Emily Reichert is the CEO of Greentown Labs, one of the largest and fastest-growing clean technology startup incubators on the East Coast. Dr. Reichert, who earned her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, was the Lorax Speaker for this year’s Earth Day assembly. Businesses that have evolved from Greentown Labs’ Somerville prototyping and office space have created innovative and practical environmental solutions, such as the first fully functional airborne wind turbine and an unmanned “robot boat” that records ocean data and analytics. Dr. Reichert spoke about the value of teamwork in solving our major environmental problems—climate change, energy deficiencies, water scarcity, deforestation and waste management—and explained that the combined fields of science, technology and business can be a powerful force in meeting those challenges.
“You can make a difference. You may not know what that is today, but keep your ears open as you’re learning, as you’re growing, to how you can make an impact. There are big problems out there to be solved.”