Cleantech Fellows Institute Opens Applications for Executives and Entrepreneurs to Bridge Their Talent and Skills into Cleantech

Cleantech Fellows Institute encourages new venture formation, job creation and growth of the cleantech industry

As “Cleantech 2.0” blossoms from the lessons learned over the past decade, smart entrepreneurs and corporate executives are looking to leverage the lessons of the past and launch themselves to success in cleantech. The Cleantech Fellows Instituteaddresses a simple but compelling problem: more seasoned executives are needed everyday to bridge cleantech opportunities to a hungry global market. The objective of the Institute is to help experienced entrepreneurs and executives accelerate their transition into the cleantech sector, stimulating new venture formation, job creation and growth of the cleantech industry.

The Cleantech Fellows Institute is the premiere executive talent bridge and is accepting applicationsnow through July 12, 2013. The program will run from mid-August to mid-December and combines seminars, guest speakers, lab visits, company tours and a capstone project. The rolling admissions process will provide prompt feedback to applicants from the entrepreneurial and corporate community.

“Executives with proven business building experience, a creative drive, and leadship abilities are encouraged to apply," commented Steven Berens, Cleantech Fellows Institute, executive director. “Each candidate must have a strong desire to transition into the cleantech industry through accelerated immersison, networking and technology exposure. Targeted executives include those who have built successful ventures in sectors such as aerospace, biotechnology, information, energy and enterprise technology.”

“I would recommend the Cleantech Fellows Institute to anyone interested in the industry and who wants to make a difference,” said John Tuttle, 2012 Cleantech Fellow. “The Institute team delivered an incredible program that tied together a deep curriculum, an impressive network of cleantech experts and a highly-valuable capstone project. The intensity of the program, combined with the dedicated network of experts, truly created an atmosphere of community. When I finished the program, I really felt that I had built a network that would help me grow my business.”

“We are fortunate to engage with world-class C-level talent and thanks to our resources and partners we are are able to offer unprecedented access to our unique network to qualified professionals from around the globe,” said Berens. “In all cases, our Fellows graduate with the ability to succeed in cleantech, find backing and grow businesses that fulfill their passion for business creation and clean technology development.”

Anchored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the state’s premier research institutions, Colorado is a leader in energy generation, biofuels, energy efficiency, advanced transportation, smart grid, water and natural gas research and development. These areas of expertise will be featured in the Institute’s 2013 curriculum in conjunction with a focus on energy policy, market traction, international opportunities and business formation. Fellows will receive more than 150 hours of training including more than 25 company and laboratory tours from more than 140 speakers and input from 10 research institutions.

The key to the program’s success will be the executives’ exposure to near-commercial-ready technologies from regional sources. Working with the universities and energy laboratories, as well as a team of cleantech industry insiders, the executives will develop a deep understanding of the technologies being developed at each institution. Each executive will select a technology that sparks their interest and plan a capstone project to present in December 2013.

The Cleantech Fellows Institute was created through a partnership with the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association and is supported by NREL and Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business organization of which CCIA is a founding partner.

Information on how to apply for the program is located at cleantechfellows.com/apply.

About Cleantech Fellows Institute
The Cleantech Fellows Institute is a targeted program to immerse experienced entrepreneurs and executives in multiple sectors of the cleantech industry. The program promotes the intersection of experienced executives and serial entrepreneurs with new ventures and technologies that ultimately create jobs and grow the cleantech sector. For more information, visit http://www.cleantechfellows.com