The Water Planet

Tremendous breakfast this week with Dr. Carl Safina of the Blue Ocean Institute. Check out our friends' blog over at North Shore Innoventures for a brief recap.

Meanwhile, thought you might be interested in this:

Gov Patrick Energizes Cummings Center Efforts

June 1, 2012

Governor brings energy to ceremony for Cummings Center's solar panels

By Ethan Forman Staff writer

BEVERLY — Gov. Deval Patrick went to the top floor of the West Garage of the Cummings Center yesterday afternoon to cut the ribbon on a 366-kilowatt solar power installation.

Touting the state's investments in clean energy and life sciences, the governor spoke before approximately 100 people, many of them tenants of the Cummings Center.

Cummings Properties President and CEO Dennis Clarke asked the governor "to issue his second biggest endorsement of the week," referring to Patrick's backing of Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.

"Governor, we hope that you will label Cummings Center as a shining example of the economic vitality and the responsible business practices that are so alive and well today in the commonwealth," Clarke said.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Patrick boomed when he got to the podium. "I stand before you proudly to endorse Cummings Center and the whole Cummings organization for their exceptional business stewardship."

Later, Patrick cut the ribbon on inverters that will convert electricity from the roof panels. He did so with officials from Solectra Renewables of Lawrence, the company that supplied the equipment.

The former United Shoe Machinery Corp. factory was once considered a derelict brownfields site until Cummings Properties purchased it in 1996. Since then, it has been the focus of an $80 million redevelopment. The center has taken on a number of sustainable initiatives lately, the most visible of which are the solar panels on its garage roofs.

The East Garage has an 800-panel, 236-kilowatt solar array, and the West Garage will have 1,250 panels when the project is completed.

"The economics justify the expense," Cummings Properties founder Bill Cummings said.

It's the second major solar installation on the campus, and more are planned, Cummings officials said, including panels for a new parking garage to be built by the 500 Building on the north end of the facility that will contain 1,600 panels and 470 kilowatts. All told, solar projects at the center will eventually produce almost 1.5 megawatts.

On hand to greet Patrick were Mayor Bill Scanlon, Vice President and Cummings Center General Manager Stephen Drohosky, and Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry, D-Peabody, among others.

With 40 life sciences firms at the Cummings Center, Patrick also touted the state's initiatives in that sector. Drohosky pointed out that one of the companies being incubated at the center by the nonprofit North Shore InnoVentures, a firm called HeptoChem, recently got a $300,000 loan from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

Besides the solar panels, Cummings Center has taken steps to cut its energy bills by installing 27 high-efficiency boilers, 12,000 lights retrofitted into energy-efficient fixtures, new energy management controls and an electric car charging station.

Cleantech Collaboration at the Forum

The April Sustainability Forum brought a number of cleantech entrepreneurs together with inspired supporters. Massachusetts has distinguished itself as a leading state in this industry. We're second to Calif. in cleantech investment and the number of start-ups.
One of the key factors is the smart collaboration between different sectors that happens here.  The Forum was proud to host the Cleantech Open, North Shore Innoventure Center, the New England Association of Cleantech Incubators (Action), and the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems -- together with the CEOs of 7AC, Teleos, and Arctic Sand. 

NSIV Kicks-Off "Entrepreneur U"

First Seminar: "Avoiding Common Legal And Tax Mistakes of Start-Ups"

Come join the North Shore InnoVenture incubator team on Wednesday July 20^th at 8 a.m. at the Cleantech Center in Lynn for the first meeting of Entrepreneur U, a series of seminars on key business issues for early-stage business leaders.

Entrepreneur U

The objective is to give member companies in the NSIV Incubator system a comprehensive introduction to important issues and functional skills needed to successfully build a business.  Topics will run from basic legal issues, to setting up your accounting and IT systems, to building your team and finding funding.  Each month, an expert from our team of sponsors, mentors and advisers will cover a key topic that you need to know.

These seminars are not about your cool technology or awesome business concept but instead cover the basic nuts and bolts of running an early-stage business with limited resources.  The focus is not on theory but on the essential and practical issues that you need to deal with now.
 

Wed., July 20: Avoiding Legal & Tax Mistakes

Kicking off the series, are Nicola Lemay and Bob Warren of Foley Hoag  "Avoiding Common Legal And Tax Mistakes of Start-Ups." 

Nicola Lemay, JD, MBA, is a partner at Foley Hoag LLP and is the Chair of the firm's Taxation Department. Bob Warren, JD, CPA, is a corporate attorney at Foley Hoag LLP counseling entrepreneurs and venture capitalists on a wide range of issues in support of their companies’ growth, from corporate formation to compensation strategies and liquidity transactions.   

All current NSIV incubator members, candidate companies, sponsors, mentors and advisers are invited.

The seminar will open with coffee and informal networking to get warmed up.  Presenters will then cover the key issues in an interactive presentation that will run about an hour.  They will  stick around for questions and one-on-one office hours to deal with your company specific concerns.  In addition to other entrepreneurs, many of our sponsors, mentors and advisers will also be there, so there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss the issues, make valuable connections and get additional input.

The event is free but help us to plan by sending an email to Laura Van Drie at intern@nsiv.org.  You can also register on site on Wednesday.