Apr 20, 2016 | Intercom
April 20, 2016
Going green isn’t an Earth Day catchphrase for Nate Griswold — it’s a mission that the 2000 alumnus and boomerang entrepreneur is fervently spreading throughout northern Michigan.
Griswold is the founder and president of Inhabitect, a Traverse City company that designs, builds and grows living architecture, specializing in green roofs. Working at a Chicago firm following his graduation first from NMC and then Michigan State in 2004, Griswold’s early career paralleled the rise of green roof technology. Green roofs he consulted on now grace some of the nation’s premier buildings, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Perot Museum of Science & Nature in Dallas, and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
“I was able to go from zero to 100 miles per hour,” Griswold said of the eight years he spent working on 1,000 projects around the country.
But by 2013, Traverse City was beckoning him back, and the timing seemed right to start a business.
“I saw development happening here, and I was ready to come home,” said Griswold.
In Inhabitect’s three years, Griswold has overseen green roof installation at Cherry Capital Foods, Munson Medical Center’s Cowell Cancer Center and several mixed-use developments in and around downtown. But he’s not just about growing his own business. Griswold wants to change the local building industry so that the technology he says offers “triple bottom line benefits” — economic, environmental and social — becomes as common as shingles and two-by-fours.
“I’ve been trying to implement green infrastructure into the local codes and building ordinances,” he said. At the proposed Costco store near the airport, he envisions a green roof as a stormwater management tool. At the future addition to the Dennos, it could serve as an outdoor pavilion and sculpture garden, available for private events and maximizing the use of the museum’s footprint.
“I think there’s room for green infrastructure on every single project,” he said.
He’s also giving back to his alma mater. Last fall Griswold worked with NMC construction technology students including Madalyn Popp, right, to install a green roof on the shed built as a demonstration project at the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Students will build a second green roof shed at the Traverse City Community Gardens this fall. And he donated a green roof doghouse to the Sweet Earth Arts & Music silent auction held earlier this month.
“Without NMC, I wouldn’t be where I am, for sure,” said Griswold.
Apr 20, 2016 | Intercom, Student News
April 20, 2016
Most college students accumulate credits to earn their degree. NMC alumna Kathryn Bertodatto also accumulated miles — 30,000, in fact.
Photo credit: Michigan Photography, Scott Soderberg
On Saturday, Bertodatto, a 2014 graduate of NMC, spoke to an audience of 50,000 as the University of Michigan’s student commencement speaker. She told the Michigan Stadium spectators, including university president Mark Schlissel and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, that she had commuted from Traverse City so as not to disrupt her young children’s education. That meant racking up some 30,000 miles in pursuit of her bachelor’s degree in English.
“The crowd erupted, and I had to compose myself,” said Bertodatto, who sometimes left Traverse City at 3 or 4 a.m. to make an 8:30 a.m. class in Ann Arbor. She packed her classes into three and a half days so she could return to Traverse City in time to pick up her sons from elementary school Thursday afternoons.
Recalling “crying in the stairwell,” Bertodatto, 31, said the transfer was difficult at first, when she felt intimidated by the intellect of her peers at the prestigious university. But by having courage — the title of her speech — she gradually gained confidence. It was all worth it, she said.
“If I’m going to work this hard to get a degree, I’m going to have it be from one of the best universities in the nation,” she said.
She credited NMC for preparing her well. During her NMC years she traveled to Brazil to teach English for a month, and also worked in what is now the office of International Services and Service Learning.
“I’m so proud of how far I’ve come, and NMC has been such a huge part of that journey,” she said, adding that President Schlissel sent her a personal email after the ceremony. “It’s amazing to have people who have such influence know my name.”
The commencement ceremony itself was a blur, both literally and figuratively, Bertodatto said, noting that it was a very windy day.
“I was trying to get my message across and not eat my hair,” she said.
A writer, Bertodatto has completed a children’s book manuscript that she plans to submit for publication. A novel is next on her to-do list. And with the odometer approaching 200,000 miles, she’s looking forward to keeping her 2004 Honda Pilot parked more.
“I need a new car, but we’re going to see how the writing pans out, first,” she said.
Apr 20, 2016 | Intercom
April 20, 2016
Going green isn’t an Earth Day catchphrase for Nate Griswold — it’s a mission that the 2000 alumnus and boomerang entrepreneur is fervently spreading throughout northern Michigan.
Griswold is the founder and president of Inhabitect, a Traverse City company that designs, builds and grows living architecture, specializing in green roofs. Working at a Chicago firm following his graduation first from NMC and then Michigan State in 2004, Griswold’s early career paralleled the rise of green roof technology. Green roofs he consulted on now grace some of the nation’s premier buildings, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Perot Museum of Science & Nature in Dallas, and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
“I was able to go from zero to 100 miles per hour,” Griswold said of the eight years he spent working on 1,000 projects around the country.
But by 2013, Traverse City was beckoning him back, and the timing seemed right to start a business.
“I saw development happening here, and I was ready to come home,” said Griswold.
In Inhabitect’s three years, Griswold has overseen green roof installation at Cherry Capital Foods, Munson Medical Center’s Cowell Cancer Center and several mixed-use developments in and around downtown. But he’s not just about growing his own business. Griswold wants to change the local building industry so that the technology he says offers “triple bottom line benefits” — economic, environmental and social — becomes as common as shingles and two-by-fours.
“I’ve been trying to implement green infrastructure into the local codes and building ordinances,” he said. At the proposed Costco store near the airport, he envisions a green roof as a stormwater management tool. At the future addition to the Dennos, it could serve as an outdoor pavilion and sculpture garden, available for private events and maximizing the use of the museum’s footprint.
“I think there’s room for green infrastructure on every single project,” he said.
He’s also giving back to his alma mater. Last fall Griswold worked with NMC construction technology students including Madalyn Popp, right, to install a green roof on the shed built as a demonstration project at the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Students will build a second green roof shed at the Traverse City Community Gardens this fall. And he donated a green roof doghouse to the Sweet Earth Arts & Music silent auction held earlier this month.
“Without NMC, I wouldn’t be where I am, for sure,” said Griswold.
Apr 20, 2016 | Intercom
April 20, 2016
Going green isn’t an Earth Day catchphrase for Nate Griswold — it’s a mission that the 2000 alumnus and boomerang entrepreneur is fervently spreading throughout northern Michigan.
Griswold is the founder and president of Inhabitect, a Traverse City company that designs, builds and grows living architecture, specializing in green roofs. Working at a Chicago firm following his graduation first from NMC and then Michigan State in 2004, Griswold’s early career paralleled the rise of green roof technology. Green roofs he consulted on now grace some of the nation’s premier buildings, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Perot Museum of Science & Nature in Dallas, and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
“I was able to go from zero to 100 miles per hour,” Griswold said of the eight years he spent working on 1,000 projects around the country.
But by 2013, Traverse City was beckoning him back, and the timing seemed right to start a business.
“I saw development happening here, and I was ready to come home,” said Griswold.
In Inhabitect’s three years, Griswold has overseen green roof installation at Cherry Capital Foods, Munson Medical Center’s Cowell Cancer Center and several mixed-use developments in and around downtown. But he’s not just about growing his own business. Griswold wants to change the local building industry so that the technology he says offers “triple bottom line benefits” — economic, environmental and social — becomes as common as shingles and two-by-fours.
“I’ve been trying to implement green infrastructure into the local codes and building ordinances,” he said. At the proposed Costco store near the airport, he envisions a green roof as a stormwater management tool. At the future addition to the Dennos, it could serve as an outdoor pavilion and sculpture garden, available for private events and maximizing the use of the museum’s footprint.
“I think there’s room for green infrastructure on every single project,” he said.
He’s also giving back to his alma mater. Last fall Griswold worked with NMC construction technology students including Madalyn Popp, right, to install a green roof on the shed built as a demonstration project at the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Students will build a second green roof shed at the Traverse City Community Gardens this fall. And he donated a green roof doghouse to the Sweet Earth Arts & Music silent auction held earlier this month.
“Without NMC, I wouldn’t be where I am, for sure,” said Griswold.
Apr 20, 2016 | Intercom
April 20, 2016
Going green isn’t an Earth Day catchphrase for Nate Griswold — it’s a mission that the 2000 alumnus and boomerang entrepreneur is fervently spreading throughout northern Michigan.
Griswold is the founder and president of Inhabitect, a Traverse City company that designs, builds and grows living architecture, specializing in green roofs. Working at a Chicago firm following his graduation first from NMC and then Michigan State in 2004, Griswold’s early career paralleled the rise of green roof technology. Green roofs he consulted on now grace some of the nation’s premier buildings, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Perot Museum of Science & Nature in Dallas, and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
“I was able to go from zero to 100 miles per hour,” Griswold said of the eight years he spent working on 1,000 projects around the country.
But by 2013, Traverse City was beckoning him back, and the timing seemed right to start a business.
“I saw development happening here, and I was ready to come home,” said Griswold.
In Inhabitect’s three years, Griswold has overseen green roof installation at Cherry Capital Foods, Munson Medical Center’s Cowell Cancer Center and several mixed-use developments in and around downtown. But he’s not just about growing his own business. Griswold wants to change the local building industry so that the technology he says offers “triple bottom line benefits” — economic, environmental and social — becomes as common as shingles and two-by-fours.
“I’ve been trying to implement green infrastructure into the local codes and building ordinances,” he said. At the proposed Costco store near the airport, he envisions a green roof as a stormwater management tool. At the future addition to the Dennos, it could serve as an outdoor pavilion and sculpture garden, available for private events and maximizing the use of the museum’s footprint.
“I think there’s room for green infrastructure on every single project,” he said.
He’s also giving back to his alma mater. Last fall Griswold worked with NMC construction technology students including Madalyn Popp, right, to install a green roof on the shed built as a demonstration project at the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Students will build a second green roof shed at the Traverse City Community Gardens this fall. And he donated a green roof doghouse to the Sweet Earth Arts & Music silent auction held earlier this month.
“Without NMC, I wouldn’t be where I am, for sure,” said Griswold.
