Boston and New YorkBoston and NY

Climate Ring: Partnering with Nature for Coastal Protection

12 rounds. 3 days. 1 fight for the planet.
In Round 6 of the boxing-themed Climate Ring, we explore the role that coastal ecosystems play in combating climate change, from coral reefs to mangrove forests.

A great boxer has flow. Punches, blocks, and dodges come together in a fluid  stream of movement, knowing when to push forward and pull back, when to attack and when to sidestep. In the fight to protect our coasts, we need a similar mindset. Brute force won’t win in the fight against rising seas — we need to feel the flow, working with our oceans, rather than against them.

In Round 6 of the Climate Ring, we explore nature-based solutions to the coastal climate crisis, from restoring coral reefs and mangrove forests to harnessing the power of waves to rebuild islands. The event will feature three keynote presentations by innovators working on coastal climate change solutions, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Janelle Kellman, founder of the Center for Sea Rise Solutions.

Climate Ring


12 rounds. 3 days.
1 fight for the planet.

From September 25 to 27, 2024, Swissnex presents the Climate Ring, a pop-up boxing arena for the fight of the century: the one for planet Earth. Join us in New York’s East Village for an eclectic mix of discussions, exhibitions, and performances featuring rising stars and heavyweights from science, innovation, and the arts. From renowned ecologist Thomas Crowther of ETH Zurich to New York nightlife impresaria Susanne Bartsch, the Climate Ring showcases fresh perspectives on our planetary moment from Switzerland, the US, and beyond.

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Program

  • 12:00pm – Check-in
  • 12:30pm – Introduction
  • 12:35pm – Presentations
  • 1:00pm – Panel discussion
  • 1:30pm – Q&A
  • 2:00pm – End
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Event start time

  • New York

    12:00PM

Speakers

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    Ulrike Pfreundt

    Ulrike Pfreundt

    rrreefs

    Dr. Ulrike Pfreundt is an ocean scientist and entrepreneur dedicated to ocean health. As co-founder and co-CEO at rrreefs, she leads innovative efforts to rebuild coral reefs and restore marine biodiversity. rrreefs develops 3D-printed terracotta structures that create new habitats for marine life, offering companies a unique opportunity to invest in ocean restoration as part of their sustainability portfolios. As an alumna of ETH Zürich and Silicon Valley’s Singularity University, Ulrike brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and entrepreneurial vision to ocean conservation. This makes her a compelling and sought after voice in nature based solutions and impact finance.

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    Bio

    Cameron Dowd

    Inverto Earth

    Cameron Dowd grew up in coastal Australia and studied engineering at EPFL, which kick-started a career in using technology for impact all over the world. With Inverto Earth, he builds technology that enables local groups to not only scale their efforts to regenerate high impact coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, but monitor those impacts. Beyond only carbon based metrics, the monitoring highlights the crucial biodiversity and social impacts of these regenerative efforts as well.

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    Bio

    Skylar Tibbits

    MIT Self-Assembly Lab

    Skylar Tibbits is a designer and computer scientist whose research focuses on developing self-assembly and programmable materials within the built environment. Tibbits is the founder and co-director of the Self-Assembly Lab at MIT, and Associate Professor of Design Research in the Department of Architecture. He is also the director of the undergraduate Design programs in the Department of Architecture. Tibbits has a professional degree in architecture and a minor in experimental computation from Philadelphia University, and a masters in design computation and masters computer science from MIT. He has worked at a number of design offices including Zaha Hadid Architects, Asymptote Architecture and Point b Design. He has designed and built large-scale installations and exhibited in galleries around the world, including the MoMA, Centre Pompidou, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and various others. He is the author of – Things Fall Together: A Guide to the New Materials Revolution (Princeton University Press 2021), Self-Assembly Lab: Experiments in Programming Matter (Routledge, 2016), Active Matter (MIT Press, 2017), co-editor of Being Material (MIT Press 2019) and the Editor-In-Chief of the journal 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. Awards include LinkedIn’s Next Wave Award for Top Professionals under 35 (2016), R&D Innovator of the Year (2015), National Geographic Emerging Explorer (2015), an Inaugural WIRED Fellowship (2014), the Architectural League Prize (2013), Ars Electronica Next Idea Award (2013), TED Senior Fellow (2012) and 2008 he was named a Revolutionary Mind by SEED magazine.

Moderator

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    Bio

    Janelle Kellman

    Center for Sea Rise Solutions

    Janelle Kellman, Esq. is an action-oriented dynamic leader with a track record of success. She served as Mayor of Sausalito in 2022 and now sits on the Sausalito City Council. Known for her collaborative approach in handling complex, multi-stakeholder issues, she easily solves challenges spanning climate resilience, housing equity, and economic development. Her accomplishments include restructuring the city’s finance department post-COVID, securing $2 million for sea level rise and infrastructure planning, and leading initiatives for housing equity.  A global climate leader, Janelle founded the Center for Sea Rise Solutions in 2020, addressing coastal resilience, workforce development and ocean health. The nonprofit launched an international blue economy job creation program in partnership with the City and Port of Barcelona, and the World Ocean Council. Closer to home, she launched a “blue economy” taskforce to partner with the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Congressman Jared Huffman’s office, in order to catalyze job creation and on-shore micro-manufacturing in the maritime industry. Academically distinguished, Janelle holds an undergraduate degree in History from Yale, a Master’s in Environmental Management from Oxford, and a J.D. from Stanford Law. Her impeccable public service track record, visionary leadership, and steadfast commitment to driving positive change make her an ideal candidate for broader political roles – she is currently running for Lieutenant Governor of California 2026.

Partners

This event is presented by Swissnex in partnership with the Center for Sea Rise Solutions.