We are thrilled to introduce Naomi Baer, Activate’s new chief operating officer, a seasoned operational leader with a track record in scaling non-profits.

For a few jam-packed hours at the Activate Summit, we reconnected with friends and partners, celebrated the graduating Cohort 2020 fellows, welcomed the incoming 2022 fellows, and marveled at the gorgeous San Francisco Bay from our perch at the Exploratorium.

As much of the workforce confronts burn-out, re-evaluates career goals, and ponders their long-term impact, many are looking for more purposeful work in climate tech startups. These new entrants, as well as our fellows, all share a sense of urgency. This work can’t wait.

ISV will spur private investment to boost the impact of world-changing science-based startups—including, to date, nine Activate Fellow-led companies. ISV will also serve as the inaugural partner in a new Activate program, to be officially launched this summer, that will bring together early-stage technology investors and Activate cohort companies.

Once small and always mighty, our fellowship team has grown more than threefold in the past year. It’s energized and ready to welcome Cohort 2022 this summer.

To serve the growing Activate Fellowship community, Aimee Rose has taken a new role: executive managing director. Randy Allen, who joined Activate as executive-in-residence last year, has taken the helm in Boston as its new managing director.

We spearheaded the Simple Partnership Agreement (SiPA) framework to encourage faster, more fruitful early collaborations between Activate Fellows and corporate partners.