OEN Member Spotlight – CEO and Co-Founder Patricia Marchetti of EarthTechling
EarthTechling is an online consumer publication focused on all things green technology that brings different voices to the cleantech revolution discussion. 
Q: What does your business do?
A: EarthTechling.com is one of the leading publications for consumers focused on green technology. We’re the only national publication of our type based in Portland.
Q: What problem does it solve?
A: We help consumers understand what’s happening in clean tech – from the serious stuff coming out the Department of Energy and what’s under the hood of green cars to wacky solar gadgets. And we’re working with big Fortune 500 companies to help them make advertising more interesting and effective. 99% of people ignore banner ads – yet companies spent over $30B in online advertising last year. We’re developing the solution to that problem.
Q: How did you come up with this business idea?
A: One of our founders, Editor in Chief Nino Marchetti, was a freelance tech writer who developed a passion for the environment after moving to Portland in 2005. He saw an opportunity for a news publication staffed by experienced journalists that took clean tech reporting much deeper than the average blog or mainstream news outlet.
Q: What are your biggest challenges?
A: It’s the obvious one. How do online publications make enough money to pay writers and reviewers what they’re worth? We’re attacking that challenge head-on by developing unique ad programs – from video sponsorships to sponsor-driven tools – that provide value to both our readers and our advertisers.
Q: What are your goals for the company?
A: We want to be the CNET of green technology. We also strive to make the discussion around clean tech understandable and fascinating for men and women of all ages around the world.
Q: Are you looking for funding?
A: Yes. We are looking for angel investors so we can grow our technical staff, editorial team, and video production folks as well as expand marketing while we build sales. We already have awesome Portlanders waiting for a shot to take a larger role with us… we just need the funding to make those offers.
Q: What would funding enable you to do?
A: Hire! Filling some key roles will greatly help us to grow web traffic and put us in a stronger position for closing sales.
Q: Have you been an entrepreneur before?
A: Yes. My fellow co-founder, Nino, was one of the first 20 employees at a little company called Yahoo! Both of us ran small businesses before EarthTechling. And we’ve both worked for or consulted with start-ups for years.
Q: What brought you to OEN? What do you hope to gain from membership?
A: I joined OEN to make connections. EarthTechling has a great reputation and growing audience around the world as evidenced by our amazing syndication partners from AOL to National Geographic. And we get asked to speak and moderate at green conferences. But we haven’t worked hard enough to make local connections and people don’t know we’re here. Joining OEN and volunteering for a committee have been key.
Q: What has been the biggest surprise in your entrepreneurial experience to date?
A: How utterly addictive it is and how many brilliant, passionate people we get to meet. Entrepreneurs have a zest for business and love of what they do unlike any one I’ve ever met working for a big company.
Q: What has been the best entrepreneurial advice you’ve received?
A: Be patient for growth and impatient for profitability. For us, that means only putting money into critical items (like top notch writers) and not wasting cash on fancy parties or first class travel. As Dotcom 1.0 survivors from Silicon Valley, we watched too many companies burn their cash on parties and then not make payroll the following month.