The notion of cleantech came into my consciousness circa 1985 when I had my first discussion about something called “carbon credits.”  Ever since then, working closely with people who want to change the world has been a passion of mine. That’s why I started Sterling Communications in 1989.  Frankly, I can’t think of a better way to spend my working hours.

Over the last two decades, I’ve been pretty heavily steeped in emerging technologies. Sterling Communications has provided strategic communications services to hundreds of innovative tech companies trying to change the world for the better. Whether it’s connecting people in third-world countries to the Internet, helping companies and government organizations recover from natural and manmade disasters more quickly, providing computer-based training to the homeless so they can find gainful employment or helping companies find and remedy product defects before a tragedy occurs, it’s been a privilege to represent companies that develop and market so many cutting edge, meaningful technology solutions.

I find working side-by-side with visionary entrepreneurs exhilarating. Take Global Imagination for example. This company has created a stunning digital video globe (think a digital display with a sphere-shaped screen) that provides a truly captivating experience for education and outreach about global information. With the Magic Planet, children and adults in 35 countries around the world can learn about climate change in a way that’s both compelling and interactive. With the growing concern out there about the future of this planet, Global Imagination is able to bring a complex subject into laser focus. It’s incredibly powerful.

I’ve also been keenly interested in putting Sterling’s communications expertise to work at an “industry level” as well.  As I investigated industries that I thought had the opportunity to make a huge positive impact on people’s lives in the coming decade, it was clear to me that cleantech was the right place for us to be. The combination of economic stressors, climate change, scarcity of life-sustaining commodities, and vast energy-related concerns makes for a big, complex problem that requires many minds working together on new ideas and out-of-the-box solutions.

So, I started researching cleantech businesses with the broadest reach. In short order, I came across the Cleantech Group. My timing in contacting them was fortuitous as the organization was in the midst of considering what they wanted to do on the communications front in 2009. (Talk about serendipity!) We had some great idea exchanges and we proposed a global PR plan to them that led them to choose Sterling as their agency of record. Why do I find this opportunity so exciting?

Since its inception in 2002, the Cleantech Group has focused on providing insight, business opportunities and relationships that catalyze the growth of cleantech markets worldwide, thereby accelerating the rate of innovation and global progress. As a working partner, Sterling will leverage its social media expertise and will drive a globally coordinated public relations initiative. We'll introduce Cleantech Group's thought leadership and events to audiences that wouldn't otherwise have heard of them, thus making the circle of innovation even larger. Moreover, as a Global Advisory Board member, I’ll get to spend quality time with corporate leaders, public policymakers and venture capitalists from around the world who are looking at new ways to help us better manage life on this planet. No two ways about it: the rush from doing this kind of work is nothing short of extraordinary.

I look forward to sharing industry news and my learnings with you here on our new website, and I welcome your thoughts, ideas and comments.

Image credit: OregonDOT