2025-26: A Year of Incubation and Transformation for Design Climate
Dear friends and supporters of Design Climate,
It is a pleasure to share the Design Climate startup incubator’s second annual impact report. Over the past year, we have continued to refine and expand what Design Climate can be, deepening the student experience, advancing climate ventures and strengthening the network of partners who make this work possible. This site aims to capture not only what we do, but how it translates into real-world progress and impact.
Since launching in 2023, our mission has remained clear: to become the leading university program for climate innovators and the innovations they bring to life. Design Climate operates at the intersection of academia and industry, where student curiosity, faculty research and practitioner insight come together to tackle some of the most complex challenges of the energy transition and climate adaptation.
This year, we also introduced a new course, Climate Tech Studio, co-taught with Rebecca Simmons, Professor of the Practice in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. This studio creates dedicated space for students to go deeper into the technical side of innovation, building and refining prototypes that can either evolve into Design Climate ventures or be further developed by teams in subsequent semesters. Together, these programs form a more complete pipeline—from early-stage technical exploration to venture development and commercialization.
What continues to distinguish Design Climate is the opportunity for students to engage in meaningful, hands-on work. They are not only learning about innovation, but actively participating in it—testing ideas, building solutions and working alongside industry and community partners to move those solutions forward.
I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made this year and of the community that continues to grow around this work.
Judy Ledlee, Ph.D., P.E.
Executive-in-Residence and Executive Director of Design Climate
Pratt School of Engineering | Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University
