BASE Resource Partners

BASE works with a range of Resource Partners to provide BASE Members with pro-bono business development services in areas including: funding, law, marketing and brand strategy, business development, accounting and IT. The relationship provides a business development opportunity with a vetted set of sustainable businesses for the Resource Partner and an opportunity for the BASE Members to access high quality business development services on a one-on-one basis. BASE continues to develop relationships with new Resource Partners on an ongoing basis.

BASE Members, contact Anna Kotchagova 919.962.4259), to connect with a Resource Partner.

Funding

Old Peak Capital
Old Peak Capital is an investment bank focused on sustainable businesses in the southeast U.S. We believe the world must shift toward sustainable production and consumption of energy, food and water. Talented entrepreneurs will build many new businesses to make this transformation happen. Old Peak Capital's mission is to empower those businesses by connecting them with investors and other sources of finance. Rick Waechter, Old Peak Capital's founder, played a lead role in completing transactions worth $50 billion over 15 years with Merrill Lynch. We are based in North Carolina's research triangle area.

Contact: Rick Waechter, Founder

Law

Hutchison Law Group
Hutchison Law Group provides strategic business and intellectual property-related legal counsel to leading technology companies throughout the Southeast. Our attorneys make it their business to understand how technology companies and other innovators function and to help clients turn their visions into reality. Hutchison Law Group helps our clients succeed with an array of legal counsel, advice and networking. As good business partners, we understand that delivering value well beyond the expected helps our clients achieve extraordinary things.

Contact: Justyn Kasierski

NC LEAP
is the premier provider of pro bono business and transactional law services for entrepreneurs operating in the state's low-wealth communities, or employing persons who live in such areas. NC LEAP also serves as a network through which the state's business law community can work with entrepreneurs to address systematic legal barriers to economic development in North Carolina's low-wealth communities. BASE is working with NC LEAP to provide quarterly legal clinics to BASE Members.

Smith Anderson
Since our founding in 1912, Smith Anderson has grown to become the largest Research Triangle-based business and litigation law firm and one of the largest in North Carolina. Representing diverse organizations with local, state, national and international interests, for our 96-year history our lawyers have remained committed to understanding clients' businesses and customizing legal solutions accordingly. We provide a full range of general corporate, securities, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, contracting, venture capital and intellectual property advice to clients ranging from startups to established public companies, many in the fields of technology and sustainable enterprises. Our clients also include firms who provide funding and services to these companies themselves, including venture capital funds and firms, business consultants and investment banks.

Contact: Mike Saber, Partner

Walker Lambe
Established in 1983, Walker, Lambe, Rhudy & Costley, PLLC has been providing exemplary legal services to clients in and around the Research Triangle area for over 25 years. We believe in the practice of "preventative law" — with a focus on averting legal complications before they arise. The partners of Walker, Lambe, Rhudy & Costley, PLLC, represent more than 100 years of combined legal experience and a reputation for exceeding client expectations. It isn't just about law, it's about soul. Beyond the practice of law, the staff and attorneys at Walker, Lambe, Rhudy & Costley, PLLC have dedicated themselves to the betterment of their community and their fellow citizens. Such dedication is manifested in a strong and proud tradition of community service. The people of Walker, Lambe, Rhudy & Costley, PLLC have given generously to many cultural, educational, artistic, and community-related groups throughout North Carolina. At Walker, Lambe we believe the culture within our firm not only guides us but also reflects outwardly in the work we do voluntarily to sustain and enrich our city and our region.

Contact: Vaddrick Parker, Attorney

Marketing and Brand Strategy

Right Brain Brand Consulting
At Right Brain Branding Consultants, we have worked hard at becoming the best in strategic design and brand development. Fresh thinking, strong design concepts and the ability to listen and respond rapidly to our clients needs has positioned us as a leader in our market. Utilizing a rigorous five step process we call The Right B.R.A.I.N. Process, dozens of companies from start-up entrepreneurial ventures to well-established Fortune 500 companies have turned to us to develop and build equity and value into their most valuable asset — their brand. From Brand Strategy to Design Implementation, we're always thinking about your brand, so whether you are just starting out or need direction with where your brand is taking you, Right Brain Branding Consultants have the knowledge, expertise and right brain to deliver an integrated design and branding solution to strengthen your position in the marketplace and build your brand.

Springleaf Strategies
Springleaf Strategies is a marketing consulting firm focused on helping businesses grow through planning and implementation of marketing initiatives. We specialize in the real estate and sustainability industries by helping companies communicate their values, mission and goals to a broader community. We believe everyone can make a difference. Our decisions in how we live, work, and play have a significant and far-reaching impact on the world. We believe sustainability is a way of thinking, not a pedestal. Sustainability and environmental responsibility are growing concerns in the business community and society as a whole. Your business operations and marketing activities reflect these values.

Contact: Evelyn Contre, Managing Director

The Change
The Change is a brand creation and design agency with an agenda to make the world fairer, longer lasting, and less corporate. We identify the core traits of a brand and develop them with personality and credibility. Because the real thing beats the fake thing every time. The key is to present your reality believably, compellingly, and free of the manipulative bullshit. What we do works. It's clear to us that the world needs improvement. So we only work for entities whose growth makes the world fairer, greener or truer. We recognize that commercial, corporate, and organizational communication must compete not only for attention, but for credibility. (There are as many reasons to disbelieve as to believe). Therefore, we focus not only on messaging, but on building a clear, authentic, enduring identity for the messenger.

Business Development

ActionCOACH
The role of the business coach is to coach business owners to improve their business through guidance, support and encouragement. The company helps the owners of small and medium sized businesses with their sales, marketing, management, team building and so much more. Just like a sporting coach, your business coach will make you focus on the game. As the world of business moves faster and becomes more competitive, having business coach is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity. Based on the sales, marketing and business management systems created by Brad Sugars, your ActionCOACH is trained to not only show you how to increase your business revenues and profits, but also how to develop your business so that you as the owner can work less and relax more.

Converdant
Converdant is a business services provider that infuses creativity and sustainability into the launch, management or rejuvenation of your enterprise. Our Business Building Services blend innovation and triple-bottom line analysis with entrepreneurial strategy and sound business principles to help you ensure the growth and long-term prosperity of your organization. Our goal is to support you in creating a highly differentiated company that is fiscally robust, soundly managed, fosters a culture of creativity and is a valued asset to your community.

Contact: Danvers Fleury

Financial Directions
Financial Directions was founded with the goal of assisting its clients in every aspect of their financial lives. For each of its clients they strive to help create financial stability and security to provide financial independence. The company provides professional services to businesses in the areas of employee benefits, health and welfare plans, retirement plan, benefits and human resources consulting and executive incentive plans and owner benefit plans.

Triple Bottom Line Consulting
The new measure of success for a company is the triple bottom line: financial profitability, social equity, and environmental sustainability. Triple Bottom Line Consulting supports companies implementing this vision by addressing the strategic, financial and leadership implications of adopting this operating philosophy. Driven by customers, employees and investors, companies have the opportunity to improve market share, attract and retain key employees, and attract new investors focused on Socially Responsible Investments (SRIs).

Contact: Leesa Sluder, Founder and President

Accounting

Stancil & Company
Since 1971, Stancil & Company has been providing a full array of professional services including accounting and auditing services, tax planning and compliance, IRS representation, management and computer consulting, and trusts and estate planning. These services have enhanced value and produced tangible results to our client base of closely-held businesses, not-for-profit organizations, professional service organizations and individuals.

Contact: Diane Helms, CPA, Audit Manager

Information Technology

ifPeople
ifPeople helps organizations that make the world a better place to use internet technology to communicate and collaborate. By integrating web software with communication strategy, their solutions enable nonprofits and businesses to manage information, build strong relationships, and foster online collaboration. ifPeople make technology accessible, simple, and user-friendly so their clients can easily update website content, keep in touch with contacts, and engage with site visitors. Their approach is to ensure you have everything you need to succeed and includes interactive project management, strategic consulting, custom software development, and ongoing training and support.

EAC Solutions
Technology should not be complicated. Through EAC, nonprofit organizations and small businesses are provided with access to affordable technological solutions. EAC products are simple, but effective. EAC technologies are award winning, and best in industry. EAC applies user-friendly, collaborative, and innovative methods to make technology work for its customers.

Justin Tyler Wiley
Justin Tyler Wiley is a certified Information Technology Project Manager and application developer. He has over ten years of experience helping public and private sector clients to evaluate their information technology needs, design and deploy state-of-the-art software, and implement agile development practices. Examples of commercial projects he has worked with include Near-Time, an enterprise class collaborative content management system, and Prepchamps.com, a social networking site serving 50,000 high-school athletes nation wide. As a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, he helped raise awareness of Open Source technology, and helped create and obtain funding for SME.Net — an E-commerce market place for small and medium businesses based in the central Philippines. Justin is a Comp-TIA certified IT project manager, and has created applications using the Ruby/Rails framework, PHP, Java and a variety of other technologies.