Jeff Robbins
Ross alumnus Jeff Robbins’ (BBA ‘08) passion for environmental sustainability started during his employment as a beach lifeguard where he became deeply connected with the ocean. That passion led Jeff to explore entrepreneurship and sustainable business development while attending business school at the University of Michigan and to becoming co-founder of Revolution Landscape in 2008.
Since then, San Diego’s physical infrastructure has been evolving to cope with the effects of a major drought and coastal pollution as well as to provide urban agriculture spaces to connect people with good local food. At its core, Revolution Landscape works to transform conventional landscaping into eco-friendly spaces where people can enjoy a healthy and natural environment as well as grow their own food including fruits, vegetables, and chickens! The company provides sustainable landscape design, installation, and maintenance services for both residential and commercial clients.
Jeff had the mindset of an entrepreneur from the get-go, creating a solution to a problem he saw for the environment and community. His business education gave him the opportunity and resources to write a business plan which has been essential in maintaining their mission and vision, as well as profitability. He says the most rewarding thing is starting a for-profit social-impact business that the community rallies around, helps to grow, and wants to see succeed in making a long term positive impact.
Partnering with Ari Tenenbaum, a biology graduate from University of California – Santa Cruz who had started a farming program; their company Revolution Landscape has been featured on several occasions in the San Diego Union Tribune, Fox News, as well as many environmental publications.
Revolution Landscape now has a dozen employees and two locations in San Diego, CA. Find out more about the company here.
Photo courtesy Revolution Landscape.