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Grief & Anxiety About Climate Change–Renée Lertzman Offers Help
Climate change is impacting more than weather, biodiversity, and travel. It’s impacting our humanity.
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.
Four Crucial Reframes for Fundraising in Deep Tech
The pathway for deep-tech founders is different. Here’s what they should consider when raising capital—straight from experts in VC and climate tech.
Activate Anywhere is Nurturing Talent Across the U.S.
Activate Anywhere is disrupting innovation with its distributed model—and building a strong community of innovators across the United States.
States Step up to Fund Innovation and the Transition to a Sustainable Future
In pursuing our mission of empowering brilliant minds to solve some of the biggest challenges in our collective history, Activate works with various entities, including the U.S. government, private funders, philanthropies, and state governments to achieve these goals. We are proud and grateful to note that all of our geographic communities in Berkeley, Boston, and New York (not including our recently announced Houston location) now receive support from state governments that provide funding for scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs at the local level to drive climate-tech innovation.
Mentoring from the World's Most Powerful Women at the Forbes 30/50 Summit
Kezi Cheng (Cohort 2021, FLO Materials) and Yajing Zhao (Cohort 2022, Mesophase) attended the Forbes 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi, a one-of-a-kind event bringing together legendary women icons and Forbes 30 Under 30 and 50 Over 50 “listers” for cross-generational mentorship. Find out what advice the world’s most powerful women had for the next generation of innovators.
The Practice of Self-Care
The Journey to Well-Being: A series on mental health and the unique demands of entrepreneurship
Many successful entrepreneurs are creative thinkers who can maintain intense, seemingly inexhaustible focus on their mission. They are willing to operate without assurances—and in fact seem to thrive despite uncertainty. But the traits that make these entrepreneurs extraordinary can also make them vulnerable.
Women in Science Entrepreneurship, “Follow your passion and find the support you need to succeed”
The struggles of women in science are particularly acute for those who wish to pursue entrepreneurship, as they often face additional obstacles in launching and growing successful ventures. Despite these difficulties, women are increasingly breaking through barriers to make significant contributions to their fields, and inspiring future generations of women to do the same. We asked some Activate Fellows about their inspiring personal stories.
Activate Celebrates Its New Community With New Friends and Old at the ARPA-E Innovation Summit
After a day of presentations at the ARPA-E Innovation Summit on topics including grid storage and federal policy for energy startups, along with a collection of tech demos, Activate welcomed approximately 120 old and new friends to a local pub for a reception, our Houston expansion announcement, and a panel talk, followed by two hours of networking, food, and conversation.
Ready for Launch: Announcing the Activate Houston Community
We are thrilled to announce Activate’s expansion to Houston, the emerging capital of the global clean energy transition. The new Activate Houston Community joins a growing innovation ecosystem that builds upon the region’s energy leadership with an important new focus on enabling a low-carbon future. We look forward to cultivating high-impact science entrepreneurs in the Houston region to help drive forward this exciting transition.
Activate opens fellowship in Houston, advancing the global clean energy transition
March 22, 2023 - Washington, D.C. - Activate today announced the expansion of its immersive fellowship for science entrepreneurs with the launch of the newest Activate community in Houston. By promoting the advancement of early stage science entrepreneurs, Activate looks forward to playing an important role in the region’s influential clean energy ecosystem, and accelerating Houston's role as the world’s clean energy transition capital.
From Oil to Ions: Houston Emerges as Innovation Center of the Energy World
Houston, the United States’ fourth largest city, is an industrial powerhouse with several claims to fame. It boasts the largest life science complex in the world: the Texas Medical Center. It is home to the NASA Johnson Space Center and earned the name “Space City” during the pivotal space exploration era of the 1960s. It has been named the most diverse city in the United States. And it is perhaps most famous for being the energy capital of the world.
In Memoriam: Alexei Marchenkov
We in the Activate community are deeply saddened by the passing of Alexei Marchenkov on January 31, 2023.
Big Science in a Big State: Fervo Energy Leader’s Return Home to Houston
For Tim Latimer (Cohort 2018), the energy transition in Texas is personal. He was born in Houston, returned as a drilling engineer in the oil and gas industry, and is now back home again—this time, creating a carbon-free future as CEO and co-founder of Fervo Energy, a Houston-based next-generation geothermal company.
Activate Leadership Council Predicts These Trends in Climate Tech for 2023
Which challenges, opportunities, and surprises will 2023 bring for climate tech? Activate advisors from Impact Science Ventures, Berkeley Catalyst Fund, and Day One Ventures share their insider perspectives.
A Startup Curriculum that Biases Science Entrepreneurs Towards Success
You can’t guarantee that an early-stage entrepreneur will succeed, but you can bias them toward success. This is what Activate uniquely sets out to do by providing funding, networking opportunities, mentorship, research facilities, and community to scientists and engineers who are poised to make a big impact with their innovations.