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Exploration
encouraged.
Somernovians
Changing the world.
Meet the pioneering innovators that call Somernova home.
Aeronaut Brewing Company
Mission:
Aeronaut is a craft brewery, taproom and food hall, founded in Somerville, MA. They serve up a wide variety of innovative and scientifically driven craft beers, from IPAs to sours and lagers. Its goal is to share the excitement and enjoyment of adventurous, inspired beer with the community.
Founders:
Better Future Project
Mission:
Better Future Project works to build a diverse, powerful, and democratic grassroots movement that will drive society to address climate change and its devastating effects, advancing a fair and fast transition beyond coal, oil, and gas toward an economy powered by renewable energy that equitably benefits all people.<br />
<br />
Our guiding vision is a world with a healthy, stable, livable climate where all people live in resilient communities powered by 100% renewable energy that is equitably distributed, decentralized, and democratically controlled and provides millions of safe, well-paying jobs.
Founders:
Boston Bouldering Project
History:
At Somernova since 2013
Mission:
Established in 2013, Brooklyn Boulders Somerville is now the Boston Bouldering Project. The Bouldering Project reimagines the fitness facility as a community center by combining climbing, athletics, arts, music, and culture under one roof. Founded in 2011, the Boston Bouldering Project offers locally relevant, best-in-class, inclusive climbing experiences; sliding-scale memberships make the gym accessible to everyone in the community. The Boston Bouldering Project is part of a network of Bouldering Projects in Brooklyn, Washington D.C., Seattle, Austin, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City.
Founders:
Carolicious
Mission:
Carolicious serves locally made Venezuelan food out of Aeronaut’s food hall, making it the first Venezuelan food establishment within Somerville. The founders were born in Venezuela and raised in New England. They have dedicated their careers to sharing and serving authentic Venezuelan food, specifically traditional arepas with the addition of local flavors. Carolicious got its start with the Somerville Arts Council Nibble Food Incubator as ‘Las Carolinas’. Since opening at Aeronaut Brewing Company, Carolicious has opened two new locations including Aeronaut's Cannery in Everett, MA and a food stall at MIT.
Founders:
Carolina SalinasCarolina García
Commonwealth Fusion
Mission:
Decades of worldwide, government-sponsored research in fusion science have established the tokamak-based configuration as the highest performing approach to fusion. Yet in the past, tokamaks had to be enormous in size to produce net energy from fusion. CFS is using revolutionary high temperature superconducting magnets developed in collaboration with MIT to build smaller and lower-cost tokamak fusion systems. CFS is manufacturing these magnets and building the world’s first commercially-relevant net energy fusion machine, called SPARC. SPARC will pave the way for the world’s first fusion power plant, called ARC. CFS has assembled a world-class team working to design, build, and scale fusion power plants that will deliver cost competitive, clean fusion energy to combat climate change.
Founders:
The Dojo @ Somernova
Mission:
The Dojo @ Somernova is a place and platform where community, culture and industry intersect. A youth-driven multi-generational community space connecting people of all ages, backgrounds through immersive learning, cultural experiences and fun. Somernova is committed to empowering young people with the resources and tools they need to thrive. <br />
<br />
Whatever you do, whoever you are, we invite you to join us to co-create and test the boundaries of what is possible. Together, we can co-design a more equitable future for our youth, our planet, and for Somerville.
Founders:
Eden
History:
Eden's mission is to make scalable, sustainable extraction of Earth’s geothermal heat and natural resources possible.
Mission:
Founded by geoscientists Paris Smalls and Ammar Alali, Eden is developing a first-of-its-kind Electrical Reservoir Stimulation technology with applications in the geothermal, mining, and petroleum industries. Electrical Reservoir Stimulation is a safer, more effective, and more efficient method of recovering Earth’s natural resources—helping us achieve a carbon-free future.
Founders:
Paris SmallsAmmar Alali
The Engine Built by MIT
Mission:
The Engine, built by MIT, is an accelerator investing in Tough Tech founders solving the world’s biggest problems through the convergence of breakthrough science, engineering, and leadership. The team behind The Engine are committed to bridging the gap between discovery and commercialization for the most promising teams and breakthrough inventions– so they don’t get stuck inside a lab. The Tough Tech ecosystem, which The Engine fosters through events and convenings, is designed to help founders gain momentum as they build and grow their companies.
Founders:
Form Energy
History:
At Somernova since 2020 | Greentown Member | MIT Founders
Mission:
Form Energy is “transforming the grid” — developing a new class of cost-effective, multi-day energy storage systems that will enable a reliable and fully renewable electric grid year-round. Form’s pioneering battery technology will reform the global electricity system to run on 100% low-cost renewable energy, every day of the year. Investors include: Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), Coatue Management, NGP Energy Technology Partners III, ArcelorMittal, Temasek, Energy Impact Partners, Prelude Ventures, MIT’s The Engine, Capricorn Investment Group, Eni Next, and Macquarie Capital. Form started in Greentown Labs in 2017, moved and opened its headquarters at Somernova in October 2020, and has been doubling job growth every year.
Founders:
Mateo JaramilloYet-Ming ChiangTed WileyWilliam WoodfordMarco Ferrara
Greentown Labs
Mission:
The largest climate tech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs (GTL) is a community of climate action pioneers working to design a more sustainable world. With its headquarters in Somerville, GTL recently opened an incubator in Houston and now serves more than 140 startups. GTL brings together startups, corporations, investors, policymakers, and many others with a focus on scaling climate solutions. Greentown Labs offers lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, an electronics lab, software and business resources, and a large network of corporate customers, investors, and more.
Founders:
Johnson Roberts Associates
Mission:
Johnson Roberts Associates (JRA) believes in designing buildings with purpose and beauty, sustainability, and suitability for the communities who will use them and the environment we all share. JRA strives for all projects to be carbon-neutral by 2030. They are proud to be among the 27 firms nationwide (15% of all participating firms) that met the 70% energy reduction target for 2019. Regardless of whether a project will be submitted for LEED certification, JRA also strives to use LEED Silver as a basis for design standards.
Founders:
J. Stewart Robert
Riverside Community Care, Inc.
Mission:
This community based nonprofit offers a wide range of mental health and developmental services to Somerville Public Schools children and their families. Services include early childhood and youth programs, addiction treatment, and trauma response. Digital learning platforms extend Riverside’s reach to more than one million people around the globe, providing tools for education, prevention and crisis management. About 75 students from Somerville and surrounding areas are seen daily by the mental health experts at Riverside’s Somerville location.
Founders:
Somerville Bike Kitchen
Mission:
Your friendly neighborhood DIY bike co-op.
Founders:
Somerville Chocolate
Mission:
Somerville Chocolate was started in Somerville in the Spring of 2012 as a bean to bar chocolate CSA (community-supported agriculture). Their central goal was to involve people with the process of chocolate making by preparing multiple bar “harvests” (deliveries) that showcase variations on a particular aspect of the chocolate making process. In addition to the CSA, Somerville Chocolate also offers a selection of bars that are made in extremely small batches.
Founders:
Somerville Media Center
Mission:
Somerville Media Center is a leading public access media center that enables our vibrant and diverse community to express its creativity, explain its ideas, share its cultures, and foster each individual’s right to freedom of speech. SMC supports and creates community-driven media through low-cost education, access to production resources, and distribution on cable television and the web.
Founders:
The Studio for Sculptural Arts
Founders:
Sublime Systems
Mission:
Sublime Systems is a technology company commercializing affordable, ultra low-carbon cement that can be used in virtually any application under existing standards. Sublime's breakthrough process replaces the industry's legacy fossil fuel-fired kilns with an electrochemical system that operates at ambient temperature and eliminates the use of fossil fuel and limestone, resulting in a zero-carbon, low-embodied energy cement. This technology has the potential to drive gigaton-scale reductions in an industry responsible for 8 percent of global emissions. Sublime is backed by mission-aligned investors, including The Engine, Prime Impact Fund, Energy Impact Partners, and Lowercarbon Capital.
Founders:
Tank Design
Mission:
Tank Design has 25 years of experience developing brands and the experiences that bring them to life.Their clients vary in size and across many industries – from global Fortune 100 brands to startups who are shaping our future, such as FedX. Tank Design prepares organizations for growth through ever-evolving cultural contexts and tech innovations – building the experiences of tomorrow.
Founders:
Fred WeaverDavid Warren
Tender Foods
Mission:
Introducing a new generation of alternative meat products – produced in the kitchen by chefs – that have the same texture, taste, and consistency as real meat. Tender is bringing engineering design to the charcuterie board, creating sustainable products that even meat lovers love.
Founders:
Transaera
Mission:
At Transaera, we are completely revolutionizing air conditioners with advanced materials that remove moisture from the air before cooling it. Then we use the heat generated by the air conditioner – instead of wasting it – to dry the material for the next cycle. The process uses less electricity, resulting in long-term cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Founders:
Aeronaut Brewing Company
Mission: Aeronaut is a craft brewery, taproom and food hall, founded in Somerville, MA. They serve up a wide variety of innovative and scientifically driven craft beers, from IPAs to sours and lagers. Its goal is to share the excitement and enjoyment of adventurous, inspired beer with the community.
Better Future Project
Mission: Better Future Project works to build a diverse, powerful, and democratic grassroots movement that will drive society to address climate change and its devastating effects, advancing a fair and fast transition beyond coal, oil, and gas toward an economy powered by renewable energy that equitably benefits all people.<br /> <br /> Our guiding vision is a world with a healthy, stable, livable climate where all people live in resilient communities powered by 100% renewable energy that is equitably distributed, decentralized, and democratically controlled and provides millions of safe, well-paying jobs.
Boston Bouldering Project
History: At Somernova since 2013
Mission: Established in 2013, Brooklyn Boulders Somerville is now the Boston Bouldering Project. The Bouldering Project reimagines the fitness facility as a community center by combining climbing, athletics, arts, music, and culture under one roof. Founded in 2011, the Boston Bouldering Project offers locally relevant, best-in-class, inclusive climbing experiences; sliding-scale memberships make the gym accessible to everyone in the community. The Boston Bouldering Project is part of a network of Bouldering Projects in Brooklyn, Washington D.C., Seattle, Austin, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City.
Carolicious
Mission: Carolicious serves locally made Venezuelan food out of Aeronaut’s food hall, making it the first Venezuelan food establishment within Somerville. The founders were born in Venezuela and raised in New England. They have dedicated their careers to sharing and serving authentic Venezuelan food, specifically traditional arepas with the addition of local flavors. Carolicious got its start with the Somerville Arts Council Nibble Food Incubator as ‘Las Carolinas’. Since opening at Aeronaut Brewing Company, Carolicious has opened two new locations including Aeronaut's Cannery in Everett, MA and a food stall at MIT.
Founders:Carolina SalinasCarolina García
Commonwealth Fusion
Mission: Decades of worldwide, government-sponsored research in fusion science have established the tokamak-based configuration as the highest performing approach to fusion. Yet in the past, tokamaks had to be enormous in size to produce net energy from fusion. CFS is using revolutionary high temperature superconducting magnets developed in collaboration with MIT to build smaller and lower-cost tokamak fusion systems. CFS is manufacturing these magnets and building the world’s first commercially-relevant net energy fusion machine, called SPARC. SPARC will pave the way for the world’s first fusion power plant, called ARC. CFS has assembled a world-class team working to design, build, and scale fusion power plants that will deliver cost competitive, clean fusion energy to combat climate change.
The Dojo @ Somernova
Mission: The Dojo @ Somernova is a place and platform where community, culture and industry intersect. A youth-driven multi-generational community space connecting people of all ages, backgrounds through immersive learning, cultural experiences and fun. Somernova is committed to empowering young people with the resources and tools they need to thrive. <br /> <br /> Whatever you do, whoever you are, we invite you to join us to co-create and test the boundaries of what is possible. Together, we can co-design a more equitable future for our youth, our planet, and for Somerville.
Eden
History: Eden's mission is to make scalable, sustainable extraction of Earth’s geothermal heat and natural resources possible.
Mission: Founded by geoscientists Paris Smalls and Ammar Alali, Eden is developing a first-of-its-kind Electrical Reservoir Stimulation technology with applications in the geothermal, mining, and petroleum industries. Electrical Reservoir Stimulation is a safer, more effective, and more efficient method of recovering Earth’s natural resources—helping us achieve a carbon-free future.
Founders:Paris SmallsAmmar Alali
The Engine Built by MIT
Mission: The Engine, built by MIT, is an accelerator investing in Tough Tech founders solving the world’s biggest problems through the convergence of breakthrough science, engineering, and leadership. The team behind The Engine are committed to bridging the gap between discovery and commercialization for the most promising teams and breakthrough inventions– so they don’t get stuck inside a lab. The Tough Tech ecosystem, which The Engine fosters through events and convenings, is designed to help founders gain momentum as they build and grow their companies.
Fleet Robotics
History: At Somernova since 2024
Mission: Fleet Robotics is driving deep data insights for shipping, powered by submersible, autonomous hull-cleaning and inspection robots.
Form Energy
History: At Somernova since 2020 | Greentown Member | MIT Founders
Mission: Form Energy is “transforming the grid” — developing a new class of cost-effective, multi-day energy storage systems that will enable a reliable and fully renewable electric grid year-round. Form’s pioneering battery technology will reform the global electricity system to run on 100% low-cost renewable energy, every day of the year. Investors include: Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), Coatue Management, NGP Energy Technology Partners III, ArcelorMittal, Temasek, Energy Impact Partners, Prelude Ventures, MIT’s The Engine, Capricorn Investment Group, Eni Next, and Macquarie Capital. Form started in Greentown Labs in 2017, moved and opened its headquarters at Somernova in October 2020, and has been doubling job growth every year.
Founders:Mateo JaramilloYet-Ming ChiangTed WileyWilliam WoodfordMarco Ferrara
Greentown Labs
Mission: The largest climate tech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs (GTL) is a community of climate action pioneers working to design a more sustainable world. With its headquarters in Somerville, GTL recently opened an incubator in Houston and now serves more than 140 startups. GTL brings together startups, corporations, investors, policymakers, and many others with a focus on scaling climate solutions. Greentown Labs offers lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, an electronics lab, software and business resources, and a large network of corporate customers, investors, and more.
Johnson Roberts Associates
Mission: Johnson Roberts Associates (JRA) believes in designing buildings with purpose and beauty, sustainability, and suitability for the communities who will use them and the environment we all share. JRA strives for all projects to be carbon-neutral by 2030. They are proud to be among the 27 firms nationwide (15% of all participating firms) that met the 70% energy reduction target for 2019. Regardless of whether a project will be submitted for LEED certification, JRA also strives to use LEED Silver as a basis for design standards.
Founders:J. Stewart Robert
Riverside Community Care, Inc.
Mission: This community based nonprofit offers a wide range of mental health and developmental services to Somerville Public Schools children and their families. Services include early childhood and youth programs, addiction treatment, and trauma response. Digital learning platforms extend Riverside’s reach to more than one million people around the globe, providing tools for education, prevention and crisis management. About 75 students from Somerville and surrounding areas are seen daily by the mental health experts at Riverside’s Somerville location.
Somerville Bike Kitchen
Mission: Your friendly neighborhood DIY bike co-op.
Somerville Chocolate
Mission: Somerville Chocolate was started in Somerville in the Spring of 2012 as a bean to bar chocolate CSA (community-supported agriculture). Their central goal was to involve people with the process of chocolate making by preparing multiple bar “harvests” (deliveries) that showcase variations on a particular aspect of the chocolate making process. In addition to the CSA, Somerville Chocolate also offers a selection of bars that are made in extremely small batches.
Somerville Media Center
Mission: Somerville Media Center is a leading public access media center that enables our vibrant and diverse community to express its creativity, explain its ideas, share its cultures, and foster each individual’s right to freedom of speech. SMC supports and creates community-driven media through low-cost education, access to production resources, and distribution on cable television and the web.
The Studio for Sculptural Arts
Sublime Systems
Mission: Sublime Systems is a technology company commercializing affordable, ultra low-carbon cement that can be used in virtually any application under existing standards. Sublime's breakthrough process replaces the industry's legacy fossil fuel-fired kilns with an electrochemical system that operates at ambient temperature and eliminates the use of fossil fuel and limestone, resulting in a zero-carbon, low-embodied energy cement. This technology has the potential to drive gigaton-scale reductions in an industry responsible for 8 percent of global emissions. Sublime is backed by mission-aligned investors, including The Engine, Prime Impact Fund, Energy Impact Partners, and Lowercarbon Capital.
Tank Design
Mission: Tank Design has 25 years of experience developing brands and the experiences that bring them to life.Their clients vary in size and across many industries – from global Fortune 100 brands to startups who are shaping our future, such as FedX. Tank Design prepares organizations for growth through ever-evolving cultural contexts and tech innovations – building the experiences of tomorrow.
Founders:Fred WeaverDavid Warren
Tender Foods
Mission: Introducing a new generation of alternative meat products – produced in the kitchen by chefs – that have the same texture, taste, and consistency as real meat. Tender is bringing engineering design to the charcuterie board, creating sustainable products that even meat lovers love.
Transaera
Mission: At Transaera, we are completely revolutionizing air conditioners with advanced materials that remove moisture from the air before cooling it. Then we use the heat generated by the air conditioner – instead of wasting it – to dry the material for the next cycle. The process uses less electricity, resulting in long-term cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr. Emily Reichert, CEO,
greentown labs
Greentown Labs is passionate about the future of Somerville and we’re proud to be part of its technology renaissance. Rafi has shown they’re betting big on the future of the City as well, and we’re thrilled to have them as a partner!
Who are the people behind our most inspiring projects? We’d love to feature them here, know anyone with a great story?
Let’s tomorrowtogether.
nominate a somernoviannominate a somernovianWho are the people behind our most inspiring projects? We’d love to feature them here, know anyone with a great story?
How can we co-create a future that will provide makers and inventors with the tools and resources to build and prototype their next great idea?
get in touchHave an idea for the next ground breaking project and want to collaborate? Searching for brainstorming, help, support? Let’s open a board for all this.