2024 Benefit Breakfast

Event Details:

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

In-person at the Saint Paul RiverCentre
7:30 a.m
. Guest check-in and Fair of the Future opens
8 a.m. Breakfast program begins
9:30 – 11 a.m. Breakfast concludes, Fair of the Future continues
Download parking and transit information.

Virtual live stream
7:45 a.m. Log in
8 a.m. Breakfast program begins
9:30 a.m. Breakfast concludes
Download the full event program.

$125 suggested minimum donation.*

View on Youtube here.

We hope you will join us on October 9 for an inspiring and hope-filled Benefit Breakfast with nationally known marine biologist, policy expert, and author Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson alongside Fresh Energy staff and other special guests. If you can’t attend in person, please be sure to register for a ticket for the virtual event.

You won’t want to miss this year’s program that will feature intimate and honest conversations about how we can find optimism in climate solutions and why Fresh Energy’s work taking on some of the biggest decarbonization challenges is inspiring Minnesotans to have hope for the future. We will also debut Fresh Energy’s bold new strategic framework.

And if you plan to attend in person, come early and stay late for the Fair of the Future, our all-electric showroom where guests can dive into the latest in electric vehicles, energy-efficient home solutions, and sustainable outdoor equipment, all under one roof! Learn more about the Fair here.

Our featured speaker

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and writer. She is co-founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, co-editor of the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save, co-creator and co-host of Spotify/Gimlet’s flagship climate podcast How to Save a Planet, and author of the forthcoming book What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures. She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia, received the Schneider Award for climate communication, and was on the Time 100 Next List. She is in love with climate solutions.

With special guest

Big news! We’re so excited to share that Saint Paul Mayor and friend of Fresh Energy, Melvin Carter, will join us at our Benefit Breakfast to share a special message about how Saint Paul and Minnesota are leading on Climate.

All proceeds from this dynamic event will support Fresh Energy’s work to design, influence, and implement equitable policy to continue ambitiously advancing a carbon-neutral economy in Minnesota and the Midwest.

Get your tickets to the 2024 Benefit Breakfast!

There are two types of tickets for the 2024 Benefit Breakfast. Please choose your tickets based on whether you plan to join us in person or virtually. Registration is required; please RSVP by September 30, 2024.


In-person registration is now closed.

Please contact Meggie LaValley for assistance at lavalley@fresh-energy.org.

*There is no fee to register for this event, but you will be asked for a donation during the program.

If you are not able to join us on October 9, please consider supporting our work by making a donation online.


For information on sponsoring the 2024 Benefit Breakfast, becoming a table captain, or volunteering at the event, please contact Meggie LaValley at lavalley@fresh-energy.org or 651 726 7561.

Thank you to our event sponsors!

Title Sponsor

Energy Access and Equity Sponsor

Fair of the Future Sponsor

VIP Meet and Greet Sponsors
Best Buy
Ecolab
Enterprise Energy
Minnesota Power
Mortenson
Sparkfund
Wolf River Electric
Xcel Energy

Match Pool Sponsors
Aileron Communications
Bird and Randy Anderson
Anonymous
Lane Ayres and Marion McNurlen
Matt Bertolatus
Carnival Berns P.A.
Copas Family
Mark and Kate Hanson
Kathy Iverson and Mike Menzel
Will and Claudia Kaul
Sarah F. Lang Fund
Kevin Lawless and April Egan
Cotty Lowry and Laurie Jacobi
Jan and Rick Neville
Federico and Nassim Rossi
VanSteenburgh/Ladner Family Fund
Kate Wolford and Ed Reilly

Clean Energy Champion Sponsors
Ever-Green Energy

Friends of the Future Sponsors
Philip and Kathy Adam
Arc North Star
CLA
Elevation Communications
Fredrikson
Freedom, Growth & Joy Coaching
Amy Gilbert and Worth Frank
Invenergy
James P. Lenfestey
Moss & Barnett
Raj Rajan and Kavitha Sitaram
Science Museum of Minnesota
Stoel Rives LLP
U.S. Bank
UndauntedK12
Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.
Mary Woollen and Clark Heindl
Emily Ziring

Read Fresh Energy’s COVID-19 policy for events here.