Emergency Roundtable: New York’s $1 Billion Bet on Energy Innovation

Virtual • 4:00–5:30 PM ET • New York Space Business Roundtable (NYSBR)

New York is putting more than a billion dollars to work to meet aggressive climate goals — transforming how state agencies use power, modernizing infrastructure, and scaling clean energy across sectors. This emergency session asks a simple question: Where does space fit? We’ll explore how satellite data, monitoring/verification (MRV), and space-enabled innovation can help make public dollars smarter and faster — and where the real commercialization opportunities (and pitfalls) are for companies, investors and public partners in New York.

• How space-based intelligence can support grid modernization, advanced nuclear oversight, and climate MRV
• Financing models: what de-risks state-seeded projects and pulls in private capital
• Fast paths from pilot to procurement: aligning startups, incumbents, and agencies
• What “success in five years” looks like — and how we measure it

Speakers

Vivek Mital CEO, VegaMX Inc. Strategically oriented executive across finance, capital markets, aerospace, and defense. Deploys AI/ML sensor networks for climate-smart agriculture, disaster management, and ISR, with financing mechanisms to scale real-world impact.

N. Darius Sankey, PhD Managing Director, Innovation Acceleration Capital Veteran of venture, IP strategy, and commercialization. Advises and teaches innovation management, bringing an investor’s eye for proof, risk, and the capital structures that pull private money in after public seed.

Steven Smith Ursa Space Systems Remote-sensing leader with 29+ years supporting U.S. Government programs across systems engineering, image science, and program leadership. He previously co-led a University of Rochester AI spin-out for remote sensing and now leads Ursa Space technical teams and partners to deliver automated tasking and exploitation solutions aligned to USG needs.

Spurti Utturi Co-Founder & President, Puro Climate Leads sustainability strategies at the intersection of aerospace, technology, and environmental stewardship. Focused on measurable carbon reduction, cross-sector collaboration, and scalable, data-driven programs that link aerospace to climate goals.

How It Works

This Roundtable is fully virtual. During the discussion, the audience is muted; please share your thoughts and questions in the chat. We’ll take a brief stretch break mid-session and then open the floor for Q&A.