2022 Finals Speakers
Hear from Joe Curtatone, President of NECEC, Hilary Flynn, Managing Director of Investments for Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Ken Hayes, Executive Director of Cleantech Open, and Sam Crum, Membership Growth Manager for Greentown Labs.
Joseph A. Curtatone serves as President of the Northeast Clean Energy Council, a driving force behind the formation of a diverse climate economy. NECEC champions clean energy policy, serves as the voice for companies looking to lead the charge on energy transition and fosters climate tech startups with the potential to make serious environmental, economic and social impact. Before stepping into his role at NECEC, Curtatone forged a reputation for being one of the most innovative mayors in the United States as the nine-term Mayor of Somerville, MA. He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, the New England School of Law and Boston College.
Hilary Flynn’s career has focused on the intersection of policy, technology, and markets for emerging technologies. She is currently the Managing Director of Investments for Massachusetts Clean Energy Center where she oversees the Commonwealth’s venture capital investments in ClimateTech startups. Prior to this role she was Head of US Offshore Wind for National Grid Ventures where she led the company’s effort to enter the nascent US offshore wind development business, and was Director of Incubation at National Grid Partners, the company’s venture capital and innovation group. Hilary was previously the Managing Consultant of Asia Pacific consulting, based in Singapore, for technology advisory firm Lux research and an energy policy analyst for MJ Bradley & Associates.
Ken Hayes helps start-ups grow, get financed and build value. He joined Cleantech Open in 2017 as Executive Director with US National and Global responsibilities for this established startup accelerator. Concurrently, he is Venture Partner and Co-founder of Canyon Creek Capital's Fund II, a VC fund focused on SoCal tech companies from Seed to Series A, with 40+ investments since late 2014. He is also a Director Emeritus of the Pasadena Angels, where he continues to focus on deal sourcing, mentoring entrepreneurs, and performing due diligence. Finally, Ken is a "recovering entrepreneur" who has built and sold several companies in Europe and the USA, in the ed-tech and ad-tech sectors. He earned an MBA at INSEAD, France, and a BA in Economics at Pomona College.
As Greentown Labs’ Membership Growth Manager, Sam guides prospective members into the incubator - connecting entrepreneurs to key support resources and a community of their peers. He identifies innovative, impact-driven climatetech startups building technologies that will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or build resilience against the effects of climate change. Sam meets with teams to understand their unique milestones and goals, leads startup tours across Greentown’s Somerville campus, and manages the new member application process. If you have questions about membership or are interested in growing your business at Greentown Labs, Sam wants to chat!
Sam is a graduate of the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and first joined the Greentown Team in 2019 through the school’s co-op program. At Northeastern, Sam became endeared with entrepreneurship, particularly for its ability to enact social and environmental change. He is motivated by the role that innovation and enterprise will play in our push to meet the climate targets set by the IPCC.