Wow! What a way to kickoff the New Year. I am so thrilled to join the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 class of America’s top young game-changers and entrepreneurs! This truly is an honor that I’m proud and humbled to receive, and recognize that I owe many of my colleagues, peers and mentors a sincere “thank you” for all of their support over the years.
What excites me most about being included on this year’s List is the fact that Forbes is recognizing the importance of Community in the success of early-stage cleantech and energy startups. Community and the culture therein are difficult phenomenons to define–believe me, I’m working on writing it–but the value they provide is unparalleled. At Greentown Labs, we believe community is as important as any of the resources startups gain access to at an incubator. Whether those resources be connections to investors, free software and sponsored services, or an outfitted office and lab space to call home, our community has proven the incredible value that’s drawn from a supportive, collaborative and like-minded group of entrepreneurs.
During my time at Greentown Labs I’ve witnessed the “you’re not in it alone” feeling provide incredible inspiration and drive during tough times for many entrepreneurs. It’s hard to assign a dollar amount or concise definition to that intangible feeling of support and camaraderie but let me tell you, when an entrepreneur is in need of support, that feeling of community is invaluable.
Startup members at Greentown Labs represent a group of amazingly hard-working people who are putting all of their efforts–blood, sweat and tears–into solving the world’s toughest energy and environmental challenges. Their commitment to their mission is inspiring, their determination is palpable, their energy is contagious and their success rate increases because they constantly help each other.
It has been my pleasure over the last four years to observe, learn from, and support the 100+ cleantech and energy startups that have called Greentown Labs home. It’s been particularly meaningful to work alongside my fellow 30 Under 30 colleagues Arron Acosta & Blake Sessions from Rise Robotics; Deckard Sorensen from NBD Nano; Eliza Becton from Bevi; Gabe Blanchet & Jamie Byron from Grove; Jason Ethier from Dynamo Micropower; Natalya Bailey & Louis Perna from Accion; and Daniel Shani from Energy Intelligence.
Creating a community is about people and relationships, so thank you to all who have played a role in helping make the Greentown Labs community so awesome. Here’s to doing more kick-ass things in 2017!
Cheers,
Liz Barno
