Clean-tech leadership contest on
Nominations sought throughout Northwest
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Nominations are now open for a competition that recognizes prospective leaders in the Northwest’s diverse clean-technology industry.
The competition, part of an effort by the Pivotal Leaders business network to build expertise and resources in the clean-technology sector, is in its second year. The Pivotal Leaders list is intended to bring attention to those who are current or future leaders in technologies such as sustainable energy, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient building construction.
Beginning this week, members of the business community across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia are asked to nominate regional peers they believe are most likely to lead a successful clean-technology business in the next three to five years. Last year, the competition attracted about 600 nominations, said Gregg Semler, a co-founder of the Portland-based venture capital firm Pivotal Investments, which helped launch the social network. Nominees voted among themselves, and 32 people were recognized as last year’s Pivotal Leaders.
Semler said he hopes for more nominations this year, with many as 40 people selected as Pivotal Leaders. Nominations will close March 22 and the final list will be announced in May. Nominations can be submitted at http://www.pivotal-leaders.com.
Semler said that when he and Brad Zenger launched the venture capital firm Pivotal Investments in 2008, they heard complaints from Northwest clean-technology entrepreneurs that the region lacked venture capital for startups and expertise to create solid financial deals. Some people also said the budding industry lacked people with strong management skills, Semler recalls. They were surprised by that critique.
“We felt there were people doing pretty amazing things in the clean-tech sector in the Northwest,” Semler said.
Those conversations prompted Pivotal Investments to launch, with the help of corporate sponsors, the Pivotal Leaders business network. Now Semler sees growing skills within the industry. “That’s an exciting thing,” he said.
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