Introducing Just Future Climate Labs
If you’ve been following along on our journey, you’ll know that we recently announced the launch of Just Future Climate Labs (JFC Labs). Born from the urgency of the climate crisis as well as recognition that VertueLab needed to reaffirm and double down on our commitment to supporting historically underserved entrepreneurs, JFC Labs is our experimental space to grow a radically inclusive climate tech future rooted in place.
How We Define “Radically Inclusive”
For us, radical inclusivity means disrupting the long-standing inequitable systems that exclude what are often the most deeply impacted populations. It means an open, justice-first lab engaging the voices of our community early and often. And it means building in public together, sharing our experiments and findings as we discover the best way to do our work.
Despite historic opportunities in federal funding, there are barriers in place that continue to limit Black, Indigenous and People Of Color – communities that often bear the brunt of climate change – particularly the equitable access to capital and support services to fund and launch their innovations, start or transition their clean energy business or deploy climate technologies to build wealth and protect their communities from the impacts of the climate crisis.
Our vision for Just Future Climate Labs
Through JFC Labs, we seek to develop and launch innovative responses to the climate crisis AND the historic opportunities brought by federal and private investment. Our goal is to support the creation of sustainable, just, and equitable climate tech solutions that empower communities and reduce disparities. Our current approach to the work is rooted in three thematic areas of discovery and research where we have historically been effective and engaged: Catalytic Capital, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Community Deployments. To ensure JFC Labs continues to be guided by our community as we evolve, we plan to build in public through open dialogue, strategic working and focus group engagements, and digital forums to share feedback. You can reach out at any time with questions, opportunities or ideas through jfcl@vertuelab.org. We welcome hearing from you!
As we continue to conduct research and engage with our community, we hope to develop new innovative programs and redesign our existing ones to better catalyze a radically inclusive climate tech future.
We’ll be continuing to share more about our engagement design, process, and learnings as we go. Stay up to date with all the latest JFC Labs news by signing up for our mailing list here.
