Efforts to expand Massachusetts’ green economy are boosting all kinds of business opportunities.
A partnership between a nonprofit and a green energy company is one example of work being done to help companies expand their footprint and close the racial wealth gap.
The phones are usually busy at Green Energy Mechanical in Canton. From the office to the warehouse to the field crew, it’s a whirlwind of activity.
“We specialize in energy-efficient solutions for customers who want to be green,” said Jonathan Neves, founder and CEO of Green Energy Mechanical.
But the company almost went out of business, twice. Then Neves took Interise’s Streetwise MBA Program. It was a game-changer.
“When we started Interise, we were about four employees, just shy of a million. Now, well, last year we ended up with over $7 million in revenue and about 40 employees,” he said.
“We work with minority-owned and women-owned small businesses,” explained Darrell Byers, Interise CEO.
Companies must meet certain criteria for revenue and employees.
Byers said it’s three hours, every other week, for seven months of training, networking and growth planning. This helps set business owners up for success.
“Definitely understand my profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statements and like what it means, like what to do with that information,” Neves said.
With that understanding comes new opportunities.
“I doubt there could be a more diverse HVC company in Massachusetts, and that’s by design,” Neves said. “I really believe in giving people a chance.”
Byers says the Green Energy story is typical.
“If you take this course, on average, you’ll grow 36% after your first year,” Byers said. “There is no business that we cannot affect, whether it is construction, green energy, or services,” he added.
While Green Energy is focused on housing, other companies are working to secure larger government contracts.
“They’re only a small minority of businesses, really, that can handle a lot of the contracts that you see coming in. But our goal is to help these businesses grow so that one day they can be prime contractors, Byers said.
“As an apprentice, I faced a lot of racism, a huge amount, actually,” Neves said. “I had so many people say when I was young, ‘Oh, you’re worthless. How do you think you can grow a business as a Black owner? People can be racist. I’ve had other Black people say to me: how do you think you can run a business? Black in the city?’”
“My message is like, don’t let anyone or anything dictate what you can and can’t do. I don’t care if it’s your mom and dad. I don’t care if it’s your brother, sister, your friends, society , politicians. I don’t care who it is. Like nobody can stop you.”
Green Energy Mechanical is growing. Keep your eyes open for a new location in the Needham-Newton area soon.
Interise hopes to expand to eight gateway cities in partnership with the Urban Leagues of Eastern Massachusetts and Springfield.
