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Gradible, an environmental concierge, offers sustainable solutions for businesses

Anayansy Hernandez
Anayansy Hernandez
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By Anayansy Hernandez

In a city known for its bustling energy and rapid tech growth, Miami has found itself playing catch-up when it comes to embracing sustainable practices. One local entrepreneur, however, is determined to change that. Yadira Diaz, the visionary behind Gradible, founded the company to guide businesses toward a more eco-friendly future.

After moving from San Diego and noticing Miami’s sustainability practices, Diaz knew something needed to change in the city. “I saw a huge difference between San Diego and the way Miami was running businesses and operations, it was very unsustainable. Once I learned about our landfill crisis, I knew we weren’t doing things the right way,” explained Diaz [pictured above].

She is referring to the 135-foot-tall trash mound south of the Dade-Broward line that is expected to reach capacity by 2026. The mound was a wake-up call that Miami needed help so she placed herself at the forefront offering solutions. Gradible has aided over 11 Miami businesses with sustainable solutions and is part of the ClimateReady Tech Hub, which was awarded $19.5 million in federal funding to scale climate-resilient infrastructure in South Florida.

The company offers over 100 solutions, partners with local businesses, and provides a financial incentive service that helps find tax reductions, grants, and rebates. Their biggest case study to date is the Elser Hotel, where it implemented over 10 new initiatives hotel-wide that included, training the staff, updating their messaging, and offering new and less costly sustainable alternatives.

The company has recently partnered with the Miami Downtown Development Authority (Miami DDA) to offer 10 restaurants a $1,000 rebate to implement sustainability initiatives. The endeavor aims to address waste management issues in downtown Miami and promote environmental responsibility among local businesses.

 “Doing things like composting food scraps properly, recycling, adopting local organic produce, donating leftover meals, or selling these meals at a discounted price to generate revenue, helps reduce waste and are some of the solutions we will be offering,” Diaz.

 Michaeljohn Green, Chief of Economic Development and Strategy at Miami DDA, added that Miami DDA is invested in continuing to improve the shopping and dining experience for residents. “Businesses should focus on sustainability from both an environmental and business perspective. We believe Gradible is a great partner in helping businesses transition into products that have less impact on our beautiful environment,” Green said.

Their new partnership with Miami DDA is just the beginning of how the company plans to make a bigger impact. The next piece is what Diaz refers to as Gradible 2.0. This will be an online client portal and marketplace where users can see their savings and the impact Gradible has had on their business, filter through products and services, and message other departments within their organization. “With this marketplace, we can recommend high-impact solutions and provide the data metrics to the expenses they have saved on. People have a misconception that sustainability costs more, but it’s the complete opposite and this platform will help show that,” Diaz said.

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Anayansy Hernandez
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