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Program

Planetary Solutions Generator

Inspiration to Action

Under sea scape

Program Overview

The Planetary Solutions Generator is a CBEY and Tsai CITY Intensive that offers Yale students the opportunity to explore solutions to a planetary problem and their real-world application. If you have an idea or solution to a planetary problem, this intensive offers a structured way to explore it.

The PSG is for Yale students who want to make a positive impact on the planet: those who may feel overwhelmed and uncertain of where to start or how to make an impact and those who already have a background in environmental topics but want to deepen their understanding by designing solutions. No prior experience is necessary. This program is open to students from across Yale.

PSG participants will:

  • Gain skills and tools that will empower them to approach a planetary problem,
  • Explore their personal values as a changemaker,
  • Develop a network within a community of innovators,
  • Design the framework for a planetary solution, 
  • Pitch their idea to a panel of climate innovation experts and receive constructive feedback, and
  • Create a tangible summary of the process of ideating the solution (participants will have the opportunity to publish their work and the intensive will also serve as a foundation to pursue funding and/or other next steps to develop the solution further).

Over six weeks, the program will feature a weekly curriculum of skill-building workshops and guest speakers, covering critical aspects of environmental innovation from techno-economic analysis, business model creation, life-cycle assessment, regulation, and environmental justice. Students will gain an understanding of systems, and what it takes to create meaningful and effective change through innovation and entrepreneurship. They will work in teams to apply their learning to a planetary problem within four key areas and pitch their solutions at the end of the intensive. By the end of the PSG, teams will have completed the ideation stage of innovation. Then, they will be ready to move on to the following stages of development, like applying for seed-stage grants.

Each team will present its innovations to experts and receive feedback on their ideas. Additionally, teams will prepare short reports that they will have the opportunity to publish online. Students will leave the PSG with a more robust understanding of their values and skill sets and a community of changemakers who can serve as a support network during their future innovative endeavors. PSG students work to develop innovative solutions to global planetary challenges, including entrepreneurial ideas, social innovations, impact investing, and policy design. The solutions we will address four key areas:

  • Protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
  • Food, agriculture, and land use
  • Energy use, efficiency, and access
  • Materials and waste

Why join the Planetary Solutions Generator?

  • Join a community of students across Yale who are passionate about planetary solutions and connect with mentors, professionals, and professors who are leaders in the area of climate change and environmental innovation.

  • Learn innovation skills that apply across multiple professional and personal situations.

  • Develop expertise in the key challenges in planetary problems and generate ideas for cutting-edge solutions.

  • Prepare for later Yale entrepreneurship and innovation programming opportunities, such as the CBEY Climate Innovation Grants, the Tsai CITY Accelerator programs, and others.

  • A chance to have your work showcased on a public platform.

Logistics

The intensive will run early February through mid April. All attendees must be in person and be able to commit 4-5 hours per week to this program. The cohort will comprise 28-32 participants. The application will open January 2024.

 

Previous Events

People & Partners

Peter Boyd

Faculty at Yale School of the Environment
Founder & CEO at Time4Good Group
Resident Fellow at Yale Center for Business and the Environment

Program Alumni

Urvi Talaty

Ben Soltoff

Cortney Ahern Renton

Mikaela Bradbury