David Fortson: Merging Activism and Business for a More Sustainable World
Profile on an Activist • Writing for Civic Engagement • Winter 2016
The Law of Attraction is the belief that intentional actions and thoughts committed by individuals and groups will create and attract more of the same. This is what David Fortson and his sister companies, LoaTree and LoaCom, stand for. An activist, entrepreneur, environmentalist, outdoor enthusiast and father, Fortson believes that “protecting the environment and building healthier societies has financial value and it’s just a better way to live.”
Fortson’s passion to create a better world—one that protects our earth and our people—began at a young age, through his fascination of the environment. He began his captivation with the natural world through studying creek habitats at the San Jose Nature Center, where he spent his childhood summers learning about wildlife.
His passion for the environment further developed in high school, at an all-boys Jesuit college prep school, where he took a Theology of Nature class. In this class, he studied the link between the Bible and the environment, and the idea that being religious and caring for the environment was one and the same. Although he no longer necessarily practices religion, this class helped him develop a framework for his beliefs and helped him realize the need to protect the planet. The values he developed through this class and his early life set the course for his future career and studies at UCSB.
“Environmentalism really kicked into high gear my freshman year at UCSB,” said Fortson. This is when he was recruited on the Environmental Affairs Board, a new organization at the time. This was also the moment when any doubt in his future career as an environmental advocate vanished; from beach clean ups, to recycling programs, he knew protecting the environment in some way would continue to be a big part of his life. He became chair of the organization his sophomore year and with that, his leadership in the local environmental movement begun.
As an Environmental Studies and Ecology major and a young advocate, Fortson made environmentalism his number one priority. “Sun up to sun down and into the night I was working on environmental issues,” he said. He worked on campaigns to stop excessive waste, oil drilling, and the development of open space. But even after college, his passions led him to get more involved in the environmental movement.
Upon graduation, Fortson continued to work for environmental activism through various local non-profit organizations and political campaigns. He worked on a successful campaign to stop a large Exxon Mobile oil project off the coast, and for elected official Hannah Beth Jackson. Fortson later became the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network, a local non-profit that promotes social and economic justice as well as environmental preservation. Through this organization, Fortson lobbied across the country for stronger environmental and social legislation.
His activism didn’t stop there, and progressed to include national political protests. In 1999, he participated in the World Trade Organization Seattle Protest, a protest of new trade negotiations that brought to the surface a lot of issues of environmental pollution, among issues of consumer and labor rights—a violent protest which led to law enforcement spraying tear gas at crowd.
Yet, after ten years of activism through non-profit work, political campaigns and protests, Fortson felt discouraged by the abundance of obstacles he witnessed while trying to create a positive change. Through his role as an activist, he noticed there are a lot of barriers in the legal structure of the non-profit world. With a board of directors, and through chasing grants and donations, Fortson believes it can be difficult to create a lot of progress. The structure of a business has always appealed to him, in the sense that it was freer of oversight and dependent on the team you are working with, creating a faster and easier way to make change. Fortson explains that, “While the non-profit sector is the best defensive mechanism, business is a more offensive mechanism to making the change we want to see in the world.”
To add to his frustrations towards change making gridlock, Fortson experienced a sense of indifference toward engagement from the public. Through viewing small voter turnouts at many political campaigns, he realized we needed new methods to get the public more excited to participate. In addition, he noticed that activists often gained a negative stigma while trying to get people involved, as their messages were fairly pessimistic. “I think as environment and social justice advocates, we used to be not all that fun to hang around,” Fortson mentions. “There was a lot of negativity—sky is falling sort of stuff,” he adds.
This is when Fortson realized we need a new way to talk about environmental and social issues—two issues that he believes are largely intertwined. Incidentally, this was also the time that the iPod hit the market. Watching consumers’ desire over the iPod made Fortson believe that the environmental and social community needed a similar marketing and branding approach to get people civically engaged. “I realized that—as I was going door to door, trying to get people to get off their couches and do something, and observing that, at the same time, people were willing to overspend money they didn’t have on a little piece of consumer technology—the environmental and social community had a lot to learn from business.”
After this realization in the early 2000s, Fortson left the traditional advocacy non-profit sector in hopes to use business as a more effective outlet to create change. In the business world, he followed another one of his passions—music. As a sales associate for Sonos, a local speaker system start up at the time, Fortson learned how a small tech company operates. During his time at Sonos, Fortson decided to take his business experience to the next level.
While at lunch with his new interns just last week, he jokingly introduced himself as the “inventor of the Buddy Brush.” Featured on QVC, the online shopping television network, the Buddy Brush was a nationally launched dog item Fortson invented during his sandy, messy beach walks with his dog. Yet, according to Fortson, the company “ran into the teeth of the downturn in 2009.” But this loss gave Fortson the valuable business lessons and confidence he needed to develop a new idea—one that would merge Fortson’s business experience with his true passions for the environment.
In 2009, Fortson and a few friends created a business that would generate a new method of activism, and combine Fortson’s advocacy and business experience. It would stray from the past doom and gloom methods of engagement by creating a way in which society wants to participate, through making this participation more engaging, enjoyable, and social and also while bypassing some of the obstacles the non-profit organization structure might encounter. “The company is based on the idea of protecting the environment and building community to provide real value both financially, spiritually, and community wise. These are key health indicators for our society,” said Fortson. “We have to create new business models and value models so that those activities can be financially supported.”
The company first started by supporting artists that highlighted sustainability, but soon began to expand and incorporate other organizations dedicated to creating environmental and social change. One of LoaTree’s first clients was the Community Environmental Council, a local non-profit that puts on one of the largest Earth Day celebrations in the world. The CEC hired LoaTree to assist with marketing, event planning and production. Since then, LoaTree has been committed to helping organizations spread their message of sustainability through business marketing techniques.
In 2011, after the success of LoaTree, Fortson, along with his friend and fellow advocate he met on the UCSB Environmental Affairs Board, Eric Cardenas, teamed up to create a sister company that would further help other activists and organizations spread their message. LoaCom, a marketing and communications consulting business assists other businesses, non-profits, philanthropic foundation and government agencies to better communicate and market their messages to the public and help clients incorporate sustainability and community-building into their business strategies.
These companies help Fortson stay civically engaged on a day-to-day basis through helping his clients spread their messages more effectively through marketing, event planning, and building community relationships. Fortson believes that, although our current capitalism society doesn’t reward protecting the environment, it is important to adopt new value systems for businesses, which protect the planet and our people. These new value systems lead to healthier bodies and better mental health, and allow for more time with family and more time to enjoy the natural world. According to Fortson, “These sets of values are taking a long time to sink in, but that, to me, is the most powerful form of activism there is.”
Fortson’s passion to create a better world—one that protects our earth and our people—began at a young age, through his fascination of the environment. He began his captivation with the natural world through studying creek habitats at the San Jose Nature Center, where he spent his childhood summers learning about wildlife.
His passion for the environment further developed in high school, at an all-boys Jesuit college prep school, where he took a Theology of Nature class. In this class, he studied the link between the Bible and the environment, and the idea that being religious and caring for the environment was one and the same. Although he no longer necessarily practices religion, this class helped him develop a framework for his beliefs and helped him realize the need to protect the planet. The values he developed through this class and his early life set the course for his future career and studies at UCSB.
“Environmentalism really kicked into high gear my freshman year at UCSB,” said Fortson. This is when he was recruited on the Environmental Affairs Board, a new organization at the time. This was also the moment when any doubt in his future career as an environmental advocate vanished; from beach clean ups, to recycling programs, he knew protecting the environment in some way would continue to be a big part of his life. He became chair of the organization his sophomore year and with that, his leadership in the local environmental movement begun.
As an Environmental Studies and Ecology major and a young advocate, Fortson made environmentalism his number one priority. “Sun up to sun down and into the night I was working on environmental issues,” he said. He worked on campaigns to stop excessive waste, oil drilling, and the development of open space. But even after college, his passions led him to get more involved in the environmental movement.
Upon graduation, Fortson continued to work for environmental activism through various local non-profit organizations and political campaigns. He worked on a successful campaign to stop a large Exxon Mobile oil project off the coast, and for elected official Hannah Beth Jackson. Fortson later became the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network, a local non-profit that promotes social and economic justice as well as environmental preservation. Through this organization, Fortson lobbied across the country for stronger environmental and social legislation.
His activism didn’t stop there, and progressed to include national political protests. In 1999, he participated in the World Trade Organization Seattle Protest, a protest of new trade negotiations that brought to the surface a lot of issues of environmental pollution, among issues of consumer and labor rights—a violent protest which led to law enforcement spraying tear gas at crowd.
Yet, after ten years of activism through non-profit work, political campaigns and protests, Fortson felt discouraged by the abundance of obstacles he witnessed while trying to create a positive change. Through his role as an activist, he noticed there are a lot of barriers in the legal structure of the non-profit world. With a board of directors, and through chasing grants and donations, Fortson believes it can be difficult to create a lot of progress. The structure of a business has always appealed to him, in the sense that it was freer of oversight and dependent on the team you are working with, creating a faster and easier way to make change. Fortson explains that, “While the non-profit sector is the best defensive mechanism, business is a more offensive mechanism to making the change we want to see in the world.”
To add to his frustrations towards change making gridlock, Fortson experienced a sense of indifference toward engagement from the public. Through viewing small voter turnouts at many political campaigns, he realized we needed new methods to get the public more excited to participate. In addition, he noticed that activists often gained a negative stigma while trying to get people involved, as their messages were fairly pessimistic. “I think as environment and social justice advocates, we used to be not all that fun to hang around,” Fortson mentions. “There was a lot of negativity—sky is falling sort of stuff,” he adds.
This is when Fortson realized we need a new way to talk about environmental and social issues—two issues that he believes are largely intertwined. Incidentally, this was also the time that the iPod hit the market. Watching consumers’ desire over the iPod made Fortson believe that the environmental and social community needed a similar marketing and branding approach to get people civically engaged. “I realized that—as I was going door to door, trying to get people to get off their couches and do something, and observing that, at the same time, people were willing to overspend money they didn’t have on a little piece of consumer technology—the environmental and social community had a lot to learn from business.”
After this realization in the early 2000s, Fortson left the traditional advocacy non-profit sector in hopes to use business as a more effective outlet to create change. In the business world, he followed another one of his passions—music. As a sales associate for Sonos, a local speaker system start up at the time, Fortson learned how a small tech company operates. During his time at Sonos, Fortson decided to take his business experience to the next level.
While at lunch with his new interns just last week, he jokingly introduced himself as the “inventor of the Buddy Brush.” Featured on QVC, the online shopping television network, the Buddy Brush was a nationally launched dog item Fortson invented during his sandy, messy beach walks with his dog. Yet, according to Fortson, the company “ran into the teeth of the downturn in 2009.” But this loss gave Fortson the valuable business lessons and confidence he needed to develop a new idea—one that would merge Fortson’s business experience with his true passions for the environment.
In 2009, Fortson and a few friends created a business that would generate a new method of activism, and combine Fortson’s advocacy and business experience. It would stray from the past doom and gloom methods of engagement by creating a way in which society wants to participate, through making this participation more engaging, enjoyable, and social and also while bypassing some of the obstacles the non-profit organization structure might encounter. “The company is based on the idea of protecting the environment and building community to provide real value both financially, spiritually, and community wise. These are key health indicators for our society,” said Fortson. “We have to create new business models and value models so that those activities can be financially supported.”
The company first started by supporting artists that highlighted sustainability, but soon began to expand and incorporate other organizations dedicated to creating environmental and social change. One of LoaTree’s first clients was the Community Environmental Council, a local non-profit that puts on one of the largest Earth Day celebrations in the world. The CEC hired LoaTree to assist with marketing, event planning and production. Since then, LoaTree has been committed to helping organizations spread their message of sustainability through business marketing techniques.
In 2011, after the success of LoaTree, Fortson, along with his friend and fellow advocate he met on the UCSB Environmental Affairs Board, Eric Cardenas, teamed up to create a sister company that would further help other activists and organizations spread their message. LoaCom, a marketing and communications consulting business assists other businesses, non-profits, philanthropic foundation and government agencies to better communicate and market their messages to the public and help clients incorporate sustainability and community-building into their business strategies.
These companies help Fortson stay civically engaged on a day-to-day basis through helping his clients spread their messages more effectively through marketing, event planning, and building community relationships. Fortson believes that, although our current capitalism society doesn’t reward protecting the environment, it is important to adopt new value systems for businesses, which protect the planet and our people. These new value systems lead to healthier bodies and better mental health, and allow for more time with family and more time to enjoy the natural world. According to Fortson, “These sets of values are taking a long time to sink in, but that, to me, is the most powerful form of activism there is.”
Cassidy Green: Building and Living Sustainably
Profile • Writing for Sustainability • Winter 2015
Cassidy Green’s passion for the environment began at a young age. Raised in an environmentally aware household, she enjoyed things like hiking and gardening and her parents always encouraged her to recycle and use reusable bags. “Living sustainably just made sense,” Green mentioned when describing her early awareness of the environment. “I think of it as my normal routine,” she added.
Green carried the environmental values she learned at such a young age throughout her early adulthood. In high school, she was in charge of the recycling program. When she got to UCSB, it was not surprising that Green decided to pursue an Environmental Studies major. This is when she got involved with other environmental causes. She was part of the Environmental Affairs Board, working to promote sustainable eating habits by planning events such as the Green Chef Competition, an event that brought students together to cook healthy and sustainable food.
During her time at UCSB, Green became interested in green buildings. When an internship position as the LEED Program Assistant for UCSB Sustainability opened up, she was eager to get her foot in the door. According to the US Green Building Council, LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized certification program that promotes environmentally friendly building practices. Green was ready to promote sustainable practices that were so close to her heart by helping these buildings achieve LEED certification. After her graduation, her internship turned into a full time position. Green works for UCSB Sustainability to this day and has helped bring the UCSB campus to the remarkable level of green building success it has now.
Currently, Green oversees the LEED effort for construction at UCSB. “My biggest task is to work with the architects and managers of the projects and make sure they know the requirements for LEED,” Green mentions, as she talks about the common tasks involved in her job. Her work involves anything from meeting with architects and construction managers, to detailed calculations for Green Building Council documentation. She also makes sure the goals and regulations of the university are met when it comes to green buildings.
As the LEED Program Assistant, Green juggles many projects simultaneously. Currently, she is very involved in the renovation of the Santa Cruz dorms, as well as the construction of the Natural Reserve SNARL in Mammoth, which is owned by UCSB and requires more classroom space. In addition, Green plays a huge part in the construction of the Sierra Madre Apartments, especially the community centers that are part of this project. She fully oversees these projects and works on their LEED documentation. She plays smaller, yet significant roles in the Davidson Library construction, the Faculty Club renovations, and other construction projects on campus. Her tasks for these projects include outside consulting to make sure these buildings are meeting their green building goals.
Yet, with great responsibilities come great challenges. Green mentions that the biggest challenge of her job is education. “People don’t know what sustainability means. They don’t know what LEED is. Project managers might not care about the cause and think LEED certification requires more work than building a regular building,” Green explained. Her goal is to make sure people know about the benefits of LEED certification. By working closely with the construction team, she can explain to project managers the environmental and economic benefits of LEED. Green’s passion for education led her to begin teaching the LEED Lab, which gives insight to students on LEED practices and guidelines. Students later apply what they learned to the campus’ existing buildings. UCSB is one of ten universities to offer such an opportunity to students, and Green hopes its success will motivate the school to promote the program and encourage more students to get involved.
Although Green’s job requires her to care about the buildings, she also cares about how these buildings are being used. “It’s not just about the buildings, but the inhabitants as well,” Green mentions. “It is important to determine how occupants can be green, not just the spaces they inhabit.” In order to help inhabitants, such as office workers, integrate into their environmentally friendly working space, Green has taken on a role as a co-advisor of the PACEs program. The program assists UCSB faculty when it comes to reducing their negative impact on the environment.
Despite the challenges of her job, the successes Green has contributed to don’t go unnoticed. UCSB proudly stands at number three on the list of the greenest universities in the country. Bren Hall, constructed in 2002, was the first building in the UC system to gain LEED Platinum. “This gave the other UC campuses a template to follow and set a great example for sustainability,” Green explains, as she talks about the successes of her work. Bren was also one of the few buildings in the country to receive double-platinum. This achievement spurred the green building policy UCSB now has in place, which requires all new buildings to be LEED Gold certified. New successes are underway as the new San Joaquin Apartments, which are currently under construction, will be the first on campus and in the county to have most toilets flush with recycled water.
Green believes sustainability involves an agenda that balances three things: people, planet and profit. As the LEED Program Assistant, she works to promote all of the above criteria. LED lights and natural cooling systems promote the sustainability of our planet. Less energy, less water use, and a greater ability to sell make her projects economically feasible. Occupant comfort, as well as a healthy planet, supports the needs of the people. Green is excited to continue working for LEED certification to promote sustainability, an issue she has been so passionate about throughout her life. Green has made sustainability a part of her normal routine and she hopes to encourage others to do so as well through promoting green buildings and educating the public about being green inhabitants.
Green carried the environmental values she learned at such a young age throughout her early adulthood. In high school, she was in charge of the recycling program. When she got to UCSB, it was not surprising that Green decided to pursue an Environmental Studies major. This is when she got involved with other environmental causes. She was part of the Environmental Affairs Board, working to promote sustainable eating habits by planning events such as the Green Chef Competition, an event that brought students together to cook healthy and sustainable food.
During her time at UCSB, Green became interested in green buildings. When an internship position as the LEED Program Assistant for UCSB Sustainability opened up, she was eager to get her foot in the door. According to the US Green Building Council, LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized certification program that promotes environmentally friendly building practices. Green was ready to promote sustainable practices that were so close to her heart by helping these buildings achieve LEED certification. After her graduation, her internship turned into a full time position. Green works for UCSB Sustainability to this day and has helped bring the UCSB campus to the remarkable level of green building success it has now.
Currently, Green oversees the LEED effort for construction at UCSB. “My biggest task is to work with the architects and managers of the projects and make sure they know the requirements for LEED,” Green mentions, as she talks about the common tasks involved in her job. Her work involves anything from meeting with architects and construction managers, to detailed calculations for Green Building Council documentation. She also makes sure the goals and regulations of the university are met when it comes to green buildings.
As the LEED Program Assistant, Green juggles many projects simultaneously. Currently, she is very involved in the renovation of the Santa Cruz dorms, as well as the construction of the Natural Reserve SNARL in Mammoth, which is owned by UCSB and requires more classroom space. In addition, Green plays a huge part in the construction of the Sierra Madre Apartments, especially the community centers that are part of this project. She fully oversees these projects and works on their LEED documentation. She plays smaller, yet significant roles in the Davidson Library construction, the Faculty Club renovations, and other construction projects on campus. Her tasks for these projects include outside consulting to make sure these buildings are meeting their green building goals.
Yet, with great responsibilities come great challenges. Green mentions that the biggest challenge of her job is education. “People don’t know what sustainability means. They don’t know what LEED is. Project managers might not care about the cause and think LEED certification requires more work than building a regular building,” Green explained. Her goal is to make sure people know about the benefits of LEED certification. By working closely with the construction team, she can explain to project managers the environmental and economic benefits of LEED. Green’s passion for education led her to begin teaching the LEED Lab, which gives insight to students on LEED practices and guidelines. Students later apply what they learned to the campus’ existing buildings. UCSB is one of ten universities to offer such an opportunity to students, and Green hopes its success will motivate the school to promote the program and encourage more students to get involved.
Although Green’s job requires her to care about the buildings, she also cares about how these buildings are being used. “It’s not just about the buildings, but the inhabitants as well,” Green mentions. “It is important to determine how occupants can be green, not just the spaces they inhabit.” In order to help inhabitants, such as office workers, integrate into their environmentally friendly working space, Green has taken on a role as a co-advisor of the PACEs program. The program assists UCSB faculty when it comes to reducing their negative impact on the environment.
Despite the challenges of her job, the successes Green has contributed to don’t go unnoticed. UCSB proudly stands at number three on the list of the greenest universities in the country. Bren Hall, constructed in 2002, was the first building in the UC system to gain LEED Platinum. “This gave the other UC campuses a template to follow and set a great example for sustainability,” Green explains, as she talks about the successes of her work. Bren was also one of the few buildings in the country to receive double-platinum. This achievement spurred the green building policy UCSB now has in place, which requires all new buildings to be LEED Gold certified. New successes are underway as the new San Joaquin Apartments, which are currently under construction, will be the first on campus and in the county to have most toilets flush with recycled water.
Green believes sustainability involves an agenda that balances three things: people, planet and profit. As the LEED Program Assistant, she works to promote all of the above criteria. LED lights and natural cooling systems promote the sustainability of our planet. Less energy, less water use, and a greater ability to sell make her projects economically feasible. Occupant comfort, as well as a healthy planet, supports the needs of the people. Green is excited to continue working for LEED certification to promote sustainability, an issue she has been so passionate about throughout her life. Green has made sustainability a part of her normal routine and she hopes to encourage others to do so as well through promoting green buildings and educating the public about being green inhabitants.