How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
To help promote green business, the Polytechnic Institute of NYU is offering professional advice and student interns to clean technology and renewable energy start-up companies.
The program is a part of the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy, a four-year project seeded by a $1.5 million grant.
The project fits into Mayor Michael Bloomberg's goal of making New York the "leading city in sustainability" outlined in his State of the City address.
"The basic idea is to really develop a cluster of renewable energy and clean-tech start-up businesses here in New York City," operations director for NYC ACRE Micah Kotch said. "We really help to raise their profile, but also to give them what they will need to accelerate and to grow jobs."
NYC ACRE's office, located on the 12th floor of 160 Varick St., provides affordable space for eight companies — three of which are virtual tenants. Columbia University and the Pratt Institute also participate in the program.
CAS senior Emily Sun, majoring in environmental studies, works for M.J. Beck Consulting, LLC, a firm that advises companies on energy consumption.
"Green business is something that a lot of people are very interested in, and ACRE has really provided the means for achieving a lot of people's goals," Sun said. "This project has provided affordable space for many businesses who would otherwise not have been able to start their business. In addition, it really allows for excellent networking between the green community, which is generally good for business."
"Our partners have been really happy, as is the EDC with the number of jobs that we've created and the products that we've helped to bring to market for the start-up [companies] that are working with us," Kotch agreed.
