Judith Curry is President and co-Founder of Climate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN).  Curry established the organization to assist with the managing weather and climate risks, following a notable career in academic research and administration.

Judith had an illustrious career in academia before she founded CFAN. She served as the Chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology for 13 years and was widely recognized for her research in climate dynamics and extreme weather. She was honored with research awards and elected as a Fellow of several professional societies. Judith was frequently sought out by the media for interviews and invited to present Congressional testimony, owing to her impressive academic profile and excellent communication skills. Her blog, Climate Etc., established her as a leading expert on various aspects of climate change.

In 2006, Judith and her colleague Peter Webster founded CFAN, encouraged by Georgia Tech’s VentureLab program. Their primary objective was to translate cutting-edge weather and climate research into forecast products that could help mitigate weather and climate-related risks. CFAN initially focused on developing innovative extended-range forecasts for extreme weather events, which led to numerous opportunities and clients for the company.

Advance Tech Offerings

CFAN is at the forefront of advancing new ideas and approaches in weather and climate services. The firm’s innovative approach to forecasting has earned the company a reputation as pioneers in the field, as it strives to push the boundaries of effective forecasting and enhance understanding of weather and climate prediction and predictability. It collaborates closely with its clients to develop new products and address their most complex weather- and climate-related problems, as well as identify lucrative opportunities in these areas. At CFAN, the team is committed to constantly pushing the envelope and driving innovation in the field of weather and climate services.

“A true synergy between research, forecasts, and decision support produces a culture of innovation and client support that is unique among weather and climate forecast providers,” says Judith.

CFAN is revolutionizing weather forecasting by utilizing state-of-the-art ensemble forecast methods, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. These cutting-edge techniques allow the company to provide highly accurate probabilistic forecasts of extreme weather events at longer lead times. It also leverages visual analytics and cognitive computing techniques to enable our clients to quickly and easily interpret forecast information through web-based dashboards, supporting timely and optimal decision-making.

Its TropiCast forecast products are widely used by organizations across the globe to plan, prepare for, and respond to the hazards associated with tropical cyclones. Its forecast innovations include an extended-range dynamic cone of track uncertainty, probabilistic forecasts of maximum intensity and minimum pressure, CFAN’s Rapid Intensification Index, and calibrated high-resolution forecast fields of landfall winds.

CFAN’s OmniCast is designed specifically for energy traders, power providers, and fund managers. This platform provides weather and climate forecasts, with a particular focus on extreme weather events, including probabilities of heat and cold waves, wind droughts, severe convective weather, and fire weather.

Finally, CFAN’s AgriCast product provides regional forecasts that support precision agriculture, improving yields while reducing costs and resource use. Overall, CFAN is committed to driving innovation in weather forecasting and providing its clients with the most accurate and actionable information to support their decision-making processes.

CFAN’s climate services have more of a bespoke nature. CFAN provides customized intelligence that responds to specific client requests for: climate scenarios and impact assessments; advice on corporate climate risk management; reports and educational materials; expert testimony and litigation support; and support for the development and evaluation of adaptation strategies.

CFAN’s regional scenarios of future climate change integrate human-caused climate change with natural modes of climate variability. CFAN’s climate scenario projections and impact assessments are supporting infrastructure siting, energy transition risks associated with electric power demand and renewable energy supply, insurance decisions, land investments, water resource management and planning, assessments of vulnerability to severe weather, and coastal adaptation planning.

Improving Climate Forecasts

In establishing CFAN, Judith quickly learned that there is a big difference between succeeding in academia versus the private sector. In academia, there are no consequences for being wrong once a paper is published. However, in the private sector, if one makes a highly confident forecast that turns out to be wrong, your company’s reputation will suffer, and you will lose clients. Judith has learned how crucial it is to carefully identify and communicate the uncertainty around scientific knowledge, especially when making forecasts. CFAN provides the most critical information about forecast accuracy and uncertainty that helps its clients improve outcomes as they manage weather and climate risks.

Judith’s other challenge was making the transition from a university-based research focus to a customer-oriented focus. CFAN has succeeded not just by providing superior forecasts but also by providing services to its clients and working with them to customize and integrate our forecasts into their risk assessment models and decision-making processes.

Ensuring Everyone’s Growth in Organization

Judith’s management strategy prioritizes both her employees and clients, recognizing their central importance to CFAN’s success. She has implemented an employee-centric approach that focuses on developing each employee’s capabilities within the framework of project teams, career advancement, and a flexible workplace that encourages work-life balance. This approach requires significant effort to train individuals to work in this environment, and Judith works hard to develop, retain, and reward her employees.

CFAN has also fostered a culture of client service and engagement, going beyond simply providing “off the shelf” forecast products to meet clients’ specific needs. Judith frequently writes assessment reports and blog posts to educate her clients about weather and climate-related risks. This level of engagement directly connects CFAN employees with client needs, promoting a collaborative relationship that generates ideas for new products.

Judith’s authority with both employees and clients is grounded in her extensive knowledge base and innovative ideas. She devotes significant time to reading and staying up to date with the latest research and trends, utilizing social media platforms like Twitter (@curryja) to identify emerging research and connect with a broad range of researchers and decision-makers. Overall, Judith’s management strategy prioritizes the development of her employees and the engagement of her clients, promoting innovation and driving CFAN’s success.

Way of Sustaining Growth

Since its inception, CFAN has been committed to supporting underdeveloped countries, and smallholder farmers. CFAN’s dedication to this cause is exemplified by its work in developing an extended-range probabilistic flood forecasting system for the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers in Bangladesh, with funding from USAID and CARE. Despite numerous technical hurdles, CFAN overcame the challenges to create this system, and in 2007, an experimental dissemination program was launched to bring CFAN’s flood warnings directly to residents in rural provinces in Bangladesh via cell phone networks. As a result of these forecasts, entire areas were evacuated ahead of the floods, crops were harvested early, and livestock and belongings were saved.

CFAN’s commitment to supporting small-scale farmers in developing nations continues with the launch of a new weather forecast platform in partnership with Precision Development, a global non-profit organization that builds low-cost information systems to share knowledge with the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people. CFAN is working with a team of crop scientists and local farmers to optimize its forecasts to support decision-making on cropping, planting, irrigation, and harvesting. The forecasts, along with critical crop-specific information, are communicated to farmers via cell phone, enabling them to make informed decisions and improve their yields while reducing costs and resource use. Overall, CFAN’s work supporting farmers in developing nations and preserving life demonstrates its dedication to using innovative solutions to address critical global challenges.

Leadership Insights

Judith believes that effective leaders need to have the courage to take calculated risks and make difficult decisions, as well as the ability to adapt and learn from their experiences. She also recognizes the importance of being able to inspire and motivate others and foster a culture of innovation and creativity within their organization.

Leaders who are able to drive their field or industry forward are often characterized by their ability to think outside the box and anticipate future trends and needs. They are able to develop a vision for their organization that inspires others and attracts top talent. They also tend to be highly strategic, focusing on the long-term goals and opportunities for their business.

Entrepreneurs in the tech industry often face the challenge of creating demand for their new products or services. This requires an iterative process of education and feedback, in which the entrepreneur must communicate the value of their innovation to potential users while also listening to feedback and adjusting their approach as needed.

Partnering with other companies can be an effective strategy for growth, as it allows businesses to leverage each other’s strengths and reach a broader customer base. Collaborations and license agreements can also lead to the development of new ideas and innovations, as different perspectives and expertise are brought together.

Future on Industry Transformation

The weather and climate services industry is thriving due to an increased understanding of the socioeconomic impacts of extreme weather and climate change. To address a wide range of weather and climate impacts, the demand for better solutions will continue to boost the economic potential in this sector. CFAN is collaborating with several firms in the risk management field to create innovative strategies, tools, and information systems.

Although the weather services sector is well-established, Judith aims to expand the climate services industry to assist in planning and lessen susceptibility to severe weather and climate occurrences. She is partnering with multiple startup companies that have novel ideas categorized under “climate tech.”

Judith’s expertise in advancing the climate services sector is demonstrated in her upcoming book, Climate Uncertainty and Risk (Anthem Press, forthcoming). “This book helps us rethink the climate change problem, the risks we are facing, and our response. It helps us strategize on how we can best engage with our environment and support human well-being, while responding to climate change.  It provides a road map for formulating pragmatic solutions that can improve our well-being in the 21st century,” says Judith.