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 highlighted innovative solutions addressing climate challenges such as hydrogen storage and coral restoration.
Attendees included investors, researchers, and leaders in the climate sector. The showcase allowed the fellows to present their work to a broad audience and explore opportunities for collaboration. Technologies presented ranged from real-time flood monitoring systems to AI-driven wildfire management platforms.
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. 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, spoke about the support provided through the fellowship: “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. 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.”
Fellows received communication training from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science prior to presenting their work. This training aimed to help them explain complex technical concepts in ways that are accessible for potential collaborators and funders.
Stephanie Taboada, a fellow and adjunct professor at Stony Brook University who presented her HySep hydrogen storage technology, reflected on her experience: “What struck me most was watching my colleagues connect with established players in the climate tech space. 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 as well as chief climate scientist at The Exchange, emphasized New York City’s growing role in 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. 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 will continue until February 2026. Fellows plan to use feedback from this showcase as they further develop their technologies with ongoing mentorship.
Goldsmith noted that supporting entrepreneurs is central to 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.
