Latina-Owned Green Business Latina Green Businesses: The Perfect Time for Change Amidst the layoffs, bailouts, foreclosures and other sobering news about the current economy, a growing opportunity for Latina entrepreneurship has arrived, and the sky is not only the limit, but it is going green. Latina-owned businesses already represent a force to be reckoned with. In 2007 alone, the Center for Women’s Business Research reported that Latinas owned 745,246 businesses nationwide that employed over 250,000 people, and generated more than $46 billion in sales. These figures cannot be underestimated, especially as Latinas continue to represent the fastest growing segment of the small business community. Such a significant contribution to the economy, especially while consumer confidence is historically low, reveals how much positive economic and environmental impact Latina entrepreneurs can create by answering the call to go green. The Meaning of Green for Latinas Green can hold many meanings for the Latina business owner, as the term refers more to an approach than to an end result. However although integrating green business practices proves to be cost-effective over time, Latinas may hesitate to do so if they misperceive green methods as inconvenient and expensive. This misconception is becoming unveiled as the green movement gains momentum nationwide.

Marjorie Torres, Managing Principal at GreenSpace Developments.

More than ever, despite the recession, businesses, government, and academia are exploring the long-term benefits of sustainability, particularly in light of the support of energy initiatives recently granted by the federal stimulus package. Nevertheless, while ‘energy’, ‘renewable’, and similar buzz words are beginning to dot the cultural landscape, ‘green’ has yet to become a popular word within the Latino community.

One Latina who understands the importance of urgently informing and educating Latinos about the environment is Adrianna Quintero, attorney, founder, and director of La Onda Verde, the Latino advocacy and outreach arm of the Natural Resources Defense Council. As director, she oversees a program that provides Latinos with bilingual access to information about the environment, as well as the tools they need, to help propel environmental change and reduce global warming. A former litigator in the NRDC’s environmental health program, she became involved in Latino advocacy and outreach as she began to inform Latinos, both in the U.S. and abroad, of the environmental health risks in their communities. With the support of the NRDC, Quintero’s activism evolved into a calling, and La Onda Verde was formed. Now she spearheads a program that not only educates, but serves as a watchdog for the community.

“Green can be very intimidating,” she states. “It is often associated with being expensive, or seems like an exclusive and inaccessible choice that is ‘not for me’. But the meaning of green for Latinos should make us think about going back to our roots. After all, abuela was the consummate recycling queen, whether she saved a piece of tin foil or a napkin. Our mothers and grandmothers, as Latinas, intuitively understood that all things have a value and should be preserved, and were not to be wasted.”

Thus, if green can be viewed as a return to our Latin roots, as Quintero suggests, and a respect of the traditions we learned from our mothers, grandmothers, and other Latinas in our lives, then we can continue to cherish our past by expanding our vision for the future.

Going Green in the Latina Business Model
Whether you already own a business or are considering starting one for the first time, Latina green business-owners offer valuable inspiration and advice on how to launch a green business, or how to ‘green up’ your current enterprise.

One Latina who has been ahead of the curve in terms of green real estate is Marjorie Torres, Managing Principal at GreenSpace Developments, who believes going green means “to rescue one square foot of commercial space from becoming just another one square foot of commercial space,” and she does so by targeting to save about 2 million square feet with their first fund. GreenSpace Developments was created out of a philanthropic project. “Through my other firm, Concrete Stories, we worked on a pro bono basis on a co-development project of a 100,000 sq ft nonprofit center in a 1 million square feet in New York’s Financial District,” she states. “The project became so successful and we were asked to consider the creation of a US $200 million green real estate fund that would fund tax exempt organizations to enable them to: buy commercial real estate, reposition the assets and convert the assets into green owner-occupied properties.”

As she proudly states, they have been green for six years and have retrofitted a landmark building and achieved a Silver LEED certification for non-profits and foundation owners. “At GreenSpace Developments we recycle as much as we can,” she states, “We try to buy green products. We use lots of scrap paper from our printing errors. We try to streamline electronically as much as possible the amount of documents that are needed to get produced in a deal. We learn every day on how to become a greener office.”

Another role model for forging her own path is Hilda Orosco-Frank, president and Owner of GreenStuffConnection.com, an online boutique for eco-friendly and fashionable clothing, body, and home products made from organic cotton, bamboo, recyclables, and similar materials. As a first-time business owner, spouse, and mother of two, she created her business after being laid off, and has never looked back.

“Make sure that you’re passionate about the planet. Too many are going green for the financial gain, but you really need to educate yourself first, and be sure to give back,” she states. Orosco-Frank practices what she preaches. Her company donates 1 percent of proceeds to the environment, a commitment motivated by the impact of motherhood. “Becoming a mother made me more mindful of the need to be positive and productive about the environment for my children,” she adds.  

EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson.

Adrianna Quintero, founder and director of La Onda Verde.

Much of the success of Chef Guisell Osorio, a graduate of the creative non-profit program La Cocina in San Francisco, is due to how her catering company, Sabores del Sur, integrates the green business practices she learned from the program. La Cocina is San Francisco’s first incubator kitchen founded to serve as a platform for low-income minority women, offering the tools and education on how to launch, expand, or formalize their own food business. By offering women affordable kitchen space, hands-on technical assistance, and a network of resources and support, graduates like Osorio become self-sufficient, food business-owners who run sustainable enterprises using green methods that also save costs.

“It’s cheaper for me to be green,” says Osorio, who uses organic products and sources from local vendors. “For example, recyclable containers and mindful packaging saves me money in the long run.” Osorio exemplifies how much resourcefulness can go a long way. She has yet to spend anything on advertising, but her business has grown to serving 32 locations through word-of-mouth referrals. “As Latinas, we tend to undermine how much we really do. But we survive, we persist, and that attitude reflects itself in our work.”

Resources for the Latina Green Business Owner
If you’re a Latina entrepreneur, you may already be going green by using glasses instead of disposable cups, or by encouraging your employees to carpool. Regardless of the stage or industry of your business however, there are resources that might offer you valuable support.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s 7(a) loan allows business owners to use proceeds for Energy Star product purchases and upgrades, and their 504 loan supports a similar policy for those involved in commercial real estate. More recently, the SBA adopted an Energy Conservation Loan for small business owners who promote green practices themselves by building, installing, or servicing energy-efficient measures.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to providing solutions to these tough economic times, and they’ve been working closely with all small business - including Latina-owned small businesses - to create green jobs and strengthening local economies. “We know the value of a thriving small businesses sector,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “Last year small business put 7.3 million people to work, and generated $1.1 trillion in sales.”

“EPA has done work to open new opportunities to women-owned small firms. In the last fiscal year, the Agency awarded around $89 million of its contract dollars to women-owned small businesses, and the EPA expect those numbers to rise,” she states. “EPA will continue to work on exceeding our women-owned, including Latina-owned, small business contracting goals. I hope that every small business will look to the EPA as a market of opportunities.”

Even the White House is strengthening its ability to serves as a better green business resource. The Obama Administration has appointed Van Jones, founder of the non-profit Green for All, as the Green Jobs Advisor for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He will work to create millions of green jobs and advance energy initiatives under the President’s agenda, and will pay particular note to how to reach out to low-income communities to do so.

Beyond government agencies, a non-profit organization like La Cocina proves to be a reliable source for Latinas to obtain free or affordable business assistance. When Marta Mele’cio, founder and owner of Bangledox, started her eco-friendly clothing line, she enrolled in SCORE, a non-profit that offers free small business counseling around the country, both in person and on-line.

Other business can be instrumental in the learning process, especially those related to energy initiatives. As Maylen Dominguez Arlen, Commisioner of the Orlando Utilities Commission suggests, “Your local utility can be a useful resource—by doing home or business energy audits and helping sort through rebates and other governmental incentives.” Her advice is to be creative, think about strategic partnerships with government, utility companies, universities,” she says. “Look at models that work in other parts of the world/country and enhance or make specific for your community. Do not take, ‘it has never been done’ for an answer, keep pushing, keep your mission of helping the environment clear and the right idea will come.”

According to Torres, one should focus on what services are going to be needed and the products that will be in demand in the next 5 years.
Yet, aside from the formal assistance that can be found through government and organizations, Latina entrepreneurs often learn from each other, and turn to their families and friends for support. “I turned to others who had already started or lived the journey of being an entrepreneur,” Mele’cio shares. “But it started with my own family. My sister helped me with my business plan, and my family, friends, and even acquaintances have all helped with their support.”

The Green Job Movement
Despite the U.S. Department of Labor’s recent report of unemployment rising to 8.5 percent, green jobs are expected to grow by over 400 percent in the next 20 years. According to a recent report by the American Solar Energy Society, in 2007, over 9 million green jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries produced more than $1 trillion in revenue. By 2030, green jobs are expected to approach 40 million.

So where are the green jobs?
A reason why Latinas may not know where to find the green jobs may be because so few are leading traditionally green industries. Conventionally, green jobs involve recycling, construction, auto manufacturing, product manufacturing, cooling and heating systems, mass transit, or renewable energy technologies like wind and solar power. These sectors require scientists, engineers, technical experts, carpenters, electricians, systems installers, construction workers, financial managers, and inspectors—roles underrepresented by Latinas.

While a green job certainly includes the biologist cleaning up an ocean spill, or an engineer designing the latest solar panel, it is actually more about an approach than a role itself. Quintero believes green jobs should entail a broader scope. And such a shift in perspective could make the thought of a green job, or starting a green business for that matter, more real to Latinas. “The gamut is incredible,” she says. “Every business can be green. It’s just a matter of what you’re working in, and rethinking how your business can be the least wasteful and have the least impact on the environment. ”

According to Torres, there are always inefficiencies that need improvement and help conserve our planet for future generations, therefore also believe every job can be green. “The term green jobs to me represent that one takes conscience in improving one’s environment,” she states. “The best green jobs, I would have to say are in green technologies, research in environmental products and of course, green real estate.” Torres can certainly speak for her company when hiring for a ‘green job’ “We seek creativity, flexibility and willingness to work smart. The green real estate industry provides many opportunities to be very creative in how one assembles a project along with how to maximize the efficiencies as a building. Our team is constantly adjusting to curve balls hence being flexible is very important. One needs to be able to deal with big picture items and details without letting anything fall through the cracks. For this you need to learn how to work smart within the 24 hours that a day has to offer because there are tons of details to deal with without missing the overall goal.”

Despite flexibility and range in what could constitute a green occupation, the marginal presence of Latinas in traditionally perceived environmental markets, such as engineering, conservation, science, and other technical fields, is alarming. While the Latina absence in green industries is partially due to the need for continued education and skill development to meet the rapid development of technologies, the gender gap, and cultural and lingual differences are also at stake. Quintero warns, “Without more access to training, more access to funds, and more availability of culturally relevant programs and adequate job placement assistance, finding green jobs for our community will be a challenge.”

The Green Future Looks Bright
Recently, the Obama administration passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal stimulus package that has allotted over $43 billion for energy related spending and tax incentive. This support will create over 5 million green jobs, and should lead us towards cleaner energy use. While the commitment is welcome, this substantial federal investment also indicates that it is the right time for bolder initiatives. Now that small business practices have become more valued in contrast to questionable corporate management it is an especially opportune time for green entrepreneurs to take action. As members of both the fastest growing segment of the small business community and minority group in the country, never has the future of the Latina green business-owner looked so bright.

Resources to Green Your Business:
The U.S. Green Building Council: http://www.usgbc.org/
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
EnergyStar.gov
SCORE: http://www.score.org/minority_resources.html
The Small Business Administration Loan Program on-line: http://www.sba.gov/financing/fr7aloan.html
Local Economic Development Corporation.

Hilda Orosco Frank, president of GreenStuffConnection.com

Chef Guisell Osorio.

By Lisa Pino