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 coffee meetup!
Gratitude
Thanks to Lauren Bigelow for making the connections to Val and Joel.
So appreciate Bamboo for providing the space. Thanks to Cathy Colson for graphic design.
A big thank you to our sponsors, the Green Business Challenge and Ann Arbor SPARK.
Visit Sustainability & Innovation Events to sign up for our email list or to learn more about this series. Hope to see you there!