Connecting City Leaders & Entrepreneurs

May 18 | Somerville, MA

Cities are ground zero in the fight against climate change. They consume more than 78 percent of the world’s energy and produce more than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

These statistics present a tremendous challenge but also an enormous opportunity to deploy the solutions necessary to achieve our climate goals.

Boston (home to NECEC and Greentown Labs) and New York (a city NECEC works closely with) are two of the cities ranked most “at risk” for climate change by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. To mitigate this risk, these cities are making real commitments and taking significant action toward creating a just and equitable clean energy future while also building a diverse climate economy for their residents. Additionally, the Northeast proudly fosters a robust community of climatetech disruptors who are creating solutions that cities and towns can deploy to reduce their carbon footprint, save their residents money, and improve their quality of life.

And while these solutions are being created in Boston, New York, and across the Northeast, city leaders and technology innovators often don’t know each other or know how to engage one another. Cities frequently lack the resources and expertise to identify, vet, and purchase the latest technologies; while entrepreneurs have difficulty finding places to pilot and deploy their solutions.

In this Emerging Trend Series, NECEC and Greentown Labs are coming together to unite city leaders and entrepreneurs on the same stage to learn from each other and explore how they can work together to accelerate our transition to a just and equitable clean energy future and diverse climate economy. We’ll discuss the challenges cities face in reaching their climate goals, how entrepreneurs can best connect with cities given public procurement laws, and examples of solutions that are ready to deploy in cities.

Learn more and register for the event here.

Agenda

• 10:00 – Welcoming Remarks – Joe Curtatone, President, NECEC
• 10:08 – Opening Remarks – H.G. Chissell, Founder & CEO of Advanced Energy Group
• 10:15 – Mayoral Panel Discussion: Advancing local climate goals: how technology can help? – Jorrit de Jong, Director Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University
• 11:00 – Technology Showcase: Solutions ready to be deployed at the local level.
• 11:30 – Conversation between City leaders and Entrepreneurs. Moderator- former NECEC President Peter Rothstein
• 11:50 – Closing Remarks. – Ryan Dings, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Greentown Labs
• 12:00 – Event Ends

Venue Information

Parking is incredibly limited at Greentown Labs and we encourage attendees to consider taking advantage of public transportation. We’re a short walk from the newly opened Union Square station, as well as 1 mile away from the Harvard MBTA station. Union Square in Somerville is also easily accessible via the #86 and #91 MBTA buses. We offer indoor bike parking on-site and the closest Bluebikes stations are at Dane St., Conway Park and Union Square.

Event Health + Safety Policy

This event is in-person and masks are encouraged but not requires Greentown Labs. We recommend a medical grade or K/N95 mask; Greentown provides medical grade masks at the front desk of each location.

Greentown Labs is committed to the health and safety of our team, startups, partners, and attendees, and is actively monitoring local guidelines and CDC recommendations. Please reach out Jill Kirkpatrick (jill@greentownlabs.com), Senior Manager of Events, with any questions on our safety policy.