Product details

Vanessa Keitges stepped into the role of CEO at Columbia Green Technologies (CGT) in 2010, growing it to become the dominant green roofing materials supplier on the West Coast. The Portland, Oregon-based company offered customizable green roofing systems that harnessed nature-based technologies to mitigate the damage caused by stormwater runoff. With 2500 roof garden installations under her belt, Keitges wanted to scale her sales and marketing operation to capture the emerging opportunity across the North American market. The green roofing industry was projected to experience a CAGR of 16.2%, building to a USD5.37 billion global opportunity by 2030. Working with her executive team, Keitges was preparing for a Q1, 2023 Series C funding round to finance the major rollout of her business. Working with her all-female executive team, Keitges was preparing for a Q1, 2023 Series C funding round to finance the major rollout of her business. The immediate question was where to locate CGT's expanded sales force and how to prioritize the targeted geographic markets. Compelling business rationale as well as opportunity framing to mitigate the known gender bias in VC funding would need to be reflected in the eventual funding pitch.