The Importance of Community Solar

If you’re listening to this podcast you probably agree that climate solutions need to be deployed at scale, across industries, and ultimately influence the lives of everyone. And yet, it’s still hard for most people to invest in and access the solutions our future relies on. 

The episode features two companies that are working towards increasing access to climate tech for investors and consumers.

RaiseGreen is an investment platform that enables non-accredited investors to invest in climate solutions such as climate tech startups, energy efficiency retrofitting programs, green bonds, and renewable energy projects. I’m a fan of RaiseGreen’s approach – helping people invest across a spectrum of climate solutions and helping more diverse entrepreneurs raise capital, and full disclosure, I’m a RaiseGreen investor. 

WeSolar is a community solar developer. It enables more people to access residential solar, and it successfully raised capital on RaiseGreen.

We’re joined today by the CEOs and Founders of RaiseGreen and WeSolar: Franz Hochstrasser and Kristal Hansley. Both Franz and Kristal bring fascinating backgrounds and perspectives. We talk about the genesis and aspirations of each of their companies, where they are in their journeys, what it takes to educate people about investing in climate opportunities, and much more. Enjoy.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• [3:04] Kristal’s background & how it led to WeSolar
• [5:24] Franz’s background & how it led to RaiseGreen
• [6:55] The need for a climate-focused online investing platform
• [9:34] Investment crowdfunding, how it emerged, how it's evolved & its importance today
• [11:01] Companies & projects that have raised money on RaiseGreen
• [12:03] The scale that RaiseGreen has reached so far
• [12:50] RaiseGreen’s track record working with underrepresented founders & improving access to capital
• [14:25] WeSolar & the problem that it’s aiming to solve
• [15:53] How the community solar market has developed and its role in the future
• [18:04] WeSolar's competitive advantage 
• [20:22] How Kristal believes partnerships with solar developers will evolve over time
• [20:53] A walkthrough of WeSolar’s user experience
• [22:14] Getting people interested in solar, educating them about benefits & how it works
• [23:56] What’s working & what isn’t working for communicating with investors
• [28:02] Kristal’s experience raising capital with RaiseGreen 
• [30:05] Wesolar’s current campaign on WeFunder & why listeners should check it out
• [31:21] RaiseGreen as a business: How big can it be & key metrics for success
• [34:46] WeSolar’s trajectory: Key metrics & milestones for success
• [35:55] Final thoughts from Kristal & Franz

Resources Mentioned

• RaiseGreen
• WeSolar

Connect with Franz Hochstrasser & Kristal Hansley

• Connect with Franz on LinkedIn
• Connect with Kristal on LinkedIn

Connect with Jason Rissman

• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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