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Connections
Connections

Rochester’s rise as a climate tech hub

By Jasmin Singer,
Megan Mack, Veronica Volk, Julie Williams
Published April 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM EDT
Four people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at foreground left has short brown hair, a brown beard and is wearing a navy blazer, light blue button-down shirt, grey pants and black shoes; a woman at foreground right has short black hair and is wearing glasses, a cream button-down shirt, black and white patterned skirt and black boots, a man at background left has short brown hair and is wearing a navy fleece pullover and blue and white striped button-down shirt; a man at background right has short brown hair and is wearing a grey blazer and blue button-down shirt.
Mary Hussong-Kallen
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Chris Thomas, (background) Mike Riedlinger and Jack Baron on "Environmental Connections" on Friday, April 25, 2025
Jasmin Singer, host of WXXI's "Environmental Connections," on the set of the show.
Max Schulte
/
WXXI News
Jasmin Singer, host of WXXI's Environmental Connections, on the set of the show. (photo by Max Schulte)

As federal support for clean energy faces new political headwinds, Rochester is stepping up. We explore how the nonprofit NextCorps is helping make Rochester a national climate tech contender through startup accelerators, clean manufacturing support and green job programs.

But even as programs like Venture For ClimateTech build momentum, looming federal cuts could threaten local progress. Our guests break down the risks, the solutions and the opportunities ahead.

In studio:

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Connections Environmental ConnectionsConnections
Jasmin Singer
Jasmin Singer is the host of WXXI’s Weekend Edition and Environmental Connections, as well as a guest host for Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Connections.
See stories by Jasmin Singer
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Veronica Volk
Veronica Volk is a senior producer and editor for WXXI News.
See stories by Veronica Volk
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson" and is also the office administrator for radio, news and technology and operations. She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams