While studying at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Tommy Linstroth began to notice that the woods he had played in growing up were disappearing, overtaken by urban sprawl. This realization sparked a lifelong interest in sustainability. And that led to a career with Melaver Inc., a sustainability-focused family real estate developer in Savannah, Ga., in the early 2000s, when LEED was in its infancy.
The real estate experience “gave me great insight into strategies for designing and building [sustainable structures] that work over the long term, they don’t just look good on paper,” says the founder and CEO of Green Badger. Melaver built the nation’s first LEED-certified shopping center and McDonald’s restaurant, as well as affordable housing and projects of historical preservation.
In 2010, Linstroth launched a consulting business, Trident Sustainability Group. But as he helped companies strive for LEED compliance, he found that “my eyes were popping out of my head, looking at lines in Excel spreadsheets. I thought, there has to be a better way to do it”.
After researching and finding none, Linstroth decided to make a better way. In 2013, he founded Green Badger, a software-as-a-service platform that equips the construction industry with affordable technology and know-how to easily automate and report LEED compliance and environmental and social governance (ESG) metrics. The cloud-based dashboard eliminates the need for separate spreadsheets for different aspects of compliance, such as materials, air quality and other metrics.
To date, Green Badger has supported more than 2,100 projects in six countries, representing more than $40 billion in construction. The company offers a library of free educational resources and free webinars.
“Integrating Green Badger into our LEED submission process was more than just a technology upgrade; was a catalyst for profound operational efficiency and strategic clarity,” says Simran Safer, sustainability coordinator at FCA, an architecture, interior design and planning firm. “By streamlining complex calculations and ensuring precise compliance, Green Badger not only made the process easier, but improved our ability to see the bigger picture of sustainable project management.”
Emily Moody, director of sustainability at Jacobs, says the technology typically saves 30 percent of the time spent searching for LEED credits and 50 percent on product tracking in the design phase, and up to 75 percent savings on the contractor submission review process.
“Being able to see what the contractor is doing throughout the construction phase is a good health monitoring tool instead of having to wait until a monthly or quarterly update meeting,” notes Moody. “By using Green Badger over the years, we’ve had numerous project teams here at Jacobs easily save hundreds of hours of work and frustration. I personally recommend its use on all of my LEED projects.”
Lauren Richardson, Sustainability Manager at Green Badger, adds: “For the past 20 years, Tommy has been dedicated to making sustainable construction easier and more efficient. His passion for innovation and environmental responsibility has helped transform industry, making sustainability something practical and achievable for construction professionals.”
In addition to keeping up with LEED releases, Green Badger has expanded its capabilities to include embodied carbon reporting, participation in DBE projects, and wellness programs, among others. As for the name? “It all came back to my roots in the Badger State,” Linstroth says. “He’s tenacious and he’s fighting for all your sustainability goals.
