The Green Guys
Matt
Matthew Geller grew up in Venice, California, a community famous for environmental activism long before it was en vogue elsewhere. The strong environmental influence of his father, a member of the Environmental Defense Fund in the 1960s, encouraged him to always think of the environment first. As a child, Matthew participated in Heal the Bay and numerous Venice-based recycling projects. As a college student he worked for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation in Washington, D.C. While at the EPA, he monitored importation of CFCs, acted as a liaison for public and private sector inquiries regarding ozone depleting substances, and studied under Dr. Michael Simpson, the head of environmental issues at the Congressional Research Service. After graduation, Matthew attended UCLA School of Law where he participated in the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic. Through the clinic, Matthew represented the people of Pascagoula, Mississippi in conjunction with the Sierra Club. Their goal was to ensure Chevron used the best available control technology to ensure minimal increases in pollution. Matthew traveled to Mississippi to inspect the refinery and represented the interests of the community during a Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality hearing. As a founding member of the Green Guys, Matthew continues to expand his knowledge base of alternative energy technologies through personal-interest research and participation as a grant issuer for British Petroleum’s “A+ for Energy” teacher grant program. Last year, Matthew happily returned to his home town of Venice. Always one to lead by example, he promptly shunned his car and now travels exclusively by electric skateboard or public transportation.
Erik
Growing up in the eco-friendly community of Marin County, Erik Lingvall was exposed to “green living” at a very young age. His mother, Cheryl, was a strong activist in the environmental community who often took on large, heavily-polluting corporations. She taught Erik to minimize his own impact on the environment, and her tireless efforts continue to inspire her son to help save the planet. Along the way, Erik caught the acting bug, prompting a move to Los Angeles where he starred in a variety of national commercials and independent films. Erik soon found himself on the other side of the camera when he started his own independent production company. After producing, writing, and casting a range of projects, Erik was offered a position as the Director of Scouting with the top talent scouting company in North America. His new job took him to hundreds of cities throughout the US and Canada, where he was struck by the general public’s lack of awareness to pressing environmental issues. In this knowledge gap, Erik saw a way to combine his experience in the entertainment industry with his passion for the environment. A founding member of the Green Guys, Erik devotes his time to developing eco-friendly content and hopes to make a positive impact on the environment, one project at a time.
Pat
Patrick Lennon was born and raised in Venice, California to one of the largest families in Los Angeles. Growing up with hundreds of family members Patrick learned by example about the importance of community organizing. His grandparents were responsible for funding neighborhood projects, and organizations, that helped beautify West Los Angeles. Patrick took his love of community a step further and participated in recycling programs and beach clean up events before going off to college. In 2000, Patrick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After college he managed special events for various venues in LA and exhibited a talent for organizing unique event themes. Currently he is the Director of Operations for Direct2Pro, LLC, a one stop shopping solution for fashion, entertainment and media industries. In his group of friends, Patrick is known as the "event organizer", and the guy you can always count on when you need to get something done. He’s a thoughtful and giving soul, and is solid proof that the "nice guy" doesn't always have to finish last.