TEAM MEMBERS
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Mathew Gerson: Founder : President
Mr. Gerson is committed to doing his part in designing and creating the cultural architecture of a more just and sustainable future. Mathew spent six years studying meditation in retreat centers
and mountains in Asia, Canada and the United States.
It was during this period of study that his ideas for integrating philanthropy into the everyday transactions of the marketplace were first developed.
Inspired by the notion of generosity as being of benefit to both the receiver AND the giver, Mathew set out to create a new model of business that embodies the philosophy of our tagline:
Giving. It's the New Getting.
Mathew has had a hand in Organic Farming, Earth Building and managing and operating small businesses. A Certified Yoga Instructor, he studied Tibetan Buddhism at the Naropa Institute and Environmental Science at the University of Colorado.
He currently lives in Boulder Colorado where he refuses to buy a car. |
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Pippa Sorley: Co-Founder : Vice President
Over the past 12 years Ms. Sorley has worked for both nonprofit organizations
and corporations within the Natural Products, LOHAS, and Sustainable Business
sectors. She served as Marketing Director at Whole Foods Market in Boulder and
Education Manager at Wild Oats, and has consulted with a diverse group of sustainable
businesses dedicated to effecting change, including elephant Journal,
Sustain Lane, Sustainable Resources, Thistle Community Housing, the National
Community Land Trust Network, and Pangea Organics.
In 2006, Ms. Sorley joined
Mr. Gerson with the mission of creating a marketplace that merged consciousness
with capitalism, and, eConscious Market was born. Pippa earned her Bachelor
of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Colorado and
University of Lancaster in the U.K. She has a passion for travel and photography,
dogs, trail running, laughing at herself, and people watching. She lives
to telemark ski, with her husband and three, yes three, adored dogs.
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Anita Burke: Director of Sustainability
Ms. Anita Burke is internationally recognized as a thought leader in the area
of a sustaining and thriving global existence. Her experience in organizational
development and systemic change within multinational corporations is rich with
insight and useable tools. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of how to
deliver change and profits by reducing and eliminating the negative ecological
and social footprints of industrial infrastructures.
Until recently, Anita worked for Shell International as a Senior Advisor for
Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Her educational background in physics
and environmental science bring a dynamic whole systems approach to problems
of energy futures. She was raised in the wilderness of Idaho and Alaska. She
presently runs a consulting business, the Catalyst Institute: www.catalystinstitute.com.
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Greg Koeka: Green $ Guy
Greg has recently spent his time working for a Boulder software company in the Finance & Accounting area. Prior to this, he earned his Finance degree from the University of Colorado while working full- time for four years as an Insurance Consultant. While at the University of Colorado (CU), he completed the Entrepreneurship program and represented CU at the 2001 Arthur Andersen National Consulting Competition.
What makes him tick though is back country snowboarding, climbing, traveling, backpacking, camping, and biking with great company. |
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Darden Longenecker: Project Manager
Darden Longenecker has been working in the Eco-Technologies industry for the past 9 years, serving as Project Manager and User Interface Specialist for Dr.Weil.com, WildOats.com and The Wild Divine Project among others. Darden prides herself on her ability to translate between, clients, coders, and designers who each speak their own language when working. She had dedicated her time to architect wed based solutions for both the inexperienced and tech heads of the Eco-world.
When not working to solve the cyber-roadblocks of the on-line world Darden spends her time teaching, dancing, and choreographing for Boulders Frequent Flyers Productions, a Non-Profit Aerial Dance company that preforms Nationally and Internationally. |
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Erin Galagher: Managing Editor for eCo Times
Erin Gallagher is the Managing Editor for eCo Times. She is a Canadian entrepreneur who has spent the last six years traveling the world in search of inspiring knowledge, people and experiences. A combination of studies in photojournalism (NYU), ecological design (ECOSA) and business (University of Adelaide) have lead her to Boulder, Colorado and her collaboration with eConscious Market and eCo Times.
She is focused on empowering people to create global change by communicating the design of an environmentally responsible lifestyle. When Erin isn’t at her computer, she can be found biking, surfing, scuba diving, rock-climbing, cycling, hiking, tasting wine, cooking, traveling or trying to understand just why things are the way they are. |
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Jenn Breckenridge: Founder eCo Times
Jenn Breckenridge is our beloved founder of eCo Times. She is also the Interactive Marketing Consultant for eco-fashion site Greenloop. In her spare time, Jenn is the Founding Co-Director of Burn Clean Project, providing renewable energy solutions for Black Rock City, Nevada. In 2007, she was the Director of Operations for Eco Gift Expo in Los Angeles. Jenn was also the Partner Relations Manager of eco-commerce start-up, EVO.com.
Before joining the eConscious Market team, Jenn was the Campaign Director for Trans Fat Free NYC. She has written extensively for environmentally-oriented sites, such as Low Impact Living, 11thHourAction.com, and In The Loop. Jenn is an alumnus of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. |
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BOARD OF ADVISORS
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Russell Precious
After graduating with a BA in Asian History at UBC and UC Berkeley, Russell studied organic farming with pioneer organic farmer and teacher, John Harrison. Subsequently he co-founded the Naam vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver (still running after 35 years); an organic fruit stand & wholesale fruit operation; Quadra Foods Market on Quadra Island and Capers natural foods stores in Vancouver. In 1993 he was finalist for both the regional Entrepreneur of the Year and Van Citys Ethics in Action� awards.
In 1999 he was one of three first recipients of the B.C. Organic Pioneers Award. Concurrently he was involved in several intentional communities, co-founded the Quadra Island Waldorf School and was a director of Hollyhock Retreat Center. He has been a student of green architecture studying with students of Christopher Alexander and has been involved in the design and construction of a dozen projects.
In 2000 he was a founding partner of Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy in Boulder, Co. where he oversaw design and branding. In April of 2006 he returned to his farm in Nelson, British Columbia - waiting for the next egg to hatch. |
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Paul H. Ray
Paul H. Ray is a Founding Partner of Integral Partnerships.
He is co-author of The Cultural Creatives. He has
surveyed and classified well over 100,000 Americans over 14 years, showing how
subcultures of values permeate all aspects of American life. He discovered and
named the Cultural Creatives, which was one basis for the LOHAS association.
His values research includes housing, cars, food, recreation, vacation travel,
finances, health, ecology, media use, support of good causes, and innovation
by consumers and business. Over 30 years he headed research on over 100 major
projects. His client list includes dozens of Fortune 500 corporations, governments
and foundations. He consults and speaks on organizational strategies, and on
how organizations can master the big social changes of our time. http://www.integralpartnerships.com/
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Mark Fisher
Mark Fischer is the founder and CEO of W3 Sustainable, LLC, an internet marketing and consulting company. W3 is focused on brand development, systems design, small business management, and building sustainable strategies for online marketing. A second generation marketing consultant himself, Mark was raised around one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, BBDO, where, at the time, his father was the general manager of west coast operations, managing brands such as Apple Computers, E*trade, Dodge Motor Corporation, and Pepsi.
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Leslie Hoffman
Leslie Hoffman, Executive Director of Earth Pledge, is a pioneer in the fields of sustainable architecture and agriculture. She holds a degree in architecture and design, and worked as a carpenter and green builder for ten years.
Since joining Earth Pledge in 1994, Hoffman has spearheaded the nonprofit's four core initiatives: Green Roofs, Farm to Table, Waste=Fuel, and FutureFashion, all of which use research, education and demonstration to deliver viable models of sustainability to government, industry and communities. She has traveled the globe speaking to naturalists, developers, legislators, chefs and corporations about practical solutions to environmental challenges.
Under Hoffman's leadership, the organization has received accolades from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and numerous industry and trade publications. In 2004, Earth Pledge was named an Environmental Achiever by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its work to identify and promote innovative techniques and technologies that restore the balance between human and natural systems. Hoffman is a judge for the Home Depot Foundation's Awards for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly and an advisor to Yahoo's Green Living blog. She is an avid gardener who has maintained a small organic coffee farm in Hawaii since 1990. She is also a lifelong trans-oceanic sailor. www.EarthPledge.org |
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Steve Troy
Mr. Troy's 30+ entrepreneurial businesses include Real Goods, Jade Mountain,
Sustainable Resources, and Sustainable Village, all of which have brought thousands
of people out of poverty and prevented tons of pollutants to enter atmosphere.
His current ventures, in addition to eConsciousMarket.com, include development and
promotion of microenterprise tools, coordinating a poverty- alleviating venture
fund, and promoting a $5 solar lantern.
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Alisa Yablonski
Ms. Yablonski has spent 15 years in the fields of training,
human resources and organizational development. She is currently the Director
of Business Development at Q3 Global. Her ability to bring people together to
create a collaborative work environment has resulted in improved departmental
interfaces, more effective communication and dramatic results. Most recently,
she served as Wild Oats Director of Learning Execution, and Chief People Officer
and Director of Human Resources at DigitalMed. Ms. Yablonski holds a Masters
Degree from the State University of New York at Albany in Organizational Communication. |
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Christa Kaufmann
Ms. Kaufman is currently VP of Business Development for Better Energy Systems.
Prior to joining Better Energy Systems, she was Vice President for Ansbach &
Associates, the Public Relations and Fund-Development firm as well as the West
Coast affiliate of Ketchum Corp. Some of her clients include: Secretary of State
of California, Bill Jones; Governor Jerry Brown while Chairman of the State
of California Democratic Party; Madam Jehan Sadat; Ms. Sophia Loren; Moscow
Chamber Orchestra; Russian National Orchestra; and Crocker Art Museum.
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