South Florida’s ClimateReady Tech Hub advances solutions to the world’s changing relationship with the environment.
Led by Miami-Dade County, the ClimateReady Tech Hub was designated as a technology hub by the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) in Oct. 2023. In July 2024, the EDA awarded $19.5 million in federal funding to the ClimateReady Tech Hub for novel sustainable, durable, resilient, infrastructure, workforce development and start-up support, among other areas.
ClimateReady works with public, private, academic and philanthropic partners to commercialize and deploy climate technology. We focus on scaling climate resilient infrastructure built in South Florida.This includes both adaptation and mitigation products to withstand extreme weather events, increased flooding and wind and increased heat.
Francesca de Quesada Covey
Francesca de Quesada Covey, Miami-Dade County, is a technology and public sector leader who drives innovation to address complex societal challenges and stimulate economic growth. As Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer for Miami-Dade County, she leads initiatives within the $12B+ government to benefit nearly 3 million residents and boost the ~$200B regional economy. She also serves as Regional Innovation Officer for South Florida’s ClimateReady Tech Hub, a U.S. Department of Commerce–funded climate-tech consortium she helped found, securing $22.5M in federal and private funding and co-founded the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, a non-profit that fast tracks innovation to improve quality of life and accelerate venture growth. Francesca’s career spans both government and private sectors, from a strategic role in the Obama administration to leadership in business development at Meta and early-stage venture investment. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.A. from the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris and lives in Miami-Dade with her husband and two daughters.
Irene D. Ferradaz, MPA
With over 20 years of communications experience, Irene expertly highlights the remarkable achievements of our University innovators and showcases their inspiring stories. Contact Irene for general StartUP FIU inquiries, information about upcoming events and programs, speaking opportunities, and media questions.
Professor Andrew Baker
Professor Andrew Baker, University of Miami, is a marine biologist whose research focuses on coral reefs and climate change. He directs the Coral Reef Futures Lab at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmospheric, and Earth Science, focusing on the development and testing of methods to increase coral reef resilience. He also leads a new Miami-based project (X-reefs) to develop next-generation hybrid reefs that combine the wave-protection benefits of artificial structures with the ecological benefits of coral reefs. The X-reefs project incorporates novel structural designs and materials, ecological engineering, and adaptive biology approaches to develop self-building and self-repairing reef structures that are resilient to climate and other disturbances. Dr. Baker is a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, a former Fulbright scholar, adjunct faculty member of Columbia University, Fellow of the Explorers Club, and Inventor-in-Residence at the Frost Museum of Science in Miami. He recently served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs. Prof. Baker has an undergraduate degree from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. from the University of Miami.