Sonoma County is located 45 minutes north of the San Francisco Bay, and has a population of about 467,000 people. There is a lot of agricultural production in Sonoma, including the growing of Apples, grapes for wine, and hops. Also there is a lot of dairy farming and poultry production. The economy is supported by the millions of tourists who visit the region each year, as well as the large wine industry. People engage in every type of small business ranging from auto repair shops to Nepalese food restaurants. The population is roughly 18% Latino, 78% white, with small minorities of Asian, African American and Native American people. There is a strong movement towards local food production in Sonoma County. Many people there believe in organic food production, and developing the local food system. Many people are interested in the broader world and enjoy traveling. There are many different towns in Sonoma, Santa Rosa being the largest. GSE is headquartered in Sebastopol, a small town in western Sonoma County 15 minutes from the Pacific ocean.

Marin County is located along the California coast, just north of San Francisco.  With a population of roughly 250,000 the area is relatively affluent and sparsely populated.  The county's western portion is quite rural, much of it taken up by the Point Reyes National Seashore.  Along with federal preserves like the National Seashore and Muir Woods National Monument, Marin has benefited from a long established grassroots preservation effort that has resulted in over fifty percent of the county being protected as open space.  West Marin's economy is supported both by tourism and by small but long-standing dairy and farming industries. Eastern Marin is more urban, with a string of communities along the San Francisco Bay that are home to a variety of businesses, including a modest tech and entertainment industry.  Marin residents have a reputation for small-scale community action and fairly progressive attitudes toward sustainable development.