The New York Climate Exchange held its first Climate Tech Showcase on September 24, featuring eight fellows from its university partner network. The event took place on Governors Island during Climate Week NYC and was attended by investors, researchers, and climate leaders.
The showcase introduced the work of the inaugural cohort of Climate Tech Fellows, who are developing solutions in areas such as hydrogen storage, coral restoration, real-time flood monitoring, and AI-driven wildfire management. These projects aim to address climate impacts in New York City and beyond.
Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith, who chairs the board of The New York Climate Exchange, commented on the significance of the event. “There’s no question that climate is impacting our ability to sustain our cities, including flooding, grid failures, rising tides and damaged coastal environments. Here on Governors Island, we have a sandbox to test out urban resilient technologies,” Goldsmith said. “This is our opportunity to bring together the brilliant research by Stony Brook and our other partners, the corporate world, and government officials to help us understand the policies and mechanisms to bring these solutions to bear.”
Shaina Horowitz, director of program innovation and acceleration at The New York Climate Exchange, highlighted the support provided to fellows. “Through the Climate Tech Fellowship, The Exchange is helping more climate innovators get their solutions out of the lab and on the path to market,” Horowitz said. “We are delighted to provide mentorship, tailored curricula and an engaged network of support to this impressive cohort. Through this program, we’re not only accelerating climate impact, but also building a more inclusive and resilient innovation ecosystem.”
The fellows had received communication training from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science before presenting their projects. This training aimed to help them explain complex technical ideas in ways that could be understood by a wide audience.
Stephanie Taboada, a fellow and adjunct professor at Stony Brook University who presented her HySep hydrogen storage technology, spoke about networking opportunities at the event. “What struck me most was watching my colleagues connect with established players in the climate tech space,” Taboada said. “I hope that this fellowship will become a launching pad for the relationships and partnerships that will be crucial as we scale these solutions. I saw several fellows exchanging contacts with potential partners and mentors, which is exactly the kind of ecosystem building this program was designed to enable.”
Kevin Reed, Stony Brook’s associate provost for climate and sustainability and chief climate scientist at The Exchange, commented on New York City’s role in advancing climate technology: “What we saw today really confirmed what we’ve been saying all along — New York has everything it takes to be a climate innovation powerhouse,” Reed said. “You had researchers talking shop with industry folks, students picking the brains of experienced entrepreneurs, and just this great flow of ideas between different worlds. The fellows came with brilliant science, but building connections with the people in the room can bring the real-world know-how to actually make these solutions happen.”
The six-month fellowship program will continue until February 2026 as participants refine their technologies with ongoing mentorship.
Goldsmith emphasized The Exchange’s mission: “Seed funding and helping entrepreneurs build up technology is a key part of The Exchange and making New York City the fastest growing tech hub in the world,” she said.