Attention Businesses, Nonprofits, Government: Time to Stop Fighting, and Radically Collaborate.

~ by Paul Smith.

In the 20th century, business was all about competition. Beat your rivals, find that (often meaningless) differentiation, and do all you can to stay ahead of the others. While that of course goes on today, it often does so at the expense of our well-being, and that of our planet’s. The conventional wisdom of competition being good for consumers just doesn’t cut it when it comes to the much-needed advancement of sustainable business, life, and interaction with our planet.

When we as green businesses and non-profits spend our time in isolation, fighting for the relatively small slice of the existing green/environmental minded market and funding pool, we keep staying small—and keep minimizing our impact, split amongst a million tiny fragments.

So it’s inspiring to see two companies, 3rdWhale Media and GenGreen—each doing highly overlapping things that could have gone down the typical path—have instead steered a much different course.

As of this week, they have entered into an integrated strategic partnership; what they prefer to call “radical collaboration.”

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What does this mean?
It means GenGreen, whose strongest suit is their green business directory, can focus on building that—and now that it’s combined with 3rdWhale’s database, you’re looking at North America’s largest such directory. And GenGreen can now leave the development of a mobile app to 3rdWhale, which has proven experience is in creating mobile apps for values aligned companies including Greenpeace.

Results?
At the end of August, two apps will be released: Find Green, the first app to take advantage of this combined and newly expanded database. 3rdWhale Premium will continue to expand, now offering curated news from Mother Nature Network, CSRWire, and Creative Citizen’s EcoMatters. It’s exciting to think all the new ideas inspired, and the effect on all those businesses now more likely to be discovered, reviewed and supported.

The spread of Radical Collobaration: Now including you?
3rdWhale and GenGreen aren’t interested in being the only ones to engage in such collaboration. In order to effect the kinds of change in society, and our environment on the large scale needed, it’s going to take collaboration across many companies, non-profits and governmental organizations—and quickly.

That’s why on August 20th they’ll host an event in San Francisco featuring Hunter Lovins, author of Natural Capitalism specifically focused on collaboration. This invitation-only event will be a gathering of amazing businesses, non-profits, and committed government officials, taking place at San Francisco’s greenest club, Temple, from 6-10 pm. If you wish to be considered for an invitation, please just email who you are and why you want to/should be there to: [email protected]

There’s a time for action—and celebration. That time is now.

Paul Smith

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