The 2025 End of Year Green Business Mixer and Consumer Choice Awards Ceremony recognized the first 10 businesses in Millbrae to be certified as a green business for their sustainable efforts towards the community. Held on November 5th, these included Green Hills Elementary School, Taylor Middle School, Couture Dance & Yoga, Mariann Finegold Real Estate Appraisal, One Martial Arts, Dee Dee Boutique, Nom Nom Bistro, Jeet Sing 宝芝堂, Rosewood Furniture & Art 木緣軒, and Happy Place.
This year’s recognitions mark a major milestone for Millbrae’s limited certification program, launched in January to promote sustainable practices among local businesses. The initiative has already boosted from three to 12 certified operations, setting an example for others to follow.
The California Green Business Network is a program that works with small to medium-sized businesses to develop and promote an environmentally-beneficial economy. This program led Millbrae to take the initiative in the city. To encourage small enterprises to quickly apply, Millbrae announced the first 10 to get certified would receive a limited edition ‘Millbrae Green Business Sticker.’
Brannon Beliso, CEO and founder of One Martial Arts, was one of the first to apply after receiving a notice about the program. “I’m an early adopter. I like anything that is innovative, that’s helping to improve life, and what business would not want to be green based if they could?” Beliso mentions.
For One Martial Arts, this is more than just a certification.
“I think it means a lot of things, you know it’s not just the fact that we’re helping save the Earth and preserving [it],” Beliso says. “It’s more cost effective, it’s smart business, it’s showing leadership in the community that we serve. There’s just a multitude of things that go with that.”
Located in Millbrae and San Francisco, Beliso pushes One Martial Arts to be as sustainable as possible. His business is equipped with many ecological-safe materials including flooring made from recycled tires, a paperless system, an HVAC system that is connected to an app to be notified on, light sensors, and LED lighting.
“We teach martial arts and fitness, so it’s extremely sustainable,” Beliso states. “[We] keep people healthy and strong, and we cut back on every medical expense, we cut back on emotional and mental services because we’re improving the quality of everybody’s mindset, emotionally, physically, and mentally.”
In addition to businesses, two schools part of the Millbrae Elementary School District also achieved this certification. One of which was Green Hills Elementary School, who was recognized for not only having shown efforts in facility improvements, but for also involving students in learning about the importance of eco-friendliness.
The city of Millbrae’s Environmental Programs Manager, Andrea Pappajohn, reached out to Principal Kerry Dees after noticing the efforts the school had been making to promote sustainable leadership. Upon this, Dees worked with a team to complete the application.
Speaking with satisfaction on achieving this milestone, Dees remarks, “We work with the Office of Sustainability to teach our kids how to better sort our garbage and trash. I figured we had enough foundation through our education efforts as well as our school culture because our PTA was a great involvement and partner in that, especially even last year when we built our water barrels.”
Green Hills has demonstrated remarkable progress in successfully engaging students practicing sustainable productivity. They have also pushed parents to participate by encouraging “walking buses,” which is a concept where a group of children meet a spot to walk to school with adult supervision. In addition, the school has also partnered with Eagle Scouts to rebuild garden beds and build tribal composting systems, further engaging in the sustainability movement.
With these practices comes a “larger sense of pride” for Green Hills as Dees looks to “embrace every opportunity” that comes their way to better enrich students.
“The non-monetary benefits that the school has received is a definite improvement on school culture and valuing the sustainability effort set and grassroots efforts and the difference that we can make in teaching our students how to better support all efforts for our Earth,” Dees recalls. She cheerfully adds, “I think it’s even more valuable in that ‘green’ is in our name.”
By embracing the program, Millbrae is now charting a path for a sustainable future. With the recent ubiquity of urban development in the area, local businesses play a crucial role in preserving the environment and strengthening the community’s well-being. The early adopters set an example, showing how sustainable choices elevate both the economy and city’s quality of life.
“If a business is lit well and it’s lit properly, it’s more inviting, more people want to come in,” Beliso comments.
