Adaptation in Action!

Cities have always been humanity's greatest engines of opportunity, invention, and community. Today, cities are also where the consequences of climate change are felt most acutely. Floods, heat waves, storms, and rising seas are reshaping how billions of people live, work, and thrive. As we confront these risks, cities are at the forefront of climate adaptation. The economic stakes are immense. Climate adaptation represents a multi-trillion dollar opportunity in technology, infrastructure, and finance. How we invest in resilient buildings, water systems, cooling infrastructure, insurance mechanisms, and community preparedness will determine the livability of our cities in the decades to come. To succeed, we must connect the dots between climate tech, policy, and finance to scale adaptation solutions quickly and equitably. This session brings together climate adaptation startups, investors, corporate buyers, and policymakers to discuss how adaptation is being implemented in cities across the globe. Topics for discussion include: How financing models like parametric insurance can accelerate adaptation at scale. The experience of startups piloting flood protection, heat mitigation, and water resilience solutions in urban environments. How New York City and other urban hubs are positioning themselves as test beds for climate adaptation technologies. A pecha-kucha style showcase of adaptation solutions will include startups across the following themes: Flood and Water Resilience;Heat and Cooling;Insurance and Finance;Data and Infrastructure. Please also join us for great people, great food, and great conversation after the presentations in the heart of New York, with special thanks to our sponsors at Brown Rudnick. Streetlife Ventures invests in the $5 trillion market opportunity at the intersection of cities and climate. We leverage our 30+ years of urban experience and 25,000+ member platform of climate founders, operators, policymakers, and emerging talent to build sustainable cities. Burnt Island Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to solving the world's water crisis. We believe climate change is fundamentally a water problem, and we back early-stage founders building technologies across the water value chain. Tailwind Futures is the only pure-play strategic venture fund dedicated to B2B climate resilience. We invest in seed-stage companies building software, hardware, and infrastructure solutions that help organizations futureproof their buildings, infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce safety against a changing climate. Stepchange Ventures backs ambitious founders building software and software-enabled hardware to accelerate energy abundance and upgrade critical infrastructure. Brown Rudnick is a global law firm with offices across the U.S. and U.K. and a 75-year history. Its Emerging Growth Companies and Venture Capital group advises founders and investors from formation and seed financing through Series A, venture debt, M&A and IPO.