THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COALITION HIRES JOSH DORFMAN AS NEW DIRECTOR OF ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COALITION HIRES JOSH DORFMAN AS NEW DIRECTOR OF ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
Asheville, N.C., April 4, 2014 – The Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County (EDC) has announced Josh Dorfman as the new Director of Entrepreneurial Development. Dorfman will assist high-impact local entrepreneurs in acquiring the resources they need to grow, from workforce talent to capital, and in navigating the path to a successful high-growth business model. By cultivating new and existing entrepreneurial resources and establishing a stronger mentoring network, the EDC will help budding entrepreneurs learn from business-savvy experts and the many innovative, industry-leading businesses thriving in Buncombe County.
Dorfman brings over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur in green and start-up companies, including Quidsi, an Amazon company that developed Vine.com, an e-commerce retailer for natural products. His own venture, Vivavi, a green furniture retailer with showrooms in Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, was named to Inc. Magazine’s “The Green 50” in 2006 as one of the leading entrepreneurial companies driving the sustainability revolution. Dorfman was also Vice President of Marketing for GoodGuide, a “Fast Company 50” information provider for green consumer products.
Dorfman is known to many as the Lazy Environmentalist, which began as a blog and expanded into a book series, daily radio show on SiriusXM, and an award-winning reality television series on Sundance Channel that he hosted and produced. He has appeared widely on TV and radio shows, including Morning Joe, Fox & Friends, The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch, The Martha Stewart Show and NPR’s All Things Considered.
As a noted speaker on sustainability and green business topics, Dorfman has addressed audiences at Google, Volkswagen, PepsiCo, The Anthony Robbins Companies, The Aspen Institute, The New York Federal Reserve Bank, The Yale School of Management and many others. He holds an MBA from Thunderbird, The School of Global Management, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
“Josh’s personal experience with high-growth and sustainability-minded business makes him a natural fit for leading Buncombe County’s entrepreneurial community to the next level. He’ll be an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs with big ideas leading to new high-tech, good-paying jobs for the many talented people eager to work, play and live in the Asheville area,” said Ben Teague, Senior Vice President/Executive Director for the EDC.
“I’m thrilled about the opportunity to join and build on the momentum of Asheville’s thriving entrepreneurial and green enterprises. With access to the right resources, these creative minds can turn original ideas into job creating engines and yield an even better quality of life for our community,” said Josh Dorfman, Director of Entrepreneurial Development for the EDC.
The EDC for Asheville-Buncombe County is a public-private partnership committed to: creating and retaining high quality jobs, community leadership, and being a resource for better business decisions. The EDC accomplishes this mission through its four core services: business retention and expansion, small business and entrepreneurship, research, and marketing and recruitment. The EDC is funded by Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, the Town of Weaverville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the AVL 5×5 Campaign. Visit www.ashevillechamber.org/economic-development.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a member organization with over 1,800 member businesses and organizations. Chamber members collaborate with community organizations and coalitions to support the community and each other with the mission of building community through business. The Chamber is home to a 4,000 square foot Visitor Center which welcomes over 200,000 visitors per year. To get active in the Chamber, visit www.ashevillechamber.org.