Ecopalooza

The Ecopalooza Project is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 with the mission to promote the use of technology and science  in the Portland Community through creative thought. The Ecopalooza Project works locally in ways that promise more sustainable living for future generations. The Ecopalooza Project presents Ecopalooza, a 100% Solar-Powered Wine and Jazz Concert using 100% clean energy on Saturday, July 23, 2011. Proceeds from the concert will enable the donation of a solar panel array to a local High School.

Thanks to the generous support of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), the Ecopalooza 2011 solar powered benefit concert will help the environment long after the last note is played. This year, BEF’s Solar 4R Schools program will match a portion of the revenue generated from ticket sales with the proceeds going towards the installation of a solar panel array at a Portland-area high school. With this solar installation, the winning Portland-area school will join a network of more than 150 school projects throughout the country. To date, these solar arrays have combined to produce more than 4 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy.

Meet the Team:

Rah-Miel Mitchell is the Program Manager for Ecopalooza. As the program manger he is responsible for managing the project development and communicating time lines to team members for both pre-production planning as well as the production of Ecopalooza. As the founder of the non-profit, Rah-Miel has a passion for environmental sustainability and promoting the use of clean technology, especially by example. Having worked in the Computer Technology Industry prior to his involvement with The Ecopalooza Project, he saw the effects that electronic waste had on our environment and third world countries. He saw this as an opportunity to not only benefit our environment, but to also work with local schools by refurbishing the computers and then donating them. He believes the use of clean technology will make a difference in protecting the environment for our future.

Schahram Rezai is the Marketing Manager for Ecopalooza. His marketing expertise will be utilized to maximize visitor engagement at the event by identify marketing outreach strategies and designing specific collateral materials for attendees. Born in Switzerland, Schahram grew up in a community which showed interest in sustainable effort in recent decades. He developed a knack for understanding the social problems that entail individual lifestyles moving towards sustainability and he is a true believer that corporate social responsibility will be the key to educate future generations.

Aarin Bell is the Social Media and Marketing intern at Ecopalooza. As the social media intern, she is responsible for managing all social media accounts by managing day-to-day direct communications with social media fan bases, monitoring trends in social media channels and applying that knowledge to increase the effectiveness of Ecopalooza’s social media, tuning into company social media initiatives, and identifying opportunities with emerging social media platforms. Aarin was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and now resides in the Portland area. As a lifelong Alaskan, she has always valued her upbringing and her opportunities to interact with wildlife, wild lands and intact ecosystems. She believes Alaska to be one of the world’s most pristine environments and says: “when you grow up there, valuing nature is innate.” As a result, she has a passion for sustaining nature and an understanding of how the environment shapes culture and culture shapes people. Since moving to Portland, she has had the opportunity to see how a major city brings itself to life by using its fresh thought and natural resources to emulate nature. Her passion for the cause and her experience with social media outlets makes her a great addition to the Ecopalooza team!

Valerie Simmons is the Administrative Assistant for Ecopalooza. A native of Oakland, California she is responsible for special projects, book keeping and tracking volunteer hours. With a business degree and a green office certification, Valerie supports Ecopalooza’s vision with her desire to educate and share the benefits of living a sustainable green lifestyle.