$120,000 Awarded to Six Emerging Environmental Entrepreneurs

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — National nonpartisan business group E2 and sustainability-driven hotel brand 1 Hotels announced today the 2024 E2 1 Hotels Fellowship class at E2. This is the sixth year of the annual fellowship, which awards six young business leaders $20,000 each to execute projects that advance sustainability and clean energy and environmental policies in America.

Many of this year’s projects focus on the equitable transition to the clean economy and providing  resources to access the benefits of the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

“We’re at the beginning of a clean energy revolution in America – one led by young entrepreneurs like these,” said Bob Keefe E2 executive director. “Thanks to Barry Sternlicht and the Sternlicht Sustainability Fund, E2 can help support them as they work to improve our environment, our economy and our world.”

Started in 2017 with a generous donation from 1 Hotels founder Barry Sternlicht and the Sternlicht Sustainability Fund, the fellowship program is designed to help early career environmentally minded entrepreneurs and community leaders to create and implement unique projects at the intersection of economy and environment.

“Young people hold the keys to a cleaner economy and a more sustainable world,” Sternlicht said. “These young business leaders and their projects illustrate how we can unlock the promise of a better environment and a better economy through entrepreneurship, innovation and passion.  I’m thrilled through E2 we can help them execute on their great ideas.”

In addition to support for their projects, fellows also receive mentorship from E2 members across the country and membership into E2’s Emerging Leaders program. For information on past E2 1 Hotels fellows and their projects, visit https://www.e2.org/fellows.

2024  E2 1 Hotels Fellows & Their Projects

Steve Engler, New York City, NY

Develop a virtual community for current and prospective clean energy installers from disadvantaged communities and nontraditional backgrounds that provides resources about succeeding as a technician. 

Wawa Gatheru, Philadelphia, PA

Create a video series exploring the unique narratives of three Black clean energy business leaders that will be shared on social media.

Sacha-Rose Phillips, Minneapolis, MN

Provide an online resource for small businesses to identify, track and use the tax incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Kyle Rudzinski, Boulder, CO

Produce and disseminate a white paper about a regenerative agriculture green bank as a path to scale regenerative ag practices sooner.

Diamond Spratling, Atlanta, GA

Develop a six-month educational programming about local energy policy to be provided to Black women business owners.

Nenha Young, Washington, DC

Execute comprehensive outreach to develop a robust communication strategy amplifying the economic development opportunities for low-income and disadvantaged communities in the clean energy transition.

ABOUT E2
E2 is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.

ABOUT 1 HOTELS
As a mission driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand inspired by nature, 1 Hotels cultivates the best of sustainable design and architecture, together with extraordinary comfort and an unrivaled level of service. 1 Hotels – which launched in 2015 with the opening of exclusive properties in Miami’s South Beach and Manhattan’s Central Park; followed by Brooklyn, located on the East River, in February 2017; West Hollywood, on Sunset Boulevard, in June 2019; Sanya (China) in 2020; Toronto in 2021; San Francisco and Nashville in 2022; and in 2023, the Hanalei Bay flagship property and Mayfair (London), the brand’s first European property – is inspired by a simple idea: those that travel the world should also care about it. It is, after all, 1 world. 1 Hotels upholds this vision by channeling nature through design and culinary partnerships while connecting with the local community and taking sustainable steps to make a big difference. The brand is expanding with properties under development in Austin, Cabo San Lucas, Paris, Copenhagen, Elounda Hills (Crete), Riyadh, Melbourne, Seattle and San Miguel de Allende;. Additional information can be found at 1hotels.com

SOURCE E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)