From Facade Frustration to Tech Triumph: The Green Potential Story

Hi friends,

Welcome to my first newsletter of 2024! The year kicked off with a bang for me as I attended a transformative Jack Daly event. For those unfamiliar, Jack Daly is a renowned sales coach, author, and speaker. Thanks to my friend Larry Zogby at RDS Same Day Delivery , known for those ubiquitous green vans gracing the streets of NYC, I had the privilege of attending.

Jack's powerful insights on maintaining a growth mindset resonated deeply, setting the tone for the year ahead. Speaking of growth, my chosen word for 2024 is none other than "GROWTH." Coincidence or serendipity? Who's to say!

As part of my growth journey, I've set ambitious goals, including fostering strategic partnerships that facilitate mutual referrals. Enter Amit Shah, MS , the visionary founder of Green Potential . I initially read about him in Habitat Magazine 's article "Tapping Into Low Carbon Pathway Funds ," as we at The Folson Group is always keeping up with industry news to find the best solutions for our coop and condo clients.

Listen in to this candid interview to hear how this groundbreaking technology platform reshaping the landscape of board’s access to vendors. Dive into Amit's journey as he shares the inspiration behind his venture and the pivotal role it plays in transforming New York City buildings' sustainably and cost-efficiency.

Me: Amit, let's start at the beginning. What led you to establish Green Potential?

Amit: In 2019, I was three years into being the treasurer of my building. I asked the board president if we could stop the bandaid fixes that required us to repoint the fa?ade every year and instead go for an overhaul would solve the ongoing problem with the facade. Over the course of the prior two years, we had increased HOA fees and switched a few vendors to help increase the reserves. So, I thought, we were well positioned to afford a major fa?ade repair. She agreed. So, I started the process to find an architect and interviewed the entire list of registered architects in New York Passive House – all 63 of them!

You interviewed 63 architects? That sounds incredibly time-consuming. How did this lead to the idea of Green Potential?

The idea came from my experience – no one should sift through 63 architects, and transparency in the construction market is sorely lacking. I wanted to integrate tech into real estate, eliminating the hurdles I faced. Hence, Green Potential was born.

The lack of transparency in vendor selection and the subsequent facade incident fueled my determination to change the game.

I couldn’t agree more with the lack of transparency in both the construction market and all aspects of property management. Can you elaborate on how Green Potential streamlines sustainable building improvements?

Absolutely. We start with audits, we perform either ASHRAE Level II audit or provide Local Law 87 audit to any building ready to engage us. Using NYSERDA incentives, we’re able to undercut the current market rates considerably. Then our platform offers an all-inclusive digital solution, focusing on Vendor Sourcing and Financial Assistance. We connect coop and condo boards, and building owners with reliable vendors, cutting through the opacity of the construction market. Our goal is to make sustainable and cost-effective improvements accessible to everyone.

How does Green Potential address the challenges you faced personally?

It ensures that no one has to endure the painstaking time-consuming process I went through. By providing a transparent platform, and using data to understand vendor target demographics better, we empower property managers to make informed decisions and execute projects efficiently.

What's the vision for Green Potential moving forward?

Our vision is to help building boards (owners) and property managers save time and money by getting them started on their projects. Right now, the biggest hurdles to getting started is not understanding WHAT to do. Then the question becomes WHO should you pursue that with? Our audits help owners understand what projects are available and affordable to the building. Our marketplace will help you determine who is the best vendor fit for the project. Leveraging data, and AI we can help our building ownership move more confidently with their construction projects. We aim to democratize access to reliable vendors, making sustainable improvements the norm rather than the exception.

Curious to explore how Green Potentia l can revolutionize your building improvements? Visit their website and take the first step towards a safer, more sustainable future for your coop or condo. Let them know that you found out about them from this article.

Are you facing Local Law 97 challenges or planning building improvements? Green Potential’s platform is here to guide you seamlessly through understanding projects available and the best vendor to utilize to complete those projects. Together, let's build a greener future.

And that’s music to our ears at The Folson Group !

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Amit!

Want to share a problem with me?

If you are a resident manager, super, board member, or a service provider that serves them? Reach out as I would love to hear all about it! You know how people don’t want to hear people complain? If it pertains to NYC coop and condo living – I do??

You can also join me at my monthly LinkedIn Live "The Coop & Condo Lounge," to get your answers right there and then. Every 2nd Monday of the month at 12pm EST. Join me on February 12th!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tina Larsson is the powerhouse behind The Folson Group and published author of Living the High Life, How smart co-op and condo owners protect themselves and their investment , get the book . The Folson Group is New York City’s premier coop and condo consultant specializing in increasing property values by supporting boards with operational efficiency. At The Folson Group, we understand that volunteering to your coop or condo board is complex and time consuming. We enable and inspire co-op or condo board engagements to be filled with a feeling of accomplishment, excitement, meaning, happiness, and increased probability of success.

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