Incubator
Green Village Philadelphia has an active incubator committee of local experts in business, sustainable design and manufacturing and led by Green Village Philadelphia co-chair Karen Meidlinger, a business development expert. The Green Business Incubator Committee was established in the summer of 2007 when R and D Green Research became its first client. R and D is a green technology company developing a new process for creating bio-based plastics. Two more companies have since become tenants, The Green Perspective (http://thegreenperspective.com), a for-profit company creating and selling gift baskets containing sustainable products and packaging and Made in Philly (, a for-profit company with the mission to rebuild and grow the network of local manufacturing. Green Village Philadelphia has established an incubator committee whose main service is to host monthly meetings where clients share achievements and difficulties, get advice from experienced business advisors, and connect to information and services in Philadelphia.
In the coming years, the Green Village Philadelphia Green Business Incubator will have facilities in the Eco-village marketplace. It will offer commercial space for rent at below market rate, shared business services – access to conference rooms, internet, shipping, and utilities – at a low rate, as well as access to a network of consulting services such as lawyers, accountants, business advisors, and grant writers. In addition to traditional office space, the incubator will also provide facilities zoned for light manufacturing, food processing, laboratory, and retail uses. As part of the Eco-village marketplace, all spaces will be cutting edge in sustainable materials, practices, and energy and water usage.
Locating the Green Village Philadelphia Green Business Incubator in the larger context and developing the Eco-village marketplace will provide easy access to markets, research space, advice from existing businesses, and a large supportive environment of interested individuals and potential customers. The Green Village Philadelphia eco-village in and of itself will be an incubator for a new, or renewed, way of life. Work, life, and play will be intertwined, creating opportunities for inspiration and innovation vital to all small business development.