Business

Conscious Lifestyle is proud of the amazing mentors it matches with each of its ventures, and Grace Simmons is a good example of these high quality individuals.

A Summa cum laude graduate of Boston College with degrees in Political Science and Philosophy, Grace is now a student at Harvard Business School. In college, she was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa during her junior year, and was named “Most Outstanding Graduate.” Her professional experience includes such positions as Private Equity Associate with PRTM Management Consultants; Special Assistant to PRTM’s Global Managing Director; and co-leader of a Quadrennial Net Assessment mandated by Homeland and National Security. Her leadership experience includes a one-year tenure as President of the BC Undergraduate Government; membership on the Advisory Board for a Catholic Church initiative sponsored by the BC President; and acting as a delegate at the US Naval Academy Leadership Conference. Grace is also active in community service: she is a Board Member for the BC Alumni Association, a member of the Junior League of Washington, an Executive Liaison for Americans for Informed Democracy, and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. In her free time, Grace enjoys running, hiking, letter-writing, piano-playing, and traveling and serving abroad.

We are lucky to have such wonderful individuals as Grace and her peers as Conscious Lifestyle mentors!

Key factors can certainly influence people to eat at one particular restaurant instead of another: the eatery’s service, its sanitation grade, and above all, the quality of the food. But do you ever consider where you will eat based on how green a restaurant is? The next time you choose where to eat, check out izzitgreen.com. IzzitGreen provides online reviews for restaurants and other businesses, evaluating their degree of eco-friendliness. The site is driven by consumers like you and me because it is us who contribute our opinions, add the ratings, and inspire companies to become more environmentally conscious.

You read all sorts of ratings in your everyday life, but never have you come across a place that gives you the opportunity to judge something by their goodness and greenness (or lack thereof). IzzitGreen changes this exact notion. Here is a tidbit behind their reasoning: “If you care about the state of our planet, you need to know ‘is it good’ and IzzitGreen? Just like peanut butter and jelly or Pinky and The Brain, ‘good’ and ‘green’ are fine on their own. But when they get together…that’s when greatness happens.”

IzzitGreen asks you to ponder, “What goes in”, “What comes out”, “How’s it run” and “What [businesses] care about,” before utilizing your purchasing power. Although it is still in the beta version and only available in Boston, the site will soon expand and will definitely help individuals help each other make wiser lifestyle choices. Browse through IzzitGreen’s guides to learn more on what it means for various establishments (coffee shops, dry cleaners, florists, food, movie theaters, nightlife, restaurants, and yoga & gym) to be green.

Photo courtesy of Toshiba.

Well, it's about time. We have stations just for men, women, and even animals, so why not for our own mother Earth? Launching in June 2008, Planet Green aims to produce programming that promotes healthy, mindful living while demonstrating how to take care of this planet we call home.

"By representing a broad range of ideas and perspectives," Green's Website states, "Planet Green is taking an active role in generating conversation and motivating individuals to take action when it comes to improving the environmental status of our planet."

Want to know more? Want to see more? Well, if you didn't catch it last week, next Saturday, (April 26th) TLC will be re-airing the sneak peek featuring two of Planet Green's brand new shows

At 7 pm (EST) watch WA$TED! -- a show led by host Annabelle Gurwitch and "green" handyman Holter Graham, as they audit a household's waste, as well as its energy, water and transportation consumption. Each household has three weeks to reduce its consumption, going on a “green regime” to clean up their act.

Then, at 7:30, Greenovate, a new series that lets viewers watch as home improvements ranging from the simple change of a light bulb to the drastic installation of a “living roof” are made to reduce energy bills and carbon footprints, while increasing the value of their homes.

More information on Planet Green, their shows, and various tips and informational eco-articles can be found on the Planet Greenwebsite. Don't forget to check out TLC to see what time Planet Green will be re-airing in your neck of the woods, and don't miss out on more of their sneak previews in the upcoming weeks!