Many companies will tell you that it’s not advantageous to go green. It costs them money, doesn’t do much for their public image and takes a huge amount of time and effort. It’s easy to be negative. Well, now all that is changing.

Instead of boycotting companies that are ‘bad’ in terms of their environmental policies, a consumer activism network called Carrotmob has found a way to SUPPORT companies that do good. Call it . . . a reverse boycott.

Maybe you’ve heard of flash mobs? A group will break out in synchronized dance in the middle of a public area? Well, Carrotmob follows a similar approach by gathering together and spending consumer dollars to encourage businesses to go green. It’s easy: reward environmental responsibility.

In their first ever event, organizer Brent Schulkin went to a number of liquor stores in a San Francisco neighborhood asking what percent of consumer dollars each store would be willing to invest in energy efficiency updates. The store that put in the highest bid became the target of the mob and the social networking began. People from all over came together one day and bought products, either that they needed or that they could donate to the food bank, and together raised over $9,000 compared to the store’s usually intake of about $2,000 in a day. Check out this video to see more about the event . . . and yes, apparently carrotmobbers like to get down and dance (ha!) . . .

The idea behind these mob events is so simple: we, the consumers, have a HUGE amount of power. We can change the world. Every time we buy something, we are voting. So let’s vote green. Let’s push companies and corporations to invest in the environment and to become more sustainable. It’s up to us!

And hey — now shopping can be good for the planet, too.

Interested in participating or organizing a carrotmob event? They are happening all over the country and all over the WORLD so check out http://carrotmob.org/

Earlier today I gave a presentation to Steve Newcomb of Virgance and got a fascinating peek into his world. In amongst a wave of articulate critiques of a business plan I put together with some friends, he made an off the cuff comment that we should “start a social movement” to assist with our marketing efforts. Fascinating.

As the world of sustainable business puts more and more toes in the pool of collective social action I’m hearing the word social movement get thrown around more and more, generally with little regard for what it takes to actually get one going or the complicated ecosystems that make them tick. There’s well intentioned excitement about merging business and social organizing, but a widespread misconception that a social movement is basically just a  participatory values-based marketing campaign. As someone who’s actually started a social movement, I’d like to set the record straight.

Social Movements Don’t Happen Just Because There’s A Good Cause- There are too many good causes in the world and people are too busy.

Social Movements Don’t Happen Just Because People Get Fired Up- When people are fired up they do whatever action is in front of them then go home and talk to their friends about it. The action and the conversations are great, but they won’t come back.

Social Movements Don’t Happen Just Because People Are Empowered To Make Change- Empower people to make change and they’ll do it, feel great and then wander off. They won’t build on the experience and self organize.

What makes social movements happen?

In my experience, social movements happen when people make friends impacting a cause that is related to a personal struggle. Feminism and the civil rights movement are fantastic for tapping into national and international struggles that mirror intrapersonal ones. There’s a reason it’s “Students for a Free Tibet” and not “Suburban Housewives for a Free Tibet”, Tibet is only a powerful personal metaphor for a certain demographic.

The “making friends” part is what gives movements their self-organizing properties. A movement has to be a way to work on yourself AND on your relationships AND a cause, otherwise people won’t consistently put in the time. Movements can evolve new tactics and strategies only when the process of evolving those tactics and strategies is also a way for people to do meaningful work on themselves and form stronger connections with their friends.

Carrotmob is a fascinating example of when social movements work and when they don’t. They’ve been wildly successful as a specific tactic and hit a wall trying to evolve into anything more.

As a tactic they’re all checkmarks. They’re pushing for sustainable business- a cause that’s personally relevant to anyone trying to reconcile their desire to live their values and their desire to have a financially successful career. Organizers essentially plan parties at local businesses that are going green, flooding them with business as a sustainability incentive.

It would be great if this could translate from targeting small, local businesses to targeting large ones (Steve Newcomb talks about Carrotmobbing Coke and Pepsi), but there’s a big problem. In order to do that you have to switch from a series of one-off tactics to a self-organizing social movement. All of those Carrotmob organizers in all of those cities will have to start sitting down and strategizing, hitting up conferences together and thinking about how to make that giant Carrotmob happen.

That means getting people who’ve been using Carrotmobs as a way to deepen their connections with their existing social networks to spend time away from those social networks making new friends on the internet. If MySpace proved anything, it’s that people generally aren’t in the market for new friends on the internet, especially  people who have enough offline friends to organize massive parties. You also lose the personal significance. Carrotmobbers are attracted to the idea of sustainable business because they want to save the world and get paid doing it, and they won’t spend time and energy organizing a sustainable business-oriented social movement unless there are sheckles down the line.

Dear Carrotmob,

Here’s what it would take to make that Pepsi/Coke Carrotmob a reality:

1. Make Relationships Between Organizers Attractive

Ask yourself: What can a Carrotmob organizer get from being online friends with another Carrotmob organizer that they can’t get from all of their offline friends? The big answer is respect and recognition from their peers. Their friends will congratulate them, but may not really get the work that went in to what they’ve accomplished.

The way that many communities do this is by creating a system to welcome and mentor new members. When a new carrotmobber comes on the scene, create a way for them to publicly voice their questions and insecurities. This will make some existing carrotmobbers feel wise and experienced, and will get them engaging online to address the questions. Once they begin to recognize and respect one another for the answers that they’re giving they’ll start discussing tactical issues, complimenting one another, and forming the relationships that will take things to the next level.

2. Show Them the Sustainable Money

In order to put serious time and energy into Carrotmob, organizers will have to feel like they’re saving the planet while advancing their own careers. They don’t have to get all of them jobs, they just have to know that whatever they’re doing is legit enough to get put on a resume.

A strategic partnership or two with big name marketing firms could deliver this sense of professional credibility. It’s an appealing play- edgy, sustainable and socially networked. Create an aspirational class of paid professionals (NOT on your staff, out in the “real world”) who get to live their values making Carrotmobs all day, and make them visible to organizers looking for a career path.

Now you’ve got an excuse for people to take time out of their lives for Carrotmob and a set of relationships where innovation can happen. The rest is just gardening. Listen to the community, give it what it needs and then help it evolve to fulfill that need itself. You may not wind up squaring off Pepsi and Coke, because that’s your idea and movements (like gardens) aren’t built to follow orders. But you’ll wind up going somewhere interesting.

I have written already about Carrotmob in the past. A really great and inspiring project promoting climate change and sustainability in a very practical and hands-on manner. The so-called “carrotmobs” are a gathering of people who organize themselves over the net and show up at a certain time and date in a shop or business which was selected before. The selection is based on a reverse bidding process: Whoever gives the highest percentage of his additional turnover to “green” improvements of his shop or other “green” projects gets the crowd into his shop. The whole thing started in California and spread to various cities across the US and reached Europe, too. One of the next carrotmobs is taking place in Frankfurt on December 12, 2009. It is organized by Christoph Harrach and his team who are the leading LOHAS bloggers in Germany. Their blog “Karmakonsum” is very established and added more than only digital value. Once a year they organize the Green Camp where people from various backgrounds gather and discuss the latest topics, trends and challenges. I have attended on of this events and can only recommend it if you are interested in sustainability and social entrepreneurship matters.

Why do I tell you about this? Well, first of all becauce it is worth mentioning! Secondly, you should make time and pop up at the event in Frankfurt – if you are nearby – and last but not least because I invite you to join me and make the next carrotmob happen in Stuttgart. You are welcome to give feedback and contribute. Every additional team member and supporter can boost this beautiful project and create even more buzz. Thank you in advance. Keep on rocking…

Some useful resources for organizing a carrotmob:

• How to guide: www.carrotmob.org/organize/
• Past mobs: www.carrotmob.org/mobs/.

Hi!

If you don’t know about Carrotmob- you should! I think, that you should. It’s an initiative to demonstrate your consumer power in a reasonable way. This video should make it clear:

We are all consumers- it’s difficult to get away from that, but you can at least make something good from it. Shortly- it’s just picking environmentally aware stores and buy your stuff from them.

Big corporations want just one thing- money. You have money (sometimes). You need stuff that big corporations make. By buying stuff from environmentally aware stores or corporations you awards them for caring about the environment.

If the one thing that one company needs to do to win you as a client is to care about the environment she will do it!

So check it out and see if there is an action neer to you soon

Your coping koala

ps: we have Carrot Mob in Bielefeld!!!

Victoria's first Carrotmob = smashing success

A BIG THANK YOU to all the Carrotmobbers out there!

This past Saturday we came, we mobbed, and we made Victoria’s first ever Carrotmob event a smashing success! Props to all of you who made this happen and chose to support Discovery Coffee along the path of achieving their environmental goals!

As promised, in return for our business Discovery is putting forward 100% of all the day’s revenue towards environmental improvements and socially responsible choices.

Their average revenue: approximately $1250/day

So what did we achieve?

A drumroll please….

The attendance of the mob boosted revenue to $2,100 some odd dollars! But that’s not all… the crew at Discovery were so pleased with the results that they are going to put forward all revenues from their second location, boosting cash towards Green improvements to over $3,000!

Over the next few days we are going to jump into Discovery Coffee and go over all the possible options they have to improve their business, and will report back to the mob with our findings. We’ll keep you posted so you can stay tuned with all the juicy details

What’s next for Carrotmob – Victoria?

Really, that’s up to all of us now… we need to figure out where we want to strike next, so I’m calling upon you! Send us your suggestions, whatever they may be. Are you a business owner looking to be mobbed? Are you an individual with an idea to expand the Carrotmob concept? Let me know at Carrotmob@smallfeet.ca.

Watch out Victoria… Carrotmob is coming to better your businesses!

Mob Rolling OUT!

Finally. At long last, with all the planning and craziness Carrotmob is ready to launch into Victoria. Its all going down tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at Discovery Coffee’s downtown location (664 Discovery street), and they are fully prepared to bring in the mob to go Green! Here is the official schedule of events for the big day tomorrow…

(All times are PM)

3:00 – 3:50

Come form the mob, sip on a hot fresh brew, and enjoy some open mic time as things wind-up…

3:50 – 4:15

350 Photoshoot with the entire mob & 350 Bike Crew (rolling in from FutureFest!). Our official event photographer, Susan Jones, will take our picture holding signs and banners with “350-Victoria”, and then our pictures along with those from events around the world will be shown on the GIANT screens at Times Square!

4:15 – 5:00

West My Friend, the band prepared to sweep Victoria makes their official debut to rock out Discovery with some awesome tunes!

5:00 – 5:30

Door Prize Raffle with all manner of eco-inspired craftery (is that even a word?). From Skin-care to groceries to office supplies, we have a little something for everybody! Check the prizes here.

5:30 – 6:00

Grand Hurrah for the mob, and last call for drinks!

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow, and keep in mind that ALL sales from the full day tomorrow count 100% towards Discoveries green goals, so don’t hesitate to visit them often and state proudly, “I’m with the mob!”

350 Bike Ride = Carrotmob! photo credit: LandRelief.wordpress.com

Hey all you eco-loving cool-carrots out there,

I just got word that the 350 Bike Ride departing from Centennial square tomorrow is going to swing by Discovery Coffee for Carrotmob, and they are going to jump in on the 350 photoshoot! It look like tomorrow’s event is going to be bigger, better, and crazier then we could have ever imagined.

If you haven’t already heard the good news about Carrotmob, its never to late to jump on board the movement and help Discovery Coffee go green. Check out the blog posts below for more details, or see our FaceBook Event and then join our FaceBook group to keep updated on Carrotmob-Victoria activities!

See you all tomorrow, and thanks for all your support guys!

Flashmobs sind die neuen Aktionensformen. Scheinbar spontane Menschenzusammekünfte, verbunden mit bestimmten Aktionen gab es jüngst auch in Bonn. Verabredet wird sich hierzu meist online. Am Wochenende steigt in Bonn der erste sog. Carrotmob. Was ist das nun wieder, mag man sich fragen!?

Ein Carrotmob ist eine Art Flashmob mit dezidiert politischem Inhalt (nennt man dann eigentlich Smartmob, um die Verwirrung perfekt zu machen . Hier geht es um den gemeinsamen Einkauf in einem bestimmten Geschäft. Das ganze soll weniger Besucher und Geschäft überraschen sondern basiert anders als ein normaler Flashmob auf einer vorherigen Absprache mit den GeschäftsinhaberInnen. Im Vorfeld wird vereinbar, dass ein bestimmter Teil des durch den Flashmob verursachten Umsatzes für bestimmte sinnvolle Zwecke investiert wird. In Bonn findet am Samstag der erste Carrotmob beim Bioladen Biokultur auf dem Bonner Talweg statt. 20% des Umsatzes zwischen 13 und 16 Uhr fließen in Energiesparmaßnahmen und Klimaschutz. Der Carrotmob dreht also das Prinzip des Boykotts um und will positiv eine bestimmte Geschäftsidee belohnen. Das wiederum finde ich klasse und bewerbe die Aktion an dieser Stelle gerne. Leider kann ich wegen eines Seminars, das ich in Hannover halte, nicht teilnehmen. Kauft also bitte für mich mit!

Für morgen gilt zwischen 13 und 16 Uhr: Auf die Karrotte… fertig… eingekauft!

Mobbing for the planet!

Its been a close race, but with an overwhelming number of votes coming in this weekend Discovery Coffee pulled ahead to win our business with an amazing 59%, or 643, votes!

Thanks for your offer Discovery, it looks like the Mob is coming for you! (in a good way, we’re a friendly mob after all )

Now it’s onto the big day, International Climate Action Day that is, this Saturday October 24. Already we have bands getting ready to bust out their best tunes, an open mic, eco-friendly prizes to raffle off, and a photoshoot to display our event to the world on the massive screens in TIMES SQUARE as a part of 350.org! The Carrotmob event is on from 3:00-6:00PM @ 664 Discovery St. – however, revenue from the entire day will go towards green improvements at the cafe.

For more details on the event check out the Carrotmob-Victoria FaceBook Group, and join our Event. Share with your friends, spread the word, and join us for great tunes, drink, food, and company this Saturday!

A big thank you to all our other contenders (Cafe Bliss, Habit, Red Dragon Bistro, & Solstice Cafe)… it’s been a real blast having you guys on board and making such great offers. You’re all winners in our books!

We’ll see you there…!

Wie: Mette te Velde
Wat: mede-oprichter Strawberry Earth en journalist

Wat is Strawberry Earth?
Strawberry Earth is een platform voor creatieve, voornamelijk jonge mensen die wat overhebben voor een schoner milieu. Bestaande organisaties met vergelijkbare doelen hebben vaak een gebrek aan creativiteit en humor. We kwamen op het idee voor de naam toen we het Strawberry Fields Memorial bezochten, dat voor mij symbool staat voor het idealisme van de jaren 60. Wij nemen het stokje over. En een aardbei staat voor alles dat lekker, mooi en leuk is, en dat wat je zo wil houden en niet verpesten.
Wat doet Strawberry Earth precies?
Met acties geïnspireerd op carrotmobs uit Amerika hebben we een feest gegeven dat Strawberries and Cream heet in café Waldorf. Deze bar wilde het hoogste percentage van zijn omzet van het feest besteden aan de verduurzaming van hun pand in ruil voor een volle kroeg. Daarna kwam er een bedrijf dat gespecialiseerd is in duurzaam bouwen, Search, langs om gratis advies te geven. Hierna wilden we iets groters doen en hebben we bioscopen benaderd voor het eerste film festival met een groen thema. Met Strawberries and Cream haalden we €1200,- op en voor de verduurzaming van het Ketelhuis was dat meer dan €11500,-. Een groot succes dus! Wij vinden het belangrijk om een grote massa in beweging te krijgen en daarom kunnen mensen elkaar ontmoeten op de Strawberry Earth evenementen en daarna samenwerken. We willen ook direct iets waarmaken, omdat we namelijk willen laten zien dat je heel veel kan doen.
Waarom is Strawberry Earth nodig?
Mensen denken wel over duurzaamheid na, maar vinden het moeilijk om te beginnen. Ze hebben een duwtje in de rug nodig. Dat doen we door evenementen te organiseren. De traditionele groene doelgroep heb je al in je zak zitten, maar we willen ook buiten de cirkel breken en nieuwe mensen meetrekken met behulp van de creatieven. Die zijn daar over het algemeen heel goed in. Zij kunnen een trend zetten en zijn rolemodel voor de grote massa.
Waarom is een duurzame aarde belangrijk voor mensen?
We denken bij milieu snel aan bomen en dieren enzo, maar we zijn zelf ook onderdeel van het milieu. We zijn afhankelijk van het ecosysteem. Als het over zichzelf of over hun kinderen gaat dan spitsen mensen hun oren.
Wat is je wens voor de toekomst?
Mijn Strawberry Earth (ideale wereld) is: een plek waar iedereen toegang heeft tot schoon water, een schone lucht en producten waar geen gif in zit. De mens is in balans met de natuur.
Lieke Veld

Der erste Münchner CarrotMob fand am 17.10.2009 bei idealem Einkaufswetter statt: Saukalt war’s und geregnet hat’s in Strömen. Das hielt jedoch die CarrotMobber nicht davon ab, im “Löwenzahn” in der Lindwurmstraße 135 fleißig einzukaufen.

300 Leute folgten dem Aufruf und kauften zwischen 12.00 und 15.00 Uhr für 3.400 Euro ein, so dass mehr als 1.000 Euro für Energieeffizienzmaßnahmen zusammenkommen, die ausreichen werden, um den Laden sehr klimafreundlich zu machen: Der Inhaber des “Löwenzahn” hatte ausgelobt, 30% des Umsatzes, der an diesem Nachmittag erzielt wird, in Maßnahmen zur Energieeffizienz und in Ökostrom zu stecken. Details sieht man in dem netten Video zum CarrotMob München auf YouTube.

CarrotMob München am 17.10.2009 im "Löwenzahn"

Das schöne Sortiment im “Löwenzahn” macht es einem leicht, dort viel einzukaufen. Und so brachte ich dann auch Mengen an Obst, Gemüse, Wein, Käse und andere Bio-Spezereien vom “Löwenzahn” mit nach Hause.

Lustig war es überdies. Dafür sorgten GreenCity, Naomi Lawrence von StadtGorilla, RTL, die Band leckerTrio und all die CarrotMobber, die trotz des schlechten Wetters viel Freude hatten beim Einkaufs-Happening der besonderen Art.

Ein großes Kompliment an GreenCity für die gelungene Aktion! Und ein dickes “Dankeschön”. Es hat Spaß gemacht, dabei zu sein.

*NOTE: Looking for the competing Cafe’s and voting polls for Carrotmob Victoria? Just look two blog posts down…*

Just got some awesome news from Jamie Henn at 350.org, our partner organization for Carrotmob and International Climate Action Day…

(drumroll please…)

The 350.org team has just secured permission to display the 350 photos from around the world on the MASSIVE screens in the heart of New York City, with global media standing by to broadcast the story worldwide! That means that your photo can appear 30 feet tall for the world to see. We’ve always said that we want to inject this number deep into the information consciousness of the planet, and Times Square is about as close to the the mainstream as you can get.

The photos from the big day will all have the number 350 depicted in them somehow, and will act as a huge visual petition that we’ll send to world leaders. On the Monday after October 24th, the 350.org crew will be visiting UN headquarters to hand-deliver the photos to diplomats and delegates the world over.

Susan Jones, our official Carrotmob photographer will be at the event this Saturday snapping our pics! Lets get over 350 people to attend the event and make it on the big screen in the big apple. To keep posted with event details join our Facebook Group, tell your friends, and see you Saturday!

Hey all,

Poll results are now hidden. “Why oh why did they hide the poll results,” one may ask. Well, for two reasons:

1) We want the results to be a surprise. Right now the votes are flooding in and its anybodies game… so stay tuned to find out who wins this Monday!

2) It results in a more objective vote. Carrotmob is about ethics and values, and we want to keep it that way.

Thank you guys for your votes and spreading the word. The poll count is already +380 and rising! Keep sharing with friends, and if you haven’t already join our FaceBook Group.

See you on Oct.24!

On October 24th we are ganging up to “green” one cafe, but first we need your vote to choose our winner! Polls are officially open, and our competing cafes have posted their videos online for you to see what they are offering in return for your patronage.

Check ‘em out (just below our poll), place your vote, and find out who wins this Monday October.19.

Competitors are:

Cafe Bliss

The first business to jump in on Carrotmob, Bliss is an eco-minded AND vegan-friendly raw food cafe nestled in the heart of Chinatown. Heather, the owner, has already made some pretty cool improvements from the norm; they use no stove or gas (remember, its raw food); “to-go cups” are re-usable glass masonry jars with a lid for only a $1 deposit; all ingredients used in their food & drinks are 100% organic and as local as possible; biodegradable take-out containers and much more.

Bliss is offering 35% Revenues to fix their terrible secret… Old inefficient fridges! *Gasp*. Furthermore, Freezer seals may need to be replaced. Vote for Bliss to keep their fridges AND our climate cool.

Discovery Coffee

A family owned Gourmet Coffee roaster and espresso bar, Discovery Coffee heard about Carrotmob and responded with our largest offer! Their eco-initiatives include putting in energy efficient lighting, discounts for bringing your own mugs, a great waste management (recycling and composting included) program, and bike racks (they fought to get) for customers. Another point of pride for Discovery is their purchase of beans from areas where they are naturally in season.

Discovery’s offer: a whopping 100% Revenues! The Goal: A complete review from head to toe to improve as much as possible. Help this family go Green by voting for Discovery Coffee.

Habit

Habit is one of the Greenest Cafe’s in town (believe me, we checked it out) and tout such things as; approx. +40% above Fair Trade prices for farmers in Africa and education of organic practices; a phenomenal waste management system that results in one bin of garbage a MONTH; low-flow toilets and low water use mug cleaners; energy efficient lightbulbs; timed powerbars that switch off at night; a “we don’t buy crap we don’t need” policy; eco-friendly cleaners and bleach replacements; and ethical sources for all their supplies.

Habit is offering 50% of Revenues from Oct.24. to go towards the bills they are STILL paying off from all their green improvements, many of which were made this year! Support the “Green coffee King” of Victoria by voting for Habit.

Red Dragon Bistro

A provider of Fair Trade and Farmer Friendly coffee, Red Dragon Bistro is a beautiful spot right by the China Town’s gates.. hence its name, just look for the red dragon! This fiery family owned bistro & coffee roaster had PowerSmart come in and assess what energy efficiency improvements they could make, already use recyclable cups and containers, drive a hybrid vehicle, minimize plastic use, recycle and compost to reduce waste, and boast a beautiful garden!

Red Dragon has offered 20% Revenues to revamp their lighting (PowerSmart recommended), and implement a better composting system. Bring green fortune to Red Dragon by voting for them.

Solstice Cafe

8 years young, Solstice Cafe feels like a jazz club gone Green! The glass bottles for water are a nice touch, but aside from that they also provide Fair Trade and 100% organic coffee and additives, from the milk to the spice to the chocolate shavings. Organic ingredients are also used in the lunch menu, and composting, recycling, and eco-friendly cleaning products are all a part of the standard day at Solstice.

Solstice Cafe is offering 25% Revenues, and have an excellent plan for what they can do! It starts with low-flow toilets to save water, energy efficient hand-dryers (saves paper!), and if funds are available implementing heating & cooling improvements and better seals around their massive front windows.

*Note: For whatever reason this video could not be edited in iMovie.. so don’t expect anything fancy!

Shoppen für den Klimaschutz! Wer am 17.10.2009 seine Samstagseinkäufe erledigen muss/möchte/sollte, der kann dies im Lebensmittelladen “Löwenzahn” in der Lindwurmstraße 135 in München tun. Hier findet zwischen 12 und 15 Uhr der Carrotmob statt. Das Geschäft wird 30% des Umsatzes, der binnen der 3 Stunden erzielt wird, in Energieeffizienzmaßnahmen investieren. Vor Ort gibt es Live-Musik und DJ-Sets. Viele Informationen gibt es unter http://muenchen.carrotmob.org. Klick “Lies mehr” für das neue Carrotmob Video:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 7, 2009

Contact:

Katia Hower

(813) 918-8241

Generation.sustainable@gmail.com

Green Consumers to Mob Local Tea Lounge this Saturday

Tampa, FL – Eco-conscious consumers are expected to “mob” Kaleisia Tea Lounge in Tampa on Saturday, October 17. They are part of a new campaign called “Carrotmob” that rewards environmentally and socially responsible businesses with a mob of new customers.

Kaleisia is planning to make environmentally friendly changes to the store, focusing on energy efficiency and recycling efforts. Kaleisia has also pledged to make the store 100 percent Styrofoam free. If customers who patronize the tea lounge on October 17 spend enough money, Kaleisia will be able to pay for the costs of making the promised changes.

The first Carrotmob campaign took place in San Francisco in 2008. As The Economist reported, Carrotmobs are “shopping for a good cause,” throwing their dollars at stores who have agreed to make positive changes in the way they do business.

The Tampa Carrotmob is co-sponsored by Generation Sustainable, a Tampa-based organization dedicated to sustainable practices, and The Green Consulting Firm. Generation Sustainable co-founder and event organizer Katia Hower says, “Kaleisia has pledged at least 15 percent of Saturday’s sales to go directly toward environmentally friendly upgrades, but the owners are willing to budget more. These upgrades will help both the environment and Kaleisia’s bottom-line. Becoming more energy efficient will save Kaleisa money in the long run.”

Kaleisia co-owner Kim Pham says that Kaleisia tries to be as socially conscious as possible, but they haven’t had the resources to do more.  “We’re very grateful to Carrotmob and The Green Consulting Firm for helping us with the next step,” says Pham, who is looking forward to having in-store recycling and energy-efficient light bulbs.

Kaleisia Tea Lounge is located at 1441 East Fletcher Ave. and is open on Saturday from 10:00 am until 10:00 pm. For more information visit www.carrotmob.org.

# # #