ECO is a new multidisciplinary festival and ecosystem gathering designed to foster innovation for a sustainable planet. Our upcoming event in Los Angeles serves as a crucial platform for learning, collaboration, and practical solutions.
By engaging with communities on the frontlines of today’s most urgent climate change and environmental challenges, we aim to identify and accelerate groundbreaking innovations that can make a real impact. Bringing together 200+ forward-thinking startups, investors, businesses, philanthropists, community organizations, and government agencies, ECO moves beyond traditional conversations to collective action.
Join us as we empower changemakers to shape a future where sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a tangible reality. Together, we can forge a path towards a healthier and more resilient world.
ECO ‘23 Program Highlights
Larta Institute Open House
Monday, December 4
This event highlights Larta Institute’s 30 years of groundbreaking innovations, the impacts, and opportunities for the future. Activitieswill include curated talks, interactive briefings, prototype viewings, roundtable discussions, and ribbon cutting ceremony of our new innovation studio.
Heal.LA Demo Day
Tuesday, December 5
Larta’s Heal.LA Demo Day event will showcase innovations tackling healthcare challenges in underinvested communities. Activities will include portfolio showcases, interactive discussions, action planning, and a networking reception.
Venture Fellows Demo Day
Tuesday, December 5
Larta’s Venture Fellows Demo Day event will showcase entrepreneurs tackling climate change in underinvested communities. Activities will include portfolio showcases, interactive discussions, action planning, and a networking reception.
NOAA SBIR Demo Day
Wednesday, December 6
Larta’s NOAA Commercialization Assistance Program is a partnership initiative designed to support SBIR Phase II grantees in translating R&D into commercially viable enterprises. Activities will include a portfolio showcase, interactive discussions, action planning, and a networking reception.
Speakers
We support aspiring & underserved entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to translate their ideas into sustainable enterprises.
Founder & CEO
Rohit Shukla
Chief Strategy Officer
Carlos Gutierrez
Chief of Staff
Hilary Bendon
Head of Operations
Judy Hsieh
Head of Programs & Evaluation
Vaishali Paliwal
Director, CleanTech & Energy
David Berokoff
Controller
William Yu
Director, Information Services & Software Architect
Nickolay Kolev
ECO ‘23 will explore our intricate systems of food, energy, healthcare, oceans, and education, showcasing both the challenges and innovative solutions within each sector, through the activation of six threads of programming: communities & people, interactive discussion, policy & adoption, innovation showcases, connections & introductions, and funding.
Communities & People
Engage with local community leaders, residents, and activists on the true problems being faced at grassroots level from the impacts of the economy, climate change, and challenges of health equity.
Talks & Discussion
Listen to curated short talks and participate in panels discussions with thought-leaders from Larta’s startup ecosystem – focused on identifying, nurturing, and scaling solutions for impact.
Policy & Adoption
Engage with policy makers, from local city, state and federal agencies to understand how to collaborate on innovation and accelerate R&D to scale for impact across U.S. communities.
Innovation Showcases
Discover early-stage R&D and scalable solutions that can change the world for positive impact – a curated showcase of leading sustianable innovation from Larta’s portfolio and alumni companies.
Connections & Introductions
Meet selected experts and partners from Larta’s ecosystem – we’ll facilitate curated introductions and connections to relevant government agencies, investors, industry, and community leaders.
Funding
ECO will convene Larta’s active funding network including impact investors, family offices, foundations, VCs, and government agencies – innovations will be matched to funding sources.
Ecosystem.
ECO '23 in LA will bring together local community leaders, grassroots innovators, academia, government, industry, foundations, and investors.
Los Angeles, 2023.
ECO '23 will be based at Larta Institute’s HQ innovation campus in thriving downtown Los Angeles.
Get involved.
ECO '23 in LA will offer opportunities for community leaders, grassroots innovators, academia, government, industry, foundations, and investors.
Ag Innovation Showcase (AIS).
We’re proud to have curated the world’s leading Ag & Food event for 13 years. ECO builds upon the success of AIS, and now spans Larta Institute’s six impact areas.
Our mission is to foster science & technology innovation for a sustainable planet. ECO ’23 in Los Angeles will span the convergence of innovation across our six critical impact areas: Environment & Climate, Agriculture & Food, CleanTech & Energy, BioSciences & Healthcare, Education & Community, and Marine & Oceans.
