Name: William S. Parrish, Jr.
Organization: NobleStratgey
Title: President and CEO
Age: 44
What makes him an effective President:
All it took was one bold move for Parrish to expand his firm from a one-person consultancy to a 25-person company. NobleStrategy has spearheaded a host of high-profile projects including a $60 million New York City School Construction Authority management/mentor training program and a $140 million program for the Cicely Tyson School of Performing & Fine Arts in New Jersey. Parrish also has an environmentally conscious approach to his business as an official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional and serving as sustainability consultant for the $1.8 billion 1 World Trade Center (formerly called the “Freedom Towerâ€) project. This entrepreneur and author also mentors at-risk youth on entrepreneurship.
My advice for President Obama:
“I think President Obama has done a fantastic job in placing energy efficiency and the green economy at the center of a very meaningful discussion; however, there is a tremendous opportunity to incentivize emerging businesses to participate on a larger scale. We all know small businesses drive the economy, but highlighting the market opportunities and speaking directly to minority and women-owned businesses about tax incentives and the green investment this country is making would be extremely attractive. Any opportunity to advance this discussion, inclusive of minority businesses, is critical for job creation and to avoid a ‘green’ divide, similar to the digital divide we encountered several years ago.â€