MUM alum Vincent Bataoel says that learning Transcendental Meditation contributed to the success of the company he formed.

MUM alum Nelina Loiselle, who handles the marketing and other aspects of the business at Above Green, enjoyed the intelligent, creative and fun students at MUM.

MUM alum Vincent Bataoel was a guest speaker at the Qatar Sustainability Conference.

Alumni form green consulting company
by Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, Achievements
April 2014

Maharishi University of Management (MUM) proved to be a life-changing experience in more ways than one for Vincent Bataoel and Nelina Loiselle. They met at MUM while studying Sustainable Living, started a business together, and got married. 

Vince was interested in sustainable building sconstruction and became a LEED Accredited Professional while still in school. Meanwhile, Nelina focused her studies on green building design and materials and served on the design committee for the new Sustainable Living Center.

"The best thing about MUM is the people," said Nelina. "I don't think you'll find a group of more intelligent, creative, and fun students at any other university. My freshman classmates are still some of the best people I know."

Their first business opportunity came when Fairfield company Cambridge Investment Research decided to build a LEED-certified office building. The duo didn't hesitate to offer their services and Above Green was born.

Now based in Middleburg, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., Above Green offers consulting services in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, creating high performance, healthy, and sustainable buildings for federal, military, and commercial clients.

The company has completed 42 LEED projects. "It has been a great ride, as we have been in business for seven years now," said Vincent. "We are well-known, have a good reputation, and a strong client base. Now we are focusing on growth and hiring more employees."

Vince speaks often at conferences in the U.S. and abroad about LEED and was a visiting scholar with the National Defense University and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He has been a volunteer at the White House Office on Science and Technology Policy.

Nelina, who obtained a degree in marketing from Georgetown University, handles the marketing efforts, orchestrates the company's presence at conferences in the U.S. and abroad, expertly manages client needs, and often goes deep into the technical work of assuring that compliance and environmental standards are being met for projects.

Learning the Transcendental Meditation technique at MUM has also been a life-changer for Vincent and has contributed to the success of his company. "TM is a great tool to get some distance from my work and feel more settled and relaxed," he said. "It's valuable because it helps me focus on my work."

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