Show notes
In this episode, we explore the work behind CarbonCLAIR, a venture developing innovative air filtration technology to improve air quality in construction sites, infrastructure projects, and other challenging environments. Host Monique T. Marshall speaks with founder Fares Al-lahabi about transforming an engineering idea into a venture through customer discovery, community engagement, and real-world deployment. From conversations with commuters and climate justice advocates to pilots with Mount Sinai, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and construction partners, CarbonCLAIR demonstrates how innovation grows through listening as much as inventing. What begins as a technical solution becomes a venture shaped by the experiences of workers, residents, researchers, and industry partners alike. This thoughtful conversation explores how entrepreneurship can bridge science, public health, and business to create technologies that improve lives while building a more sustainable future. Visit our podcast page for more information. Visit CarbonCLAIR. Fares Al-lahabi is the CEO and Co-Founder of CarbonCLAIR, a climate technology company developing mobile air quality mitigation systems for construction, municipal infrastructure, and urban environments. A civil engineering student at Manhattan University, Fares has led CarbonCLAIR from an undergraduate-built prototype into active deployment pathways with partners including Mount Sinai, Skanska at Governors Island, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. His work focuses on improving air quality for workers and communities through deployable filtration, particulate capture, and chemical scrubbing technologies. Fares has secured more than $200,000 in funding and support for CarbonCLAIR, participated in the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program, and was selected as a New York Climate Exchange Climate Tech Fellow. He is also deeply committed to workforce development, having hired and mentored over 30 student engineers and interns through CarbonCLAIR. Fares previously served as President of the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter at Manhattan University and has presented his work at regional, national, and international platforms. His long-term goal is to build technologies that positively impact people at scale and help create cleaner, healthier cities.