ABOUT

Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV) has administered the ClimateTech Expertise Network (CEN) since April 2024. The program builds off of its predecessor - the NYSERDA EIR Program (which CTV administered from Nov 2018 - Dec 2023) - by adding new and expanded program features in response to the needs of the ecosystem. The program is free for early stage climate technology companies that have a clear benefit to New York State. “Climate technology” is defined as hardware technologies, software technologies, services, or processes that broadly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and/or enable the transition to a sustainable and clean economy by:

increasing the supply of renewable energy and distributed energy resources
improving the efficiency
reducing the cost of energy utilization from the consumer to utility and industrial scales
improving the processes and systems that use energy
more effectively enabling energy solutions to permeate the marketplace

TEAM

TIM HOFFMAN

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Over 20 years of investment banking experience, including focus on cleantech and clean energy. NY Director of Cleantech Open Northeast. Board experience with NECEC and Cleantech Open.

EMMA SPECTOR

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

Experienced innovation and entrepreneurship professional, including Entrepreneurship Manager for CenterStateCEO and The Tech Garden (GENIUS NY, NYSERDA Clean Tech Center, DOE EPIC program). Previous experience includes City of Syracuse and working in politics.

SOPHIA SULIMIRSKI

PROGRAM MANAGER

Climate tech professional with experience as founding Senior Partnerships Associate at Uptake Alliance, focusing on corporate partnerships and curriculum design for market-ready startups. Previous roles include advancing building tech innovation at ADL Ventures.

LORIANNA JOHNSON

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

Recent graduate looking to expand her network and knowledge in climate tech. She is a dynamic team player with a background in higher education admissions and operations. She is also credited for her extensive philanthropy work with underrepresented minority groups.

COLLABORATORS

In addition to working with NYSERDA-supported accelerators, incubators, and other entrepreneurial programs, the ClimateTech Expertise Network works to develop partnerships with other entrepreneurial entities.