Join us for the June Sustainability & Innovation Coffee Meet Up.
50 States of Sustainability: Lessons from Veridian A short film and live Q&A on reimagining development in America
Join us for an inspiring morning under the tent at Veridian at County Farm! We’ll screen the 20-minute documentary 50 States of Sustainability: Veridian, followed by a live conversation with sustainable development leaders Matthew Grocoff and Sara Hammerschmidt.
This event offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at a groundbreaking net-zero community. Hear from the team reshaping how we think about housing, neighborhoods, and the future of development.
Veridian at County Farm (tent on site)
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
8:00–9:30 AM
Rain location: onsite garage
Optional site tour to follow
Edit: Registration is now closed, hope to see you at an upcoming meetup!
Join us for the May Sustainability & Innovation Coffee, a monthly gathering of changemakers, entrepreneurs, and leaders advancing climate and sustainability solutions across Michigan and the Great Lakes region.
This month’s conversation explores the future of water in a changing climate.
We’re excited to welcome two featured speakers:
Val Brader – Principal at Rivenoak Law and Rivenoak Consulting, and former Director of the Michigan Agency for Energy. Val brings deep expertise at the intersection of law, policy, and clean energy innovation.
Joel Brammeier – President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a leading voice on freshwater protection, policy, and community engagement throughout the Great Lakes region.
Michigan’s legal history viewed water as a common enemy and prioritized converting swamps into farmland. As precipitation patterns change, Michigan faces increasing concerns about flooding. At the same time, the state must consider how to manage areas where water levels may be lower than ever—potentially requiring new limitations on water use. Given these challenges, what lessons can Michigan, a water-rich state, learn from its arid “frontier” sister states as its own climate becomes more volatile?
Bamboo Ann Arbor 200 2st Street, Ann Arbor
Thursday, May 15, 2025
8:00–9:30 AM
Free and open to all—come curious.
Edit: Registration is now closed, hope to see you at an upcoming meetup!
Matt Kirsch speaking at the Sustainability & Innovation Meet-Up – February 2025
If it seems like I’m suddenly, loudly everywhere, here’s why: I’m intentionally reconnecting with people, with ideas, and with what’s next.
Remote Work Was Great Until It Wasn’t Enough
Like many of us, I have been working remotely for years now. My work—mostly with scientific and technical teams at universities and early-stage startups—is location-independent and often global.
And I’ve loved it. Remote collaboration is flexible, efficient, and creates the space—mental and physical—for deep, focused work.
But something shifted and connecting only online became strangely draining. Even as someone who values solitude, I missed people in the same room. I needed the friendly waves, the raised eyebrows, the casual sidebars. I missed being a part of a local community.
Coworking Helped. IRL Events Even More
That shift led me to join a coworking office in Ann Arbor. I wasn’t just looking for a desk, I wanted casual, familiar camaraderie: “non-work work friends.”
I don’t go every day, and if I have a schedule packed with video calls, it’s simpler to stay in my home office. Yet, on days and tasks when I need to work through something tangled, think deeply, write, or resist the urge to procrastinate, I need my coworking desk. There’s something grounding about the quiet hum of others working nearby—it helps me settle in, focus, and work through problems.
But coworking was just the start.
I wanted to connect more intentionally and IRL (in real life) with people I admire, with communities I care about, and with the local ecosystem of mission driven leaders and entrepreneurs. So I started organizing and attending more events.
Exploring What’s Next
I’m also in a moment of transition, exploring what’s next in my career. That’s a big part of why I’m showing up to more events, and why I’m investing energy into hosting some of my own.
Sustainability & Innovation Coffee Meet-Up at Bamboo Ann Arbor, March 2025
These gatherings have been a joy to me. I’m grateful to be surrounded by people who are curious, generous, and community-oriented.
Let’s Connect
If you’re also navigating change, looking for connection, or just feeling the need to get out of the house, I hope you’ll join one of these meetups. Or shoot me a note—I’d love to hear what you’re working on, what you’re excited about, or what kind of community you’re craving right now.
Here’s to finding energy, inspiration, and opportunity—together, and in person.
Join us Wednesday April 16, 2025 for our monthly Sustainability & Innovation Coffee Series.
Details
Topic: Moving Beyond Shareholder Primacy
Short termism and shareholder primacy have dominated the business landscape for the past four decades, with devastating consequences for society and the environment.
Join us to learn more about what it will take to move beyond capitalism’s present worship of shareholder primacy, including corporate transformations to re-embed purpose through reforms to major economic institutions, including business education. For more, see Hart’s new book, Beyond Shareholder Primacy.
Speaker:Stuart L. Hart, Professor in Residence, Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan
Join us March 19, 2025 for our monthly Sustainability & Innovation Coffee Series.
Details
Topic: KLA’s Michigan Story and Sustainability Journey
Hear from KLA’s first Ann Arbor employee about the company’s growth to over 650 employees in Michigan and their sustainability journey and global impact.
Speaker: John McLaughlin, Global ESG Leader and Ann Arbor Site Lead, KLA
Join us February 19, 2025 for the monthly Sustainability & Innovation meetup.
Details
Topic: Argument for Climate Optimism in 2025 How government and private sector innovation are creating a comprehensive portfolio of economical climate solutions
