Can technology save the world? Most of the biggest brands think they can. Yet, as small upstarts start getting real traction with innovation, they are faced with the challenge of building strong brands as big players change the products, services and business models they offer to the marketplace. By Sandy Skees

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As a center of innovation, Silicon Valley is an ideal place to gather and review its own technological prowess in addressing climate change, resource depletion, soaring energy needs, and the integration of policy and business in deploying massive scale solutions.
 
I recently attended GreenNet2010, produced by GigaOM, a one-day conference that showcased technology solutions aimed at responding to the social and ecological challenges facing our world.  From energy production and management companies to new transportation solutions, alongside close looks at the smart grid and IT as a solution provider, over 500 attendees heard from established brands and early stage innovators.
 
What struck me is the almost giddy enthusiasm for the enormous market opportunities available to the companies who most quickly and creatively address climate change, transportation issues, grid complexities, energy creation and management.  Venture capitalists, engineers, public utilities, and technologists are enthused and optimistic about their ability to solve these intractable problems and make money in the process.
 
Imagine a panel with Better Place,Ford, OnStar, Nissan, and PG&E al discussing how they are both individually and collectively addressing the need to radically transform our transportation industry to reduce its 30% contribution to GHG. “We are in a unique era where we’ve never had this many stakeholders trying to affect this big of a change, in this small period of time,” said Saul ZambranoDirector, Integrated Demand-side Management Core Products, Pacific Gas and Electric Company.  To a man (and they were all men), they communicated their personal commitment and satisfaction in participating in the transformation. 
 
Their language of goodness was a welcome dimension in the overall discussion of trillion dollar market opportunities.
 
Don’t get me wrong; I am a capitalist with the best of them.
 
However, as those on the car panel demonstrated, we all need to discuss, make space for, and value these other attributes.  Purpose and meaning, according to Dan Pink,are the very things that motivate us.  This is where the playing field levels a bit for large and small businesses.
 
Big brands like Ford and PG&E can share the world stage with upstarts like Lit Motors(also at the conference but not on stage – my opening point exactly) because what they share is an intention – to leverage business acumen and technological prowess to meet environmental and social challenges.
 
It will be interesting to watch the big players compete with the small innovators.  Pitting imagination and cleverness that is not hemmed in by existing infrastructure and assumptions against the ability to scale and dominate.  I think it’s going to be a matter of both/and.  It will take small players and large organizations to create solutions and deploy them broadly and quickly. 
 
At the heart of both approaches is, frankly, the heart.  As we learn more about the cost of natural resource depletion, the power to galvanize people through campaigns like presenter 350.org, and hear from panelist like Bill GrossCEO of Idealab who links his solar efforts back to childhood passion and shop tinkering, we will be engaged because our hearts are engaged.  Brands both small and large – that trust and have the courage to communicate – their interior purpose will be the players who lead the technology transformation and reap its benefits.

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Sandy Skees, CEO and founder of Communications4Good, provides businesses, early stage companies and organizations with sustainability analysis, communications counseling and program implementation.

With more than 20 years experience at global and boutique agencies, as well as corporate marketing experience at an international technology company, Sandy is recognized for highly developed problem solving skills that bring communications solutions to Fortune 100 corporations. Previously a partner at Porter Novelli, she managed the global HP account team in 20 cities/10 countries around the world and served on the Global Citizen Task Force and Pro Bono Initiative, working with Vday and Freedom from Hunger.