Syracuse Tech Meetup

REGISTER HERE: Startup Go-to-Market: The Search for Product-Market Fit Tickets, Wednesday, November 18 • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Eventbrite

In this interactive, 90-minute workshop, Jim Light will help founders identify and test the assumptions that matter most: Who needs the solution? Will they choose it over existing alternatives? Will they experience enough value to use it, pay for it, and return? Can the business repeatedly acquire and serve those customers profitably?
Through practical examples and three guided exercises, participants will:

• Develop a focused customer and problem hypothesis.
• Gather customer evidence that distinguishes interest from genuine demand.
• Design a go-to-market experiment that tests a critical assumption about demand, value or the business model.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what remains unproven and a focused 30-day action plan to advance their search for product-market fit and a repeatable business model.
Designed for founders exploring an idea, developing a product or struggling to gain traction. Bring your idea or product and be ready to challenge your assumptions.
About Jim Light
Jim Light brings experience in enterprise sales, strategic partnerships, commercialization, and new-market development. He helps technology businesses connect their products with customer needs and develop practical approaches to winning business. Through Optimal Strategies Inc., Jim currently consults with and advises startups on go-to-market strategy, customer development, and sales.
Optimal Strategies Inc.
Website: optimalstrategiesinc.company

REGISTER HERE: CNY Cleantech Symposium Tickets, Thursday, November 19 • 9:30 AM - 5 PM | Eventbrite

The CNY Cleantech Symposium brings together cleantech founders, investors, customers, researchers, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners for a half-day of networking, collaboration and learning. Designed for both emerging and established companies, the event offers opportunities to exchange ideas, address industry challenges, discover resources, explore pilot and partnership opportunities, connect with sources of capital, and gain insights from leaders driving clean technology innovation across New York and beyond.
The event features expert-led sessions and investor insights on navigating the rapidly evolving cleantech landscape, including funding and regulatory challenges, investment and capital strategies, and practical approaches to securing grant funding to accelerate innovation and growth.
The Symposium will conclude with a live pitch competition featuring the four companies participating in the CenterState CEO Cleantech Accelerator, powered by National Grid. These companies will compete for a $50,000 investment award
🕰️EVENT TIME:
9 to 9:30 a.m. Registration, Continental Breakfast & Networking
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Program, Informational Sessions & Pitch Competition
✅COST: Free; advance registration required.
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AGENDA

Registration, Continental Breakfast & Networking
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Welcome & Opening Remarks
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Cleantech at a Crossroads: Navigating Funding Constraints, Regulatory Shifts and Strategic Pivots
Presenter: Dr. Darrell N. Burrell, associate ethics fellow, Marymount University
The cleantech sector in 2026 finds itself at a pivotal moment. After a decade of rapid growth fueled by strong policy support, public-private partnerships, and venture capital inflows, the landscape is shifting dramatically. Funding cuts across key markets, alongside tightening government regulations, policy reversals and geopolitical pressures, created a more complex and uncertain operating environment for sustainable businesses.
This presentation explores the current state of cleantech through the lens of these evolving challenges. Participants will examine how reduced subsidies, delayed infrastructure investments and shifting political priorities have disrupted capital flows and slowed deployment timelines across renewable energy, circular economy solutions, sustainable mobility, and climate tech innovation. At the same time, increasing regulatory scrutiny and fragmented global standards have raised compliance costs and operational risks for many firms.
Despite these headwinds, the sector is far from stagnant. Forward-thinking cleantech companies are actively adapting, pivoting business models, diversifying revenue streams and leveraging new partnerships to remain competitive and resilient. This session will highlight how organizations are responding by:
· Repositioning value propositions to align with cost savings, resilience, and energy security, not just sustainability.
· Tapping alternative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, corporate partnerships, and project-based funding.
· Expanding into new markets where policy support and demand signals are stronger.
· Advocating for policy clarity and engaging in regulatory co-creation.
· Accelerating innovation cycles to meet changing customer and investor expectations.
Dr. Darrell N. Burrell of Marymount University is a distinguished scholar and practitioner whose work spans sustainability, environmental and green business strategy, and leadership in complex regulatory environments. With a strong foundation in public service, he previously served at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and was selected as a prestigious Presidential Management Fellow, experiences that shaped his expertise in governance, risk, and policy dynamics. Dr. Burrell also completed postdoctoral scholarship further advancing his research in sustainable enterprise and organizational leadership. Backed by extensive academic credentials and applied experience, his work focuses on helping organizations navigate evolving regulatory landscapes while driving innovation and resilience in cleantech and sustainable business sectors.
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Lunch & Learn: Grab your lunch and learn about the different resources provided to cleantech featuring: Columbia Ventures, the Syracuse Center of Excellence for Environmental and Energy Systems, Innovation Venture Capital Fund (ESD), and CenterState’s INSPYRE Innovation Hub.
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Panel Discussion: Cleantech & ClimateTech Investment
Panelists:
Zack Pecenak, director, Innovation Venture Capital Fund, Empire State Development
Shaun Marks, president, Nisuru Capital, and executive director, NYS Strategic Community Development Alliance
Jonathan Greene, partner, New Climate Ventures; former director at New York Ventures
Facilitator:
Brad Banikowski, Investment Manager, CenterState CEO’s INSPYRE Innovation Hub
This dynamic panel features experienced investors specializing in cleantech and climatetech ventures, and will provide founders, entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners with valuable insights into how investors evaluate opportunities, deploy capital and support companies tackling some of today’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The panel will explore how cleantech startups can successfully position themselves to attract funding, what investors look for at different stages of growth, and how strategic relationships can accelerate both funding and long-term impact. Discussion topics will include funding strategies, navigating early-stage capital challenges, aligning mission with market opportunity and building scalable, investment-ready companies. Attendees will also gain perspective on best practices for engaging investors, forming strong partnerships, and leveraging networks to drive growth in the cleantech and climatetech sectors.
This session is designed to be interactive and insight-driven, offering practical guidance and real-world experiences from investors actively shaping the future of sustainable innovation.
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Pitch Showcase: CenterState Cleantech Accelerator, powered by National Grid
The spotlight is on innovation as the inaugural cohort of four breakthrough companies takes the stage to compete for a $50,000 investment. Each team will deliver a dynamic 10-minute pitch of their business and transformative solutions, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session with a panel of expert judges.
This high-energy event is more than a competition, it’s a platform for discovery, connection and opportunity. Join us for this inspiring showcase of entrepreneurial vision and bold ideas that have the potential to shape a more sustainable future.
Companies:
RETRN Bioworks Inc.
Applied Biorefinery Sciences
TK Fabricate
IoTRight dba InteliEQ
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Award Announcement & Closing Remarks