Aina Abiodun is an award-winning climate leader, serial tech founder and three-time CEO. A 2026 recipient of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s individual Sustainability Award and a GeekWire CEO of the Year nominee, she has been recognized for her work leading VertueLab, a climate innovation and entrepreneurship organization in the Pacific Northwest. Under her leadership, VertueLab was named the Cleantech Alliance’s 2025 Cleantech Leader of the Year and became a founding partner of downtown Seattle’s Climate Innovation Hub, which has grown to more than 250 members.

Aina is also a trusted voice in regional climate policy. She served on Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s transition team for climate and environment. She also co-chaired a subcommittee of Oregon’s Clean Technology Task Force, convened by Governor Tina Kotek and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, where she co-authored a $500 million state innovation investment proposal. She was part of the coalition that defeated Initiative 2117, protecting Washington’s cap-and-invest climate law. She serves on the boards of the Washington State Green Bank and Climate Solutions, chairs the board of Community Power South, and advises Candide Group’s Afterglow Climate Justice Fund.

Previously, she was the first Black woman to run a venture-backed company in Germany, following her earlier work leading brand and impact strategy for global organizations including Mattel, Puma, Logitech, Meta, Novartis and The Obama Foundation. Aina lives with her family on Washington’s beautiful Puget Sound.