​Global X Local: How our identities and experiences are powerful assets in shaping sustainable solutions

​The Happy Hour will be followed by 15 minute interview rounds with 5 innovators in the energy & climate space will feature:

• ​Art Exhibition with Latin American artists living here in HTX

• ​Interactive Tech Demos

• ​Access to founders, executives and innovators across various sectors

• ​1 Guest Speaker seated at each table

• ​Wine & Mocktails

• ​Light Bites

​This conversation is designed to explore how diverse cultural backgrounds directly influence and enhance innovation in the climate and energy fields. POST HTX is the official venue sponsor. There will be a Happy Hour staring at 5:30 PM and the Panel begins at 6:00 PM. Speaker bios and potential questions will be sent out to registrants prior to the event. Your Speakers:

• ​Juliana Garaizar (VC & Climate Leader)

• ​Yona Starosta (Construction & Energy Attorney)

• ​Chude Chike-Obi (Low Carbon Tech Engineer)

• ​Farish Mozley (Clean Energy Policy)

​Moderated by: Gabriela Fierro (Built Environment)

​Our Partners

​Proud partners include Pilas, Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, and POST HTX. The chat will be live-casted to WCS chapters in LA, New York, and Chicago and recorded for viewing to our locations in London, Amsterdam, and Ukraine. This not only connects the panelists with a brilliant global network but also showcases Houston’s rapidly growing energy and climate community on an international stage.

​This is the kind of dialogue we aim to foster—rooted in real-world examples that demonstrate how our identities and experiences are powerful assets in shaping sustainable solutions.

​Significance

​Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that immigrants were responsible for nearly 30% of all patents filed in the U.S., despite making up just 13% of the population. Consider the example of Dr. Maria Telkes, a Hungarian-American biophysicist. Or Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-American inventor and actress, whose groundbreaking work in frequency-hopping technology laid the foundation for modern wireless communication. This innovation, which was initially overlooked, has had a profound impact on various technologies, including those critical to the climate tech space.