Portland cleantech nonprofit and impact investor VertueLab named Aina Abiodun its new president and executive director.
She takes over from David Kenney who has led the group for 14 years and navigated it from its original incarnation as Oregon BEST, a fully state-funded economic development entity, to VertueLab, which is funded through state as well as institutional and individual donors.
VertueLab offers support resources for founders working in cleantech and other innovations to address climate change. The group also runs the VertueLab Climate Impact Fund. Since it was founded in 2007 the group has invested $9.4 million, funded 70 companies and created more than 500 jobs, according to the group.
Abiodun was most recently founder of the climate consulting firm Just & Green Partners. She also has experience as a founder in climate tech as co-founder and chief operating officer for SALT Climate Tech. She has spent time working in Europe and led the venture-backed tech company 8fit in Germany.
Abiodun has a degree in fine arts from the UCLA film school. Her career also includes working in executive leadership, brand strategy, innovation, fundraising, partnerships, social strategy and startup mentoring.
“Aina’s expertise at the intersection of climate tech, leadership, storytelling, and social justice makes her uniquely qualified to drive our mission to support innovators and deploy equitable climate solutions,” said Heather Andersen, chair of VertueLab’s Board of Directors, in a written statement.
Abiodun said she has been watching VertueLab and its work.
“Something I learned working in Europe was that some of the most compelling new climate technologies were developed to solve localized problems. I knew I wanted to be at the forefront of place-based innovation but with the added lens of climate justice,” Abiodun said in a written statement. “VertueLab had long been on my radar as an exemplary regional climate innovation organization. When the opportunity presented itself right after the passage of the Infrastructure Reinvestment Act in 2022, it seemed like the perfect time to take on this professional challenge.”
Kenney has led VertueLab almost from the start. He joined the organization one year after it launched as one of three Signature Research Centers under the Oregon Innovation Council. Companies that have been supported by the group include electric vehicle maker Arcimoto (Nasdaq: FUV), energy storage maker ESS (NYSE: GWH), smart home company IOTAS, and solar water purification startup Focal Technologies.
“We are forever grateful to David for his many years of service. He has been a pivotal leader in accelerating the innovation and climate tech ecosystems and economies in the Pacific Northwest,” Andersen said.
In addition to bringing Abiodun on board, VertueLab also promoted long time employee Jo Brickman to vice president. At the end of last year, longtime startup supporter and advocate Juan Barraza joined VertueLab as the director of innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Today’s climate tech industry has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine how we live on this planet, not just in relation to the natural world, but in relation to one another as humans. We are excited to welcome Aina and begin our work together,” said Brickman in a written statement.
