Sundeep Ahuja: Hi everybody. My name is Sundeep, and I’m helping to start a company called blissmo. We promote the best of sustainable and organic. We look for certifications on those products, some sort of authenticity. And we introduce them to you at a discount.

A lot of times people want to buy good, they want to buy sustainable, they want to buy organic. But it’s hard to know what actually is legit, it’s hard to find these products, they’re oftentimes expensive. So we said maybe we can find all these products, bring them to the public, and say hey, these are amazing products, equal or better in quality to what you already spend your money on. And by the way, everytime you buy one of these you are voting people-planet positive: it’s better for you, it’s better for the environment.

envisionGood: What inspired you to start blissmo?

Sundeep Ahuja: I looked at my experience in entrepreneurship and technology and looked at the power that consumers have and said, maybe we can harness that power and build a technology platform and build a movement to shift demand to sustainable and organic consumption.

envisionGood: blissmo’s tagline is “buy good. feel great”. Why?

Sundeep Ahuja: Thankfully, we’re at a point now in history where most products and services have alternatives, be it food, or clothing, or shoes that are brought to you in an way that is not only quality but brought to you in a way that’s sustainable and organic. When you buy products, when you wear products, when you consume products and services that are brought to you in a way that’s in line with these values of people-planet positive, you feel good. So that’s what we’re out to do. It’s to help people to get that feeling of “not only do I feel good about something I’m wearing, but I bought good” and that’s where the discount comes in. You get to feel double good. It’s “hey, I saved money on this really cool thing that’s really quality. And by the way, it’s people-planet neutral or positive.

envisionGood: How does blissmo identify “green” businesses?

Sundeep Ahuja: Those products that we can find a certification mechanism, be it fair trade, or be it here in San Francisco, the Green Business Group under the City of San Francisco that will go in and authenticate businesses. So when we can we rely on a third party. Other times there’s no third part verification but it’s in the DNA of the company and we get that from the story of the company, from the genesis of the company.

Patagonia is a great example. We haven’t had the pleasure of working with them yet, but everything about them – part of the navigation on their website, for example, is dedicated to this idea of people-planet positive and sustainability.

envisionGood: How is blissmo different than other group buying sites?

Sundeep Ahuja: We want to make examples of the businesses we promote. Ultimately, if we can make an example of a smaller brand that has a quality product and an authentic, sustainable, organic story behind it, we want to show them to the world and say, this is the kind of company that is going to succeed in the coming century, decade. And this is the type of brand and product that our generation and the generation behind us and ahead of us are choosing with their dollars.

And so, in order to do that we need to be more business friendly. Which means, for example, that we make less money when we work with these businesses. And that’s fine. We’re trying to cover our costs, and make enough so we can keep growing as an organization to further our mission. But not at all gouge the businesses. Ultimately we want them to succeed and to come back and work with us again.

On the community and people side, it’s delivering an experience that they have a relationship with this product that they thank us for. They thank us for introducing them to these products and services. As long as we can continue to deliver on that promise. Our promise is not to deliver the best price. Our promise is to introduce you to quality products and services that are organic and sustainable — at a price that will hopefully get you to give it a try.

As long as we can do that, and consumers say yes, we like this, we appreciate this, then we don’t have to be profit maximizing. We’ll serve the businesses, and the community, and hopefully the world.

envisionGood: What drives you?

Sundeep Ahuja: Honestly, it’s if I”m so fortunate to make a difference. One of the things I remind myself of is that every day is a gift and there’s something about leaving a legacy and leaving something bigger than yourself behind. And what motivates me is to do that in a very positive way.

envisionGood: What is the long-term vision for blissmo?

Sundeep Ahuja: We find that we are moving the needle. The big product lines start doing things that are even more green – green the supply chain, green the products – and we start noticeably seeing emissions coming down. And we don’t wait for politicians, or companies do it for other reasons, but that we (at blissmo help to) empower consumers to say, “you know what? it’s up to us.”

Sundeep Ahuja | Founder, blissmo

About: Sundeep is founder of blissmo, a web start-up that promotes sustainable consumption by connecting shoppers with quality sustainable & organic products & services from leading businesses through weekly discounts of up to 50%. Website: blissmo.com

When it comes to sustainability, we know that the most sustainable choice we can make is to reuse what we already have or buy “barely used” products. On those occasions when we are looking for a new product, however, the next best choice is to buy sustainably. Launching in July (this month!), a new social enterprise in San Francisco, California called Spheresavers aims to help consumers save money on products and services from sustainable businesses striving to balance people, planet and profit.

What does it mean to “buy sustainable”?

According to Wikipedia, a sustainable business is “any organization that participates in environmentally-friendly or green activities to ensure that all processes, products, and manufacturing activities adequately address current environmental concerns while maintaining a profit.”

How much money can you save?

According to Spheresavers, the amount you can save depends on the business, but it can range from 10% to 50% (or more). Beyond the savings, Spheresavers will introduce consumers to great products and services that are vetted for sustainability.

When does Spheresavers launch?

To be notified of the launch and learn more about this start-up, be sure to check them out at Spheresavers.com.

envisionGood: GreenMarketing.tv

GreenMarketing.tv is brought to you by Lorna Li, in partnership with Steve Morozumi of SFEnthusiast. Special thanks to SFEnvironment.org.

Is San Francisco the World’s Greenest City? Jared Blumenfeld of the SF Department of the Environment describes some of San Francisco’s innovative green initiatives, from zero waste to banning plastic bags, and explains how environmental policy has helped accelerate the greening of the city.

Lorna Li: Hi there Im Lorna Li from Green Marketing 2.0. On camera is Steve Morozumi from SFenthusiast.com.

Jared Blumenfeld: Go Steve!

Lorna Li: We are talking to Jared Blumenfeld the Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment

Jared Blumenfeld: Hi Lorna.

Lorna Li: Hey, howre you doing?

Jared Blumenfeld: Good, and you?

Lorna Li: Great! So let me tell you, I read a great book, Garbage Land written by Elizabeth Royte where you make a cameo appearance. And

Jared Blumenfeld: Sweet! I havent read that, so thats good.

Lorna Li: Yeah! And the amazing thing that I discovered about San Francisco from that book is that we apparently have a landfill diversion rate of over 50%. Is that true?

Jared Blumenfeld: Since San Francisco set a goal of getting to zero waste by 2020 so no waste at all going to landfill. And today were at 72% recycling rate. So, way beyond 50, were going to 75 by the year 2010.

Lorna Li: Wow. Thats fantastic. So would you say that San Francisco is one of the greenest cities in the United States?

Jared Blumenfeld: Were trying to be. I mean, its a competition we want everyone to win. Because the greener every other city is, the greener the planet is. We cant do it on our own. So San Franciscos goal is to set model policies that others can follow. Weve got a lot great politicians, great constituents, great businesses that are all wanting to be green who are here in West Coast Green in San Francisco. So the point is if San Francisco cant be green, then its very hard for anyone else to be. So if we can ban plastic bags, we can ban Styrofoam, then others are like Yeah, thats not so hard. San Francisco did it and then they could do it too

San Francisco wanted to create an environment code to legally set out our policies so they werent just nice ideas or some target. We wanted them to have a blinding effect. So the first chapter, we now have 20 chapters, the first chapter was to cover the precautionary principle which basically says We need to look at not how much harm is allowable, but how little harm is possible

So then we did a law on pesticides, reducing.. Weve eliminated all the most toxic pesticides in San Francisco and gotten rid of the rest. Really, we only have 20% of what we used to have. The PGA, President Obamas coming next week for the biggest golf tournament in the US. Therell be virtually no pesticides that were used on that.

The California academy of science has a LEAD platinum building. And now were saying that every building build in San Francisco from the smallest house to the largest skyscraper, has to be LEAD gold. Energy efficiency, renewable energy, we have a seven thousand dollar credit for everyone that put solar on their home. We spend probably about seven million dollars a year helping small businesses save energy through energy efficiency, so all these things are pretty landmark. On recycling, we just passed a law to make composting and recycling mandatory, so every single entity in this city now has to do both those things and now will hopefully get us from 72% to 80% in the next few years. So were really pushing the envelope to try and get businesses, residents, and city government to work together to get real results for the environment; not just redirect results.

Lorna Li: So Jared, tell me. Does going green have to cost more money?

Jared Blumenfeld: We live in a society thats governed by money. No matter what happened on the economic crisis of last year, if it isnt any cheaper and easier, people arent going to do it. They really arent. So until you can show someone how to save money through energy efficiency, through renewable energy, through using less toxic chemicals in their cleaning products, no ones going to do it. You maybe get 5, 10%… You really need to move both the incentives of the government level and the demand of the public to a place where its easier and cheaper to be green.

Lorna Li: Great. Thank you so much for your time Jared.

Jared Blumenfeld: That was it? God I mean, yeah we took so long to get here, Lorna; spent so many hours together and now, because of Steves miscalculation on the tape

Lorna Li: Were now down to the last three minutes of the tape.. Thanks so much Lorna Li from Green Marketing 2.0.

Jared Blumenfeld: I should say that. Thanks Lorna Li, Green Marketing 2.0.

Lorna Li: Thanks Jared, San Francisco Department of the Environment. With Steve Morozumi on camera from sfenthusiast.com covering West Coast Green.

Brought to you by GreenMarketing.tv and SFEnthusiast.com. Special thanks to SFEnvironment.org.

Jared Blumenfeld | Director of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment

About: San Francisco’s Environment Department develops innovative environmental programs, fosters ground-breaking legislation, and educates the public by providing comprehensive and easily accessible information on a wide range of sustainable practices. The Department aims to help all San Francisco residents and businesses take an active role in protecting and enhancing their urban environment. Website: SFEnvironment.org

Lorna Li | GreenMarketing.TV

About:Lorna Li is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of GreenMarketing.TV, a web TV show covering the art of green and social entrepreneurship, through insightful articles on successful businesses, interviews with visionary entrepreneurs, down-to-earth marketing tips, hands on tutorials, and more. GreenMarketing.TV inspires individuals to participate in the green economy, by providing stories, tools and information to empower positive social change. Website: GreenMarketing.TV

Steve Morozumi | Founder, SFEnthusiast

About:Founder of SFEnthusiast, Steve works in partnership with Lorna to handle all aspects of the video process for GreenMarketing.tv. Steve is a Zen, Yoga, tech, internet marketing, videography, new business modeling, sustainability, social cause, rock/mountain/orienteering/outdoor survivalist, tennis, mac, and San Francisco enthusiast. Website: SF Enthusiast

envisionGood: GreenMarketing.tv

GreenMarketing.tv is brought to you by Lorna Li, in partnership with Steve Morozumi of SFEnthusiast. Special thanks to TacticsofHope.org.

Filmed at West Coast Green, David Hopkins, co-author of Tactics of Hope: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Changing Our World, highlights the work of some great social entrepreneurs, and offers suggestions on where social entrepreneurs can find funding. For in depth info on the social entrepreneur movement, read the book Tactics of Hope.

Lorna Li (LL): Hi There, I’m Lorna Li from GreenMarketing2.0 and here with Steve Morozumi on camera from SF enthusiast.com. We are at West Coast Green, The Premier Conference on Green Building & Innovation taking place in San Francisco, today. And I’m here with David Hopkins, who was the co-author of the great book called Tactics of Hope; How Social Entrepreneurs are Changing The World. So David thanks for joining us today. Let me ask you this. What are two of the most interesting companies that you’ve come across that are actively solving social environmental issues but also turning a profit?

David Hopkins (DH): Oh that’s great. So there are two examples on the book that are particularly significant. One is World of Good. World of Good has recently partnered with eBay to distribute goods that are made, often by women, in developing countries who aren’t paid a fair wage for themselves or for the products that they make. And World of Good brings those products to whole foods and distribution stores in developed countries at a fair price and pays the workers a fair wage. The second one is Brighter Planet. Is new credit card sponsored by Bank of America that everytime that you swipe for your purchases, instead of investing in mileage or shopping spree, they invest in carbon offsets to help solve global warming.

LL: So I remember, number years back. I used to work at a Social Venture Incubator that was called social fusion and what we do was we work with the start non-profit and for-profit enterprises and help them get to the next level. And what are the chronic problems that social entrepreneurs face is finding funding.

DH: Once a social entrepreneur has a business plan and strategy, the social entrepreneurs should go to one of many resources. One is the school, graduate program that can nurture that idea into a real business. And the other is that if you already have a two or three year experiences in growing up business go to Ashoka, the school foundation, Echoing Green, Draper Richards Foundation and many others that are featured in resources section of our book to support and get the funding that they need.

LL: I love your reference to actually going to a graduate program or going to school because you know there’s something great about learning while you’re earning. And there’s no reason why you can’t develop a great company or a product while you’re actually in school. So thanks a lot for joining us today. If you guys are interested in learning more about social entrepreneurship or if you have a social venture concept of your own, I would highly recommend reading “Tactics of Hope” and heading over to the website and connecting with other people that also share your passions. You can go to tacticsofhope.org. Thanks a lot! This is Lorna Li from Greenmarketing 2.0 with Steve Morozumi from SFenthusiast .com at west coast green. Bye for now.

David Hopkins | Contributing Editor, Tactics of Hope

About:David is a contributing editor of Tactics of Hope: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Changing Our World, a groundbreaking book that gives you hope and inspiration, and teaches you how to create opportunities and careers that do well for yourself while simultaneously doing good for the world. David is also part of a core team of committed entrepreneurs who launched a nonprofit venture called Borderless Educations Website: TacticsofHope.org

Lorna Li | GreenMarketing.TV

About:Lorna Li is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of GreenMarketing.TV, a web TV show covering the art of green and social entrepreneurship, through insightful articles on successful businesses, interviews with visionary entrepreneurs, down-to-earth marketing tips, hands on tutorials, and more. GreenMarketing.TV inspires individuals to participate in the green economy, by providing stories, tools and information to empower positive social change. Website: GreenMarketing.TV

Steve Morozumi | Founder, SFEnthusiast

About:Founder of SFEnthusiast, Steve works in partnership with Lorna to handle all aspects of the video process for GreenMarketing.tv. Steve is a Zen, Yoga, tech, internet marketing, videography, new business modeling, sustainability, social cause, rock/mountain/orienteering/outdoor survivalist, tennis, mac, and San Francisco enthusiast. Website: SF Enthusiast

We met up with Elizabeth Scharpf, Founder of Sustainable Health Enterprises [SHE], at Africa Social Enterprise Forum in NYC this past week. Hear what Elizabeth has to say about the promise of social enterprise for development in Africa. Ever thought about starting a business you are passionate about, but are concerned about taking the leap of faith? Elizabeth shares insights on entrepreneurship, suggesting that “[starting a business you are passionate about] is the least risky thing you could ever do.” Watch this video and find out why. Thanks Elizabeth!

Elizabeth Scharpf, Founder of Sustainable Health Enterprises [SHE]

About: Sustainable Health Enterprises improves the quality of life for people in resource-poor settings, using market-based business solutions that work. Website: www.SHEinnovates.com

Boyd Cohen, Co-Founder of 3rdWhale

About: 3rdWhale utilizes emerging mobile technologies to promote a more healthy, just and sustainable world. Website: www.3rdWhale.com.