Nick Bedbury, Upstream Research

Tracking Lead and Industrial Toxics

Who are the polluters near where you live?
What are they sending up the chimney?
How toxic is it?
What can you do about it?
Nick probably knows.

“Upstream Research is a spatial health company,” according to CEO Nick Bedbury.

He’s developing a business model to:

Share environmental data, specifically pollution from lead and toxic industrial sources,
So as to engage citizen activists and others, and
Suggest a game-plan and provide the tools to
Successfully effect change in their hometowns.

Exposure to lead, exposure to industrial toxic air pollution – if you knew your neighborhood was being exposed you’re more likely to take action.

As you listen to Nick describe his exciting new startup, maybe you’ll feel a bit more optimistic about continuing to make progress against persistent pollution sources.

There are 3,000 neighborhoods, census tracts in the United States, that have a higher lead exposure risk than the three in Flint, Michigan.

One hundred Marys

Neighbors For Clean Air‘s Mary Peveto introduced me to Nick, so I assume they’ve got some projects planned together,

We see a hundred Mary’s potentially popping up in the next couple of years, in different communities, as we make this information available

What’s the Exit?

Long-term listeners know I’ve done many interviews with entrepreneurs and angel investors. Nick describes how he raised his startup funds and his exit strategy.

What larger company might eventually buy Upstream Research? As we wind up maybe you’ll feel a bit like me – I wish I had invested in Nick, too.

Show #509