Earlier this summer (June 9, 2021), a panel of climate technology experts, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists convened virtually for “A Brighter Future: Climate Tech Innovation Fueled by Diverse Founders,” to discuss issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry and the importance of supporting diverse founders.

The keynote was sponsored by W.E. Cornell, Black Entrepreneurs in Training (BET) and Diversity in ClimateTech, a new collaborative program between Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement, Chloe Capital, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Speakers addressed issues ranging from ensuring equal access to climate tech and clean energy to best practices for building diverse teams.

The panel, moderated by C Lindsay Anderson, professor of biological and environmental engineering and Faculty Director for Energy at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future at Cornell University, included:

• Erica Iannotti, manager of Technology-to-Market at NYSERDA
• SaLisa Berrien, founder and CEO of COI Energy
• Crystal Callahan, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Launch NY
• Elisa Miller-Out, managing partner at Chloe Capital

Climate tech, technological innovations and solutions that are designed to transition energy supply to renewable sources and reduce overall energy consumption and climate risk, is a quickly growing industry with much at stake. However, like many other industries, climate tech and clean energy faces a severe disparity when it comes to the access and interest (and therefore, funding) that women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) founders receive from investors.

The panel began by discussing the importance of having diverse voices at the table to lend their perspectives and experiences when it comes to finding solutions to those big issues such as climate change, education, and healthcare. When women and BIPOC entrepreneurs are invested in and supported, they innovate and deliver exciting new solutions.

“We look to how we can solve these [challenges] with diverse founders lending a very unique perspective, understanding these problems in different ways, and coming up with brilliant new solutions that ultimately create better businesses, a better world for all of us, and better returns for investors,” said Miller-Out.

Panelists shared stories of their experiences as women and POC in the tech and entrepreneurial ecosystems, particularly the challenges they’ve faced and had to overcome. Iannotti spoke of her experiences of often being the only woman at the table in engineering and venture capital spaces — “It’s exhausting to be tokenized,” she said.

Berrien shared that throughout her career, she struggled to find mentors in a way that her white colleagues did not and faced accusations of her work not being her own. Those struggles fueled her inspiration when creating the COI Ladder Institute, an annual conference she founded and runs to support women founders and to educate and empower professional women.

“There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, and whatever you learn, pay it forward,” said Berrien.

The discussion then shifted to best practices for building diverse and inclusive teams to address these issues. Miller-Out offered suggestions such as consciously going outside of your own networks to hire, inviting diverse voices to the table, hiring in groups so no employee ever feels like the “only” member of a group or identity, and focusing on retention in regards to diversity and inclusion.

The panel closed with responses to audience questions on defining and measuring equity, delivering compelling value propositions, and getting into the clean tech space. Broadcast by eCornell, the recorded keynote is viewable on YouTube.