Impact State of Mind: Entrepreneur Day
Join us in Midtown Manhattan for “Impact State of Mind 2026: Entrepreneur Day,” a day of programming designed specifically for entrepreneurs in climate, technology, and social impact.
Impact State of Mind is a groundbreaking initiative of Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area with leading partners Princeton University's Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy & Finance, Finpublica, Sustainable Investment Leadership Council (SILC), XPRIZE, and Impact for Breakfast. Thanks to our venue partner AES Events NYC, and conference app sponsor, Jotto!
We’ve heard what entrepreneurs really want from a Climate Week/UNGA event and we're taking action! We’re putting entrepreneurs in the audience and inviting leading accelerators, investors, educational programs, and global scaling programs pitch to YOU.
Be prepared to leave with new connections, funding leads, and pathways for growth.
***Keep checking here for updates on the full list of speakers and programs!
Creative experiences, humor, and audience engagement will be provided throughout the event thanks to:
Chiehyu Liao, Creative Experience Associate with Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area
Barbara Ann Michaels, Artist in Residence with Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area, and Founder & Artistic Director of Humorville.
12:30 – 1:00 PM — Lunch (provided) & Networking Kick-Off
1:00 – 1:10 PM — Welcome & Agenda
John-Paul Parmigiani - CEO & Co-Founder, Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area, Co-Chair, Impact State of Mind 2026
Liv Varghese - Co-Chair, Impact State of Mind 2026 & Founder of Legacy Returns
1:10 – 1:20 PM — Preparing for Investment, Silver Leaf Partners. You'll hear about how to approach the fundraising process.
Michael Scanlon - Managing Director, ESG Practice Group
1:20 – 1:30 PM — Blended Finance for Startups, Meyers Global Blended Finance. Learn about the opportunities to leverage private capital and philanthropic funds to make startups bankable.
John Meyers - Blended Finance Specialist, Meyers Global: Blended Finance
Moya Connelly - Founder & CEO, Surmont Capital
1:30 – 2:00 PM — Rapid presentations (Accelerators, Programs, Investors/Funders). Presenters will tell you about their work, industry insights, and share opportunities for startups. Presentations facilitated by Matthew Hooper, Creator & Producer of Right to Invest.
OnePointFive - Matthias Muehlbauer, Co-founder & COO
Clean Energy Leadership Institute - Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director
Investors for Climate - Andrew Eil, New York City Ambassador,
Second Muse - Mikhail Hutton, Senior Manager, Climate & Head of Scale for ClimateTech
Accompany Capital - Yanki Tshering, Founder & Executive Director
StartOut Growth Lab - Liv Varghese, Education Program Manager
Innovation Labs at Partnership Fund for New York City - Anushree Sreedhar, Director of Innovation Programs
2:00 – 2:30 PM — Networking
2:30 – 2:50 PM — Fireside chat with XPRIZE and Climate Curve on achieving success with Prizes and Accelerators.
Jacquelyn Francis, Executive Director of Climate Curve
Heeseung Kim, Alumni Program Senior Manager at XPRIZE
2:50 – 3:30 PM — Rapid presentations (Accelerators, Programs, Investors/Funders). Presenters will tell you about their work, industry insights, and share opportunities for startups.
Artha Networks, Inc - Audrey Selian, Co-Founder
Climate Curve - Ruth Ngolela Metzel, Director of Prizes
Camelback Ventures - Brandon Parkes, Partner; and Parkes Philanthropy, Founder & CEO
Miller Center for Global Social Impact - Stephanie Bonham, Director of Development and Diana Popa, Social Enterprise Mentor
434 VC - Shilpi Nayak, Founder
Plum Alley Ventures - Avantika Daing, Founding Partner and GP, and
The Front Yard Entrepreneurship Lab (PACE University) - Tamir Harosh, Director
TR Foundation (Trust Law) - Irene Kwon, Legal Officer
3:30 – 4:00 PM — Accessing resources in New York (soft landing and growing)
QUAY Acceleration - Frances Simowitz, Owner & CEO
New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) - Anne-Sophie Mahle, Director of International Partnerships
4:00 - 4:15PM — Rapid Presentations: global scaling opportunities abroad:
SwissNex - Boston & New York - Joséphine Erni, Innovation Lead
Investissement Québec - Michel Poirier, Director (Foreign Direct Investment)
hub.brussels - Samuël Servaes, General Representative of the Brussels-Capital Region
4:15 - 5:00PM — Networking with all speakers!
Also there to connect:
The Hague & Partners- Nasya Handzhiyska, International Business Advisor
Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency- Steffen Westerburger, Senior Project Manager International Expansion & Juliette van den Herik, Project Manager
5:00PM — Doors Close!
Our partners:
Entrepreneur Day is also made possible with collaborators: One Rise, Born Global, Trust for Governors Island, Clozist, Taipei City Government, Marketplace of the Future, Be Social Change, Photos Enforced, Triibe, Humorville, Story Joy, and many more!
Bring the spirit of collaboration and we’ll bring outstanding content, inspiring speakers, and free food & beverages!