As you may have heard, GrepBeat has connected with Carolina Climate to serve as the official media partner for the inaugural Raleigh-Durham Climate Week (RDCW). As such, it is our happy duty to supply you with an all-encompassing guide for the week to come (November 2-6).
RDCW is being presented by Carolina Climate and Raleigh-Durham Startup Co. and will in some respects mirror the latter’s staple spring event, Raleigh-Durham Startup Week. This new occasion, however, was designed specifically to shine a light on climate-centered innovation and the strategies and opportunities that exist in the space. It is an opportunity for founders, funders, builders, and those who are simply interested in the topics at hand to gather for a week’s worth of relevant (and free!) events across the Triangle.
The City of Raleigh is also supporting RDCW, which is part of Climate Week Network.
The first day of RDCW revolves around facility tours and hands-on learning and features an agenda filled with partner events. The core of the week is organized into three themed tracks from Tuesday through Thursday. Additional partner events are scheduled throughout the week.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the week’s different themes, the types of events at hand, and the schedule. Please note at the outset that all of the following events—of which there are 33 and counting—are free to attend. You can find RSVP/registration links at raleighdurhamclimateweek.com.
Skip to:
– Monday partner events
– Track 1: “Break Into Climate” (Tuesday Nov. 3)
– Track 2: “Founder Skills” (Wednesday Nov. 4)
– Track 3: “Capital & Fundraising” (Thursday Nov. 5)
– Friday morning coffee
Monday, November 2 — See It Built
The first day of RDCW is filled with partner events and designed largely to showcase climate tech in action. While there will be opportunities to hear from speakers and panels, the day is primarily dedicated to hands-on experience and education.
9:00am — “Green That Pays: Founders Turning Passion Into Lasting Impact” (Innovate Carolina Junction, Chapel Hill)
Hosted by Launch Chapel and Innovate Carolina, this session will feature a conversation with three climate founders, who will discuss how to stay true to a mission while building a company with staying power. There will also be a tour of the Junction, where UNC founders and researchers advance innovation.
12:30pm — “From Wasteland to Wonder: Tour + Lunch & Learn (Leaf & Limb, Raleigh)
Attendees will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Leaf & Limb facility, exploring how elements of nature (native plants, healthy soil, etc.) contribute to carbon capture and climate healing. The tour specifically promises a walk through the Leaf & Limb grove and “examples of a Pocket Forest and a Piedmont Prairie.”
1:00pm — Lab Tour: FREEDM Systems Center at NC State (Keystone Science Center, Raleigh)
This tour of FREEDM Systems Center on NC State’s Centennial Campus—one of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Centers—offers a chance to see the climate-related hardware you often hear about. Attendees will see the Green Energy Hub, rooftop solar, EV chargers, test facilities, and more, as well as learn how innovative development leads to practical application.
2:00pm — RTI Pilot Xcelerator Tour (RTI International, RTP)
Attendees will learn about how to scale technologies in the context of the RTI Pilot Xcelerator, which is dedicated to chemical and material innovation. There will also be a tour of RPX laboratories and pilot facilities.
3:00pm — “AI, Energy & The Environment” (Wake Tech, RTP campus)
Hosted by Wake Tech’s Information Technology Division, this event will feature a panel discussion and audience Q&A revolving around the relationship between AI, technology infrastructure, and the environment.
3:00pm — “Confession of a Pilot: How to Fly Better in the Climate Crisis” (online)
This virtual session will be led by “Captain Katie” and revolve around your “Carbon Bumprint,” which is not a misspelling but rather a term we’re apparently using to describe the climate impact of sitting in an airplane seat. The session will also leave participants with a “toolkit of actions” to help mitigate negative travel impact.
4:00pm — AI (f)or Climate Good? You dig in. (Cary Founded, Cary)
Hosted by Rogue Listening & Agreement and led by mediator Rae Lieff Axelbank, this will be an interactive workshop meant to make tense conversation about AI’s environmental impact more productive (particularly for founders or investors in the space).
5:00pm — NCSU & USGBC Present: Women in LEED (Brooks Hall, Raleigh)
This will be a panel discussion led by Melissa Keeney of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) offering an introduction to LEED certification and a specific look at how women in architecture can establish careers in sustainable design.
Tuesday, November 3 — TRACK 1: Break Into Climate
If you’re a student, aspiring founder, or anyone else interested in finding your way into innovative climate action, Track 1 is for you. Track 1 offers a slate of panel discussions and climate founder appearances designed to help the “climate-curious” find where they might fit in—and who may already be building in that space.
Tuesday’s full agenda takes place at the Raleigh Founded North Street location in Downtown Raleigh.
1:00pm — “AI and the Environment: What We Know, What We Do Not, and How to Decide for Yourself”
Abigail Merrill (GrowthUp Partners) will lead a discussion with Dr. Jackson Ewing (Duke University Nicholas Institute) and Shawn Jones (Better Together Brain Trust) about AI footprints. They’ll sort fact from fiction, and help you better understand the impact of your own AI usage.
2:00pm — “Game On for Climate Action”
Teresa Townsend (Planning Communities) will lead this session by running a strategy game that challenges participants to collaborate and build climate plans for Triangle-based companies.
3:00pm — “Built Here: The Climate Companies in Our Backyard”
This will be a panel discussion between local climate entrepreneurs. Phil Cohen (Simplifyber), Haroon Inam (DG Matrix), Alex Lassiter (Greenplaces), and Vicki Lee Parker-High (NC Sustainable Busienss Council) will talk about what they’re building and the triumphs and complications they’ve faced in the process. There will also be an open Q&A for attendees.
4:00pm — “Climate Needs YOUR Skills”
Josh Dorfman (Plantd) has experience navigating a winding career and ultimately landing in climate innovation (you can read about Plantd’s carbon-capture construction solutions in a past GrepBeat feature). In this session, he’ll help attendees recognize how their existing talents and experience might be applicable to climate-related companies they’d like to join.
Tuesday Partner Event(s):
11:00am — Walking Mastermind™ for Climate Founders and Leaders (Raleigh Founded)
This is a monthly event that is functionally a lightly guided networking session on the go. It’s led by ADVAgo Founder and CEO Noa Ronen, and this iteration will (naturally) serve as an opportunity for those interested in climate innovation to connect.
Wednesday, November 4 — TRACK 2: Founder Skills
The programming on Wednesday is meant to be practical—putting the various problems climate founders commonly encounter on display and addressing how to handle them.
“Great climate tech still has to be a great business,” said Majela Fonseca, who is Co-Founder of Carolina Climate and Co-Chair o RDCW, but also the Co-Captain o the Founder Skills track specifically. “Wednesday is about the unglamorous work that gets you there: first customers, a clear story, and unit economics that hold up.
“We built this track by leaning on the Carolina Climate founder community and asking what they actually need, and it’s been an honor to create a space at RDCW that puts founders at the center,” she added.
Fonseca’s co-captain, Malhar Shah of microwatt, tapped into his own experience to help shape the following core sessions:
1:00pm — Keynote: Built to Endure: What Living Systems Teach Climate Founders (Raleigh Founded)
This early-afternoon keynote will be delivered by Bert Bruggeman, an entrepreneur who currently serves as the Chairman of The Ocean Cleanup and who has decades of experience in leadership at companies such as Tesla, SunEdison, and others. Bruggeman will speak about what living systems (that is, nature) can teach founders about resilience and adaptability.
2:00pm — “Story That Sells: Building a Brand People Care About” (Raleigh Founded)
Robert Birnbach of Curious Ant will lead this practical session aiming to help founders go beyond their technology to build a compelling brand based on values and the problems being solved. Attendees will leave with a clearer idea of how to connect environmental impact to business.
3:00pm — “Go-to-Market Strategies: Reaching Your First Customers” (Raleigh Founded)
This session will be led by Joe Hicken of Kairo Builders, who will “share lessons from building the commercial engine for a first-of-its-kind climate tech company.” He’ll discuss not only what worked, but also what didn’t, helping founders map out various aspects of a growth plan.
4:00pm — “The Business Case for Climate: Skip the Impact Pitch” (Raleigh Founded)
The aforementioned Malhar Shah of microWatt, Co-Captain of the Wednesday program, will moderate a panel featuring Jeff Soplop (Nimble Energy), Tricia Carey (Avalo), and Susan Wall (serial entrepreneur, E8 Angels investor). They’ll dive into the details of what makes a climate company investable.
5:00pm — Founders & Funders: Climate Tech Showcase and Social (Raleigh Founded)
This is not a pitch event or organized program,* but rather a chance to interact with local climate founders and see/hear about what they’re building. Confirmed startups on hand include AmpOn, Innatrix, Sustaera, TidalCleanse, Trashy, and Ceretune.
*AI didn’t write this, it was just a rare occasion on which it actually made sense to tell you what something isn’t before telling you what it is.
Wednesday Partner Event(s):
9:00am — 1 Million Cups Durham: RDCW Edition (echo, Durham)
For an RDCW-themed edition of this weekly startup showcase and networking event, the presenting founder will be Kwame Asare of Blossoms Village, described as “an exotic honey brand rooted in beekeeping, education, and African culture.”
10:00am — Triangle Table: A Trusted Workspace for Solutions (address upon registration; Raleigh)
Run by the Table community, this session invites attendees to present real startup challenges and work together on figuring out solutions.
10:00am — “Digital Sustainability for Good Business” (Raleigh Founded)
Jen McFarland of Marit Digital will address digital needs and how to keep tabs on a digital footprint in pursuit of sustainable practice.
10:00am — “PEOPLE OF THE SUN: Black Folks Collaborating on Climate Justice” (The Shrine of the Black Star, Durham)
This session is designed for Black leaders in climate justice, clean energy, and sustainability to connect over “solar-powered coffee”—exchanging ideas and building networks to push those ideas toward action.
11:00am — “Preparing for Venture: What Climate Tech Investors Look For” (Raleigh Founded)
Stephanie Simon of Blueridge Climate Ventures will lead this discussion, which, per the title, will explore what has worked for climate ventures that “captured over $40 billion in global funding” in 2025. Founders and prospective founders will gain an understanding of what they need to demonstrate to attract investors.
Thursday, November 5 — Track 3: Capital & Fundraising
The Founder Skills track on Wednesday will touch on certain aspects of what climate entrepreneurs need to do to make compelling business cases and attract investors. On Thursday, the “Capital and Fundraising” track will dive deeper into how climate companies get financed (with a particular focus on first-of-a-kind hardware).
The core sessions in this track will all take place at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.
1:00pm — Keynote: “Climate Tech: Thirty Years of Lessons and What Comes Next” (American Underground)
This keynote will be delivered by Dave Kirkpatrick, Managing Director at SJF Ventures. He’ll tap into decades of experience backing climate companies, discussing lessons learned as well as forecasting the next chapter in the space.
2:00pm — “Getting Creative About Capital When Your Calls Aren’t Returned” (American Underground)
This will be a panel discussion exploring some of the unique factors that go into investment decisions surrounding first-of-its-kind initiatives. The panel will be comprised of Sasha Brown (Ecosystem Integrity Fund), Lister Delgado (IDEA Fund Partners), Dr. Ashley Rivenbark (Climate Finance Solutions), and Drew Geer (climate investor).
3:00pm — “Your Other Product Is a Financial Data Room” (American Underground)
This session is best characterized by the straightforward event page description: “Investors who finance first-of-a-kind hardware will walk you through what maeks that package credible, and where Triangle founders often leave money and leverage on the table.” The panel will be comprised of Joe Darcy (Volvo Group Venture Capital), Jennie Graham (Burn Island Ventures), Josh Grehan (Helios Climate Ventures), and Christina Pastoria (RMI).
4:00pm — “The Shape of a Fundable Company” (American Underground)
Nick Borisow (8 Rivers), Erik Lensch (Leyline Renewable Capital), Melissa Malkin-Weber (Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas), and Locke Raper (Self-Help Climate Capital) will speak on a panel will speak about what makes climate hardware investable. They bring experience in power electronics, the built environment, and university spinouts and will provide a sense of “how to structure a company so it’s ready for capital.”
5:00pm — “Capital & Connections: Climate Tech Happy Hour” (Fullsteam ATC)
This will be a networking happy hour for Climate Week attendees, taking place at the recently opened Fullsteam Brewery at ATC (and supported by Climate Vault and Fractionaut).
Thursday Partner Event(s):
10:00am — “Becoming a Climate Angel” with E8 (address upon registration, Durham)
Hosted by nonprofit angle investment group E8 Angels, this will be a working session for those interested in getting into climate investment.
10:30am — “Accelerate Climate Tech Ventures” with Duke (Gross Hall, Duke University, Durham)
This session will provide an opportunity for attendees to connect with various Duke University groups open to working with climate tech ventures—including Design Climate, Duke RESTORE, Energy and Climate Ventures, Oceans@Duke, and several others.
11:00am — “Electronics and Green Space”
Donald Addu, Head of Climate Solutions at Climate Vault Solutions, will moderate a panel discussion between Durham climate leadesr, including Jess Lyons (Aurora Solar), Swati Khimesra (Surace 678), and Jed Routh (Kenpower). They’ll specifically discuss climate tech and the growth of the sector in Durham.
3:00pm — 2026 Seed2Grow Showcase and Pitch Competition (NC Plant Sciences Initiative, Raleigh)
This is a pitch event that will feature presentations from entrepreneurs, researchers, and startups—including those from the NC State Plant Science Initiative’s Seed2Grow program. There will be one competition track for NC State students and another for NC State researchers, with industry experts on hand to judge.
6:30pm — Bad Idea Pitch Competition: Climate Week Edition (American Underground)
If you speak to anyone who attended the first (RDSW) edition of this event, they’ll tell you, across the board, that it was a great time. Perhaps that’s why well-placed insiders have told me this is the most -RSVP’d event of the week. Here, would-be founders will give likely-hilarious pitches for utterly un-fundable climate solutions that are just feasible enough to make you ask, but why not though?
Friday, November 6 — Wrap-Up
9:30am — Strength in Numbers x RDCW Coffee Meetup, hosted by CED (Boxyard RTP)
The inaugural Raleigh-Durham Climate Week will wrap up with a casual coffee meet-up at Boxyard RTP, hosted by CED (with support from Oracle, 4LV, and Hutchison PLLC.
Once again, you can view the individual event pages and RSVP here.
Team GrepBeat will see you out and about throughout the week!
