Carroll Thomas
Ms. Carroll A. Thomas is the former Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). The MEP National Network helps U.S. manufacturers across the country compete globally by accessing new technology and strengthening supply chains. Ms. Thomas has also served as the Associate Administrator of the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) for the U.S. Small Business Administration. In addition to recently joining the For Climate Tech board, she also serves on the Boards of the Information Technology Innovation Foundation bipartisan thinktank , the Manufacturing USA MxD digital manufacturing institute and the State Department Federal Credit Union. With more than 30 years of entrepreneurial and small business development experience, Thomas’s accomplished public and private sector career demonstrates her leadership expertise as a catalyst for creating effective partnerships and advocating economic development by supporting dynamic innovation ecosystems. Ms. Thomas has a Bachelor of Science degree from Drexel University’s Nesbitt College of Design and a Master of Business Administration from John Hopkins’ Carey School of Business.
Will is an operations engineer for Block Renovation. He formerly managed Tesla’s electric-vehicle infrastructure program across the New York tri-state area. A three-time entrepreneur and Princeton Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer, Will has founded companies that built bamboo bicycles, 3D-printed composites, and VR-based design software. He also spent five years in the construction industry as an engineer and project manager.
Nicolas “Nico” has been working for the last five years on making hardware less hard — at least to manufacture. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of BotFactory, an award-winning company selling and developing desktop electronics prototyping machines. He has an M.S. in EE from NYU and an M.S. in Mechatronics from UCL. He is also an avid soccer player and world traveler.
Peter is President of Blackburn Energy, a clean energy startup featuring a kinetic energy capturing system for trucking. Previously, Peter was the Director of Growth & Innovation at MassMEP where he helped author the DOE Build4Scale program. Peter founded five startups and is a Certified Purchasing Manager in accordance with Institute for Supply Management and a Kaplan-Norton Balanced Scorecard Certified Graduate.
Suma is an entrepreneur and educator keenly interested in the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and progress. She is CEO of Future Acres, a company building the farm tools of tomorrow, starting with an electric harvest companion robot. Suma also teaches the “Future of Food: Entrepreneurship as Activism” at NYC’s School of Visual Arts, and is building an entrepreneurial collective based on the principles of entrepreneurship as activism. Prior, Suma co-founded companies in vertical farming, waste management, and renewable energy. She started her career at a microfinance startup in India, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali. Suma also received the White House Champions of Change Award for her work in LGBTQ advocacy. She is a graduate of The Wharton School (MBA), Flatiron School (iOS), General Assembly (UX Design), and University of Rochester (BA).
Roland is the Co-Founder and COO at Partsimony. Roland holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech and spent five years working as an Investment Banker on Wall Street with experience across several large-scale mergers and acquisitions in addition to strategic corporate refinancings. He is passionate about making the process of building hardware more efficient and this driving purpose fuels his work at Partsimony.
Marnie is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Launch NY, a nonprofit venture development organization and NYSERDA-designated cleantech incubator, dedicated to providing pro bono mentorship and access to seed, including the most active fund in New York State, to high-growth potential startup companies driving economic impact and innovation in Western New York. She previously spent more than 30 years creating high-tech businesses and products in the public and private sector including leading economic development at University at Buffalo for 10 years.
Kathy is a founder of Pensa, an award-winning industrial design and invention firm based in DUMBO. She has been managing creative firms since 1994. She’s a rare find — a business head with a true understanding of how to foster and sustain a creative group. Kathy embraces change, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the challenges that come with each. Pensa clients include GoTenna, Lotik, and One Drop.
Jessie brings over 14 years of experience in financial operations and risk management, with a focus on institutional and private investments. Previously, as CFO and investment committee member at global venture accelerator Brinc, Jessie managed capital formation, investment strategy, fund accounting, portfolio analytics, investor reporting, risk and governance for three early-stage funds spanning five offices worldwide. In addition, she mentored over 60 portfolio companies on fundraising strategy and financial planning.
Noel is a principal at Accelerate NY Seed Fund. She was previously the Chief Technology Officer for the biotech company Symbiotic Health, Inc., where she directed R&D for the company’s formulation technology, manufacturing, and quality control. She holds a PhD in Physics & Biology from the Rockefeller University.