BlueBarrel founder, Jesse Froehlich, teaching a Hands-On Installation Workshop in Novato, CA
Jesse Froehlich
CEO and Janitor (and a handful of other stuff!)
BlueBarrel’s founder, Jesse Froehlich, earned degrees in Linguistics and Spanish from Stanford University before making a double-jointed career shift which led her to a master’s program in Sustainable Landscape Planning and Design at the Conway School in western Massachusetts.
After building her first rainwater catchment system as a post-grad school AmeriCorps project, Jesse launched BlueBarrel and earned her professional accreditation from ARCSA (the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association). Also a certified Permaculture Designer, graduate of the Ecosa Institute’s intensive semester in Sustainable Design, and Fellow of Sonoma County’s Leadership Institute for Ecology & the Economy, Jesse understands rainwater harvesting as one of many measures to help bring our households into balance with the earth’s capacity to meet our basic needs.
The Crew
Jesse is ever-thankful to her strong team of committed advisers who have met regularly to support the launch of BlueBarrel and our products. From A-to-Z:
Erin Axelrod
Erin is a true fixture in the local permaculture world and a strong advocate for organizations and businesses that represent the new regenerative economy. A problem solver and systems thinker, Erin first met BlueBarrel during her many years with Daily Acts, and continues with her amazing contributions to a regenerative economy through her work with LIFT Business Design.
Robert Landman
Robert (or Roberto, or Miguel as friends call him!) is a former general contractor and co-conspirator toward a world in which all people align with their true heart-felt paths. A strong and kind supporter of BlueBarrel from its infancy, Robert attended one of our very first workshops and quickly became a BlueBarreler himself, hosting the filming of our How-To Video Series and more!
Christopher Reamer
Chris is a landscape contractor who first lent his skills to BlueBarrel by building rock solid foundations for our full-service install clients. Reminding us that our power to sculpt our landscapes should be wielded wisely, Chris has lent technical expertise and creativity to BlueBarrel along the way. In addition to being a stellar ecological designer through his own permaculture design/build business, Chris is also a greywater specialist. What better irrigation combination exists than rainwater and greywater?!
Margaret Spaulding
With over 60,000 gallons of rainwater storage capacity at her own home, Margaret is a retired marketing consultant, business owner, and author well known in the community for her contributions to all things sustainable. In addition to advising BlueBarrel, she sits on the board for the Sonoma Land Trust, Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy, and now also the Sonoma Clean Power initiative. We can all thank Margaret for being a tremendous part of many good things in our region.
Sylvia WynnLindeman
As the founding organizational development consultant behind Practical Management Network (Leadership & Organizational Development), Sylvia is personally responsible for some of BlueBarrel’s first and most valuable business relationships. A key adviser along the way, Sylvia is a true advocate for the building blocks underneath good organizations doing good things.
Other credits are due to many folks who through life’s twists and turns managed to lend a helping hand to BlueBarrel in the early days. John Thorburn and Henry Wallace, Jesse’s original project partners and supervisors for the Indian Valley Organic Farm & Garden project; Carissa Green and Lily Walter (the original ToolGrrlz); Sarah Farrell and Jeanna Ruppel who stuck their necks out to become two of BlueBarrel’s very first clients and workshop hosts; Keith Evans, our very first partner barrel supplier who rolled with the punches and set the standard for many more; and Clyde Froehlich (a.k.a. Barrel Guru), a self-proclaimed “sourcer of obscure goods” who has been instrumental in sourcing safe and compatible used food-grade barrels for BlueBarrel’s customers all over the map! Thanks to Mike Davis, UC Davis plant pathologist who lends his expertise to our important determinations over the safety of used barrels based on what they previously contained; and to Peggy Froehlich for meticulous proof-reading. And many thanks to Bern Lefson and Lynn Reiter who volunteer their time and vast experience as business mentors with SCORE.
We must recognize both the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy and the Conservation Corps North Bay—and while neither identifies as a business incubation organization, both were key players behind the inception of BlueBarrel.
Big BlueBarrel Blessings to all of you, and all others who have supported and continue to support BlueBarrel in big ways and small!
