Climate Tech Exchange Agenda

Interested in attending the MEIA Climate Tech Exchange? Dive into the agenda to see what is in store for 2026. From “asks and offers” to the State of the Ecosystem, there is something for everyone!

Registration for the Climate Tech Exchange is free. Please note that registration does not include access to other Summit programming.

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12:30 PM

Registration

1:30 PM

Welcome Remarks

Speakers:

Ben Margolis

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Director, Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator

Ben Margolis serves as the Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator, leading all facets of the organization.

1:35 PM

Keynote Speaker

Speakers:

Justin Brodie-Kommit

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Founding General Partner, Lichen Ventures

Justin Brodie-Kommit is a Founding General Partner of Lichen Ventures.

1:45 PM

Future Policy for Climate Tech

Speakers:

Del. Joe Vogel

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House Ways & Means Committee (District 17)

Delegate Joe Vogel is a leading voice for climate action and climate innovation in the Maryland General Assembly. Joe’s results-oriented approach to legislating challenges the norms of gridlock in both parties to take on big issues by expanding opportunity. His bill created the Climate Tech Founders Fund, making major investments in climate technology start-ups to support entrepreneurs and address climate change. He secured public funds for small, minority, and women owned businesses working on climate solutions to ensure Maryland’s green economy was built for all, not just a select few. He’s recruited CEOs and industry leaders across the state in the efforts to make Maryland a global leader in climate innovation.

Joe was born in Uruguay and raised in Montgomery County. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Outside of the legislative session, Joe works for KABOOM!, a non-profit building high-quality, sustainable play spaces for every child.

1:50 PM

Meet Maryland Climate Tech

2:15 PM

From Concept to First Pilot

Speakers:

Riley Engels

Commercial Operations Manager, Liatris

A graduate of the George Washington University School of Business, Engels was Liatris’s first full-time business hire and works closely with the product and business development teams to manage its key corporate and government funding partnerships. He is an experienced project manager, working across all active projects at Liatris, both corporate and government.

Jiaqi Dai

Co-Founder & CTO, InventWood

Jiaqi Dai is an entrepreneur and innovator who is changing the landscape of materials science. He is the co-founder and chief technology officer of InventWood, the company behind a new nano-engineered wood that is stronger than steel. By leading the development and commercialization of such a transformational scientific discovery, he is building a new industry, creating jobs, and advancing a sustainable future rooted in engineering.

Carol Lane

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Vice President, Government Affairs, X-Energy

Carol Lane leads government relations for X-energy, working with Congress and the executive branch to advance X-energy’s overall business goals and objectives within the confines of U.S. national policy objectives. Before joining X-energy in 2015, Carol was Vice President of Washington Operations and Vice President of Civil and Commercial Space for Ball Aerospace & Technologies, Corp.

Ms. Lane has more than 20 years of experience in government and private sector working on energy, civilian space, and national security policy. Prior to joining Ball Aerospace, she worked for Lockheed Martin and TRW (Northrop Grumman) in both business and policy roles. Her legislative branch experience includes serving as staff director for the Science, Technology and Space Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and as a staff member on the Senate Budget Committee, focusing on space and energy issues. Carol served in the executive branch as a presidential appointee in the Reagan administration as the Director of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation in the US Department of Transportation.

Carol is a graduate of George Washington University. She is currently the President of the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and is former Chairman of the Board for Women in Aerospace, former Vice President of Development for ARCS (STEM education), and a mentor for the Brooke Owens Foundation.

Samay Kindra

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Government Affairs Manager, Vicinity Energy

Samay manages Vicinity Energy’s government affairs in Maryland. Samay works to advance Vicinity’s zero-carbon mission in Baltimore and partners with stakeholders in City Hall and Annapolis to help the City and State achieve their environmental and energy goals. A Baltimore area native and University of Maryland Law School alum, Samay has experience in local, state, and federal government with a focus on the intersection of business and government. Samay has been active in Maryland politics for over a decade and has worked on issues ranging from education and mental health to campaign finance reform and the environment. Prior to joining Vicinity, he was an associate at Ballard Spahr in the Public-Private Partnership group.

3:00 PM

Networking Break

3:15 PM

State of Maryland's Climate Tech Ecosystem

Speakers:

Karen Zuccardi

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Ecosystem Director of Venture Development, TEDCO

Karen Zuccardi is the Ecosystem Director at TEDCO, where she leads initiatives designed to strengthen Maryland’s innovation ecosystem and expand access to resources, partnerships, and commercialization opportunities for entrepreneurs across the state.

Her work focuses on connecting founders with industry, government, universities, investors, and economic development organizations to help emerging technologies move from research and innovation toward real-world application and growth. She has a particular interest in sustainability, clean technology, advanced manufacturing, and other innovation-driven industries that can create both economic and societal impact.

Karen brings experience spanning the private, nonprofit, government, and entrepreneurial sectors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Lafayette College and a master’s degree in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Her graduate work included field experience in Indonesia focused on sustainable alternatives to traditional plastic packaging, and she previously served as Chair of the Little Rock Sustainability Commission.

Karen also serves in the Maryland Air National Guard and is an active speaker and moderator on entrepreneurship, commercialization, innovation ecosystems, and economic development.

3:45 PM

30-Second Offers

4:15 PM

Celebrating Our Ecosystem

Speakers:

Lindsay Ryan

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Executive Director of Economic Development, USM

Lindsay Ryan is Executive Director of Economic Development for the University System of Maryland and coordinates among 12 public institutions throughout Maryland to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development throughout the System and State. She is the Board President of the Maryland Business Innovation Association. Previously, she was the Founding Manager of the business incubator Harbor Launch at IMET and the Chair of the Capital Region Chapter of Women In Bio. Lindsay began her career in the National Science Foundation’s innovation programs. She received a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland – College Park and an M.S. from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill studying Marine Microbiology.

Justin Brodie-Kommit

Founding General Partner, Lichen Ventures

Justin Brodie-Kommit is a Founding General Partner of Lichen Ventures.

Kobby Osei-Kusi

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Founder & CEO, Pirl Technology

Dan Kunitz

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Director of Venture Strategy & Development, UMD

Dan Kunitz joined the University of Maryland in 2019 as Professional Track Faculty in the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) in the Clark School of Engineering. Dan is co-PI and Director of the NSF-funded Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship programs for university researchers. Dan is also PI and Director of the EDA-funded Maryland Innovation Extension, supporting HBCUs an researchers and technology entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups throughout Maryland. Dan is an Instructor in NSF’s National I-Corps program, and has taught evidence-based entrepreneurship programs for researchers throughout the region as well as nationally and internationally. Before joining UMD, Dan was in a similar role at The George Washington University as Director of I-Corps Programs for the NSF I-Corps Node and as co-PI of GW’s NSF I-Corps Site. He has also been a Senior Advisor to NSF’s National Innovation Network where he chaired several curriculum initiatives. At UMD, Dan has been involved in several task forces and workgroups to connect the innovation ecosystem on campus and throughout the region, and he is a senator in the UMD Faculty Senate.

Climate Tech Exchange Agenda

12:30 PM

Registration

1:30 PM

Welcome Remarks

1:35 PM

Keynote Speaker

1:45 PM

Future Policy for Climate Tech

1:50 PM

Meet Maryland Climate Tech

2:15 PM

From Concept to First Pilot

3:00 PM

Networking Break

3:15 PM

State of Maryland's Climate Tech Ecosystem

3:45 PM

30-Second Offers

4:15 PM

Celebrating Our Ecosystem

4:25 PM

Closing Remarks

4:30 PM

Networking Reception