Capital Series: Michael Bruce, Emerson Collective

Nov 29, 2023

Michael Bruce, Senior Director of Venture Investing at Emerson Collective, discusses the organization's approach within the climate space and its evolution over time. They touch on topics such as energy vs. climate change, philanthrocapitalism, and Emerson's criteria for selecting climate investments. They also explore the future of oil and gas, carbon markets, and the role of market forces and collaboration in addressing climate change.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Traveling with Young Children and Emerson Collective

01:43 • 17min

Structuring the Venture Team and MCJ Membership Community

19:07 • 2min

Evolution of Investment Approach

21:14 • 16min

Future of Oil and Gas and the Oil Majors

37:32 • 3min

Carbon Markets and Transparency

40:17 • 5min

The Role of Market Forces and Collaboration in Addressing Climate Change

44:54 • 3min

This episode is part of our Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress.

Michael Bruce serves as the Senior Director of Venture Investing, Environment and Energy at Emerson Collective. Emerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs, is a game-changer in education, immigration reform, the environment, media and journalism, and health.

We were excited for this one because Emerson Collective is an interesting organization operating holistically across these areas. They also happen to be doing a lot in climate at a surprising scale, but they have not spoken too frequently about what they're up to publicly. So this was a special opportunity, and Michael does not disappoint.

In this episode, we cover:

[2:14] An overview of Emerson Collective
[4:08] Michael's journey and what led him to work in climate
[11:08] His thoughts on energy vs. climate change
[16:56] Emerson's early climate efforts
[19:26] The firm's dedicated pool of capital and team structure
[22:29] Emerson's approach within climate and how it's evolved over time
[25:41] Thoughts on philanthrocapitalism
[27:15] Types of risk Emerson is comfortable taking
[32:11] Emerson's criteria for selecting climate investments
[37:31] Michael's thoughts on the future of oil and gas
[40:21] His views on the carbon market
[45:28] Why market sources alone aren't enough to address the climate crisis

Get connected:

Jason Jacobs X / LinkedIn
Michael Bruce LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective

*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on Oct 26, 2023 (Published on Nov 29, 2023)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant