Where others saw weed-stricken, vacant lots-reminders of failed businesses in western Pennsylvania-Andrew Butcher (HNZ'07) and Chris Koch (HS'04, HNZ'07) saw green opportunity. In 2006, they co-founded GTECH (Growth Through Energy + Community Health) and have since reclaimed more than 75 vacant parcels of land in urban Pittsburgh and developed a model for green jobs impacting 500 youth per year. For such efforts, the Hitachi Foundation named Butcher one of its Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs; he was honored at a Washington, D.C., gala and awarded a $50,000 prize. -Nicholas Ducassi (A'10)
