# Pete May

> Pete May is President and Co-Founder of Trellis Group (formerly GreenBiz Group), the leading media, events, and peer-network platform for corporate sustainability professionals. In 2006, he and Joel Makower purchased GreenBiz.com and built it from a niche newsletter into a global sustainability intelligence brand with flagship conferences, digital media, and professional communities. Drawing on over two decades of B2B publishing leadership at Primedia, CMP, and Miller Freeman, May brought seasoned media-industry discipline to a space that desperately needed it — transforming green business from fringe conversation to boardroom imperative.

- **Role:** President & Co-Founder at Trellis Group
- **Organizations:** Trellis Group (formerly GreenBiz Group), City of Oakland Workforce Development Board
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Business Economics and History, UC Santa Barbara, Executive Education, Hult Ashridge, Executive Education, Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management
- **Known for:** Co-founded and scaled GreenBiz Group (now Trellis Group) into the leading sustainability media and events platform, Received the 2010 Folio 40 C-Level Visionaries Award for media industry influence and innovation, Built a 140-person organization generating $11.4M annual revenue from a niche sustainability newsletter

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Group Publisher at Miller Freeman Inc. (now Informa Tech)
- **mid career** — VP Group Publisher at CMP (now Informa Tech)
- **pre-2006** — Senior Vice-President at Primedia
- **2006** — Purchased GreenBiz.com with Joel Makower from the original nonprofit owner
- **2007** — Co-founded Greener World Media to scale GreenBiz into a full media and events company
- **2008** — Raised Series A funding ($1.4M) for GreenBiz Group
- **2010** — Received Folio 40 C-Level Visionaries Award recognizing him as a media industry influencer and innovator
- **2015** — Covered COP21 in Paris for GreenBiz, reflecting on a week with European sustainability leaders
- **2022** — Covered COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal for GreenBiz
- **2024** — GreenBiz Group officially rebranded as Trellis Group, reflecting expanded mission beyond green business

## Achievements

- Co-founded and scaled GreenBiz Group (now Trellis Group) into the leading sustainability media and events platform
- Received the 2010 Folio 40 C-Level Visionaries Award for media industry influence and innovation
- Built a 140-person organization generating $11.4M annual revenue from a niche sustainability newsletter
- Established flagship events including GreenBiz and Circularity conferences that attract Fortune 500 sustainability leaders
- Serves on the City of Oakland Workforce Development Board, expanding economic opportunities for underserved communities
- Built Trellis Network into a leading peer community for corporate sustainability professionals
- Covered major climate milestones firsthand including COP21 (Paris) and COP15 (Montreal)

## Latest updates

- **2024-05** — GreenBiz Group officially rebranded as Trellis Group, signaling expanded mission beyond 'green business' to encompass the full climate transition economy
- **2024-09** — Trellis Group published updated executive team profiles reflecting the rebrand
- **2025-02** — GreenBiz 25 sustainability conference held under the Trellis banner

## Links

- Website: https://trellis.net
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-may-846ab2
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/peterlmay
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfX5hr5gvIc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenBiz

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/pete-may
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-24