I was humbled to participate in the panel with real business leaders John Lawrence of Mudhouse Coffee and Crystal Mario of Rivanna Natural Designs yesterday. John and Crystal are setting standards for what and how profitable green/sustainability can be done successfully.

Read about it at Charlottesville Tomorrow:

“Lynelle and I have been ‘green’ from the very beginning,” said Lawrence. “That’s been our intent from the start when we had a coffee cart [on the Downtown Mall] in 1993. We were composting our grinds and saving those for the sous chef at the Omni.”

Lawrence said that at his five area locations the Mudhouse is always looking for opportunities to become more energy efficient, use less water and produce less waste. He said upcoming renovations of the Downtown Mall Mudhouse would include a new roof, more insulation and solar panels.

Crystal Mario founded her business, Rivanna Natural Designs, after retiring as a globetrotting technology executive. In 2001, Mario said her goal was to create job opportunities in Charlottesville for recently arrived international refugees.

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