Kamala Harris, Gloria Estefan and Bill Nye the Science Guy are among the speakers at the Miami Beach conference. A tech expo and career fair is free and open to the public.
By Riley Kaminer
Climatetech might be one of the most exciting corners of the startup world, with Pitchbook estimating a market size near $1.4 trillion by 2027.
Now, Miamians can get a piece of the action by attending the upcoming Aspen Ideas: Climate conference on March 6th to 9th at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Across the overall conference, organizers expect at least 1,500 attendees.
Randall Kempner, who is overseeing the event’s climate solutions showcase, shared his pitch with Refresh Miami. “It’s local, and going to bring world class technologists, entrepreneurs, and speakers. So come while it’s in your backyard and take advantage of this opportunity.”
Attendees have to purchase a ticket, starting at $250 for a single day pass, to attend the bulk of the conference. That includes a wide range of panels, roundtables, and activities centered around developing climate solutions.
The conference just announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will be a speaker, participating in a conversation with Miami’s own iconic singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan on March 8, International Women’s Day. Harris will discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s approach to climate change and the potential for climate solutions made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. Other notable conference speakers include Mayors Francis Suarez of Miami, Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, and Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County; Bill Nye the Science Guy; investor Orlando Bravo; former president of Colombia Iván Duque; and musician Emilio Estefan.
New this year is a technology expo and career fair, which is free and open to the public and happening from 9am to 2pm on Tuesday, March 7th and Wednesday, March 8th. There, Miamians can interact with around two dozen companies from around the world (and South Florida!) who are innovating in the climatetech space – many of whom are also hiring. Each day starting at 11:30am, there will also be a climate solutions showcase, where startups present their solutions to the audience.
Kempner said that companies participating are working on a wide range of technologies, from an app-based game that helps users plant trees in the real world to an insect-based pet food to biochar-based oilfield remediation technologies. “All the technologies are really different,” he noted, running the gamut from hardware to software and everything in between such as the Internet of Things.
Why the increased emphasis on climatetech? “What I would say is most different about this year is that there’s a very intentional focus on driving climate action,” explained Kempner. “And one way that we can do that as a broad conference is by bringing forward interesting technologies that can be used by attendees, purchased by attendees, or invested in by attendees. So this is one way in which we can hopefully generate interest in taking whatever sorts of climate action that makes sense for the attendees of the conference.”
When it comes to climatetech, for Kempner the key is deploying this technology – not just building it. “There are plenty of climate solutions that exist today, which should be deployed faster. And I personally believe that we should be spending more of our time trying to figure out how to scale existing technology and solutions to ensure that we act faster in addressing the challenge of climate change.”
“I personally hope that people who attend this conference will be exposed to solutions that they themselves can deploy, in their roles as individuals, as heads of households, as business people, as investors, as public officials,” Kempner continued. “We’ll have something for all of those types of this conference. And our real hope is that you will find things that will compel you to act further.”
Michele Burger, Chief of Staff for the City of Miami Beach’s Office of the Mayor and Commission, told Refresh Miami via email that she expects the expo to “create an innovative ecosystem of thinkers and doers who will inspire and collaborate to determine how we collectively reduce our carbon footprint.”
“I am most excited about the startup pitches providing a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to share their innovative climate action solutions for potential investors who are interested in climate technology,” Burger added. “This is how we move the needle.”
WHAT: Aspen Ideas: Climate
WHEN: March 6th to 9th
WHERE: Miami Beach Convention Center (1901 Convention Ctr Dr)
HOW: Learn more by visiting their website.
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- Leaders put tech in the spotlight at Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in Miami Beach
- Are smart cities the key to sustainability? At local conference, global leaders weigh in
- Carbon Limit’s carbon capturing cement continues to shine on global tech stage
- PRIMA raises $5M to turn hot tables into a referral business - September 4, 2026
- WellStack acquires DeLorean AI, plans to grow platform and South Florida footprint - September 3, 2026
- Inside OpenSeed’s plan to bring calm back to work, 12 minutes at a time - September 3, 2026