Story.Lab: Climate Edition
Story.Lab: CLIMATE EDITION
April 23 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Global Innovation Forum, Washington D.C.
In partnership with the Global Innovation Forum & Hua Wang
Presented at DC Climate Week 2026
This workshop is for founders and future founders looking to refine their pitch to amplify the impact of their company and connect more authentically with aligned investors.
In a world of greenwashing, censorship, and an ever-shifting funding landscape, climate solutions can be hard to pitch.
The complex language. The technical specificity. The sheer weight of the idea itself—all of it needing to collapse into something compelling enough to make a room stop and listen.
So how do we get the solutions that actually matter funded? How do we build pitches that stand the test of time and make a line of reviewers lean forward and say: "Of course we need this. And I want to be part of it."
That's where Story.Lab comes in.
This is a space for exploration. For trial and error. Think: film studio cutting room with scraps of film on the floor, a sketchbook full of half-finished ideas, someone at the back saying "what if we tried it this way?" We are workshopping it. No pressure to have a final product. Bring your best idea, your pitch as it stands, and we will help you get it to Version 2, or Version 30.
The format
4:00 PM — Arrival & networking*
4:15 PM — Welcome from Hua Wang & Amanda Gann
4:30 PM — Guided working session with your Story.Lab prompt booklet
5:00 PM — Shareout & live feedback from your mentors
5:30 PM — Closing networking
6:00 PM — Close
*If you can arrive early, I will give you a gold star. =)
The Story.Lab Team
Amanda Gann (Host) Founder, Fluxscapes, Little Bird Creative, and Atmosfera
Creative director, climate researcher, and visual storyteller dedicated to advancing personal and planetary wellness. From curating a climate festival in India to documenting ecological systems in the mangroves of Bangladesh, her work is guided by curiosity, care, and a commitment to building a more resilient and symbiotic future. Through her work, she helps organizations shape stories that resonate, build trust, and move ideas forward.
Hua Wang (Co-host) Trade, Innovation & Policy | Executive Director, Global Innovation Forum | Principal, Semafor World Economy
Based in Washington, D.C., Hua operates at the intersection of global trade, innovation, and policy. She brings a systems-level perspective to how climate solutions move through institutions, markets, and governments, with a focus on advancing international collaboration and unlocking pathways for scale. Her work centers on shaping the conditions that allow emerging technologies and climate solutions to gain traction across sectors, bridging public and private interests to accelerate impact.
Alexis C. Erwin is the founder of ACE Advisory, where she supports mission-driven organizations in the clean energy sector and climate and environmental communities. She spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of science, policy, and implementation at USAID, the California State Senate, and international research institutions. At USAID, she designed the initial environmental and social risk management framework for Power Africa, a public-private partnership that added 15,000 MW of new electricity generation capacity and leveraged over $80 billion in total investments. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from Cornell and an Sc. B. with honors in Geology and Biology from Brown.
C’pher Gresham is an accomplished entrepreneur, leader, and technologist dedicated to driving global impact through innovative ventures. As the former CEO of SEED SPOT and global leader of AWS Activate: Founders, he has established a reputation for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. C'pher is also known for co-founding Swillings Coffee and Front Row, a pioneering NFT marketplace. Currently, he is a co-founder of Gridvolve, a platform focused on decarbonizing the electric grid industry, and co-founder of DC Climate Week.
C'pher's diverse journey includes being a Mandela-Washington Fellow, conducting oceanography studies aboard a Caribbean ship, and working internationally in Uzbekistan, Benin, and other countries. He serves as a mentor at George Washington University and holds a B.A. from The George Washington University. Additionally, he earned an MBA Summa Cum Laude from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, specializing in early-stage financing.
Who this is for
Founders. Future founders. Entrepreneurs with a pitch that isn't landing. Intrapreneurs making the case internally. Anyone whose climate work deserves a better story than it currently has.
If you have a deck — bring it. 9 slides max. You'll have 3 minutes. If you're still in the idea stage — bring that. The prompt booklet will meet you where you are.
Space is intentionally limited to keep this hands-on.
Attendees will have a chance to be interviewed by Hua Wang of the Global Innovation Forum (virtually or in-person) and potentially be featured on their website. Explore more founder stories here.
DC Climate Week is not responsible for this event. It is organized by the organizing group, and being listed on the DCCW calendar is not an endorsement of content or partners.