NY Climate Tech: May 23 - May 30
One year of NY Climate Tech, bio-design, electrification, and a talk with Bill McKibben
Hi all,
Today’s newsletter is a little different, so if you’re eager to see what’s happening this week, just scroll on down.
One year ago, I posted in the MCJ Slack asking if anyone wanted to have an in-person meetup in New York. We had an amazing turnout: eight people. After a year of online events, it felt wonderful just to meet in person.
Now, one year on, it’s incredible to see how the community has grown. Over 100 of you came to last week’s meetup, and more people are joining every day. And if you read this newsletter regularly, you know there’s far more to the NY Climate community than just this monthly event.
With the NY Climate Tech newsletter and the monthly meetups, I’ve wanted to create a hub to bring together the many different people working in or interested in climate tech: from students and career-changers to renewable energy veterans. It’s also an opportunity to cross the boundaries of climate tech and bring together people working on buildings, energy, fashion, food, supply chains, finance, business, carbon removal, and more.
Getting into climate from another career can be hard: as it is, you need to find the right Slack groups, the right newsletters, the right podcasts… and then binge on all the information you can find. It’s a lot to take in. And as we try to bring sustainability front-and-center, it’s more important than ever that experienced climate professionals and investors meet, connect, and form partnerships across industries to promote and support each other.
Next month and going forward, I want to start shaping the NY Climate beyond just a meetup and events listing, to become a real community resource for everyone here. Event listings and the monthly meetup will stay as is, but expect more practical programming around policy and deployment, mentorship within climate tech, and field trips to learn about climate solutions first-hand.
If you’re interested in helping out, just reply here — with all the growth in this supportive community that we’ve built in this past year together, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Events This Week
Swing by the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen (which has a stunning building) tonight for a technical workshop on NYC’s climate resiliency guidelines. Tomorrow, head down to the Museum of Jewish Heritage near Battery Park for the Waterfront Alliance’s conference on climate change and waterways, harbors, and the maritime industry. Wednesday, head to Newlab for a panel on Biodesign featuring the incredibly-named company Werewool, Algiknit, and Tomtex. as well as investors from Unreasonable Group and IndiBio. Thursday, BKLYN Commons hosts a event on everyone’s favorite topic: electrification, with a focus on transportation implementation and challenges in Brooklyn itself. Finally, head up to the Hudson Valley this Memorial Day weekend and make an early evening stop in Kingston on Saturday for a conversation with climate luminary Bill McKibben.
In-Person Events
🔧 NYC Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines
When: Mon, May 23, 2022 at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT
Where: General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of The City of New York, 20 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
Rising seas, higher temperatures, and extreme rainfall are already damaging our built environment and are projected to significantly worsen in coming decades. The City’s $100B of planned capital investment does not currently incorporate forward-looking climate data in design. The City has taken steps to mitigate these risks, and since 2016, Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and City agencies have co-developed the Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines (“Guidelines”). The Guidelines establish a City-wide standard to safeguard buildings, infrastructure, and landscapes from extreme weather and climate change and are currently voluntary/advisory. This presentation will give an overview of the Guidelines, application, and recent legislation.
🏝 2022 Waterfront Conference: MEET THE MOMENT—Building a Livable Future
When: Tue, May 24, 2022 at 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM EDT
Where: Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Place, New York, NY 10280
Join the Waterfront Alliance and hundreds of other professionals and stakeholders throughout the region on May 24, 2022 to explore the planning, priorities, and policies needed at this moment to take advantage of unprecedented opportunities toward a better future.
The Waterfront Alliance’s annual Waterfront Conference – now in its 15th year – is the region’s premier forum exploring the challenges of and solutions to climate change, sustaining a strong maritime industry and regional economy, equitable access at our waterfronts and to our shared waterways, and a healthier open-space environment.
In keynote addresses and panel discussions, the 2022 Waterfront Conference — Meet the Moment: Building a Livable Future — will examine in-depth our mandate to solve complex challenges, innovate, overcome hurdles, and work together for the benefit of our shared future and shared harbor. Hundreds of civic and business leaders, planners, engineers, architects, designers, activists, professors, and students will participate.
🧬 Business of Biodesign
When: Wed, May 25, 2022 at 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Where: Newlab, 19 Morris Avenue , Brooklyn, NY 11205 , View Map
Newlab and the Biodesign Challenge Alumni Board present The Business of Biodesign, a live networking event featuring two complementary panels:
Panel 1: Founders - Turning Ideas into Biodesign Companies
Moderated by Sara Nejad, BDC Alumni and Product Realization Specialist, Newlab
Tessa Callaghan, CEO, AlgiKnit
Ross McBee, Chief Scientific Officer, TomTex
Chui-Lian Lee, CEO, Werewool
Panel 2: Funders - New Investment Opportunities in Biodesign
Moderated by Clair Purcell, Chief Venture Builder, Newlab
Pratibha Vuppuluri, Head of Global Portfolio & Investments, Unreasonable Group
Sabriya Stukes, Chief Scientific Officer, IndieBio
⚡️ Electrify Brooklyn - Transportation Town Hall
When: Thu, May 26, 2022 at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
Where: BKLYN Commons, 495 Flatbush Avenue , Brooklyn, NY 11225 , View Map
Do you want clean transportation that reduces local air pollution, helps to overcome transportation challenges, and improves public safety across communities?
Community Partners
East Flatbush CDC
Haitian American Caucus-US
Dollaride
Perch Advisors
💬 A Conversation With Bill McKibben
When: Sat, May 28, 2022 at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
Where: Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing , Kingston, NY 12401 , View Map
On Saturday, May 28th from 3PM to 5PM, the Hudson River Maritime Museum will be hosting an informal talk entitled 'A Conversation with Bill McKibben' in The Barn at the Museum's campus. In this open discussion, Bill will discuss his experience as a climate change activist, his books, and how ordinary people, especially of his generation, can get involved to make a difference in their communities.
What have we learned from the decades-long struggle to address the climate crisis? How are the impacts of climate change and the over-use of natural resources linked to social justice? How do we re-engage activism from people who are in their 60s and remind them of their American Dream and to fight for our common future?
Bill McKibben is one of our nation’s most influential environmental activists. He founded the global grassroots climate campaign 350.org, serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, has won the Gandhi Peace Prize, was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in the Swedish Parliament – sometimes called the alternative Nobel – and was the recipient of the annual Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.