The Green Accelerator Ecosystem

Helping to scale minority general contractors (GCs) and small businesses while building a greener world.

Growth for Now. Growth for Later. Changing how we build commercial office spaces and opening up access to ownership can lead to a greener Georgia while scaling small, minority-owned general contractors (GCs) and businesses exponentially.

We’ll create a new small business Green Accelerator Ecosystem in which each new office building is built green with Green Steel®. Existing

structures can be renewed with Green Steel®. All will have embedded smart technologies to help reduce consumption, optimize space use,

and shield tenants from costly, devastating cyber-attacks and cyber ransoms. Each project will lead to a small business becoming a new owner-occupied landlord.

Owning a commercial office building can be one of the greatest drivers of growth for medium to large-sized companies. Atlanta Green

Tech Labs will make it a game changer for small, minority-owned businesses too.

In the construction lab, we will teach GCs to build green with Green Steel™. The commercial office properties they build (average 24,000 RSF) will be sold to minority-owned companies of all sizes in all industries who want to be owner-occupied landlords. Our Cisco lab

will teach minority-owned IT firms to deploy smart technology, sustainable solutions, and cybersecurity protec􀆟ons for each new project. Our real-estate partners will help us find new landlords and help them reach 100% tenant occupancy.

This program helps GCs and Tech firms scale exponentially. It also helps target recipients of construction, educational, and technological resources scale without disrupting their business operations. Graduates of this program no matter their industry become property owners and

owner-occupied landlords, which helps them scale their revenue exponentially. They will have a new healthy stream of revenue (rent) and new collateral to secure their building loan. This program offers growth for now and growth for later.

Understanding the Ecosystem

General Contractors (GCs), IT firms, and various small businesses from all over the United States will apply to be accepted in an accelerator cohort. Each cohort should produce 20 teams of a GC, IT Firm, and small business owner. Those who are accepted will come to our 20,000 ft ² innovation lab in Peachtree Corners, GA to train. Each company will follow their own learning track in one of following three focus areas:

FOCUS AREAS

1. Building green with Green Steel™ (Certification)
   
2. Deploying sustainable technologies with Cisco (Multiple Certifications)
   
3. How to Succeed as an Owner Occupied Landlord (New property owner)
   

This cohort will last approximately 10 weeks. At the end of the cohort, GC participants will graduate with a Green Builder Certification and a project to build a new commercial building for one Owner Occupied Landlord graduate in their local area. Even though the program is “Atlanta Green Tech Labs”, we train in Atlanta, but we build everywhere. IT firms will graduate with a Cisco sustainability focused certification and will have the ability to deploy green tech into the new building the GC builds. Finally, a small business graduate will be paired with the GC and IT firm team and, using the financing gained during the cohort, they will purchase their new building and become an Owner Occupied Landlord.

The Green Ecosystem will continue to support the new Owner Occupied Landlord with a network of contractors and trusted vendors who can assist in ensuring their new building stays in good condition, and the program actually works and scales their revenue without negatively impacting their principal business operation. The Owner Occupied Landlord will no longer be paying rent, and the rent they collect will scale their revenue exponentially. With more revenue and commercial real estate that can be used as collateral, the small business will be in a position to access additional financing and resources to scale for years to come.