Innovation

Trellis Group provides a professional infrastructure to bring together the corporate and environmental worlds, supporting the corporate sustainability field. Pete and Joel realized that by nurturing profitable yet sustainable business practices in others, they could also create a profitable business themselves. As their audience grew, Trellis expanded beyond online media into professional conferences and a corporate membership program. The media, events, and membership programs drive what Pete calls “the flywheel effect,” in which each aspect of Trellis nurtures the others. Trellis’ interconnected sustainability ecosystem helps business leaders and their companies refine their businesses around climate goals and long-term risk mitigation.

As the sustainability and business sectors have evolved and become more intertwined, the GreenBiz brand has become more limiting for Pete. While the name itself had become one of the very few truly authentic brands in a field crowded with the words “energy” and “sustainability,” the “Green” in GreenBiz constrained the business only to the environmental slice of the sustainability pie. Pete saw that companies were beginning to view sustainability as also including social, ethical, and governance issues. The word “Trellis” offered a powerful metaphor in which sustainability leaders, their companies, and different ideas could learn and build off one another through the Trellis Group, just as green plants climbed up structural trellises.

Inspiration

The inspiration behind Trellis Group stemmed from Pete’s personal philosophy. Before founding Trellis, Pete had held major media roles at various businesses, but he soon realized he could make a much bigger impact by creating something on his own. He realized he had skills in building media platforms, so he began thinking of ways to use them to promote change in areas he cared about. Around the same time, major companies like Walmart began implementing more “green” practices and began to view “green” as an actual business value. Pete thought he could use his media platform skills to align environmental ideals with business ideals, so he started Trellis with co-founder Joel Makower through the website greenbiz.com. Joel and Pete were the perfect team, with Joel having the technical know-how and Pete the business know-how. Eventually, this one website blossomed into the Trellis Group we know today, and as the company evolved, Pete and Joel were partly responsible for creating the CSO, or Chief Sustainability Officer, role that many companies have today.

Overall impact

The overall impact of Trellis Group has been to transform sustainability from a niche, compliance-driven function into a core business strategy embraced by many leading corporations. Trellis created a centralized platform for knowledge, connection, and collaboration, helping define what it means to be a sustainability professional in today's economy. As Pete May explained, the company’s work has focused on helping professionals “find a career path that melds environmental thinking with business thinking,” allowing sustainability to become more deeply embedded within organizations.

Media, events, and membership ecosystems have allowed Trellis to influence how companies think about long-term value creation. Instead of viewing sustainability as a cost or obligation, organizations within the Trellis network increasingly see it as a driver of innovation, risk mitigation, and competitive advantage. This shift has had ripple effects across industries, encouraging businesses to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into core decision-making processes and positioning sustainability as “just good business.”

Additionally, Trellis has built a strong sense of community within the sustainability space. Conferences and networking events are intentionally designed to go beyond traditional formats, combining deep strategic discussions with interactive experiences. As Pete described, these events include activities such as “group exercises” and even “a vegan cooking class,” creating environments where professionals can connect more deeply while engaging with complex topics. This approach has helped many individuals grow professionally, with some even describing Trellis as a place where they developed their careers.

Business benefit

Trellis Group has built a strong and sustainable business model by integrating media, events, and membership into a single system. The majority of its revenue comes from events, where companies sponsor, and professionals attend to learn and connect. The membership program also generates a steady income, as companies pay annually to join the network and access exclusive content and connections. This allows Trellis to grow while still offering free content through its media platform.

The company has also benefited from its strong reputation for authenticity and trustworthiness in a crowded space. In fact, there are so many sustainability brands that are not seen as fully credible, but Trellis stands out and can charge more for its events and services. This trust has helped the company build strong long-term relationships with partners and clients, making the business more stable over time.

Social and environmental benefit

Trellis Group has shaped and changed how companies and professionals think about sustainability. In the past, many companies focused only on fixing problems after they occurred. Now, many businesses have begun to see sustainability as part of their daily decisions and overall strategy. Through its content and events, Trellis Group has helped companies focus on climate goals, renewable energy, and more efficient use of resources and materials, which can lead to real environmental improvements. By giving companies the right information and space to learn from one another, Trellis has helped them make smarter choices that can positively affect the environment over time.

On the other hand, the company has created a strong community for professionals in this field. Many companies, organizations, and people have used Trellis’ articles, events, and network to grow their institutions or careers and even find new opportunities. Trellis Group brings people together to learn from one another, creating a supportive space where they can grow and work toward impactful, profitable sustainability changes.

Interview

Pete May, President & Co-founder