After spending a decade growing Greentown Labs in Somerville into a world-renowned climate-tech incubator, Emily Reichert has stepped down as CEO of the organization.
Reichert informed Greentown startups on Thursday in an email that “after a ten year sprint building Greentown, now is the right time for me” to step down. Reichert said she doesn’t have an immediate plan for the future but intends to spend more time with family and friends, after taking a sabbatical for several months earlier this year. (She added: “This is especially important to me right now in light of health issues in my family of late.”)
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The announcement comes just a week after Prince William and Princess Catherine visited Greentown to much fanfare; Reichert said the visit was a “bittersweet experience” for her because of her pending departure.
Kevin Taylor, Greentown’s chief financial officer, will be interim CEO and will serve in both roles until a permanent CEO is hired. Reichert said she will act as an advisor to Taylor as “CEO Emeritus” until her successor is hired, and that she plans to remain involved with Greentown as a member of its board after that point.
Reichert described how she launched Greentown with a few other clean-tech entrepreneurs in an abandoned warehouse in South Boston 10 years ago. Today, Greentown supports 142 startups in Somerville and 76 in Houston, has 48 full-time employees, and remains co-owned by the original founders as well as Reichert (Greentown’s first employee).
Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him @jonchesto.