Tamer Institute

At the inaugural event for the new "Climate Change and New American Economy Series," Brian Deese, MIT innovation fellow and former director of the National Economic Council at the White House, and principal architect of the Inflation Reduction Act, spoke with Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist, on the future of climate and clean energy policy in the wake of the IRA.

In this article on the importance of community engagement for the future of clean tech, Donnel Baird '13, CEO and founder of clean technology company BlocPower, called for communities to take an ownership stake in projects.

Clean tech startup Plentify, a Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member founded by Jon Kornik ’11, received a $4M investment from TELUS Pollinator Fund to strengthen climate resilience.

In this piece on moving capital to address both climate change and gender equity, Camilla Nestor '02, CEO of MCE Social Capital, commented on how there's "a need to grow the universe of impact-first, risk-tolerant capital." Since 2007, MCE has designed and deployed investment guarantees to mobilize more than $300M for smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Kaushik Kappagantulu '17, co-founder of Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio company Kheyti, was selected as the winner of Prince William's Earthshot Prize in the category of "Protect And Restore Nature" in 2022. Here, he reflects back on how the prize brought recognition, funding, and a platform to multiply their impact by creating partnerships.

Congratulations to Phoebe Boyer '93, president and CEO of Children’s Aid, for being included in this list of the top 100 remarkable women leaders who run the state of New York.

In this article about how a diverse group of people should control, access, and benefit from investment capital, Kesha Cash '10, founder and general partner of Impact America Fund, comments about how the fund is trying to break down the systemic barriers that are keeping women-led funds from expanding their AUM.

Chankrit Sethi ’23 developed the idea for Startup Works — a program that nurtures talent in entrepreneurs with conviction histories — while enrolled in our Reforming Mass Incarceration and the Role of Business course, part of our ReEntry Acceleration Program (REAP). She developed the workshop series after proposing it as a final project for the follow-on REAP Immersion course taught by Sandra Navalli ’03, adjunct faculty and managing director of the Tamer Center.“The level of creativity and passion that these teams brought to the table at Showcase Day was evident in their engaging presentations. I am confident that these teams will make a positive impact in their communities,” says Dan Fireman, co-founder and managing partner at Growcore Investments and a center advisory board member. Fireman’s support helped catalyze Startup Works as a platform for teams to showcase their talent and ideas.

Professor Dan Wang elaborates on the center's role in providing CBS students the chance to gain hands-on experience in various entrepreneurial business models beyond traditional startups, including through the Inclusive Entrepreneurial Initiative, which aims to establish and nurture venture ecosystems that connect local social, digital, and economic disparities.

In this article on how student entrepreneurs utilize resources across Columbia, Aileen Lee ’23, founder and CEO of sustainable fashion startup Infinite Goods, emphasizes how the center has been an invaluable resource in helping find employees and providing faculty mentorship.