Originally from South Carolina, Kalana Greene is a lifelong athlete who had a successful professional basketball career in the NCAA and WNBA. She moved to New York City and opened her office in 2015, looking to grow business opportunities for her Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE), KLG Industries.
She started her business as the next phase of her plan after her career in professional sports. Although most of her life and interest revolved around sports, Kalana knew that athletic careers have a short life span and can end unexpectedly whether because of injury or other unexpected factors.
She decided to be proactive and explore business opportunities where she could use her unique skills and talent as an advantage and create consistent cash flow at the same time. Electrical contracting turned out to be an ideal option because it was a growth industry where she could use the MWBE status to give her business a competitive edge.
Kalana founded KLG Industries LLC in 2012, an electrical contracting and project management company that focuses on telecommunications, electric vehicle charging, digital signage, and other low-voltage systems.
Her competitive spirit has given her a balanced perspective on business decisions that push her just enough to grow, but still practical enough that it makes sense for her financial goals. She learned that creating cash flow is essential to all businesses, especially ones like hers that have substantial overhead.
Relying only on seasonal contracts and other factors can disrupt cash flow and put extra strain on the business. But when faced with these challenges, Kalana is quick to point to the value of perseverance. For her, quitting isn’t an option. In her experience, sometimes, having limited cash flow is a catalyst that spurs innovation, encouraging her to find creative ways to solve problems.
Kalana built her business so she could grow it to train and employ more members of her community. Coming from her background in competitive sports, she knows how important good leadership can be in making a difference in people’s lives. She’s motivated to keep improving as a business leader so she can contribute and keep making a positive impact on her community.
