9.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 05/12/2026
- Co-Submitter:
- Creag Znetko
- From:
- Denae Presler, Climate Analyst
TITLE
Green Business Boot Camp Overview and Update
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Information Only
Executive Summary:
The Flagstaff Green Business Boot Camp is a seven-week program designed to equip locally owned and operated businesses and nonprofits with the knowledge and skills to reduce their utility and operational costs, advance their sustainability efforts, and connect with technical and financial resources. To date, 27 local businesses have graduated from the program across four cohorts. This presentation discusses the program's format, its impacts, and graduates' first-hand experiences. Further details are available in the attached Green Business Boot Camp Executive Summary Report, authored by Local First Arizona.
Information:
The City of Flagstaff Sustainability and Economic Development teams partnered with Local First Arizona to offer the Flagstaff Green Business Boot Camp to local businesses and nonprofit organizations for the past two years. Through the program, participants hear from local experts on topics including energy, water, waste, transportation, and financing as they develop cost-saving projects to make their operations more sustainable. The program culminates in participants “pitching” the projects they’ve developed. Graduates of the program also receive one year of free technical support from Local First Arizona and access to the low-interest Green Loan Fund. This year, participants had the opportunity to compete for Innovate Green funding from the City and for Intuit Grants, introduced by Local First Arizona, to support the implementation of their projects.