First-of-its-kind Home Raising Academy trains public and private sector professionals — With sea levels projected to rise significantly over the next three to five decades, cities in Hampton Roads are exploring various ways to mitigate the impact of increasing flooding. …

RISE Challenge winner VPA’s C-PACE program offers borrowers a new, cost-effective way to finance resilience improvements — Building a resilient economy includes developing structures that can withstand the myriad symptoms of climate change. But making those necessary upgrades can be a financial challenge for businesses and property owners. RISE Challenge winner Virginia PACE Authority (VPA), a nonprofit, has stepped in to help fill the funding gap by…

Jim Nigg: Constructis Founder and CEO — Inspiration can strike at any time. The key is to recognize it when you see it. For Jim Nigg, CEO and founder of Constructis, a company based on the concept of capturing and repurposing kinetic energy, that moment came as he watched traffic pass over a highway bridge in 1994. …

RISE Challenge winner Wetlands Watch pilots first high school level “green” landscape certification program — A new program recently launched by RISE Challenge winner Wetlands Watch and partners is offering high school students a glimpse into the world of Chesapeake-Bay-friendly landscape practices — and potentially a leg up into a future job or career. The Norfolk-based nonprofit is partnering with Portsmouth, Virginia public schools to…