The Discovery Group
Why I help
People often ask why I'm helping with a project. The short answer: I want our communities to thrive. When our leaders thrive, we all go further, faster. The same is true of the places we live.
Stronger communities
Good jobs, places to gather, homes people can afford, and reasons for young families to stay. Every project I take on has to make the place we live better.
Smart investment
Sometimes a project is a sound business opportunity, and the right structure, partners and capital can make it work for everyone.
Impact and giving
Often the work leads to the charitable side: impact investing, philanthropy, and partnerships where nonprofits and private operators each do what they do best.
How I help
Three roles, depending on what the project needs. I bring the same skills I teach as a leadership coach (clarity, focus, follow-through) to the businesses and organizations that hold our towns together.
Business advisor
Practical guidance on operations, growth, and the numbers.
Strategic advisor
Big-picture direction, partnerships, and the hard decisions.
Business development
Proposals, deal structures, funding paths, and introductions to the people who can say yes.
Projects I've helped with
Farms, housing, startups and civic efforts, in Brattleboro and beyond.
Retreat Farm — Brattleboro, VT. Nonprofit farm and community gathering place. Josh developed a proposal for a treetop adventure park run by a private operator on the Farm's land.
Logic Building Systems — Brattleboro, VT. A Vermont startup building factory-made kitchen, bathroom and utility modules to cut the cost and carbon of affordable housing. buildwithlogic.com
Gravitas — Brattleboro, VT. A handcrafted stone-stacking game cut by hand from Vermont stone by a small woman-owned studio. Art you can play with. gravitasrocks.com
Hermit Thrush Brewery — Brattleboro, VT, 2014 to 2024. A pioneering sour-beer brewery that fermented only with wild Brattleboro yeast and fired its brewhouse with wood, reaching drinkers in ten states.
The Village at Winston Prouty — Brattleboro, VT. A nonprofit-led plan to build up to 300 mixed-income homes on the Winston Prouty Center's campus, starting with 28 workforce apartments at 300 Maple Street, right beside early childhood and family services. village.winstonprouty.org
Windham Grows — Brattleboro, VT. A socially responsible farm and food business accelerator, created by Strolling of the Heifers, that gives early-stage food and farm entrepreneurs mentoring, resources and connections to capital. windhamgrows.org
Brightwater Tools — Brattleboro, VT. A Vermont startup, spun off from the nonprofit Rich Earth Institute, building systems that turn a building's wastewater into clean water and natural fertilizer. brightwatertools.com
Flowmetric — Berlin, Germany. A climate-tech platform that helps companies measure their water footprint, spot water risks and leaks, and plan for a more sustainable water future. flowmetric.io
Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary — Brattleboro, VT. A service club of local professionals, founded in 1995, that meets for breakfast every Wednesday and puts its energy into neighbors: scholarships, food programs, refugee support, the Windham County Heat Fund and more. brattleborosunriserotary.org
Groundworks Collaborative — Brattleboro, VT. The region's nonprofit working to end hunger and homelessness, running the Foodworks food shelf, emergency shelter and housing support so everyone has a safe, dignified place to call home. groundworksvt.org
Nationwide: United Skates of America
Beyond Vermont, I lead business development for United Skates of America, working on roller skating centers across the country. The work is hands-on real estate: finding and acquiring properties, negotiating leases, managing property, and building the partnerships that keep each center running. That means site visits, due diligence, networking with owners and communities, and product development.
A good skating center is a community anchor, a place where families, schools and friends gather. It's the same work I do at home, on a national scale.
