Social Impact Project for Scaling GreenLift: Expanding Our Impact in Environmental Services and Renewable Energy

How This Works

As part of the TRANSFORM Support Hub, you will learn how to advance your career while getting hands on experience on projects like this one.

Project Description and Impact

Ideal Project Time Commitment:

Given that GreenLift is a startup transitioning a program under the nonprofit Maryland Reentry Resource Center into a for-profit business, the ideal project time commitment would be between 6-12 months. This timeline allows for the execution of strategic planning, market research, and business development activities necessary for expansion into both the biochar and stormwater maintenance markets. The commitment would also give us time to refine our operational models, develop sales and marketing strategies, build partnerships, and establish a sustainable revenue stream while ensuring that the business remains aligned with our environmental and social impact goals.

Background of the Project and Need for Support:

GreenLift was originally developed as a program under the Maryland Reentry Resource Center (MDRRC), with the goal of providing employment opportunities in environmental services for returning citizens. The program focuses on stormwater management, invasive plant removal, and reforestation efforts, leveraging the environmental expertise of MDRRC while empowering individuals who have faced incarceration.

Now, as we have transitioned this program into a for-profit business, GreenLift aims to expand its services beyond environmental restoration and stormwater maintenance to include biochar production. The for-profit model allows GreenLift to diversify its revenue streams and create more sustainable jobs, benefiting both the local community and the environment. However, as a new business, we face challenges around scaling operations, marketing, and sales, as well as expanding into new markets like biochar.

Support from an expert or consultant is critical during this phase, as we need guidance on developing a robust business strategy, identifying opportunities for market expansion, and building a sales pipeline. Additionally, as we are a startup, having access to mentorship and strategic advice will allow us to navigate these challenges more efficiently and position GreenLift for long-term growth and success. This support is essential to ensure that we not only grow our business but also maximize our social impact by providing meaningful employment opportunities for returning citizens.

Learning Opportunity

By working with GreenLift, an experteer can gain valuable insights into the intersection of environmental sustainability, workforce development, and social entrepreneurship. Specifically, they will learn about:

The Role of Social Enterprises: How a nonprofit program, focused on empowering returning citizens, can be successfully transformed into a for-profit business while maintaining its social mission. This includes navigating the challenges of balancing profit with social impact.
Environmental Services Industry: The workings of the stormwater maintenance and biochar production markets, along with the environmental services GreenLift provides, such as invasive plant removal, reforestation, and stormwater management.
Workforce Development for Returning Citizens: How to design and implement job training programs that focus on creating sustainable employment opportunities for individuals who have been incarcerated, and the unique challenges and opportunities that arise from hiring this population.
Market Expansion Strategies: The challenges and strategies involved in expanding a small business into new sectors like biochar production, and scaling operations within the environmental services industry.
Social Impact and Sustainability: How to measure the success of a business that aims to generate both financial returns and positive social outcomes, ensuring that GreenLift’s growth aligns with its mission of reducing recidivism and improving environmental health.

Overall, an experteer will gain practical knowledge of launching and growing a socially responsible business in the environmental sector, while also making a tangible impact on individuals and communities. They will have the opportunity to see firsthand how innovative business models can drive social change, and how GreenLift is pioneering this work through its focus on returning citizens and environmental sustainability.