Bernie Snelling just became the Fillmore's first-ever Goodest Pet. Now he's using his new title to help District 5 small businesses thrive with greener AI, one neighborly visit at a time.
A first for the Fillmore
On September 26, Bernie was named the Fillmore District's Goodest Pet. He was one of 11 district winners honored in the award's very first year, which makes him the first Goodest Pet the Fillmore has ever had.
If you live nearby, you probably already know why. Bernie hands out high fives up and down the neighborhood every day. At home, he helps care for his grandmother. He has pushed for a pet community where every breed is welcome and fully supported, and he helps others find a new leash on life.
Bernie is a civic leader, too. He helped get Bilal Mahmood elected as District 5 Supervisor, and he shows up to monthly commission meetings to speak up for elderly and disabled neighbors who are often overlooked.
"Being the first Goodest Pet in the Fillmore isn't about me. It's about every neighbor who needs a friendly face, every pet waiting for a home, and every elder who deserves to be heard." — Bernie
Coming soon to a storefront near you
Bernie isn't resting on his ribbon. He is the Official Soulcraft Ambassador for Make AI Greener, a campaign he started alongside Soulcraft's co-founders. Now he'll be visiting his Fillmore District 5 neighbors to talk about how the software they use every day affects the planet and their bottom line.
For Bernie, this is personal.
"Make AI Greener is a family mission as well as a Soulcraft mission. I want to be sure our beautiful parks, our amazing local farmers market produce and our local Fillmore businesses can all thrive together. Making AI greener is something we all can do. When we get smarter as a community, we understand why we fight for AI that fights for us." — Bernie
The timing is good. On September 21, Governor Newsom signed seven bills that give California communities more say over data centers' water, electricity and land use. The laws require data centers to disclose their usage to local governments and pay for grid and water upgrades tied to their projects (Governor's office, CalMatters).
Bernie wants every shop owner to bring those same questions home to their own apps: Where does the power come from? Who checked? How much is wasted?
Bernie's Make AI Greener checklist
Bernie made a short checklist just for Fillmore small businesses. It takes a few minutes, and many items can save money as well as energy.
🐾 Where does the power come from, and who checked? Ask your software and AI providers where their data centers get electricity and how much is clean energy. Then look for usage numbers verified by someone other than the company itself.
🐾 Right-size your AI. Use the simplest tool that gets the job done instead of the biggest model for every task. This also saves you money (aka tokens), which means you can buy more treats for you and your furry neighbors (like me!).
🐾 Fewer logins and fewer APIs, the better. Use one platform that does more, like Soulcraft, instead of juggling separate apps and the APIs (behind-the-scenes connections) that stitch them together. Every extra connection sends data back and forth and burns more energy. When your tools run efficiently, AI gets smarter, cheaper and better for the environment.
🐾 Ask about water. Ask each of your app providers whether they report how much water their data centers use. When shop owners ask every app company, those companies learn that customers care, and more of them start sharing how much water they use.
Look for Bernie's QR code around the neighborhood to get your own copy.
Spot Bernie at Oakland Tech Week
Bernie is taking his message across the Bay. You may see him sharing his QR code at this Oakland Tech Week session:
Session
Building Meaningful Community Participation into AI and Data Center Policy
Hosts
The Greenlining Institute & Federation of American Scientists
When
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 10:30–11:30 AM PDT
Where
Greenlining Building, 360 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612
It's a fitting room for Bernie. The session is about giving communities a real voice in how AI and data centers grow, which is exactly what he does in the Fillmore every day.
Why it matters
Every time a shop uses an app or asks AI a question, a big computer somewhere uses electricity and water. When lots of small businesses make smarter choices together, the whole city uses less.
That means lower bills for owners, cleaner air and water for neighbors, and more power left over for the people who can least afford waste. It's the same idea behind Bernie's award: good things grow when everyone looks out for each other.
See Bernie on the block? Give him a high five and ask for his checklist.
Follow Bernie's Make AI Greener campaign on Instagram 🐾
Media contact: Alexis Snelling | alexis@soulcraft.com | 248-672-6395 | soulcraft.com | IG @berniehi5 | Bernie's Press Release