Sustainability experts, enthusiasts, and changemakers arrived at Climate Week NYC (September 21-28) eager to learn from and inspire each other. One of the major events was a showcase co-hosted by the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business (Center) at Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, Super South, and partners. The showcase turned the spotlight on Southeast climate innovators and partnerships that are moving solutions from pilot to scale. Among those innovators were participants in the SUSTAIN-X Scale Lab for student and faculty-led sustainability startups. The event was held in the electric vehicle showroom for Rivian, which is a member of the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact – a Center initiative that leverages the collective impact of the Georgia business community to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the state. In the testimonials below, Center faculty, staff, students, and alumni who took part in the event share their takeaways.
“The mood at Climate Week was hopeful and full of high energy. Our Center’s Scale Lab program supports ‘hard tech’ startups – companies built on new technologies coming directly out of Georgia Tech labs. We mentor them, give them a community, and provide resources and connections. As part of Georgia Tech’s role as an anchor institution in the New York Climate Exchange, we brought our startups to Climate Week. We showcased what they’re building and, most importantly, connected them with investors and potential customers on a national stage. Being part of the Georgia Tech community and having the chance to support our students, faculty, and researchers who are trying to build things with a real, positive impact is a privilege.”
– Andre Calmon, Center Faculty Director
“I attended Climate Week through my role as a program manager for SUSTAIN-X – our program for students interested in launching startups that make a positive environmental or social impact. Since it feels like we sometimes get into a bubble with our work, it was eye-opening for our SUSTAIN-X organizers and participants to enter the Climate Week ecosystem. The overall vibe was positive. It was nice to see that other people care about the same things we do. People from varied backgrounds came together to have organic conversations about climate action. It was an honor to bring our amazing entrepreneurial students to New York so they could have a bigger platform for talking about their amazing startup ideas on which they have been working so hard.”
– Kjersti Lukens, Center Program Manager
“I was thrilled to pitch my startup, Rivalia Chemical Co., at Climate Week. As the CEO and founder of a company that is pioneering rare earth element (REE) recovery, it was inspiring to present at the showroom for Rivian – an automaker that has a future closely tied to these materials. REEs are in the permanent magnets that power EV motors, in batteries, and in sensors and displays; all these components are essential to building the next generation of vehicles. I also had the chance to attend other Climate Week events, where I noticed a stronger focus on minerals and mining compared to previous years. Sustainability in minerals and mining will provide the foundation for both ambitious climate targets and a secure, resilient manufacturing economy.”
– Laura Stoy, PhD EnvE ’21
CEO & Founder, Rivalia Chemical Co.
“Conversations at Climate Week NYC had all my neurons firing! People from around the world and from diverse fields – from carbon removal specialists to fashion designers – came together to imagine what our future could be and strategize how to get there. I spoke with climate advocates, including Xananine Ramirez and Joshua Katcher, about designing garments that hold as much integrity in their making as they do in their finish – by honoring craft, people, and provenance. Big thanks to SUSTAIN-X for inviting me to present my biomaterials startup Mycorrhiza Fashion. I walked away with concrete ideas and possibilities for new collaborators.”
– Mya Love Griesbaum, fourth-year materials science and engineering major
Founder & CEO, Mycorrhiza Fashion
“Representing Georgia Tech and the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact at the Super South event was a powerful reminder of how the Southeast’s startups, corporations, and Fortune 500s are deeply embedded in the global momentum for decarbonization. It was inspiring to see how many companies are moving beyond setting targets to actually building partnerships, deploying capital, and scaling solutions. It was also striking to see how many firms are choosing to continue their commitments and progress. The willingness of companies to be key players in Climate Week NYC not only builds accountability but also inspires confidence that collective action is accelerating across the region and beyond.”
– Allison Bridges, Center Extension Professional
“Climate Week NYC reminded me that there are still so many people globally doing the good work of solving climate change and making people’s lives better in the process. With over 1,000 sessions throughout the week, it was one of the largest Climate Weeks ever. My favorite sessions focused on nature-based solutions – such as reforestation, agroforestry, and adaptation to sea level rise – that help both people and the planet thrive, all while focusing on the implementation of indigenous knowledge. I am encouraged by how participants are focusing on action even as we face policy and financing headwinds. I look forward to taking many of these ideas to the state of Georgia and working with our community to help our environment and economy thrive.”
– Lucas Clay, Center Extension Professional
For more on this topic, read “Georgia Tech’s Growing Climate Innovation Footprint: Reflections from Climate Week NYC,” by Beril Toktay, executive director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems.