folks I had a chance to chat with were:

• Matthew Gardner, Ph.D. and Director of Sustainserv, a firm that helps corporations develop their sustainability strategy and manage their sustainability reporting. With offices in Boston and Zurich, Sustainserv was one of the most mature businesses on hand. The firm has been in business since 2001 and has 15 employees.
• Susan Hunt Stevens, Founder and CEO of Practically Green. Susan’s brainchild provides customized sustainability engagement programs that companies can use to help their employees, members, and customers live more sustainable lifestyles. The company’s goal is to make healthy green living a conventional way of life.
• Martin Flusberg, CEO of Newton MA-based Powerhouse Dynamics. Martin enjoyed the opportunity to mix and mingle with up-and-coming clean energy entrepreneurs. Flusberg‘s company manufactures a device called the eMonitor, a remote energy management system that helps businesses and homeowners reduce excessive energy use and costs.
• Lea Lupkin, sustainability program manager for Greener U, a Waltham MA-based company that works with colleges and universities to design and deliver comprehensive energy efficiency programs and behavioral change initiatives.
• Carolyn Harrold, Startup Programming Coordinator for South By Southwest conferences. Carolyn was busy working the room and recruiting cleantechstartups to attend the South By Southwest Eco conference, which will be held October 7-9 in Austin, TX. It seems that Boston’s cleantech corridor is attracting attention from near and far.

This event was a great opportunity to get a close-up look at the Greentown Labs space and to meet several energetic and enthusiastic entrepreneurs. From what I saw, Boston is well on its way toward cementing its position as one of the best places to launch a cleantech or clean energy company.

What do you think about Boston’s position in the clean tech industry? Do you think the city will continue to attract brilliant minds from the area’s colleges and universities, or will these people migrate to other cities? Share your thoughts here.

Neil Rhein is Chief of Content Development for Bull’s-eye Environmental Communications, where he specializes in helping cleantech companies and other types of businesses communicate effectively with their customers, prospects, shareholders, and other stakeholders.