Exercising their skills as catalysts and innovators in greening our local communities, the “environmental entrepreneurs” of Be The Change have initiated a variety of creative projects. Here are just some examples:
“Greened” her child’s school by leading children and parents to initiate energy-saving practices. Her model was so successful that she is now serving as a pro bono consultant to the San Francisco Unified School District to help them create a similar model in up to 145 schools.
Created a “tool kit” for businesses to use in greening their operations. She is now CEO and founder of Green Consultants, a certified green business that provides sustainability management consulting services that identify cost-effective business strategies to maximize return on investment, while also reducing a company's carbon footprint.
Imported a technology commonly used in Third World countries for converting food waste into biogas/methane/CH4/natural gas. This fuel can then be used for on-site water heating at schools or corporate cafeterias where there is a considerable amount of food waste.
Elliott launched 
VeloCity PediCabs 
, a small bicycle rickshaw company that operates in the Palo Alto area on the weekends. Its mission is to reduce the number of car trips necessary in the community by providing free (but donation supported) pedi cab rides. Since March he has supported 16 events with 185 free rides offsetting more than 56 miles with carbon-free transportation. Elliott does this by connecting people from public-transit hubs with their local destinations, events, open-air markets, and at request.
Served as key players in developing the Clean Tech Open Competition (CCTO) , a business plan competition that encourages the development of clean technology companies. Annette was the first Executive Director of CCTO.
Initiated a group purchase project for his Mountain View neighborhood. Due to his volunteer efforts, within three months, 110 homes signed contracts to install residential solar electric energy systems.
For Earth Day in 2006, Lynn organized over 350 people to participate in the Pacifica Beach Coalition Coastal Clean-up Day. Each year, since the project’s inception, the number of participants has swelled, resulting in over 40,000 pounds of litter and recycles being removed from streets, beaches, and potentially the ocean on Earth Day in Pacifica. When coupled with the Coastal Cleanup Day held each September, this has resulted in almost 8000 volunteers removing close to 60,000 pounds of potential ocean waste. Lynn is now consulting with other communities who want to replicate her successful efforts in mobilizing large numbers of volunteers to improve their local environment.
Worked with other community leaders to organize a Farmers’ Market for that low-income community which does not have a full service supermarket. The Farmers’ Market allows hundreds of low-income residents to purchase fresh produce in their own community, thus improving their health and reducing the need for transportation out of their hometown.
EcoTraffic is a volunteer-based search engine marketing consultancy, focused on assisting environmental non-profit groups. EcoTraffic manages and develops paid search advertising campaigns, helping to promote and further green causes on the web. As their work is done completely by volunteers, EcoTraffic can offer services free of charge. Since launch, EcoTraffic has worked with five Bay Area environmental non-profits.
The goal of this project is to revive The Marine Mammal Center's Sea Lion Docent Program at San Francisco's Pier 39. This ambitious multi-year, project is now in its first phase, and Karen is currently preparing the training program for a new class of docents.
Bayfront Park (renamed Bedwell Bayfront Park) in Menlo Park was threatened with first a golf course and then a ballot measure to put a multi-million dollar sports complex on the park. Save Bayfront Park defeated the ballot measure with 61% of the vote in 2006. Since then, Save Bayfront Park has changed its name to Friends of Bayfront Park and were accepted as a fiduciary project of Acterra. Friends of Bayfront Park is part of a larger effort to have an overlook and information area put into a high point on the park to explain the salt pond restoration plan as part of the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge.
Solar Solutions extends Acterra's Green@Home program by including an unbiased solar energy assessment. Many people are aware of solar energy, but uncertainty, high costs and social norms are key inhibitors. Solar Solutions hopes to accelerate adoption of this clean, renewable energy by training volunteers to assess elements of a home’s potential for a photovoltaic installation, providing guidance on the economics of a system, suggestions on the process of selecting an installer and giving home-owners access to shared knowledge and support from volunteers and successful solar adopters.
Changing Gears is an alternative transportation resource center providing information and services related to bicycling , walking and public transit. The program aims to inspire people to make a difference in their health, their community and in their environment by leaving their car at home and building exercise into their daily routines.