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Capitalizing on the cooperative spirit of the emerging green economy, hundreds of start-ups and Fortune 500 companies convened at UCLA over the weekend for the third annual Opportunity Green Business Conference. The two-day event--which was co-sponsored this year by the Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies--featured talks from green-tech visionaries, journalists, government officials and eco-minded business leaders. The event also served as a pivotal platform for collaboration and connections between firms on the cutting edge of the new green economy.

"We want to broadcast to the world that there are viable and highly profitable business opportunities that are environmentally responsible," Opportunity Green co-founder Mike Flynn told The Los Angeles Times.

The annual event hinges on the participation of a wide variety of green thinkers and business leaders. Companies in attendance ranged from tiny start-ups to corporate giants like Clorox Co. and Mini USA, all of whom are taking major steps toward a more sustainable business model. In her presentation, Clorox Executive Vice President Beth Springer presented the company's newest line of plant-based cleaning products and discussed the company's decision to phase out chlorine bleach.

This year, Opportunity Green also debuted its OG 25 Green Start-Up Competition, honoring the some of the world's most innovative green entrepreneurs. Nominees included an artisan fish supplier, a company that uses genetic mapping to detect illegally-harvested lumber, and a firm developing wireless electricity technology. Ecovative Design, a New York company that has developed a biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam, won the overall competition.

In addition to the business community, there was a large media contingent at the event. Wired Clean Tech Columnist Alexis Madrigal discussed the success of the Wired Science Blog, James Sutandayo talked about social media development over at Causecast, and Planet Green host Boise Thomas discussed eco-television. By putting green media and industry in the same room, Opportunity Green provided a platform for both sectors to pursue collaborations and discuss how new media might help facilitate sustainable enterprise.