Yes SF

Hola from Barcelona! ???? Earlier this month, our Director of Legislative & Community Affairs, Emily Abraham, had the pleasure of representing #YesSF at this year's Smart City Expo, the world's leading event for cities and innovation. We had a great time hearing from expert speakers, connecting with colleagues from around the globe, and taking in the breathtaking views of Barcelona. Thanks for an unforgettable few days, Smart City Expo World Congress ??

Happy #NationalEntrepreneursDay to our local business leaders who are working each and every day to build a better tomorrow for SF???? This year's top innovators and entrepreneurs are tackling everything from water conservation and wood management to accelerating the clean energy transition and developing energy-efficient lithium-ion batteries to help shape a more sustainable future for San Francisco ???? Thanks to our current innovators and to everyone who entered our next Urban Sustainability Challenge (spoiler alert: there were tons of inspiring applicants that we can't wait to spotlight ??). Stay tuned as we reveal the next round of selected innovators in Spring of 2025! Babylon Micro-Farms FLOWER TURBINES Inc. Butlr itselectric POSH RainStick SUN-ICE ENERGY Taro AI Urban Machine Washbox Global Zauben

Last week, I had the honor of presenting learnings from Yes SF at the C40 Cities City-Business Climate Alliance workshop at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The workshop gathered leaders from city government, businesses, and nonprofits from around the world to explore how cities can partner with businesses to bridge the gap between climate plans and implementation. We focused on the power of strengthening public-private collaboration for sustainable urban futures. Now, more than ever, we need to support climate leadership at a local, city level. I left inspired by the Climate Innovation Hubs and programs being developed around the world, like those led by Maria Luiza Gedeon in San Paulo, Olivia Arnow in New York, Helena Barraco in Barcelona, Agustina Peretti in Buenos Aires, Line Hjarsb?k Becker in Copenhagen, and so many other strong women leaders! Yes SF was also a finalist in the Smart Cities Innovation Awards, congratulations to our partners at World Economic Forum, Deloitte, Salesforce, Citi, Uplink, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Merritt, Rodney Fong. More to learn, more to grow, but together but we are working towards a greener, more resilient future!

?? Big News! ?? A $1M grant will be awarded to the Top Innovators selected through UpLink to help scale solutions that contribute to the sustainable revitalization of San Francisco! Submissions are open until November 13. Read more and apply here ?? https://lnkd.in/gE7Wry8m

? We’re excited to share that Emily Abraham, Director of Legislative & Community Affairs and Yes SF Lead, is headed to Barcelona this week to participate in the City-Business Climate Alliance (CBCA) workshop at the Smart City World Congress! ?? It’s a global effort to empower cities by creating partnerships with climate-focused businesses. Together, we’re working for a resilient future! ?? Learn more ?? https://lnkd.in/dnM9Efg C40 Cities Oh Yes Net Zero Reckitt Forética #SmartCityExpo #CBCAWorkshop #UrbanInnovation

?? The deadline is EXTENDED until November 13 for the 2024 Yes San Francisco, Urban Sustainability Challenge ??

?? October Highlights! ?? October was a month of incredible energy at our HQ, filled to the brim with community building, new coworkers and inspiring sessions about the future of #SanFrancisco In our first full month of programming at HQ, we hosted 22 unique events that brought together community leaders, international organizations, industry experts, and innovators — all sharing a common vision for urban transformation and meaningful change. From the start, we kicked off October with community-oriented gatherings like the City Hall Check-In with Supervisor Catherine Stefani, followed by the CELI Clean Energy Leadership Institute’s Fall Fellowship, which met weekly at Yes SF to empower young leaders in clean energy. Throughout the month, our space also served as a dynamic hub for academic and professional collaborations. We welcomed Harvard University graduate students from Vacant City Studio, connected with Salesforce professionals and mentees from the State Department, and hosted a Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) stakeholder meeting to brainstorm San Francisco’s future landscape. Yes SF Headquarters also opened its doors to global thought leaders with standout events like the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit tour, alongside cultural exchange sessions for guests from the British Consulate and the Shanghai Environmental and Ecology Bureau. We concluded October with Redwood Credit Union’s insightful "Lunch and Learn," where local professionals discussed critical financial education topics. Thanks to everyone who made this month such a success! We can't wait to see what November brings? #YesSF #SustainableFuture #SanFrancisco

Did you catch our recent segment on NBC Bay Area? ?? We had a great time welcoming California Live into our HQ space to share how our community of innovators are working to sustainably revitalize downtown San Francisco. ??? Watch the video below to hear from San Francisco Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Rodney Fong, and visit YesSF.org to learn more! ? #SustainableBusiness #YesSF #SanFrancisco

?? How do we make our cities more sustainable, livable and climate resilient? Top Innovator Zauben, a winner of the Yes San Francisco, Urban Sustainability Challenge, provides nature-based solutions to ensure a green future for urban environments. Zauben Co-founder and CEO Zachary S. featured in a episode of our series 'An Innovator Explains’, where he discussed how green roofs and hydroponics can help make cities sustainable. ?? The 2024 Yes San Francisco, Urban Sustainability Challenge is open for submissions. We are seeking innovative start-ups leveraging AI or breakthrough technologies to improve energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, green urban infrastructure, or resource management. Submit your solution on UpLink for the chance to scale your innovation in San Francisco and become part of a dynamic global network of innovators, founders, experts, and partners: https://ow.ly/MPQM50TQO4r Citi - Deloitte - Salesforce - Yes SF - San Francisco Chamber of Commerce - BuildTech VC - Gensler - At One Ventures - Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy - Congruent Ventures - être Venture Capital - Gehl - Making Cities for People - Good Machine - JLL Spark - Most Likely To - Recology San Francisco Environment Department - SF Planning - Swissnex in San Francisco - Blackhorn Ventures #YesSF #Sustainability #UrbanTransformation #Cities #UrbanSustainability

??? Calling all innovative startups! ??? Do you have a solution that's viable, scalable and aimed at advancing sustainability in San Francisco? If so, we encourage you to submit your application for the Yes SF 2024 Urban Sustainability Challenge! Why should you apply? ?? Access resources and support from a global network, including Deloitte, Salesforce, UpLink - World Economic Forum, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Citi and more! ?? Join a community dedicated to driving sustainable change and making a tangible impact in San Francisco ?? Applications are open until November 3. Learn more and apply ?? https://lnkd.in/gVKwnRmJ #Sustainability #SanFrancisco