Archive for the ‘business’ Category
Link Away from LinkedIn?
March 15th, 2010 | 
Author: 
LinkedIn's spectacular growth and importance in the working world means more distracting posts and sharply-worded reminders from folks who think they are the arbiters of what and what is not appropriate social media interaction. True, LinkedIn is still an indespensible service. Nevertheless, what about taking a break from LinkedIn and becoming a big fish in a smaller pond?
Once upon a time there was a site called Monster.com. The site used to have great job postings, but now is relegated to offers to become an insurance agent or to work from home making fabulous sums of cash while doing nothing. A few years ago, a great site called Facebook allowed you to connect with your junior high friends, but now those same friends (that you still don't talk to) are littering your news feed with status updates like, "Mai-ling achieved Global Baker Queen status by baking 25 trays of baklava, 40 kilos of sohan, and 150 different flavors of mochi" on Cafe World." And now LinkedIn lets you connect with any professional in your function, industry, previous employer, or social cause. You can peruse jobs and participate in discussions. But now, job boards on LinkedIn are full of MLM schemes, LIONS (the ones who have millions of contacts) send you connection invitations with the frequency of a cheap ham radio, and discussions include topics like, "10 ways for your resume to get noticed." (Why, why, does there always have to be 10 reasons for something? Aren't 7 1/2 enough?)
So what is a LinkedIn fanatic like me to do? (more...)
Leon Kaye is Now Writing for TriplePundit.com!
This week I started writing for TriplePundit.com, an online media company for the business community that seeks to raise sustainability and environmental awareness.
My first week has been an exciting one: I had the opportunity to cover favorite companies including Continental Airlines and Method, as well as virtually taking myself back to Paris and discuss the revival of bicycle delivery. With all the buzz this week about developed countries being able to cook the books since so many of their emissions can merely be outsourced to nations like China, I felt compelled to write about that issue, too.
I was asked by several folks whether GreenGoPost.com is going away. Absolutely not! In ten months I’ve managed about 300 postings, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunities I have had to meet and talk with great people around the world. I plan on writing a minimum of three articles a week: Mondays will be business-oriented issues; Wednesday or so will be tied to sustainability issues in LA or globally (I am not done with Brazil!); and Fridays will be light-hearted, focusing on art and culture. I hope to write about the revival of Carmen Miranda, thanks to the email friendship I have struck with her North American publicity agent based in New York. By the way, you can also see my postings in GreenTeaMagazine.com, brought to you by Kuuala, and ambitious office supply company that vets, and then sells, eco-friendly office products.
To get a view of the types of topics that I am covering for TriplePundit, view my articles here. If you think you have a lead (especially for their Start-up Friday series), please contact me: they are open to stories as long is it fits their tone.
I am always open to great content, too. Have a great weekend! Parkman Triangle is calling.
LK/GGP
Corporate Sustainability: Developing Strategy for a Leaner, Greener Footprint
Moving your company to a more sustainable, "carbon neutral," or "green" policy is a bold, cost-saving, and difficult shift for your firm and employees. Several factors can throw your plan awry, including:- Unengaged employees resisting such a change.
- A misguided or inefficient allocation of resources.
- Poor communication throughout your organization.
If you and your company are serious about implementing a more sustainable business approach, you should treat this shift as a change in your company's strategy. View this changing dynamic as an opportunity to build value for your company--not as some austere measure that comes across as a punitive or limiting to your staff. (more...)
Your Internal Controls – Keep Your Firm in the “Green”
It's tax season, so I want to spend some time discussing how you can keep your firm humming, as it is easy to get distracted by the everyday fires you need to put out while seizing promising business opportunities. If you are a small or medium-sized company that is privately held, you are not subjected to the oft-draconian regulations under the Sarbanes Oxley Act. But whether you are based in the United States or are a subsidiary of a non-US firm, here are some suggestions to keep in mind--and to keep that company traffic light green as your company, hopefully, will find more success in this nascent green economy. (more...)Will the Bloom Box Rock?
"It's about seeing the world as what it can be and not what it is." - K.R. Sridhar, founder and CEO of Bloom Energy.I come back from Brazil, functioning on two nights of little sleep, but I cannot restrain myself from gushing and hoping that the much hyped "Bloom Box," which launched today, will revamp our nation's infrastructure over the next several years.
Not having read much news the past two weeks, I was jolted by friend and former classmate now studying in Denmark, who sent me a quick one-line email asking me what I thought about the Bloom Box, the creation of Bloom Energy, a Silicon Valley start-up that has received hundreds of millions of venture capital money. (more...)
A journey ends, one begins: the career shift
I am about to return from Brazil. It's been a trip long in the making, and I am glad I had this opportunity to visit this country once again.And as this journey ends, another one begins.
My interest in sustainability dates back far into my childhood, and I have been deeply vested in such issues since the early 1990s. It has only been in the last year, however, when I have decided to pursue this passion full time. It has been a fantastic ride: (more...)
Posted in International, business | 
Tags: business development, clean energy, green jobs, international business, Leon Kaye, networking | 
3 Comments »
Green Jobs Discussion, 2/25/10, Melrose area of LA, 7pm-
Believe it or not, I'm giving a presentation to a USC alumni group 2 days after I return...Thur., Feb. 25, 7pm, at the Village Idiot (no pun intended), in the Melrose area of L.A. If you think you'd like to attend, or know someone that will, please DM me on Twitter (leonkaye), or email me directly (my email is all over greengopost's site), and I will forward the invitation. I think I have a lot to say about the hype . . .
So far it is a small group, so there should be some good discussion. A fellow alum, from Brazil, will talk about his work on biofuels. He his not to be missed! Nor am I . . . :)
Save the Date: Women in Green Forum, September 1-2, 2010
Are you an engineer, fully engaged in green tech issues, and often walk into a room full of men? Are you interested in eco-fashion? Perhaps you are a graduate student wanting to enter this space. Or maybe you have a passion for electric vehicles. And you probably aware that many of the green revolution has its roots in women like Rachel Carson.Have I got the conference for you, September 1-2, in Pasadena.
Spearheaded by Jaime Nack of Three Squares Inc., The Women in Green Forum will bring together an international audience of women focused on environmental issues, including academic researchers, business experts, energy analysts, and technology developers. (more...)
Michael Jackson: He would have LED
Two regrets I have about Michael Jackson: 1) I never saw him live in concert and 2) I didn't see This is It in the theaters. But I did finally see the DVD, and while the film was stellar and moving . . . I was entranced by one of the special features, "The Gloved One."MJ had always been a fashion icon, and his images will always be imprinted in our memories. What struck me about watching This is It was that his untimely, and unnecessary passing, affected so many people in countless ways. Yes, there were the grips, assistants, dancers, planners, etc. . . . but what would have been worth a trip to London was to see him in concert wearing the costume he would have worn during "Billie Jean." (more...)
Posted in art and culture, business |
Tags: LED fashion, LED technology, Lumalive, Michael Jackson, Philips, The Gloved One, This is It, Zaldy |
No Comments »
The Recall – Don’t Dismiss Toyota
I realize that defending Toyota in February 2010 is like defending Richard Nixon in August 1974, but I'm about to do something that will make me about as popular at a Green Drinks gathering as a big juicy Costco steak.I'm going to cut Toyota some slack.
I have not followed this story as closely as all the automobile bloggers out there. It seems to me that they knew of all these problems and either at least, underestimated the problem, or at worst, tried to sweep them under the floor mats. That was a mistake. (more...)
Branding in a green world
How to Target a Wide Audience with Green Products
Co-written with Kat Shoa, www.katshoa.com, who specializes in marketing strategy.
Despite the economic downturn, companies and consumers continue to demonstrate an interest in green products and sustainable business practices due to concerns about energy independence, the world we will leave for future generations, waste management, environmental pollution, and the general desire for a healthier lifestyle.
Unfortunately, many companies offering “green” products have difficulty in communicating their message properly. (more...)
Posted in business |
Tags: branding, green brands, green companies, green product branding, http://thedirective.blogspot.com/, Kat Shoa |
No Comments »
What to Consider in Anticipation of a Major Transaction
GreenGoPost.com has spent much time talking about the "what-if" scenarios in the world of renewable energy and green technology.
But there are companies out there that have found much success. For those of you considering a major transaction for your business, whether it is a sale, merger, private equity financing, or debt financing, I invited Ara Babaian, a partner at the Beverly Hills firm of Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP, to write about the issues involved in undertaking a large transaction. (more...)
What Green Economy?
Yesterday, as I walked up Pico Boulevard to the Los Angeles Convention Center, a sense of doom overcame me as I saw the crowds outside the entrance on Figueroa Street.Drat, I thought. It's 10:20, it started at 10, and I won't get into the Go Green Expo. The place is mobbed, so "green" really is the rage! There will be thousands of people accosting the exhibit hall for a handful of job openings--just like what we see in the newspapers when a new hotel opens and 3000 folks queue up for 100 jobs.
I could not believe all the tension in the air. People really looked down and out. It seemed half of them were smoking cigarettes. I saw many with determined looks on their faces. It seemed that most were with their families. Such is life in LA at a time when employment is over 12%.
Will I ever get in, I thought, as I approached the glass and steel entrance.
Posted in business |
Tags: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Go Green Expo, green events, green jobs, greenwashing, Los Angeles |
9 Comments »
A Story Recycles
Companies from your corner hair salon to Wal-Mart are all on the sustainability bandwagon. When you walk into a shop, it's now common to be bombarded with signs bragging how "green" a company's "recycled" and "eco-friendly" products are. Professional services firms are riding this wave as well, creating "green" committees and including "sustainability" sections on their web sites.
Try selling this to Margie Pabigian, the facilities manager of a West LA law firm, and she'll just shrug her shoulders and laugh. Sustainability, recycling, and living simply has been her family's story for a long time. (more...)
Posted in air - land - quality of life, art and culture, business |
Tags: Armenian, Charlie Pabigian, Margie Pabigian, paper, recycling, United Paper Stock Company |
No Comments »
Coping With an Uncertain Green Economy
Going though a period of unemployment and career transition is frustrating. Here are some suggestions that can make this time more bearable.
During the last several months, I have met many amazing individuals who, like me, aim to transition into a green-collar job. I also know many talented people with sparkling credentials who have been out of work for months. I've been there: after 9/11, for six months after I graduated with my MBA, and now, as I try to build up my sustainability consulting firm. The statistics are brutal: 10% unemployment (so in Leon-nomics, that means 20%, if you include the people who are only working part-time, gave up looking, or are working at a job that’s far from meeting their full potential). We may be witnessing the Great "Man-cession," as some estimate that as many as 20% of men are unemployed. It's a debilitating time for many recent college graduates, who are enduring stress at a point in their lives when they should be excited about their future. Will 2010 be a breakout year for green tech? I really do not know, so we have to deal with the hand that we are dealt in the meantime. I am not a human resources expert or a job coach, but here are some pointers I want to share that have worked for me: (more...)