CLEANTECH SAN DIEGO LAUNCHES MENTORING PROGRAM WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

February 16, 2011 (San Diego) -- In an effort led by the Small Business Administration and Department of Energy, CleanTECH San Diego has been selected as an accelerating organization of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps (EMC), a collaborative among the Clean Energy Trust of Chicago, Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization of Incline Village, Nevada, and the Clean Tech Open of San Francisco.

The Environmental Mentor Corps is part of a national effort to implement policies that provide resources to support the green economy, facilitating the proliferation of cutting-edge technology research and development. As a component of Startup America, a White House initiative to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation, the EMC will provide a platform to accelerate DOE funded companies as they continue to refine and develop their technologies.

Through this program, CleanTECH San Diego will match small cleantech businesses with qualified subject experts who will provide business, financial, and technical mentoring to accelerate the commercialization of their renewable energy technology. This initial component of the EMC pilot will provide mentoring for 100 small, clean energy companies. CleanTECH San Diego's partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will help commercialize new technologies and grow successful businesses. CleanTECH San Diego will convene companies from the West Coast, Colorado, and New Jersey and provide them with networking opportunities, webinars, leadership events, and national conferences.

"Once again, San Diego has been identified as a leader in the cleantech space," said Jason Anderson, Vice President of CleanTECH San Diego. "This partnership with the SBA and DOE solidify our efforts to support the growth and success of early-stage cleantech companies. We look forward to working with both agencies to accelerate the growth of young cleantech companies."

"Who better for entrepreneurs and startups to learn from than CleanTECH San Diego - who has been down a similar path before," Mills said. "CleanTECH San Diego can provide valuable insights critical to small business' success; from opportunities for financing, advice on hiring to even walking an entrepreneur through steps for taking a product or idea into the commercial market. The Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps will mobilize some of the best and brightest business leaders to help create the same opportunities for success for the next generation as well as drive innovation and job creation in Southern California." SBA Administrator Karen Mills.

For more information about CleanTECH San Diego please visitwww.CleanTECHSanDiego.org or contact Jason Anderson atjasona@cleantechsandiego.org.

About CleanTECH San Diego
CleanTECH San Diego is a non-profit membership organization formed to accelerate San Diego as a world leader in the clean technology economy. It is a catalyst that serves as the hub for a diverse group of stakeholders to advance a common agenda. CleanTECH San Diego advocates for new sources of investment capital, workforce development, international trade, federal and state research funding, targeted regulation, and sustainable land-use planning and development.