Evergreen Climate Innovations

This past weekend, Evergreen’s CEO, Michelle Carr, took the stage at SXSW Midwest House for "Chicago Day" to discuss why the Midwest is the global center of water innovation.

In a panel moderated by Ella McCann, Michelle joined leaders from Current, Great Lakes RENEW, and gener8tor to dive into a critical truth: freshwater is a strategic asset for manufacturing, energy systems, and the data centers of the future.

Thank you to World Business Chicago and Midwest House for hosting such a vital conversation. The future of the Blue Economy is being built where water, industry, and innovation meet, right here in the Midwest!

Evergreen CEO, Michelle Carr, is heading to SXSW 2026 this weekend!

She'll be on stage Saturday at Midwest House for "Freshwater > Seawater: How the Midwest is Winning the Blue Economy," alongside:
💧 Ella McCann (Moderator), Head of Partner Activation, The Executives' Club of Chicago
💧 Alaina Harkness, CEO, Current
💧 Samantha Schwartz, Community & Ecosystem Development Manager, gener8tor's CleanTech Accelerator

If you're in Austin, we hope you can join! See the full schedule and registration here: https://hubs.li/Q046qmfY0

Sixteen years ago, Amy Francetic founded what is now Evergreen Climate Innovations on the belief that early-stage climate founders in the Midwest deserved patient capital and real support.

After leading the organization as its founding CEO, Amy stayed on as a board member, serving the last five of her ten years on the board as Chair. The result is an organization that has backed 50+ world-changing companies and helped put the Midwest on the climate innovation map.

We are so grateful for her vision, her leadership, and her continued presence that will be in our community as Board Chair Emeritus!

Read the full announcement here: https://hubs.li/Q04502Pk0

Meet Alison Taylor, Evergreen's newest board member!

Alison is a Senior Fellow at Duke University and brings a career that spans environmental law, more than a decade as VP & Chief Sustainability Officer at Siemens, and the role of Chief Sustainability Officer at ADM — where she led global sustainability strategy aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

She's an environmental lawyer by training, a Capitol Hill veteran, and currently serves on the boards of The Nature Conservancy–Illinois and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.

Alison's depth across corporate sustainability, policy, and environmental stewardship makes her a great addition to our board.

Read the announcement: https://hubs.li/Q044QKPD0