Lara Valentine from Green Habits

Green Habits is an Austin-based consulting firm which helps companies “go green” in ways that improve their bottom line. CEO Lara Valentine, the former director of Clean Energy Initiatives at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, is a problem solver who understands both the demands of Wall Street and the reality of climate change. Drawing from her own experience in running successful businesses and her practical knowledge of alternative energies and renewable resources, Valentine is a pioneer in the greening of America. After conducting thorough evaluations of her clients and their business models, she is able to recommend changes that will not only reduce consumption and waste, but will also increase efficiency and worker productivity.

Valentine’s expertise is in identifying environmentally sustainable opportunities for her clients and then developing a custom plan to achieve results in a way that increases the company’s profitability. Ultimately, Valentine helps increase profit margins, improve efficiency, and reduce waste by changing the way companies do business.

Before consulting, Valentine served as the Director of Clean Energy at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. There she specialized in growth strategy, marketing strategy and client development for clean energy companies. Prior to the Austin Chamber, Valentine worked with the Boston Redevelopment Authority where she was responsible for the development and promotion of a new economic development program in Boston.

Valentine’s expertise includes:

Clean Energy technologies, energy efficiency factors

Corporate responsibility and performance improvement

Advancing prosperity in sustainable development

Marketing solutions for energy management techniques

Development and implementation of environmental and sustainable strategies

Valentine works closely with clients to:

Develop sustainable business strategies to drive results

Implement and manage change within an organization

Implement the desired fundamentals to create a long lasting progressive work environment.

Professional Accomplishments

Achieved an award of $628,000 through a statewide grant for renewable energy workforce training.

Increased inquiries to the economic development department from six to 65 within 18 months.

Achieved two corporate clean energy relocations to Austin, which included a wind-turbine manufacturer that announced a joint venture with a local company to make $6,000,000 in capital investment and addition of 150 jobs.

Facilitated a partnership with Austin Energy and a local credit union to create a residential mortgage that combines the mortgage with upgrades in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Identify and map statewide clean energy assets as part of a working group with Texas

Workforce Commission to Community Development Marketing.

Worked with the State of Texas on the development of clean energy policy and creation of a better business climate for clean energy.

Inventory of commercial & industrial green buildings increased 100 percent in one year as a result of hosting a one-day seminar for the Austin real estate development community. Three other buildings are expected to be LEED certified or have green features included by the end of 2007.

Managed a council of 20 businesses in the clean energy sector. In 2006-07, the council began work on a collection of marketable assets for Austin’s clean tech community. Members included: Freescale, Applied Materials, University of Texas and Texas General Land Office.

Created rapid response network to address needs of the city’s commercial and industrial businesses, particularly as they related to navigating government agencies and departments

As CFO and co-owner of a successful Nantucket-based home furnishings store, managed all aspects of the business, with an emphasis on financial and personnel related matters

Education

BA-University of Hartford, Hartford CT

MBA- Finance, Barry University, Miami, FL

University of Oklahoma, Economic Development Institute

MIT Center for Real Estate- Fundamentals of Real Estate Finance

Current Civic Involvement

National Council of Jewish Women, Board Member, Austin Chapter

Central Area Democratic Women, Member

American Council on Renewable Energy, Member

Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association, Member

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