GTF CONNECT LOS ANGELES 2024: U.S. AND GERMAN GREENTECH LEADERS UNITE TO DRIVE BUSINESS INITIATIVES IN TIMES OF TRANSITION

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The GREENTECH FESTIVAL's international event series GTF Connect ran its second event in Los Angeles, November 14th and 15th at the iconic Avalon Hollywood. Coming off of the heels of the 2024 election, the event theme "Business as Usual is Dead" became more relevant than ever as the greentech industry started to examine what this change in U.S. leadership might mean in terms of strategy and the hopes for a sustainable future.

This year's GTF Connect LA attracted over 500 attendees from both LA and across the globe, bringing together a diverse group of changemakers, industry leaders, start-ups, and an over 40-person delegation from Berlin, led by Mayor Kai Wegner. On the first evening 100 guests celebrated green innovators at the GREEN AWARDS. On the second day, there were 50 distinguished speakers sharing insights and inspiration on the CONFERENCE stage and the crowd was left motivated to accelerate green change together.

GREEN AWARDS: Acknowledging and celebrating American changemakers

Hosted by a former youngster category winner of the GREENTECH FESTIVAL, Andini Makosinski, the GREEN AWARDS Los Angeles powered by Audi celebrated the most innovative projects and minds in the U.S. greentech space.

AY Young, producer, singer, songwriter, entertainer, and entrepreneur, gave an inspirational talk to a rapt audience followed by a live performance. Young has been a leader in the sustainable performance space by powering concerts using renewable energy, raising awareness about sustainability, and fundraising to bring people electricity. To date he has performed 958 concerts powered by 100% renewable energy. He stated: "Seeing events like this gives me hope for the future. Seeing people that are using their passion or using their skill set to take an action, whether it's through their company or through collaboration. To me, that's the way that we do this, right? That gives me hope."

Attendees also heard from GTF Co-Founder Marco Voigt, Jerome Foster (TIME Next Generation Leader and the Youngest White House Council Member), Spencer Reeder (Director of Sustainability and Government Affairs, Audi America), and Elle Allen (Senior Engineering R&D Project Manager, Commonwealth Fusion Systems).

In the start-up category Twelve took home the prize for creating E-Jet®, a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is Twelve's Power-to-Liquid jet fuel made from CO2, water and renewable electricity. Their fuel was tested and certified by the U.S. Air Force. GRID Alternatives, an innovative nonprofit organization working in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties won the award in the Changemaker category for their use of renewable energy to drive economic growth and environmental benefits in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution, and climate change.

GTF Co-Founder Marco Voigt had this to share about the GREEN AWARDS, "Our GREEN AWARD is arguably one of the most important moments of our GTF Connect events. In the end it's the work of nominees like these that will benefit us all and bring us into the sustainable future we're all dreaming of. It is essential to recognize everything they have achieved thus far. I applaud all of the award nominees for stepping up and creating impactful and exciting innovations."

GTF CONFERENCE: A hub for global networking and pioneering industry insights

This year's CONFERENCE kicked off with a warm welcome from GTF's CEO Maximilian Wasler, GTF's Global Head of Product Dale Rickert, and Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner who shared deep insights into the future of sustainable business and global policy. Over the day, 50 leaders from business, research and the start-up scene proved they were up to the challenge as the audience was guided through panel discussions, keynotes, and workshops centered around three core themes: "Vibrant and Sustainable Communities," "Move and Energize!," and "Sustainable Lifestyles: Decarbonizing Arts & Sports."

The CONFERENCE opened with a dynamic series of panels, bringing together leading experts and innovators to address critical challenges in sustainability. Kicking off the discussions, Seleta Reynolds (Chief Innovation Officer, Los Angeles Metro), Aaron Paley (President, Community Arts Resources), Oscar Zarate (Director of Advocacy and Organizing, SAJE), and Alissa Walker (Editor, Torched), dove into discussing the LA28 Olympic Games and whether or not the sustainable goals set out by the Games can be met in the light of political change.

Next, Lindsay Sturman (Co-Founder, Livable Communities Initiative), Adam Lenz, (Head of Sustainability & Environment, Waymo), André Kaufung (Managing Director, CharIN), John Penney (Chief Sustainability Advisor, CoMotion), and Aura Vasquez (Former Commissioner, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power), tackled how we can achieve sustainable mobility in our cities.

Later in the agenda, Audrey Vinant-Tang (Senior Director of Sustainability Strategy, NBCUniversal), Jennifer Sandoval (Director of Business Development, Earth Angel), Adam Gordon (Managing Partner, Wildflower Ltd), Steve Vitolo (CEO, Scriptation), and Allison Begalman (Co-Founder, Hollywood Climate Summit), took on how much still needs to be done to achieve a sustainable Hollywood.

The Mayor's office of Berlin attended with a delegation of over 40 attendees. This included leaders in business, the start-up scene and public life. As a warm-up to the networking lunch, a selection of the delegation introduced themselves to the audience, mentioning what they are working on and the kinds of partnerships they were seeking.

GTF Connect LA also provided an additional platform for start-ups. During three rounds of GREEN START-UP SLAMS, young entrepreneurs presented their solutions and competed for the title of Green Start-up Slam Los Angeles Winner for 2024. This year's reigning champion was Climate Choice. They will receive a market readiness workshop with BCG X Greentech and sponsorship to attend the 2025 Grand Final at the GREENTECH FESTIVAL in Berlin in May. Additionally, start-ups and investors connected during the GREEN INVESTORS CRUNCH held at lunchtime on CONFERENCE day.

Electric vehicle pioneer Tesla and the sustainable activity platform #Walk15 joined the event as featured exhibitors. Attendees were able to test drive the Cybertrucks as well as the Model 3 by Tesla and participate in the GTF Step Challenge: Connect LA, where attendees earned rewards via the #Walk15 app for their steps.

After the CONFERENCE wrapped, the GTF LA team hosted their Business Women's Networking Dinner, in partnership with IHK. They hosted a small group of women from the LA business community along with a group of Berlin-based women entrepreneurs.

GTF 2025: What comes next

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner expressed his excitement for the GREENTECH FESTIVAL's return to Berlin in 2025, emphasizing its alignment with the city's focus on green technology and its role in fostering innovation and collaboration: "First of all, I am delighted that the GREENTECH FESTIVAL 2025 is coming home to us, to Berlin, because that is where it was founded, where it took place for the first time and that also fits in with the strategy of the Berlin Senate. (...) The GREENTECH FESTIVAL brings many people together, many start-ups, many founders. Also internationally, where best practice examples are discussed, where people can exchange ideas. Berlin is a start-up metropolis, Berlin wants to bring greentech to the forefront. At the end of the day, Berlin also wants to benefit from this, both in terms of a climate-neutral Berlin worth living in, but also an economically successful Berlin. The GREENTECH FESTIVAL can make a major contribution to this."

Next year, the GREENTECH FESTIVAL 2025 will take place in Berlin from May 20–22 at Messe Berlin, focusing on the core themes "Mobility & Transport", "Energy & Infrastructure" and "Industry & Materials". Tickets can be already purchased here and the press accreditation is open. During the closing remarks of the CONFERENCE, GTF confirmed its return to Los Angeles in 2025, building on the success of this year's event.

Picture selection of the event: 
https://usa.greentechfestival.com/photos/

ENDS

For media enquiries regarding interviews, visuals or information on Berlin 2025, please contact:

GREENTECH FESTIVAL 

Tjarda Wegener, PR Manager GTF
Muenzstrasse 15, 10178 Berlin
Phone: +49 176 363 306 42
[email protected]

LENA ROSE PR AGENCY

Charlotte Silverstein, Lena Rose PR, U.S. PR GTF
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: +1.415.516.7352
[email protected]

About GTF Connect

The GTF Connect is an international event series initiated by the GREENTECH FESTIVAL, which first took place in London in 2021. By expanding globally, the festival's aim is to celebrate and promote green change across the entire planet, as this world urgently needs sustainable transformation. This year's GTF CONNECT kicked-off in London, followed by Singapore in October, and will conclude this year in Los Angeles in November.

About GREENTECH FESTIVAL

GREENTECH FESTIVAL is the leading global platform for business sustainability, uniting innovators, changemakers and communities to showcase cutting-edge green technologies, share actionable insights and accelerate the decarbonisation of industry. The event includes the EXHIBITION, the CONFERENCE and the GREEN AWARDS with a thematic focus on the topics Mobility and Transport, Energy and Infrastructure as well as Industry and Materials. The GTF was launched in 2019 by Nico Rosberg (Sustainability & VC Entrepreneur) and Marco Voigt (Greentech Entrepreneur) and takes place annually in Berlin.

SOURCE GREENTECH FESTIVAL