Peter Liu

BANKER

Thanks to Peter Liu, those who want to do right by the environment have a bank that will help them. Liu is financing environmentally savvy, resource-efficient ventures at the nation's first commercial bank aimed at green businesses, New Resource Bank in San Francisco. "Sustainability has become a major market force," says Liu, 41, the bank's founder and vice chairman.

New Resource operates as a full-service community bank, and anyone is welcome to walk through its recycled-glass doors. But the deposits are used to finance loans for environmentally conscious projects, including alternative energy, clean tech, organic farming and sustainable home and...