New center for climate-related businesses set for Wells Fargo building in downtown Asheville

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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wells_fargo_buildingA new center aimed at fostering collaboration among businesses and initiatives focused on climate data and climate change is quietly coming together in the Wells Fargo building in downtown Asheville. The project is the work of the Asheville Buncombe Sustainable Community Initiatives.

The project has been dubbed “The Well.” The goal is to bring together various players in the field of climate data, technology and innovation to foster new businesses and collaboration. Asheville already has a wealth of resources in this sector, including the federal National Climatic Data Center repository. One key focus of the effort will focus on taking NCDC data and putting it to use for commercial purposes.

Some of the key players involved in getting the center together include former Asheville City Councilwoman Robin Cape and businessman Mack Pearsall, as well as several others.

From the ABSCI:

In the fall of 2012, with the change in ownership of the Wells Fargo and the expressed consequent interest by the new owner in both climate and entrepreneurship, the opportunity was revived anew. Because it was clear that the variables that would grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem were the same as those that would grow the climate sector, a loose alliance was struck between the EDC and ABSCI to begin working collaboratively toward the mutual goals of building such a venue.

In the summer of 2012, a collaboration agreement was created with Ocean Asheville, the owners of the Wells Fargo Building and ABSCI to do the due diligence and project development for what is currently identified as “The Well.” The business planning process seeks to identify the appropriate organizational structure and funding streams to build a comprehensive, broad-based collaborative of entrepreneurial partners, across the community support both climate and non-climate related initiatives that will offer a home to the Asheville Data Commercialization Industry and create a platform for continuous innovation and business development in downtown Asheville.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

1 Comment

  1. Sean December 12, 2013

    Is there some special school where non-profits learn to speak in lengthy buzzword-laden gibberish?

    Reply

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