Innovators Sparking Change
Startup founders are at the forefront of climate tech innovation and economic equity.
The JFFLabs Entrepreneurs-in-Residence incubator is a launchpad for companies fostering innovative new climate-resilient businesses that give workers of all backgrounds access to equitable economic advancement.
Often, entrepreneurs and startups at the forefront of new technologies lack the connections and expertise needed to scale their products and services. That is where JFFLabs steps in.
Since its launch in 2018, JFFLabs has evaluated nearly 5,000 early-stage and growth companies, amplified 682 solutions, identified and publicized 118 innovators to watch, invested in 46 companies, and incubated or accelerated 31 companies and entrepreneurs offering solutions in a range of emerging markets, including immersive learning, work-based learning, and climate resilience.
As part of the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence program, startup founders seeking to create a greener future are given the support and inspiration they need to fully develop their ideas, test trial versions of groundbreaking innovations, and develop go-to-market strategies that yield sustainable operations.
The most recent Entrepreneurs-in-Residence cohort is addressing the issue of climate change and lack of access to quality jobs from many directions, including:
- Reducing localized food waste by helping agricultural communities adopt sustainable growing practices,
- Creating new clean power solutions through smokeless and odorless biomass-powered generators,
- Reducing carbon dioxide emissions by rethinking the trucking industry through electric fleets powered by new technology,
- Educating workers and job seekers through courses aligned with climate and inclusive green career opportunities and
- Connecting untapped talent to the green economy to reshape the way we work while addressing labor shortages.
They are not just learning from proven business leaders. They are learning from each other.
The network they create gives them ongoing access to vast knowledge and shared experiences, which will help them shape and scale solutions that help workers prepare for the future of work.
A Purpose-Driven Network
CREST is about communities and equal access to opportunity. In July, at JFF Horizons in Washington, DC, the JFFLabs Entrepreneurs-in-Residence cohort came together to share their visions for a greener future and their common passion for helping people and the environment. They are learning from each other and building their own network of like-minded business leaders whose mission is improving the planet and creating quality jobs that address economic inequity.
Small Businesses are the Heartbeat of Our Country
People throughout the United States are passionate about building a better future, one that addresses climate change and industry's impact on our communities. Entrepreneurs hear that call to action and create businesses to solve these issues. Jobs for the Future Managing Director Taj Eldridge shares his thoughts on the role of the CREST Entrepreneurs-in-Residence in that movement in this excerpt from an upcoming WorkingNation Work in Progress podcast.