The purpose of the New Leaders Council is to provide emerging progressive leaders with a rigorous 5-month leadership training program that focuses on entrepreneurship, communications and public speaking skills, fundraising, campaign work, new and traditional media, and personal values to shape them into what the NLC calls “political entrepreneurs”.

I had the pleasure of attending the New Leaders Council’s Energy Leadership Awards event at the Minna Gallery on June 15. As the night kicked off, people started trickling in, talking and mingling with the current and former fellows of the New Leaders Council, and soon, the Gallery was filled with conversation and laughter.

Suddenly, a burst of energy emerged from the front of the crowd – this burst of energy was named Kula Koenig, a 2009 New Leaders Council Fellow. She was warm, sweet and full of energy and welcomed all of us to the event. Kula, passionate about making a difference in the world, has found the tools she learned from the NLC to be extremely useful in her quest.

Kula then introduced Phil Angelides, Chairman of the Apollo Alliance and the evening’s host. Mr. Angelides has been an enormous voice and strong promoter of the clean tech industry. Mr. Angelides said, “You don’t need a title to make a difference. The possibilities to make change are limitless.”

The Public Sector Award went to Phil Ting, San Francisco Assesor-Recorder and Founder of the Solar Task Force, for launching GoSolarSF and pushing San Francisco’s businesses to install solar systems, doubling the number installed in a year and a half. If its one thing I took away from his speech, it was this: never take no for an answer.

The Business Sector Award went to Nancy Floyd, Founder and Managing Director of Nth Power, for her continuous dedication in investing and believing in the clean tech market with her venture capital firm, Nth Power. Ms. Floyd said that the NLC had the passion and vision to make a change in the world.

The Non-Profit Sector Award went to Tim Sears and Erica Mackie, the Co-Founders of GRID Alternatives, for their involvement in bringing solar panels for low income families. With the help of numerous volunteers and hours of job training, GRID Alternatives has installed about 200 systems in San Francisco.

As the award ceremony dwindled to an end, the room was filled with renewed passion, hope and determination, inspired by the all the winners that night. It was clear that one point resonated throughout the evening – Edward Everett Hale summed it up quite well when he said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Related posts:

• Solarthon 2009 — Want to Learn How to Install Solar?
• Energy Leadership Awards with Phil Angelides & Fiona Ma
• Ever Installed Solar Panels? Bent Conduit? Mounted Inverters? It’s Fun!
• Clean Tech Event: Smart Grid Bilateral Trade and Investment Opportunities
• What A Party! $4,000 to GRID Alternatives… and I turn 30

Please join The New Leaders Council, with hosts Phil Angelides, Chairman of the Apollo Alliance and Fiona Ma, California State Assemblywoman, in honoring four San Franciscans influencing progressive energy policy from the public and private sector this coming Monday at 6:30 PM at 111 Minna St in San Francisco.

CleanTechies is proud to support the New Leaders Council as it promotes these local energy leaders that are making a difference in their communities:

Public Sector
Phil Ting: San Francisco Assessor-Recorder and Founder of the Solar Task Force that launched GoSolarSF

Business
Nancy Floyd: Founder and Managing Director of Nth Power

Non Profit Sector
Tim Sears and Erica Mackie: Founders of Grid Alternatives

The event is a fund raiser for the New Leaders Council, prospective fellows are encouraged to come and meet with current and former fellows and the incredible leaders that support the organization.  NLC believes in recruiting emerging leaders, engaging them on both local and national levels, and equipping them to be civic leaders – not only for elective office, but also in their communities and workplaces.

I had the pleasure of being selected in this year’s fellowship class – it was an wonderful experience thanks to the other fellows, the council staff and the overwhelming support of leaders. I encourage you to come and support the organization and learn about the fellowship process.

If you would like to support the organization and be an event sponsor please send a note to contact at cleantechies.com and I’ll put you in touch with the right people.

About NLC:

New Leaders Council provides the top-tier of emerging progressive leaders with a rigorous 5-month leadership training program that focuses on entrepreneurship, communications and public speaking skills, fundraising, campaign work, new and traditional media, and personal values in order to mold what NLC terms “political entrepreneurs.” NLC prepares these emerging leaders for elective office and other leadership positions and sets them on the path to becoming our next generation of progressive policy advocates.

Related posts:

• Energy Leadership Awards For GoSolarSF, Nth Power & GRID Alternatives
• Long-Term Renewable Energy Targets Must Be Set Now, Experts Say
• Obama Urges Leaders to Find Compromise to Avert Climate Catastrophe
• Leaders Grandstanding on New Greenhouse-Gas Regulations
• Australian Firm to Provide Jatropha Biofuel to Lufthansa for Testing

Thank you to the 200 CleanTechies and friends that came to usher me into my 30’s and raised over $4,000 for GRID Alternatives – an impressive sum for a great night of partying!

Here are a couple of pictures from the night. For many more, please go to photographer and dear friend Philipp Weitz’s website (click on “Galleries”, scroll down to our event, and use “cleantechies” as the password).  As you can see, he took some amazing shots of the party, and you can get them printed and sent to you. Bonus of bonuses: He’s donating the proceeds to GRID Alternatives!

Thanks to our donors, there were great cocktails, delicious food, great prizes and even better people together at Aventine- a fabulous bar in downtown San Francisco. Pete Doolittle painted some superb stuff, and auction and raffle winners went home with some great party gifts!

Regardless of how you feel about the new President of the United States, this was a page right out of his book.  House parties raised a considerable sum of money for Obama’s campaign, showing people that they could have a great time and do some networking while supporting a cause they believed in.  Similarly, this is the first of many CleanTechies parties that will have a purpose: to bring great people together and raise money for projects and organizations working on making renewables and cleantech more accessible to the public.

If you would like to throw a CleanTechies party, wherever you are in the world, let us know, and we’ll help you pack the house!

And if you want to be part of the CleanTechies Fundraiser for GRID Alternatives, you can donate right here.

Related posts:

• Here’s a Fun-draiser: CleanTechies Party for GRID Alternatives
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• Solarthon 2009 — Want to Learn How to Install Solar?
• Getting Dirty with Solar Installations – Solarthon | 2010
• Ever Installed Solar Panels? Bent Conduit? Mounted Inverters? It’s Fun!