The Web Neutral Project is a comprehensive certification program that calculates, offsets and neutralizes the carbon footprint of websites and digital products. Matt Reid and Jack Amend have known each other almost all of their lives. They grew up just down the street from one another. Matt attended the University of Minnesota where he studied Environmental Science. Jack attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied Political Science. While in school, Jack ran a graphic design and web development company as a side-hustle. After school, Jack and some friends put together a creative agency with a focus on cause-driven organizations. Jack’s company used solar-powered servers to run their company. When some of their customers asked for a way to tell the story of solar-powered servers, Jack hit upon an idea. Could he provide a certification program for the internet, much like LEED certification for buildings? To figure this out, he reached out to Matt. The IT sector consumes 10% of all global energy, and it’s growing. IT produces more greenhouse gasses than the entire global aviation industry. With an additional 3 billion people expected to come online, it is critical that we think of the carbon footprint of our global presence. The Web Neutral Project offers a certification for carbon-neutral websites. They offer solar-powered web hosting. And, they can help you optimize your web page design, reducing energy consumption. Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Jack Amend and Matthew Reid “It’s something that’s unknown to the general public.” “The average person who uses the web isn’t aware of the effects it is having.” “The footprint of the internet is about 50% larger than the global aviation industry.” “The average website in a year produces about 4,700 lbs. of CO2.” “The infrastructure of the internet is dependent on fossil fuels.” “There is an issue with green washing.” “Something I like about the entrepreneurial experience is getting to learn new things all of the time.” Matt Reid “Echoing Green has been a huge validation of what we’re working on.” “I didn’t know almost anything about entrepreneurship.” Matt Reid “Try to manage your expectations.” Jack Amend “Be ready for the long grinding days where you feel like you do so much, but not gotten too far.” Social Entrepreneurship Resources: Web Neutral Project: http://www.webneutralproject.com Web Neutral Project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webneutralproject Book: Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs: http://tonyloyd.com/book

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