Turning ideas into impact: Epic Cleantec at SF Climate Week
San Francisco Climate Week 2025 served as a powerful reminder of why we do what we do: to reshape how cities think about water, resilience, and the future of our planet. Climate Week initiatives, now in several major cities across the country, serve as a decentralized conference style that brings thousands of individuals, companies, and nonprofit organizations together to highlight climate innovation and environmental stewardship. The events focus on accelerating climate solutions happening now that are making an impact in our communities.
At Epic, we believe that education is one of our most powerful tools. Throughout the week, we proudly shared our mission and sparked meaningful conversations about the critical role of water reuse in building a more sustainable world.
Hosting tours at Salesforce Tower
We opened the doors to the operation at Salesforce Tower, home to the largest onsite water reuse system in any commercial building in the United States. Welcoming guests from the World Economic Forum, Yes SF, Deloitte, Uplink, and Imagine H20, we facilitated a dialogue around the future of urban water management and showcased how large-scale water reuse systems can serve as a model for sustainable buildings. If you’re interested in joining a future tour, you can request one here.
Driving real action in real estate
Hosted at the Mind The Bridge office in San Francisco and thoughtfully organized by our friends at Antenna Group, Epic’s Co-Founder and CEO, Aaron Tartakovsky, joined an insightful panel discussion alongside industry leaders. The speakers included Anica Landreneau, Global Head of Sustainability at HOK; Tansy Mak, Associate VP of Design at Related California; Tim Smith, Real Estate Development Director at SKS Partners; and Breana Wheeler, U.S. Director of Operations at BREEAM.
Together, the panel explored how the real estate sector can move beyond ambitious pledges to deliver real, measurable climate action. The conversation underscored the urgent need for integrating technologies like water reuse into the design and development of tomorrow’s buildings.
Celebrating water innovation with Imagine H2O
We had the opportunity to reflect with our friends at Imagine H2O on the milestones that have shaped the water innovation sector and the important work that lies ahead. Imagine H2O’s Accelerator program plays a crucial role in supporting early-stage water startups through mentorship, network access, pilot funding, and validation opportunities. Through this initiative, startups are empowered to scale impactful change to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. As proud alumni of the 2020 Imagine H2O Accelerator and members of the IH2O portfolio, Epic was honored to share our journey and insights with the newest cohort.
A big congratulations to Imagine H2O’s newest accelerator cohort, including Aquagga Inc., Cetos Water, Current, DeployTM, InPipe Energy, ManholeMetrics, Mizu – Water One, PAGE Technologies, RapiCure Solutions, and VAPAR. We’re excited to see the impact these emerging innovators will have on the future of water!
Engaging with San Francisco leadership
As part of a delegation of climate leaders organized by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, we met with Mayor Daniel Lurie to discuss how water reuse technology can be a critical lever in achieving San Francisco’s climate goals. Hosted at City Hall, this roundtable brought together executives from leading climate tech companies, including Intersect Power, Span, Plus Power, Aurora Solar, Butlr, It’s Electric, and Epic Cleantec, alongside representatives from the SF Chamber of Commerce and Yes SF.
The roundtable, facilitated by Amar Bhardwaj, Assistant Chief of Infrastructure, Climate, and Mobility at the Mayor’s Office, focused on identifying the strengths of San Francisco as a climate innovation hub and opportunities to expand the tech ecosystem. It was inspiring to see city leadership champion forward-thinking solutions that will build a more resilient and sustainable urban environment.
Looking ahead
Despite its critical importance, water often remains unrepresented in climate dialogues. Initiatives like Yes SF, Imagine H20’s accelerator cohorts, and SF Climate Week serve as important drivers in elevating water and climate conversations. We’re proud to be part of a community that is turning ideas into impact during Climate Week and beyond. The future of urban water management is bright, and at Epic Cleantec, we’re more committed than ever to building it.
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