​Impact for Breakfast – Investing in Scaling, Food Systems, and Catastrophe Bonds

​Wednesday, May 20 | 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
📍 Prime Produce

​Hosted by Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area in partnership with YLAI – Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, Impact for Breakfast, Finpublica, and Prime Produce.

​Join us for a morning of networking, breakfast, and conversation!

​“Impact for Breakfast – Investing in Scaling, Food Systems, and Catastrophe Bonds” brings together investors, sustainability leaders, and ecosystem builders, to discuss key opportunities shaping the Green Economy - from scaling startups from Latin America into the U.S., advancing sustainable food systems, and unlocking climate resilience through innovative financial instruments such as catastrophe bonds.

​The program will feature founders participating in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program — a U.S. State Department initiative that brings together entrepreneurs and leaders from across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada to collaborate with organizations throughout the United States on strategic projects and ecosystem development.

​As part of this collaboration, Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area is working with two YLAI Fellows to develop ecosystem reports and initiatives focused on evaluating the current status of circular economy innovation, sustainability, and pathways for scaling Global South ventures into the U.S. market. The fellows will share their findings at this event.

​The morning will also explore how emerging financial mechanisms can support climate adaptation and resilience globally. Nicholas Suter from Caterina Technologies will discuss the growing role of catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities (ILS) in enabling climate action and supporting resilient innovation ecosystems worldwide.

​Featured Speakers:

• ​Gabriel Sanllehi - Co-founder & CEO, BeLoop. Gabriel is a mechanical engineer and the co-founder and CEO of BeLoop. With a background in developing bioplastics from agro-forestry waste, Gabriel has dedicated his career to decarbonizing industries through technology and advanced circularity models. BeLoop works with manufacturers across Latin America - including clients in Chile and Mexico, and global brands like Adidas - to drive large-scale industrial sustainability. He is currently in New York as a YLAI Fellow (U.S. State Department), co-producing an ecosystem report on how impact startups from the Global South successfully scale into the U.S. market.

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• ​Tyler Greene, Founder & Principal at Greene Ventures, Tyler Greene is a climate and circular economy entrepreneur and the Founder of Greene Ventures, which partners with climate scientists and early-stage founders to find their first customers, industry partners, and capital they need to scale. Tyler has worked with Elemental Impact, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council to advance clean energy markets and climate innovation. He has been recognized nationally as a Climate Leader and has engaged with senior White House staff on entrepreneurship and climate action.

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• ​Nicholas Suter - Interim COO of Caterina Technologies, Nicholas Suter is Interim COO of Caterina Technologies, a data infrastructure and intelligence platform advancing transparency in the insurance-linked securities (ILS) and catastrophe bond markets. In this role, he leads go-to-market strategy, business development, and operational buildout, working at the nexus of structured finance, climate risk, and capital markets innovation. Prior to Caterina, Nicholas worked at MindClick, where he helped connect sustainable procurement decisions to measurable building asset value, translating fragmented product data into intelligence that drives better financial outcomes for commercial real estate and hospitality operators. Nicholas studied at the NYU Stern School of Business, where he graduated with honors, co-concentrating in Sustainable Business and Statistics with a minor in Urban Design. He was recognized for academic excellence, captained the varsity soccer team, and served as President of the NYU Net Impact chapter.

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• ​Frances Simowitz - CEO & Co-Founder of Quay Acceleration, with more than a decade of experience in the startup ecosystem, Frances has helped build entrepreneurial communities and scale accelerator operations across multiple cities, including Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York. She has helped accelerate hundreds of international startups from more than 30 countries entering the U.S. market. She also serves on the advisory board of TechDay and is recognized for her expertise in startup acceleration, ecosystem building, and international market expansion.

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• ​Alberto - a Co-Founder and CEO of a startup focused on reducing food waste by connecting consumers with discounted surplus food from supermarkets, bakeries, restaurants, and other businesses. Through technology and sustainable commerce, Alberto has helped position his company as one of the leading food waste reduction platforms in his country, reaching more than 100,000 downloads, 35,000 monthly active users, and partnerships with over 100 businesses.

​Agenda:

​9:00 AM – Doors Open, Networking, Coffee & Breakfast

​9:30 AM – Welcome Remarks, Partner Introductions & Agenda

​9:35 AM – Introduction to YLAI Fellows & Their Startups

​9:45 AM – Challenges & opportunities for funding and scaling Green Economy Startups from Latin America to New York

​10:00 AM – Sustainable Food Systems: challenges & opportunities funding and scaling in New York

​10:15 AM – Enabling the Green Economy & Climate Action through Catastrophe Bonds

​10:30 AM – Networking

​11:30 AM – Doors Close