January Forum: Green Catwalk 2014

The Monthly Forums Program is kicking off 2014 with our annual Green Catwalk. This is an event focused on innovation in sustainability. We’ll be bringing in several speakers and giving them just a few minutes to tell us about a particular sustainable innovation. The result will be fast, fun, and very informative. We’ve got a great selection of speakers lined up already and will be adding more in the coming weeks. As always, we’ll spend the last 30 minutes or so on a Q&A session. If you want a peek at where sustainability may be headed in 2014 you won’t want to miss this one!   Date: January 15, 2014 Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Place: Dorma Design Center, 1040 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan, NY 10001 – 22nd floor   Click here to register! Please plan ahead to arrive promptly. Our spaces are donated to us so we must keep to the schedule we provide.   Our speakers will include: More speakers and bios to come!   Max Joel, Solar One, Director, Community Solar Initiative Max Joel is the Director of the Solar One Community Solar Initiative and is a NYSERDA Regional Outreach Contractor. Max helps community groups develop and implement solar projects that create clean energy, green jobs, and energy cost savings. He assists building owners and businesses in accessing NYSERDA incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Prior to Solar One, Max was the Capital Projects Coordinator for the Queens Botanical Garden during a period that saw the construction of a green Visitor Center, new native plant gardens, and other facilities and exhibits. Max is a graduate of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and is a LEED Accredited Professional.   Melissa Eboli, Fisher and Paykel, Regional Manager Melissa Eboli is a native New Yorker with a background of 10 plus years working in sales and marketing. She’s been fortunate to work in a variety of industries from entertainment, media, fitness, nutrition and in her present role, kitchen appliances! She is a regional account manager with Fisher and Paykel covering the North East. Her passion for the industry stems from her culinary background where she takes a green, no parts unused approach in the kitchen.  She truly enjoys promoting innovative appliances with a similar Eco-conscious theme!   Sam Holleran, Communications Coordinator, Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) At CUP, Sam is focused on helping design, research, and promote products and curricula. He previously helped to teach classes and recruit for Cooper Union’s high school Outreach Program and is committed to integrating civic issues into arts education. He attended the New School and the Cooper Union where he was the recipient of the Lubalin Fellowship for Typography and the Menschel Fellowship for Creative Inquiry. He is also an artist, specializing in print projects that make use of collage, woodcut, and wood type. CUP is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement on topics including fracking and New York’s sewer system.   Jeff Irvine, Lead NYC Solar Ombudsman, City University of New York Jeff coordinates with partners to make installing rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) easier, faster, and cheaper for homeowners and businesses. Prior to joining the CUNY Solar Team, Jeff interned for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, managing the Mayor’s Carbon Challenge to universities and hospitals. Jeff also previously worked as a NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities Coordinator in Manhattan and Staten Island. Originally from Amherst, MA, Jeff has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a BS in Television, Radio and Film from Syracuse University. In his previous career, he worked for five years as a documentary producer for PBS on shows such as NOVA and FRONTLINE.   Andrea Mancino, Energy Strategist, Bright Power As a member of the New Construction & Sustainability group, Andrea mainly works to rehabilitate affordable housing through Enterprise Green Communities Certification. This includes working with design teams to increase building energy performance through sustainable design; bringing all buildings to an energy performance standard that meets or exceeds ASHRAE 90.1. Andrea reviews plans, performs energy modeling and consults with contractors during construction to assure that buildings are rehabilitated in the most energy efficient manner possible.   Previously at Bright Power, Andrea performed energy audits for multifamily buildings through NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program (MPP). She also performed energy audits to comply buildings over 50,000 square feet with NYC’s Local Law 87.   Elizabeth Derry, Field Staff, Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) Elizabeth works with CPC’s resiliency and energy efficiency programs as a project manager. She helps property owners and managers incorporate efficiency into their repair projects while ensuring they get adequate financial support to meet their rebuilding needs. Elizabeth Derry holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning with a concentration in green building and real estate at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.   Robyn Shapiro, Director of Community, The Lowline Robyn oversees many of the Lowline’s core activities, from community engagement to strategic projects. Her prior experience includes marketing and operations roles at Ralph Lauren, Saatchi & Saatchi, and SelectNY as well as urban farming at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm. The Lowline is a proposal for the world’s first underground park in the New York City. By using innovative solar technology, The Lowline aims to transform an abandoned New York City trolley terminal in The Lower East Side into a vibrant green space.   Christian Okolski, HEVO Power, Co-founder and Senior Marketing Analyst As the Senior Market Analyst of HEVO Power, a developer of wireless charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs), Christian conduct research and analysis of the EV and EV charging markets, as well as relevant policies, technology developments, initiatives, and other developments. His work guides HEVO’s business strategy and keeps the company well-informed about this nascent and highly dynamic industry.  In addition, Christian utilizes market research and analysis to target optimal partnerships and execute outreach efforts to them. Prior to joining HEVO in March 2012, Christian was an analyst at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and a program assistant at the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation. He also graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham University, where he earned his BA in Economics and Minor in Environmental Policy.   Ariel Fan, Research Liason, Columbia University