“Mountains of Opportunity”—And Other Takeaways from Climate Week NYC
Sydney Lykins Sydney Lykins

“Mountains of Opportunity”—And Other Takeaways from Climate Week NYC

One of our favorite moments from this year’s Climate Week NYC happened during Activate’s fireside chat between ARPA-E director Evelyn Wang and climate solutions storyteller Molly Wood. Wang reframed the so-called “valley of death”—the infamous gap where newly commercialized technologies meet their demise—as “mountains of opportunity,” recognizing the tremendous potential that lies in closing critical gaps and getting promising technologies to scale.

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Experiencing Climate Solutions in New York City
Sydney Lykins Sydney Lykins

Experiencing Climate Solutions in New York City

After living through the hottest summer on record, leaders from across sectors and the world will gather at Climate Week NYC from September 17–24 to accelerate climate action. Activate is hosting or sponsoring a series of thought-leadership-driven gatherings during the week, including a showcase of Activate Fellow technologies followed by a fireside chat between Evelyn Wang, Director of ARPA-E, and climate journalist and former Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood.

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One Activate Fellow’s Journey From Scientist to Founder to Venture Capitalist
Sydney Lykins Sydney Lykins

One Activate Fellow’s Journey From Scientist to Founder to Venture Capitalist

Josué López (Cohort 2020) is modeling a new kind of success story as the first Activate Fellow alum to become a venture capitalist. An MIT-trained electrical engineer and nanoscientist, López founded Kyber Photonics, a chip-scale semiconductor company building sensors for autonomy, which he led for two-and-a-half years. Now he’s enriching the innovation ecosystem in a new way, bringing his experience as a technologist, science entrepreneur, and diversity and equity leader to venture capital.

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How to Really Invest in Founders’ Success
Sydney Lykins Sydney Lykins

How to Really Invest in Founders’ Success

The Journey to Well-Being: A series on mental health and the unique demands of entrepreneurship

Paramedics. Social workers. Soldiers. Those are the kinds of roles you might associate with workplace trauma. But as we’ve explored in parts one and two in this “Journey to Well-being” series, being a founder comes with a significant emotional weight that should not be ignored.

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How Three Co-Founders' Intimate Experiences with Suicide Shape the Cultural DNA of Their Deep Tech Company
Leanna Yu Leanna Yu

How Three Co-Founders' Intimate Experiences with Suicide Shape the Cultural DNA of Their Deep Tech Company

The co-founders of SoloPulse Corp share one very dark and formative experience—they have endured the painful loss of a family member or loved one to suicide. As the team observes Mental Health Awareness Month, co-founder and COO Victoria Rische reflects on how the company’s leaders use these tragic scars to shape the culture of the company through three fundamental cultural values: compassion, open dialogue, and support.

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