What We Are Riffing About!

As we approach our nation’s birthday, we have a lot to celebrate – and a lot more work to do. Despite the obstacles we face, there’s much to be hopeful about. 

The age of AI offers unprecedented opportunities to build a better, more inclusive future. Our partners are leveraging AI for good, from enabling access to the global economy with Worldcoin to improving community safety with Flock Safety. But AI also needs oversight. We are proud to partner with Gladstone AI to ensure these advancements serve everyone.

Fifteen years ago, a global transition to EVs seemed like a distant dream. Former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and other Bay Area mayors met on the steps of the San Francisco City Hall Rotunda pledging to make the region our nation’s EV capital and kicking off a nascent EV movement. That vision is now becoming a reality.

One of the most trusted brands in the world, Mercedes-Benz High Powered Charging has stepped up to lift up the entire charging experience – open to all drivers from day one. Partners like Pegasus Capital, Kresge Foundation, and Myriad Venture Partners are scaling clean energy solutions and ensuring climate investments are equitable and effective. 

Partner Spotlights

Myriad Venture Partners

Cleantech investments are on the rise and essential to meeting our climate goals. But many of these dollars often go to hot, buzzworthy industries. To drive real impact, we need investments in the forgotten climate solution sectors – from manufacturing to battery recycling. 

That’s why Riff helped launch Myriad Venture Partners, a leading VC firm investing in visionary founders in cleantech, AI, and B2B software with a collaborative ecosystem of top-tier industry partners. Myriad just led EV battery recycling innovator Li Industries’ Series B. Only about five percent of EV batteries are currently being recycled, and Li Industries’ direct recycling technology stands out as the only viable solution today for recycling lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries at scale — leading us into a circular era in clean transportation.

Worldcoin 

Approximately 80 percent of blockchain activity is caused by bots, causing congestion and high fees. That’s why the Worldcoin Foundation announced World Chain, the first blockchain designed specifically for humans, not bots.

Featured in CNBC’s Crypto World, World Chain provides verified human users with priority access and no transaction fees to create a more human-focused internet experience. Launching this summer, World Chain will increase access to the growing global digital economy. 

Pico MES

The majority of small & mid-size factories run their operations via pen-and-paper, decreasing efficiency and even resulting in high profile errors. Pico MES is reimagining U.S. manufacturing by helping factories move from outdated systems to new assembly line technology that improves efficiencies and attracts and retains new workers in the midst of a manufacturing labor shortage. 

Factories across the country are tapping Bosch-backed Pico to eliminate errors and increase visibility on the factory floor – boosting production by 50 percent in one Indiana-based factory with zero errors. Check out this broadcast segment!

Flock Safety

Law enforcement agencies nationwide face significant staffing shortages, but Flock Safety’s AI and ML-powered technologies offer a promising solution to keep communities safe and prevent crimes. With the recent launch of Solar Condor, a groundbreaking solar-powered video camera solution, Flock is helping solve approximately 2,000 crimes per day. 

Read more about their ambitious goal to eliminate crime in TechCrunch and GovTech.

Gladstone AI 

Despite the promise of advanced AI, concerns are brewing. That’s why Gladstone AI – authors of the first U.S. government-commissioned action plan for advanced AI safety and security – unveiled a new set of AI recommendations for Congress during the “Safety Forward” policy briefing series at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. 

Learn more about how the team is working with Congress to build a safe, responsible AI future in The Deep View. Also check out the team’s recent podcast feature on The Joe Rogan Experience!  

The Kresge Foundation

Not many things turn 100 years old, but The Kresge Foundation has moved over $5 billion in the last century to build resiliency in mid-sized cities across America. Kresge just hosted its centennial celebration in Detroit, which included a surprise visit from former President Barack Obama who joined Kresge President and CEO Rip Rapson on stage to discuss the importance of Kresge’s equity-focused grantmaking. Read more in Forbes! 

Urban Alchemy

Police are not always best equipped to respond to calls for people experiencing homelessness. That’s why the City and County of San Francisco partnered with Urban Alchemy to launch the Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) program, an alternative to law enforcement for non-emergency calls, and help connect our most vulnerable residents to services. 

The program just celebrated its first anniversary, sending an important message to San Franciscans and cities across the country: community-based safety works. Watch the broadcast segment from CBS News Bay Area, and read more in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner.

Protect our Defenders

Late last year, Protect Our Defenders’ survivors-led campaign secured the support of President Biden via an executive order and new legislation empowering independent military prosecutors to determine whether those accused of sexual assault, rape, murder, domestic violence, and other serious offenses will be prosecuted.

Protect Our Defenders remains vigilant, continuing to spotlight the issue and helping survivors receive the justice they deserve. New reforms come amid one of the largest military sexual assault scandal in history involving Maj. Michael Stockin. More than 100 survivors have come forward alleging abuse by the army doctor, and two of them sat down with CBS to break the story. 

Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition

Black voters continue to face targeted suppression and barriers when exercising their democratic rights. With only 21 percent of Black Americans expressing trust in our government, a coalition of Black lawyers and law students is helping restore their faith in democracy. 

Riff helped the Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition (YBLOC) unveil its “Black Ballots, Black Futures 2024” campaign to mobilize, empower, and protect millions of Black voters in Texas, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina. Check out the AP exclusive! 

Way to Win 

The economy continues to be the number one issue for voters, but the Republican Party has a two-to-one stronghold on the issue. Way to Win has the blueprint for Democrats to win back Latino, Black, AAPI, Gen Z, surge, and suburban voters by reshaping the narrative on the economy. 

Covered by The New York Times, Way to Win’s new voter research and ad-tested messaging positions Democrats as the party building better lives for voters and their families, offering a contrast to MAGA policies that support big corporations, price gouging, and lower wages.

UCSF Health

UCSF Health recently announced the acquisition of Dignity Health’s Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Network, with these community hospitals joining the UCSF Health Care Network.

Blending advanced specialty and community-focused care, this acquisition marks a significant step in UCSF Health’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare to San Francisco. Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Business Times. 

Donors of Color Network

Current climate funding is only a fifth of what’s needed to meet the scale and pace of our climate crisis – and BIPOC groups only receive 1.3 percent of that funding. That’s why Donors of Color Network (DOCN) launched its Climate Funders Justice Pledge (CFJP) to build winning, equitable solutions for the climate crisis. 

Now in its third year, the CFJP increased its funding baseline to over $135 million for BIPOC-led groups and secured a transparency pledge from the Grantham Foundation. It also partnered with the HBCU Green Fund to launch a first-of-its-kind fellowship for students at historically Black colleges and universities to track the shift and impact of private and public resources to BIPOC groups.

Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging

Despite billions invested in EVs, over half of US consumers find convenient charging is one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption. As featured in Axios, Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging is raising the bar on EV charging with a $1 billion commitment to build a network open to all drivers from day one.

Kicking off the year, CEO Andrew Cornelia connected with key reporters and policymakers in DC to discuss what is needed to meet the demand for reliable EV charging. The team also expanded its partnership with iconic travel center Buc-ee’s to unlock convenient EV charging across the Texas Triangle. 

Pegasus Capital Advisors 

Coral ecosystems contribute $172 billion annually to the global economy, yet human activity and climate change threaten their survival. Pegasus Capital Advisors, the investment fund manager of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, is working with the UN and others in an innovative partnership that uses blended finance to support projects that preserve and restore coral ecosystems, enhance resilience to climate change, and benefit coastal communities. Read more in Bloomberg and ImpactAlpha. 

Pegasus Capital CEO Craig Cogut also attended the “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience” conference at the Vatican. As the only private sector climate investor in attendance, he urged the sector to increase its contributions to these critical climate efforts. 

New Client Alert

Heartland Forward

Despite being a crucial economic driver for the country, the U.S. heartland receives minimal national attention to support community leaders improving the region’s economy and quality of life. Heartland Forward develops data-driven partnerships, programs, and policies building thriving, resilient communities across the heartland. By investing in the “secret sauce ingredients” vital to thriving metros – access to high-speed internet, local entrepreneurship, workforce, and health and wellness – we’re revitalizing middle America.

Fun fact: Riff President Jess Montejano and I initially met working to build a public broadband network for San Francisco together – love when things come full circle! 

Quick hits

• Axios: BIPOC-led climate groups get bigger funding boost 
• Business Insider: Check out the pitch deck the startup Pyte used to raise $5 million to solve a key challenge for data clean rooms
• CNN: Analysis: Why Biden and Democrats are talking so much about freedom | CNN Politics
• Fortune: Worldcoin’s eye-scanning ‘World ID’ is creepy—but still a good idea
• Police Magazine: Flock Safety Expands Product Suite with Solar-Powered, AI-Enhanced Video and LPR Solution
• Reuters: Brand Watch: Patagonia pioneers new grassroots approach to corporate giving
• TechCrunch: Former Xerox Ventures execs launch first fund under Myriad Venture Partners
• The Block: Worldcoin seeks to set ‘new standard’ in data protection, says it deleted users’ iris codes
• The Washington Post: Democrats spar over registration as worries over young and minority voters grow
• The Washington Times: Top AI labs have minimal defense against espionage, researchers say

We’re also excited to welcome the newest members of our award-winning team: Aonya McCruiston and Monica Coyle. Joining from Los Angeles and San Diego respectively, we’re proud to continue expanding our team of social justice advocates and PR visionaries!