Greetings, Agents of Impact! If you missed any of our look-aheads to 2026, you can find them all here.
In her monthly series of PluggedIn conversations, ImpactAlpha contributing editor Sherrell Dorsey homed in on the inclusive climate future with the entrepreneurs, fund managers and other Agents of Impact who already are building it.
The name of the series picks up on The Plug, Sherrell’s groundbreaking publication that illuminated the Black tech ecosystem. She joined the ImpactAlpha team as part of our 2023 agreement to bring The Plug’s readers and content onto the platform.
We wish Sherrell all the best as she moves on from PluggedIn in 2026 to develop “a new climate storytelling platform for the next generation.” The PluggedIn community can continue to connect with her on LinkedIn or at sherrelldorsey.com.
Here are some of Sherrell’s must-watch PluggedIn conversations for your holiday break:
‘Green bank’ groups plot next moves as EPA attempts to terminate grants
It was a head-spinning year for the US’s nascent “green bank.” The Environmental Protection Agency fought tooth and nail to claw back $20 billion awarded to nonprofit groups as part of the Inflation Reduction Act to establish a nationwide green lending network. On this episode, Amir Kirkwood of the Justice Climate Fund, one of eight awardees, joined Sherrell to discuss the ongoing battle for the green bank, as well as JCF’s ongoing strategy for financing climate solutions in rural and underserved communities.
How Partners in Equity empowers Main Street businesses to combat displacement
Many investors overlook Main Street mom-and-pop shops in their pursuit of venture-style returns. Partnership in Equity, or PIE, aims to unlock financial and social value in these community assets. The North Carolina-based commercial real estate firm helps small business owners in underserved communities acquire the properties where they operate. “We’re thinking about commercial real estate ownership as a vehicle to fight displacement and create wealth for those business owners,” says PIE’s Talib Graves-Manns. Graves-Manns and Wilson Lester joined Sherrell to talk about equity downpayment assistance and how PIE is partnering to create wealth in undercapitalized communities.
Investing in mobility beyond EVs with Reggaria Goddard of Crowned VC
For many people, the term “mobility” conjures electric cars or public transit. For Reggaria Goddard of Detroit-based Crowned Venture Capital, the more expansive mobility opportunity encompasses deep tech, critical infrastructure and a holistic approach to urban development. “When I talk about the future of transportation and mobility, I think a lot of us get EVs as the first intersection,” Goddard tells Sherell on this episode. “There is lots of overlap from other industries, including tech, deep tech, communication, insurance tech,” Goddard says. “All these things are wrapped up into mobility.”
What makes Birmingham an unconventional hub for climate innovation
Many people might not think of Birmingham, Ala., as a capital for climate technology. The Techstars Energy Accelerator is proving them wrong. Leveraging its unique community and strategic partnerships, the accelerator is nurturing a new generation of climate and energy startups and challenging the notion that innovation can only happen in “sexier” cities. “Our superpower is we’ve really over-indexed on community,” Techstars’ Rae’Mah Henderson tells Sherrell on this episode.
VC Include’s Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson on onboarding managers for impact
“I always talk about the 100x impact,” VC Include’s Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson tells Sherrell. “We’ve launched first-time firms that have gone on to raise over $1 billion collectively. That’s the kind of multiplier effect the industry needs right now.” Between VC Include and Include Ventures, Robinson has created a full-cycle platform to support fund managers from incubation to institutional readiness. “I wanted to build an onboarding system for impact,” she said.
