- BANKING ON SUSTAINABILITY: NATALIA ALLEN
This 20-something founder of Design Futurist, a product design consultancy founded in 2005, is hired by top companies to provide innovative environmentally friendly materials by using non-toxic methods of production. She touts sustainability as bigger than a trend– a necessary business move–and gives lectures and workshops to companies and organizations on incorporating Earth-friendly practices to increase their bottom line. “Any company that wants to be relevant in 10 years needs to grab hold of the idea of innovation and sustainability as core business practices and realize it’s not a do-good exercise. It is a business opportunity,†Allen told Black Enterprise magazine.
- For tips on how to succeed in green industries, check out Green Insider: Preparing Generation Next for Energy Jobs.