Activate NY Newsletter
January 22, 2026
Innovation, Community, and Momentum Across Activate New York
Founder milestones: Brekland’s $1M Grown-NY win and PumpKin’s beta launch, turning research into real-world impact.
Upcoming NYC events: January and February social hours bringing together Activate New York and Activate Anywhere communities.
Community growth: Cross-cohort celebration (C21–C25) and Dr. Etosha Cave joining as Executive-in-Residence, strengthening mentorship and leadership.
Hard Tech for Good in Action
Brekland (Cohort 23), led by CEO and Co-Founder Eric Bellefroid, was awarded Grown-NY’s $1M grand prize for their biodegradable foam coating that brings new in-field functionality to crop protection products. This award further supports their commitment and ability to continue growing in upstate New York. You can learn more about Eric and connect with him here.
Activate New York Monthly Social Hour
January 29 | 5–7 PM | Tipsy Nomad
Kick off the year with the Activate New York community! Connect with founders, operators, and ecosystem partners.
Two Communities, One Night
Hard Tech Happy Hour
February 26 | 5 - 7 PM | Mini Pitches + Networking
The Activate Anywhere community is coming to New York at the end of February! We’re hosting a joint social hour featuring mini-pitches, networking, and the opportunity to meet fellows from across the U.S.
Welcoming Etosha as Interim MD of NY
Dr. Etosha Cave has joined as Interim Managing Director while continuing her work as technical advisor and co-founder of Twelve, the carbon transformation company. Cave brings firsthand experience as an Activate Fellow and as a visionary leader who revolutionized her field.
Gathering Across Communities
From New York to everywhere our work reaches, our holiday gathering brought together staff from across the country and every New York cohort—past and present, C21 through C25. It was a powerful reminder that this community isn’t bound by time or place, but by shared ambition, connection, and momentum.
We’re always excited to connect with mentors, speakers, collaborators, and ecosystem partners who want to support early-stage scientist-entrepreneurs.
Reach out directly to hailey.faust@activate.org.
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