Venture – Staff

Cassie Schuttrumpf
Program Manager

Cassie has worked with SecondMuse, an adminstrator of Venture For ClimateTech in partnership with NextCorps, across various projects, carrying out program management level work. Her work involves both the research and development, fundraising, and relationship building efforts for go-to-market strategies and market entry projects with frame up stage founders at Venture For ClimateTech. Her educational background entails a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, and a Masters degree from Vermont Law School in Environmental Law and Policy. She’s worked in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors of sustainability and is passionate about discovering the most impactful ways to progress  both environmental and social justice efforts.

Scott Meyers is the program manager for Venture For ClimateTech where he plans, coordinates, and executes the day-to-day programming and curriculum. Scott formerly worked for Dandelion Energy, a residential geothermal heat pump installer in the Hudson Valley area, as a Subcontractor Coordinator. He has also served as a Community Organizer for SunCommon, a solar B-corporation. After college, he worked as a Team Leader with Americorps NCCC, where his team worked to serve frontline communities in a variety of ways around the country.

Scott was born and raised in Leroy, New York, and graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2017. He now lives in Rochester, New York. He is a prominent member of the Rochester community, having co-founded The Rochester Sunrise Movement Hub, a local climate justice advocacy group.

Climate is important to Scott because he believes in leaving things in a better state than when you found them. He feels that if these changes are not addressed in an equitable way, many other concerns will remain unaddressed. Scott is particularly enthusiastic about reducing global reliance on fossil fuels by mass electrification combined with grid diversity when it comes to climate technologies.

Scott’s favorite entrepreneur is Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy; she is a strong woman in a male-dominated industry, who served as a terrific role model for Scott.

Scott’s Favorite Movement Leader?

Bernie Sanders / AOC / Ilhan Omar / New Wave Politics / Playing the long game / Ultimately AOC Ilhan Omar

What do you do for fun? 

Scott enjoys traveling and being outdoors, he is also passionate about activism. He recently took a road trip out to Moab Utah with two of his friends to camp.

Favorite Food?

Lasagna. Even a bad lasagna tastes good. 

What’s your Favorite Book?

The Ministry for Future / Our national parks by John Muir. “National parks are such a treasure.” 

Daily podcasts

Up First NPR, NYT The Daily, Throughline.  Following Ted Talks / Movement leaders / How I Built This / Understanding movement leaders.

In his role as New Venture Specialist, Devin works to recruit, develop, and support the growth of early stage ClimateTech startups both inside and outside of the Venture for ClimateTech program. In addition, he works broadly to support NextCorps’ programs and strategic initiatives with regards to generating greater program integration within the NextCorps ecosystem.

Prior to working for NextCorps, Devin served as an information analyst at the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences at the University of Rochester, where he worked to support and grow the optics and photonics cluster in Rochester.

Devin is a graduate of the University of Rochester, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in political science and economics, as well as completing the Take Five Scholars program in which he investigated the political, economic, cultural, philosophical, and religious development of Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on China.

Managing Director, Venture For ClimateTech

As a successful entrepreneur, Jack brings unique experience to Venture For ClimateTech, along with a global network of contacts from his more than 17 years in the energy and climate tech industry. Prior to this role, he was Co-Founder and President of Sweetwater Energy, a cellulosic ethanol/sugars company that, in its early years, was part of a NYSERDA clean energy incubator. Under his leadership, the company went on to raise $57M and prove its full-scale production capabilities in Europe. Prior to starting Sweetwater, he co-founded PAETEC, serving as president and chief marketing officer to help take the telecommunications company from launch to $2B in revenues, and through its exit and sale to Windstream.

Jack is an Endeavor Entrepreneur, a prestigious designation that provides access to the global Endeavor network of mentors, partners, and funders. He was part of MIT’s Startup Exchange / STX25 incubator/accelerator program, acted as the former Chairman of the Rochester Angel Network, and was the former President of ETI Technical College. He sits on a number of boards in Rochester — including the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, The Harley School, and OneStream Networks — and has been involved in helping his wife’s organization, Greentopia, become the first designated EcoDistrict in New York State.

In his spare time, Jack plays the guitar and sings in his rock band, Don’t Know Jack. He and his family reside in Rochester on Irondequoit Bay, and are active in outdoor sports, including boating, kayaking, hiking, camping, golf, and skiing.