#nycclimateweek

Today I have my first event for Climate Week! I've been getting psyched up for representing my company, Unified Ground, at Climate Week for weeks. This year feels different than other years - a lot different. I feel much more connected to my environmental justice community and community of people of color in energy and justice than I have before. Conferences and climate week in particular can feel so overwhelming. Honestly a lot of coporate things that don't feel like they have anything to do with change. This year, I'm connected to so people and projects so all the events feel natural for me to be a part of. Here's what I wrote on LinkedIn today:

NYC Climate Week is Here! 🎉 It’s going to be a full exciting week of events starting with opening night of the Climate Film Festival tonight!! I’m feeling really connected to my environmental justice community and I’m looking forward to seeing so many people in person.  If you want to know all the places I’ll be, send me a message and I can send you the full schedule. Here are the key events you can find me at: 

Climate Film Festival: I’m Moderating the panel "SHORTS: Power Shift: Defying Fossil Fuels" on Sunday, September 21st at 12:30 PM at DCTV.  I’ll also be attending films and the closing ceremony on Sunday. (https://climatefilmfest.eventive.org/schedule/shorts-power-shift-defying-fossil-fuels-66bc11ef3bea91005c3b6dd8 )

Make It in Brooklyn Climate Tech Pitch Contest: Pitching Unified Ground’s business in front of industry judges on Tuesday, September 23rd at 6 PM at Hana House. (https://lu.ma/ghfgy25v) 

New Climate Futures @Newlab: We have a small display as part of the Founder’s Fellowship program and I’ll be at the conference on Thursday, September 26th from 10 AM to 6 PM at Newlab. (https://www.newlab.com/new-climate-futures )

Climate Karaoke 🎤: If you know me well you know my love of Karaoke so no way I was going to pass up this event at one of my favorite spots Planet Rose Thursday, September 26th at 8 PM. (https://lu.ma/climatekaraoke )

Climate Justice Lives Here! Festival - Finishing the week in Brooklyn where Climate Justice Lives!!  Pier 4 Brooklyn Army Terminal, September 28th 2-7pm (https://www.uprose.org/event/save-the-date-climate-justice-action-in-september-2024/ )

Hope to see you! 🌱

#ClimateWeek #NYC #ClimateChange #Sustainability #Innovation #PanelDiscussion #PitchCompetition #Conference #Karaoke #climatejustice #environmentaljustice #ClimateJusticeLivesHere

Now I wouldn't be me if I didn't add some fun creative for Climate Justice and Climate Week. So Created some ClimateWeek songs and images!

Today I am the definition of unmotivated. Slight Climate Week/Climate Karaoke emotional hangover. Networking for a week straight is just a lot. I could not get myself going today - there were many competing emotions - things I was dealing with on a personal level that I can't share in a public posting. I'm sure you've all had days like this - something real in life - more important than any work you could possibly drains all your attention and focus. I try to focus on the things in life that I can have an effect on - but today one of those things I can't have effect on took too much focus. I felt helpless? paralyzed? I tried a nap. I tried a trip to work in a coffee shop. It's funny I guess I was motivated. I was motivated to move forward - I just didn't know how. It's in an interesting perpective shift actually. I was motivated to change, to push, to break free. I could feel the weight of the week trying to drag me down or somewhere I didn't want to be. I eventually did a little work- follow-ups to the networking I'd done this week... and now I'm writing - so I guess I'm not the definition of unmotivated. I'm a man trying to get unstuck, refusing the back down, stubborn in the face of adversity, fighting, balancing parenthood, love, life, work, and creativity.