Michael Riedlinger

Managing Director

Technology Commercialization, NextCorps

Years in current role: 6

What personal or professional environmental effort are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the “Scale For Climate Tech” and “Manufacturing Accelerator” programs at NextCorps related to commercializing innovations that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create new business opportunities for entrepreneurs and contract manufacturers in New York state. These programs are personally meaningful to me because they have positive impacts for many people and support the growth of our regional economy. My colleagues at NextCorps and our many program partners that help to shape these programs are a continual source of new learning and inspiration. I’m honored to be working with them.

What are you most optimistic about regarding the Rochester region’s approach to environmental issues?

The Rochester region has many organizations that are deeply engaged with issues that impact our collective environment. Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, NextCorps has formed the Rochester Clean Energy Manufacturing Hub that includes over 25 organizations to attract and grow cleantech manufacturing businesses and to train and employ people in the City of Rochester. Work is also underway to assist existing businesses with sustainability programs through the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships program as well as through the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute and the NYS Center for Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing at RIT. There are also many community organizations in Rochester that provide environmental issue awareness and advocacy.

What are you most concerned about regarding the Rochester region’s approach to environmental issues?

Currently, my biggest concern is sustaining the momentum for continued progress on environmental issues. Achieving climate goals in the state that are set for 2040 and 2050 requires innovations that are yet to be created and manufactured for use at scale. Invention and commercialization need to continue and accelerate. In particular, there are needs in our community for innovation and retrofits of small business and residential heating and cooling systems that need a continued push to improve our community’s infrastructure, reduce the use of fossil fuels and serve community members in need.

What advice would you give someone who is looking to make a difference in addressing environmental issues?

There are many ways to make a difference by addressing environmental issues. A good start for many is to make one change in your individual actions that can help, such as replacing gas appliances that are at the end of their useful life with electric appliances — I recently switched to an induction range for cooking at home and it has been a welcome improvement. Another approach is to support others that are working on an environmental issue that has proximity to you, perhaps through a scouting or church project. All of those individual efforts collectively make a big difference.

What is your favorite outdoor activity in the Rochester area?

My personal favorite outdoor activity is an afternoon of nature photography with my daughter in the area parks. Rochester’s public parks offer great vistas, history, geology and wide varieties of plants and wildlife. Highland Park is a favorite as well as Genesee Valley Park and Corbett’s Glen. We also like to hike through Mendon Ponds Park and occasionally travel to Letchworth State Park and Watkins Glen.

This profile is part of our Power List for Environmental Leaders for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. View the full list at rbj.net.