Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri

Simon has worked at the intersection of climate and innovation for over a decade. Initially as an economist then as a builder with endeavors that include one of the first cleantech incubators in the US; the first large scale urban tech collaboratives in NYC and Detroit; and the SCNY Urban Tech Summit at Cornell Tech. Simon’s work focuses on models that leverage collaboration to scale solutions tackling climate and urban related problems.

In 2019, as the Founder of CIV:LAB and in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Simon helped create ‘The Grid’, a collaborative of 130+ local organizations working together innovating in and for cities. Following the Grid’s success, CIV:LAB partnered with Wayne State University and TechTown to launch Detroit Urban Solutions in 2020. Prior to CIV:LAB, Simon helped launch the Urban Future Lab at NYU and Global Futures Group where he worked as an advisor to the International Trade Administration and US Commerce under Secretary Pritzker.

Simon teaches Global Entrepreneurship at NYU and on the Future of Cities at Imperial College Business School London. He was the O’Mara Energy Fellow and has an MS from NYU’s Center for Global Affairs where he focused on models for scaling cleantech solutions globally, and has a BA Honours in Economics & Philosophy from the University of Sussex in the UK.  Simon sits on a number of climate impact focused non-profit boards including Terreform One and EnergyVision, where he is the Vice Chairman of the Board.