Executive Dinner | Scaling Deep Tech: How to Successfully Build & Finance FOAK Infrastructure

​Cambridge Consultants, ClimaTech and selected ecosystem partners are hosting an invitation-only executive dinner and roundtable bringing together climate technology founders, investors, infrastructure operators, strategic corporates, and public-sector leaders to address one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: scaling first-of-a-kind (FOAK) infrastructure.

​Why join

• ​Sit at a table with the people who actually decide whether FOAK projects get financed, contracted, and built;

• ​Work through real obstacles, not success stories, under Chatham House Rule;

• ​Hear from leaders at MassCEC, Clean Energy Ventures, J.P. Morgan, MIT, and Fluor, with National Grid, Cambridge Consultants, and Spring Lane Capital leading roundtables;

• ​Shape what comes next: each roundtable produces an actionable recommendation and a committed follow-up, such as a working group, pilot framework, or introduction

​Agenda

• ​6:00-6:45 Networking & dinner

• ​6:45 Opening remarks

• ​7:00-7:30 Panel moderated by Liana Frey (The Climate Project, MIT)

  • ​Dan Goldman (Clean Energy Ventures)

  • ​Ben Downing (MassCEC)

  • ​Amelia Galvin (J.P. Morgan)

  • ​James Shih (Fluor)

  • ​Rafia Marchant (Phoenix Tailings)

• ​7:45-8:15 Working roundtables, facilitated by Sander Cohan (National Grid), James Shih (Fluor), and Mike Dunkley, Sinan Yordem, and Ben Bollinger (Cambridge Consultants), and Katie St. James (Spring Lane Capital)

• ​8:15 Roundtable report-out

• ​8:30 Closing remarks & networking

​Expectations from participants

• ​Come prepared to contribute, not just observe. This is a working session. Participants should be ready to share specific experiences, challenges, or examples relevant to their roundtable theme.

• ​Candor over polish. The value of the session depends on honest discussion of what's actually blocking deals, financing, or deployment, including failures and open problems, not just success stories.

• ​Active follow-through. Participants should be willing to engage after the event if a roundtable identifies a concrete next step relevant to them (e.g., a follow-up conversation, an introduction, or contributing to a working group).

• ​Confidentiality and Chatham House Rule. Discussions will be held under Chatham House Rule. Insights can be shared, but comments won't be attributed to individuals or organizations without permission.