Holland area duo Dan Kuipers and Kyle Denning have started a new company, Sustainable Energy Financing, LLC (SEF). SEF focuses on promoting project financing and financial advisory services for renewable energy projects throughout the world. ?Denning and Kuipers describe the renewable energy industry they work in as incredibly complex, having technical, policy and trade issues all contributing to an environment where developers often have difficulty explaining their plans to potential investors, and vice versa. "There's often times an information gap between those that want to develop and those that want to invest," Denning says. Besides starting this new venture, they are also in the process of acquiring Viability, a wholly owned subsidiary of Viability Ventures. The acquisition includes Viability Africa, which Denning co-founded with Viability Ventures while still an employee there.    Kulpers and Dunning say this acquisition provides them with a great deal of synergy and opportunity, especially with African-based projects. According to the duo, Viability Africa, LLC, based in Nairobi, Kenya, will focus on providing project financing and carbon credit development services for project developers across that continent. Although there are no plans to hire additional employees now, they hope to be able to double their team after six months. For more information you can visit their site here.  Source: Dan Kuipers and Kyle Denning, Managing Partners,  Sustainable Energy Financing, LLC Writer: John Rumery, innovation and jobs editor,

Grand Rapids-based professional services firm, dMStrategists, LLC, has developed Sustainability 360° (SBP360), a combination of web tools and strategic support services that enable companies of all sizes to plan, measure and monitor their internal and external sustainable business practices in real time and across multiple enterprises. According to Tom Melcher, president and CEO, the SBP360 is a platform designed to handle a wide variety of needs, such as  data collection, assessment and compliance. Melcher states that organizations that have begun in sustainability "find it to be a data monster." He goes on to say that SBP360 "can help any organization of any size gain traction in the sustainability marketplace." Their product is especially helpful for companies with multiple facilities and extended supply chains. SBP360 can be purchased with its standard features or customized and branded. Melcher says their product is intended to help organizations "move beyond data collection and focus more on analysis," which he feels will lead to a much higher level of operational efficiency and cost savings.   Melcher and dmStrategists developed Sustainability 360° in partnership with the Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College, Cascade Engineering/Quest Sustainable Solutions, and Florida-based NextLife. The product platform is now being rolled out nationally, although Melcher and his team will remain based in Grand Rapids. An online demonstration is available for anyone who is interested in more information. Source:  Tom Melcher, dMStrategists, LLC Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Writer

Four entrepreneurs pitched their ideas for businesses at The Factory on Thursday, Nov. 18, at the fifth in a series of scheduled events to promote entrepreneurism and build a "startup culture" in West Michigan. Dan Ryan pitched Canvas Hosting, a service that Ryan says "helps entrepreneurs focus on their idea by handling the hosting process." Ryan identified their market as primarily as entrepreneurs and non-enterprise "startups." Jason James explained his business, Michigan Film Reel, a site that was started nine months prior at a similar event. James was looking for feedback on structuring his operation as a non-profit. The third person to pitch was Jack Slingerland of CampaignAlytics, an email tracking and analytics service. Having used other campaign services, Slingerland felt his product offered superior analytics at a more affordable price. The eventual "winner" of the evening, as voted by the attendees, was Nathan Bashaw from Lansing. Bashaw pitched Thoughtback, a business launched at the Lansing Startup Weekend only two weeks prior. His concept is a web application that allows a user to capture their thoughts, ideas and  inspirations digitally "when they happen," and then access at a later time for follow-up. At the Startup West Michigan pitch night events, presenters have five minutes to pitch and five minutes for Q & A. For more information you can visit their website. Sources: Jason James, Nathan Bashaw, Jack Slingerland, Dan Ryan Writer: John Rumery

Grand Rapids DJs Chia and DJames have had years of kickin' out the jams at local haunts and they've had it up to here with watching intoxicated patrons stagger out, car keys in hand. That's why Michael "Chia" Kowalczyk and James "DJames" Littell launched GR Safe Ride this week, a service that provides safe passage home for tipsy peeps… in their own cars. "We feel passionately about this service," Kowalczyk says. "We see too many people leave the bar and drive home. And we've taken too many friends back to their cars after taking a taxi home the night before only to find they've gotten a ticket. The cost is really high."Not to mention the extreme costs and complications of receiving a DUI, as well as the dangers a drunk driver poses to themselves and others. GR Safe Ride sends two drivers on every call; Driver 1 takes the client home in the client's own car -- an arrangement that keeps any unexpected "cookie tossing" within the client's own four walls, so to speak. Driver 2 follows the car and picks up Driver 1 after the client arrives safely at his/her destination. Riders can make arrangements in advance, but Kowalczyk says he expects most of the business will come from people who didn't expect to have one too many at an office party or at dinner. Kowalczyk, 34, and Littell, 36, have placed $5-off coupons at various bars and eateries in downtown Grand Rapids. They're getting the word out about the service on their Facebook page and other social media, and they plan to have bumper stickers and T-shirts available soon. Bartenders, bouncers or folks needing a Safe Ride home from anywhere in downtown Grand Rapids can call 616-401-0359. GR Safe Ride will pick up the rider and drive them anywhere within 10 miles of the pickup point for $45 (cash only, for now). Any ride beyond 10 miles is an additional $5 for every three miles. First time riders get $5 off the ride. GR Safe Ride currently employs four drivers. Kowalczyk hopes to expand the service area and the number of drivers throughout West Michigan. Source: Michael Kowalczyk, GR Safe RideWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

After downsizing in 2008, Carlton Technologies has been experiencing robust growth for two years. According to excerpts from the story in Mlive: Unlike for many companies, 2009 was a good year for Carlton Technologies Inc., which repairs and services bar code scanners and data collection devices for the food and retail industries. The company improved its bottom line by 21 percent last year and is projecting a 2010 sales increase of 30 percent, according to company President Ryan Bracken. You can read the entire story here:

WZZM13 News reports that Calvin College has 421 students studying abroad, including studies in 30 countries on six continents. That participation has garnered the institution the number two spot on the national ranking by the Institute of International Education.According to excerpts from the story:The 2010 Open Doors report ranks Calvin second nationally among baccal.aureate institutions for the total number of students who participate in a short-term duration study abroad. The school ranks sixth in that same category for number of international students studying on campus. According to the 2010 report, which recounts data from the previous school year, Calvin ranks second in its category with 421 students studying abroad in semester programs, interims and other programs. Read the complete story here.