Mind The Gap

By Aina Abiodun

Recently, my 9-year-old asked me what the world will be like when he’s grown-up. I wanted to burst into tears. Instead, I simply replied: “Hot. It’ll be hot.” He asked: “Exactly how hot?” And I said, “very, very hot.” In moments like these, I’m reminded we have an enormous challenge before us. Today’s grown-ups cannot saddle this generation, my son’s generation, with extreme weather and infrastructure collapse just because we couldn’t get our act together. Let’s be brave now so our children aren’t forced to be braver later.

In the start-up world, we often think of “unfair advantage" as a “secret sauce” that some founders have that makes them more likely to be successful. In climate innovation, the best founder-market fit lies in the very communities most often overlooked as innovators. The communities who face the biggest climate hardships are best situated to understand their customer when it comes to delivering smart solutions. They are both uniquely experienced and supremely motivated to solve the climate crisis. Frankly, tech can’t afford to continue to exclude their genius and talent anymore. We can't afford it either.

While tech is very much accustomed to delivering apps that help you do your laundry or give you a ride to the airport, it’s now grappling with the growing pains needed to confront a far larger predicament. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunately well positioned to meet the moment. Wealth and innovation flourish in equal parts here. As VertueLab ramps up our work in Washington, we’re aware that gaps in the regional climate tech ecosystem remain.

There’s an emerging opportunity to position the Pacific Northwest as a climate tech hub and to attract and mobilize larger investments, including climate-focused venture capital, for impact. VertueLab is ushering good ideas out of labs and academic spaces and into the hands and homes of consumers. In a world where investment and fundraising are increasingly global in reach, we are stepping up to support political and public sector partners in ensuring the right economic development levers are in place to unlock the mighty economic power of our region. VertueLab has been diligent in finding and minding the gaps in how the climate tech ecosystem delivers for frontline innovators. We’re connecting them with whatever they need. Sometimes, it’s as simple as just providing physical spaces to meet and kick around ideas. Other times, it’s important to provide entrepreneurs with support to overcome capacity challenges, barriers to scale, and gender and racial bias. 

At VertueLab, we envision a future where the Pacific Northwest is an undisputed global leader in climate tech – and we’re ready to be brave to get it done. Stay tuned to hear more about how we’re not just minding gaps in the climate tech universe but also minding politics and partnerships to achieve deeper impact.

//Aina