Waimea Community Education

Brent Norris

Brent Norris was born in Florida and spent many years growing with the ocean and beach. Brent dropped out of graphic design school to pursue a digital design career in New England. Work on “EarthSavers” screen savers in Connecticut was followed by more work and school in Boston. Several digital design jobs later, Brent began leading web design efforts at medium to large companies. Brent became a hired-gun to teach web design at other companies like KPMG, Razorfish, Nike, Apple and Macromedia. Brent continued to speak at conferences and help businesses profit from disruptive technologies leading up to the dot-com crash. With enough happy clients to sustain a move and lifestyle change, Brent decided to follow his heart once again, to Hawaii.

On September 10th, 2001 Brent landed on Hawaii Island. He and his wife eventually settled in a self-built tree house near a volcano in a remote native Ohia forest. In 2006, Brent began following a trail blazed by many others towards a more conscious and healthy lifestyle. Brent learned to apply his “object-oriented programming and system thinking” to sustainability practices off-the-grid.

Life and work off-the-grid was challenging and rewarding. Satellite and cellular connections helped Brent work remotely for clients back in New England. He began building a more self-sufficient lifestyle with help from homesteading catalogs, friends and neighbors. Fully inspired by emerging science and greener technologies, Brent began teaching practical sustainability to others. He co-founded a non-profit with a mission to educate green collar workers and crafted educational programs around a now emerging green economy.

This tree-based business now holds regular classes at several schools around the island. Brent credits his wife, co-founder, board members, and partner organizations for bringing sustainability education to the people of Hawaii Island.

Classes Taught by Instructor:

The Economies of Blogging for Small Business
Online Marketing on Hawaii Island
Small Business Success with Facebook & Google Apps