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VIREO SYSTEMS INC.
305 Williams Ave. (Madison) Website: vireosystems.com CEO: Mark Faulkner Background: Faulkner has started and anchored five companies over a 20-year period. Vireo makes pain relief and health products and Mark Faulkner eco-friendly laundry detergents and cleaners. Employees: 11 Faulkner speaks: “We enjoy being underestimated by competition and the market, and then surprising both.”
VIVERE HEALTH
720 Cool Springs Blvd. (Franklin) Website: http://viverehealth.com CEO: Joe Cashia Background: Cashia is a health-care entrepreneur who was founder of National Renal Alliance, a dialysis services provider that grew to Joe Cashia more than 45 clinics in 10 states before being acquired by Renal Advantage in 2008. Vivere is a leading provider of fertility services.
Employees: 8 Cashia speaks: “The secret to Vivere’s success in the specialty of fertility medicine is a unique partnership model in which Vivere enters joint-venture relationships with physicians to create fertility centers of excellence … to contribute higher pregnancy success rates through assisted reproductive technologies.”
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE BURGER UP
2901 12th Ave. S. (Nashville) Website: burger-up.com CEO: Miranda Pontes Background: Burger Up opened in May 2010 with the idea of fostering a community and thoughtful consuming. Employees: 70 Pontes speaks: “We Miranda hire those recently out Pontes of jail and provide a safe place for them to change their life. … We support farms demonstrating sustainable farm practices along with humane … treatment of animals from birth to processing.”
MAGDALENE INC. DBA THISTLE FARMS
5122 Charlotte Ave. (Nashville)
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Website: thistlefarms.org CEO: Becca Stevens Background: As founding executive director of Magdalene, a residential community for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction; Stevens has raised over $12 million. Magdalene houses up to 27 women is six residences in Becca Stevens Nashville. Thistle Farms sells bath and body care products in 150 stores while providing training and employment for its residents and graduates. Employees: 6 Stevens speaks: “Success is measured by the changes our employees make in their lives, by the savings to Nashville’s criminal justice system and by our efforts to support other communities in helping homeless and addicted women.”
MENTOR TENNISSEE
Nashville Website: mentortennissee.org Founder: Jeff Berry Background: Nonprofit after-school tennis, tutoring and life skills development program for at-risk youth. Berry resides in New York City, where he is an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley. Mentor TennisSee programs take place on the Vanderbilt campus and are led by Vanderbilt students. Employees: 1 Berry speaks: “Most of our volunteers have demanding jobs and family responsibilities, but make time for Mentor TennisSee because of their interest in the program’s mission.”
YOUTHMERCH
121 Seaboard Lane, Suite 11 (Franklin) Website: youthmerch.com CEO: Austin Casselman Background: A Nashville native, Casselman started YouthMerch four years ago as a social enterprise company that provides screen printing, embroidery and promoAustin tional items to compaCasselman nies worldwide. Employees: 12 Casselman speaks: “We believe that we are an asset to our clients and not a vendor. Through this, relationships are built and trust becomes more important than price. Because of this approach we have doubled our revenue in the worst of economic times.”
SUSTAINABILITY ASHBUSTERS CHIMNEY SERVICE INC.
1120 Courier Place (Smyrna) Website: ashbusters.com CEO: Mark Stoner Background: The company is a chimney sweep, repair and chimney safety operation. Stoner started Ashbusters in 1985. Employees: 20 Stoner speaks: An avowed self-improvement disciple when it comes to business principles, Stoner said he came to understand Mark Stoner “that I was the main roadblock to growth.” He “had to redefine and rebuild” Ashbusters several times through the years to keep it thriving.
(N)HABIT
427 Chestnut St. (Nashville) Website: n-habit.net CEO: Rachel Martin Background: A privately held sustainability and alternative energy company in business less than two years. It provides environmentally sustainable building and remodeling supplies, and sustainable design and consulting services. Employees: 2 Martin speaks: “We didn’t start this to make a bunch of money, but we are doing pretty well now that we have really finetuned the operations and found out what Nashville needs and doesn’t need.”
EARTHSAVERS LLC
P.O. Box 60945 (Nashville) Website: earthsavers.org CEO: Bobby Bandy Background: Bandy is founder and chief manager of EarthSavers, a full-service recycling company started nearly a decade ago. The company has 4,000 clients. EarthSavers picks up all waste in one truck, reducing emissions and road wear and tear. Employees: 14 Bandy speaks: “We are encouraged by local and Bobby Bandy state commitments to growing Tennessee’s green economy and are delighted to be a part of it. We put recycling first and waste hauling second.”
LIGHTWAVE SOLAR
3026 Owen Drive, Suite 107 (Antioch) Website: lightwavesolar.com CEO: Steve Johnson Background: Johnson has been in the electrical construction business for 30 years and has been working closely with