BIC Presents: Innovation Lives in the Berkshires

BIC Presents: Innovation Lives in the Berkshires

In this episode of BIC Presents, host PJ Moynihan sits down with Bryana Bayly, Manager of Industry Relations, and Heather Williams, Youth Program Director at the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board, for a conversation about workforce development, career readiness, and the future of opportunity in Berkshire County. The discussion explores how MassHire works alongside schools, employers, community organizations, and regional partners to build a connected career readiness system that introduces students to career pathways as early as elementary school. Heather outlines the structure of the region’s career awareness, exploratory, and immersive learning programs, including internships, job shadowing, and structured work experiences that help young people develop employability skills before entering the workforce. Bryana discusses the Berkshire Skills Cabinet and the region’s workforce blueprint, highlighting healthcare, hospitality, management, and advanced manufacturing as critical industries facing workforce shortages and growing demand. The conversation also focuses on the importance of collaboration between workforce development, education, economic development, and innovation organizations such as the Berkshire Innovation Center. Together, the group reflects on the evolving message that “Innovation Lives in the Berkshires,” emphasizing that the region offers not only cultural attractions, but also meaningful career pathways, entrepreneurial opportunities, and long-term professional growth for people of all ages. Links: MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board: https://www.masshireberkshirecc.com Berkshire Innovation Center: https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com [https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com]

BIC Presents: MassCEC Roadshow

In this episode, PJ Moynihan sits down with Ben Sosne, Executive Director of the Berkshire Innovation Center, and Dr. Jennifer Le Blond of the Mass Clean Energy Center following a Climate Tech Corridor Roadshow event held at the BIC. The conversation centers on how MassCEC is engaging directly with regions across the Commonwealth to inform its climate tech strategy and funding priorities. Le Blond explains the purpose of the roadshow as both a listening tour and a way to share implementation plans tied to state-supported climate initiatives. Sosne reflects on the importance of strategic planning in regional economic development, emphasizing that long-term success requires a clear understanding of local assets and realistic opportunities. The discussion highlights the Berkshires’ strengths in precision manufacturing, workforce development, and available infrastructure, positioning the region as a viable location for companies transitioning from research and development into early-stage manufacturing and deployment. The group also explores challenges around messaging, infrastructure, and regional coordination, noting the importance of connecting startups with existing capabilities across Massachusetts. With a focus on collaboration, iteration, and long-term planning, the episode underscores how climate tech growth depends on aligning statewide strategy with regional execution. Links: Mass Clean Energy Center: https://www.masscec.com/ [https://www.masscec.com/] Berkshire Innovation Center: https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/ [https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/]

BIC Presents: Meet Globe Grown

In this episode of BIC Presents, PJ Moynihan sits down with Marie-Pascale Ruberandinda, founder of Globe Grown and participant in the Berkshire Innovation Center’s Stage 2 Accelerator Catalyst program. Originally from Rwanda and later based in Texas, Marie shares how growing up on her family’s farms inspired her to build technology that supports farmers and promotes sustainable agriculture. Globe Grown is developing an autonomous platform that combines drone imaging, machine learning, and a rover system to detect and eliminate weeds without herbicides. The technology is designed to help farmers reduce chemical use, address labor shortages, and improve efficiency while supporting healthier crops and reducing environmental impact. Marie also discusses her journey as a founder balancing entrepreneurship with running a trucking business and raising a family. Through the accelerator, she is currently evaluating hardware options, engaging with potential investors, and working toward seed funding. Her long-term goal is to build Globe Grown in Massachusetts and contribute to the region’s growing clean technology ecosystem, while helping farmers worldwide through innovation. Links: Berkshire Innovation Center: https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/ [https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/]

BIC Presents: Innovating Across State Lines

In this episode, PJ Moynihan welcomes Steve Bravo, Director of Commercialization at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and Leslie Nash, Interim Managing Director of Emerging Climatetech at Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), for a conversation about climate innovation across New York and Massachusetts. Steve describes how NYSERDA supports energy innovation through research, development, commercialization programs, accelerators, mentorship, and connections to venture and corporate capital.  Leslie explains how MassCEC helps researchers and startups move from lab-stage ideas to prototypes, demonstrations, and deployment through grants, investments, and ecosystem partnerships.  Together, they discuss shared priorities including clean energy market growth, startup support, economic development, and building a more affordable, reliable, and decarbonized grid. A major theme of the episode is the value of collaboration across state lines. Steve and Leslie describe how their teams regularly share lessons learned, compare program design, and help connect companies to new pilots and markets. They point to opportunities in building efficiency and the built environment, especially in older housing stock across the Northeast, and discuss examples like Runwise and Massachusetts-based Imbue as companies addressing those challenges.  The conversation also reinforces BIC’s role as a convening space in the Berkshires, positioned as a midpoint in a broader regional innovation corridor stretching from western New York to Boston/Cambridge. Links NYSERDA: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov [https://www.nyserda.ny.gov] NYSERDA Commercialization Program: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Innovation-at-NYSERDA/Commercialization-Program [https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Innovation-at-NYSERDA/Commercialization-Program] Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: https://www.masscec.com [https://www.masscec.com] MassCEC Emerging Climatetech: https://www.masscec.com/emerging-climatetech [https://www.masscec.com/emerging-climatetech] Berkshire Innovation Center: https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/ [https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/] Massachusetts Business Front Door: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/business-front-door [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/business-front-door]

BIC Presents: Noble Carbon

In this episode of BIC Presents, host PJ Moynihan sits down with Noble Carbon co-founders Jared Lebos and Andrew Crane to discuss how their climate tech startup is developing smart circuit breakers designed to improve energy efficiency and grid resilience. Lebos, who previously worked in financial services, and Crane, an engineer originally from Berkshire County, met while attending business school and later began collaborating on a solution inspired by energy challenges Lebos experienced abroad. Their early prototype evolved into Noble Carbon’s core technology: a compact smart circuit breaker capable of managing energy use more intelligently within homes. The founders describe how participation in the Berkshire Innovation Center’s Stage 2 Accelerator helped move their concept from a basement prototype to a deployable product. They also discuss the role of state support, including the InnovateMass Grid Tech Spotlight program and an M2I2 grant, which provided critical non-dilutive funding to develop hardware, testing equipment, and manufacturing processes. Looking ahead, Noble Carbon is preparing a pilot program with Eversource that will deploy its smart breakers in homes across Western Massachusetts, gathering data on energy efficiency, grid performance, and affordability for low- and moderate-income households. Links: Noble Carbon: https://www.noblecarbon.io [https://www.noblecarbon.io] Jared Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-lebos-32146410b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-lebos-32146410b/] Andrew Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-crane-25039935/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-crane-25039935/] Berkshire Innovation Center: https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/ [https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com/]