Michael A. Natale, Co-Founder
Chief Creation Officer
Besides his seasonal herb gardens and his propensity to recycle at home, there was barely anything green about Michael just a few years ago, including his knowledge of the matter. While still in his undergraduate program at Fordham University, his interest was sparked through his study of business ethics, specifically relating to measures corporations were (and were not) taking with respect to sustainability practices. From there, Michael found his passion for understanding and embodying green philosophies for the everyday. From a simple hobby, his research blossomed into a plan of action – he would create a network to share in these ideologies. His firm belief is that there are so many small changes people can make, and sometimes the only thing preventing them from making those changes is their own lack of knowledge.
In his time as a volunteer, coach, employee and entrepreneur, Michael has grown to know and understand how wide diversities of people function. It is with these precise insights that he created LGBG by People Making a Difference United, and he helped build its team of contributors in hopes of reaching its intended audiences. He and his team have been able to create lasting relationships with readers, as well as with fellow like-minded organizations, and they continue to search for new opportunities to expand their social impact. Through his reading and learning, his intrigue only grows, and as Co-Founder of LiveGreenBeGreen.com, his chief concern is raising awareness and sharing knowledge about all things green with all those who are willing to explore it.
Now, each comment and each fan email puts a smile on his face, and it isn’t that uncommon to see him chasing down a stray water bottle or napkin left in his local park. That is exactly what being green is to Michael – reaching the masses, tapping potential, making change, and always striving for the better. Michael can be reached at Michael@livegreenbegreen.com.
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Patrick Halligan, Co-Founder
Chief Marketing Officer
Originally from the Baltimore, Maryland, area, Patrick Halligan found himself in a unique situation. He was 20 years old, still studying as a Fordham University undergrad, and he really wanted to work on something that he was passionate about and that could help him apply some of the skills that he was learning in school.
After some brainstorming, fellow undergrad (and close friend) Michael Natale and Patrick founded People Making a Difference United (PMD United) on the basic, known philosophy that everyday people can make a vast difference by uniting their efforts under a common cause. Their cause is “GREEN.” Fittingly, a year after the birth of PMD United, LiveGreenBeGreen.com was born out of what they felt was the necessity for them to have a defined vehicle by which they could effectively deliver their one, simple message: It does not take much to live a “greener” lifestyle.
Since then, LiveGreenBeGreen.com has afforded them the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount concerning what each member of society can do to have a positive impact on the World around him or her. This project also has allowed them the wonderful opportunity to meet amazing people in the sustainability landscape, such as Lori Robinson of Africa Inside (http://africainside.org) and Allison Jones of No Water No Life (http://nowater-nolife.org).
With Patrick’s help, LGBG by PMD United now has a wonderful core team of bloggers and project managers who are working diligently to grow this organization. Through such activities as spearheading projects and featuring trending educational topics, it is their sincere hope that LGBG will help, in whatever small way, to change the world in which they all live. Everyone at LGBG by PMD United is dedicated to doing their part to create a better tomorrow for future generations, beginning with the simple sharing of knowledge.
Patrick would like to ask that you please be one more for green and follow us via social media, share our stories/project updates, and most of all, get involved when- and wherever possible. If you are interested in leading a project or guest blogging, feel free to reach out to Patrick via email at Patrick@livegreenbegreen.com!
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Sharon Halligan
Chief Content Officer
Sharon Halligan is a regular blogger and the chief content officer of Live Green Be Green by PMD United. An entrepreneur concentrating in the health and wellness industry, she received her B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, in criminology and law enforcement, and she subsequently obtained a paralegal certificate from the University of Maryland, University College.
Over the years, she has worked for law firms in the District of Columbia and in Baltimore, Maryland, before finding her niche in the field of medical and legal transcription and editing. She is a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), where she holds the elected position of Branch Finance Officer for her county chapter. Additionally, at the national level, she is a member of the Public Policy Program, which advocates for initiatives that advance equity for women and girls through lobby and grassroots efforts.
Sharon currently resides in Odenton, Maryland, with her husband, Ed. They are empty nesters, who enjoy time with family and friends, Baltimore Orioles baseball and Buffalo Bills football. As a wife, mother and lifelong student, Sharon always has been interested in healthy choices in terms of food, activities, and overall lifestyle. This interest makes her a natural fit as a lead contributor to the Live Green Be Green blog. She enjoys researching and sharing information on green matters, including, but not limited to, supporting local merchants, endorsing “green” candidates; monitoring legislation on matters regarding climate change and environmental issues on local, state, and national level; and spotlighting and supporting individuals and organizations that promote worthy causes in sustainability.
Above all, Sharon enjoys working with the great team of bloggers at LGBG, who are totally and passionately dedicated to the green movement and who consistently display the utmost professionalism to this project. In Sharon’s eyes, to live green means to recognize the fact that we are stewards of the Earth, and as such, we bear the responsibility of passing on a healthy environment to future generations. Contact her at Sharon@livegreenbegreen.com!
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Travis Marmara
Lead Contributor, NYC
A self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none, Travis likes to be knowledgeable in every area possible, striving to use every day as a learning opportunity. Travis matriculated from Fordham University with his degree in finance, marketing and business law, and he lived with LGBG by PMD United founding members, Michael and Patrick, during his time there.
His most recent interest, or dare he say “passion,” has been cooking (a bi-product of watching food network Ad Nauseum and growing up in a Maltese household whose cooking style was, in fact, having no particular cooking style). Specifically, he has concentrated on living out the concept of farm-to-table cooking and its deeply embedded idea of sustainability. He loves the idea that anyone has the ability to make delicious, restaurant-quality dishes using simple ingredients grown in his or her own backyard. In his weekly contribution to the blog, Travis has vowed to only create recipes that are truly unique and “home gourmet,” using seasonal ingredients with a distinct twist, but more importantly, ones that have a minimal impact on the environment.
Travis is currently working as a paralegal at a marital law firm in New York City, which is evidenced by his long-winded-often-hard-to-understand-hyphenated-stream-of-consciousness-sentences, which are usually teeming with sarcastic humor. He plans to attend law school within the next few years but sees the present as an opportunity ripe with the possibility for change, rooted in the millennial generation’s yearning to create a world of green-conscious citizens.
He is honored to be a part of the LGBG team, and is proud to work alongside such motivated, innovative, and dedicated individuals who share the common goal of arming the common man with the power of common knowledge in order to make a positive ecological impact on our environment. That is green, and that is Travis.
If you would like to contact him with any questions or concerns, or just want to tell him how awful his recipes are, please email him at Travis@livegreenbegreen.com.
Great group you all. Keep up the good work and the passion.