Entrepreneurs for Impact cover image

Entrepreneurs for Impact

Latest episodes

undefined
May 9, 2024 • 48min

#180: Mark Bruinooge, CIO of 2040 Fund — Climate Adaptation and Resilience. Spending 100% of Family Office Capital by 2040. New Flood Mapping. Slow Productivity. The Billionaire Who Wasn't.

The 2040 Fund manages philanthropic capital for the 2040 Foundation and its founder, Jay Faison. Investments include private and publicly listed securities focused on climate adaptation and resilience. The 2040 Fund The Fund focuses on water systems and technology, the future of food, and energy transition. They plan to spend down all of its assets by the year 2040 maximizing impact in the near term. Mark is also a board member at PosiGen, investment committe member at Upwell Water, and former SVP at Bank of America. 📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP: Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re a community of 75+ CEO Fellows, Alumni Allies, and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $20B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. Apply here: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com 📣 READ EFI’S NEWSLETTER: Join over 20,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators who get our three-minute read about changing the world through startups, finance, humor, and wisdom. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com ✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW: To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, we appreciate this small gesture of your appreciation. Here are instructions: https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews 🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS: Mark - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbruinooge⁠  Upwell Water - ⁠https://www.water.llc⁠  Congruent Ventures - ⁠https://www.congruentvc.com⁠  First Street Foundation - ⁠https://firststreet.org⁠  Elemental Excelerator - ⁠https://elementalexcelerator.com⁠ Trellis Climate - ⁠https://www.primecoalition.org/programs/trellis-climate⁠  Slow Productivity - ⁠https://calnewport.com/my-new-book-slow-productivity⁠  Sloww - ⁠https://www.sloww.co⁠ The Billionaire Who Wasn't - ⁠https://shorturl.at/efhn7  Hydrow - ⁠https://hydrow.com 🤔 PODCAST HOST: Dr. Chris Wedding is the founder of EFI (climate CEO peer groups), cofounder of Terraset (carbon removal), Senior Advisor at Javelin Capital (investment banking), Board member at World Tree (regenerative forestry), Board Advisor at DG Matrix (next-gen power electronics), Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, 2x ax-throwing champ (huh?), Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2006 (Google it), and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio).
undefined
May 2, 2024 • 44min

#179: Omeed Badkoobeh, CEO of Yotta Energy — $36M for Commercial Batteries and Microinverters. Spirituality in Entrepreneurship. Lessons Learned from Working at Tesla.

Yotta Energy is a VC-backed distributed energy company based in Austin, Texas. They provide solar panel-level energy storage and microinverters for the commercial and industrial sectors. Yotta https://www.yottaenergy.com Prior to Yotta, Omeed worked in sales and business development for Tesla, Evoke Electric Motorcycles, and Build NATiVE. Other fun experiences include organizing Lego robotics competitions for budding STEM youth in China. https://www.linkedin.com/in/omeed-badkoobeh 📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP: Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re a community of 75+ CEO Fellows, Alumni Allies, and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $20B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. Apply here: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com 📣 READ EFI’S NEWSLETTER: Join over 20,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators who get our three-minute read about changing the world through startups, finance, humor, and wisdom. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com ✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW: To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, we appreciate this small gesture of your appreciation. Here are instructions: https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews 🤔 PODCAST HOST: Dr. Chris Wedding is the founder of EFI (climate CEO peer groups), cofounder of Terraset (carbon removal), Senior Advisor at Javelin Capital (investment banking), Board member at World Tree (regenerative forestry), Board Advisor at DG Matrix (next gen power electronics), Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2006 (Google it), and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio).
undefined
Apr 25, 2024 • 47min

#178: Mike Jackson, Managing Partner of Earthshot Ventures — 200 Startup Investments and $1.1B Follow On. Non-dilutive Funding. Why DEI Matters (Still). Better Options, Better Outcomes.

Earthshot is an early-stage venture capital firm backing entrepreneurs making a dent in climate change. Their team has collectively invested in 200+ startups over the last fourteen years. https://www.earthshot.vc Mike is an investor, entrepreneur, board member, and advisor to companies in clean energy, food & agriculture, buildings, and mobility sectors. He is formerly an Investor in Residence at Elemental Excelerator and Developer in Residence at Generate Capital. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-jackson-vc 📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP: Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re a community of 75+ CEO Fellows, Alumni Allies, and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $20B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. Apply here: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com 📣 READ EFI’S NEWSLETTER: Join over 20,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators who get our three-minute read about changing the world through startups, finance, humor, and wisdom. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com ✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW: To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, we appreciate this small gesture of your appreciation. Here are instructions: https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠ 🤔 PODCAST HOST: Dr. Chris Wedding is the founder of EFI (climate CEO peer groups), cofounder of Terraset (carbon removal), Senior Advisor at Javelin Capital (investment banking), Board member at World Tree (regenerative forestry), Board Advisor at DG Matrix (next gen power electronics), Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2006 (Google it), and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio).
undefined
Apr 18, 2024 • 44min

#177: Joshua Goldberg, Cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Credit — Solar Finance for Commercial and Industrial. $1B in Loan Applications. Activity in 30 States with 400+ Partners. Fintech Serial Founder.

⭐ My guest today is Joshua Goldberg, cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Credit. Sunstone Credit provides flexible financing solutions for commercial solar loans with activity in 30 states and 400+ solar partners. Joshua is also a former cofounder and executive at Sunlight Financial, Astrum Solar, and Legends of Learning. -- 🌐 LINKS: Sunstone Credit - https://www.sunstonecredit.com/ Joshua - https://www.sunstonecredit.com --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: Their $1B in loan applications. $21M in corporate capital raised. Why solar leases are stupid. How solar is sold at the kitchen table. Their activity in the $40k to $5M solar size range. The speed of their loan process averaging just 1-4 weeks. Please give Joshua and Sunstone Credit a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people. --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player. It means a lot, and I read every one. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. --- 🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT: 2-minute newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠  Climate CEO peer group community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
undefined
Apr 11, 2024 • 41min

#176: Tim Boeltken, Managing Director of INERATEC — Global Leader in E-Fuels. $129M Series B. What Makes German Engineers Cry. $14T Total Addressable Market in Shipping, Aviation, Transportation..

Tim Boeltken, Managing Director of INERATEC, discusses their $129M Series B funding to produce sustainable e-Fuel in aviation, shipping, and transport industries. Topics include their $14T market potential, BOO model, e-Fuel science, global expansion plans, team cohesion, and insights into German engineering.
undefined
Apr 4, 2024 • 56min

#175: Bill Liao, General Partner at SOSV and Chairman at Ki Tua Fund — $1B+ Under Management. Top 100 Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology. His Mantra for Startups: Don’t Die. Don’t Quit. Don’t Suck.

⭐ My guest today is Bill Liao, General Partner at SOSV and Chairman at Ki Tua Fund. Bill is a rare kind of guy, in the best way. He’s a thoughtful and prolific investor, recognized as one of the Top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology by the Financial Times, as well as the kind of person who refused to fly in an airplane until his nonprofit, WeForest, planted 100 million trees. SOSV is a venture capital firm that provides pre-seed, seed, venture, and growth stage funding to 1,000s of startups in the technology sector, with a focus on deep tech for human and planetary health. Ki Tua Fund is a growth-stage corporate VC firm focused on food and medicine. Hope you enjoy it! --- 🌐 LINKS: Bill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billliao/?originalSubdomain=ie SOSV: https://sosv.com/ Ki Tua Fund: https://www.kituafund.com/global/en.html --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: What the Founder Pledge is, and why he signed it. Insights from two startups he cofounded with billion-dollar IPOs. Why good advice is based on expensive experiences that didn’t go as planned. How doubt is a powerful driver for the scientific method. The power of humility. A coaching session for me on purpose. The business benefits of neural diversity. Why a one-person cap table is a red flag. Philosophy books that shaped his thinking. And lots more! Please give Bill, SOSV, and Ki Tua Fund a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people. --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player. It means a lot, and I read every one. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. --- 🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT: 2-minute newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com  Climate CEO peer group community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
undefined
Mar 28, 2024 • 51min

#174: Alex Rappaport⁠, CEO of ⁠ZwitterCo — Biggest Series A VC Investment in Water Tech. Industrial Water Efficiency. Water Shortages for 75% of the World. Climate Resilience. Near-death Experiences.

⭐ My guest today is Alex Rappaport, CEO and Cofounder of ZwitterCo. ZwitterCo is a VC-backed water tech company that uses zwitterionic chemistry (yes, that’s a real term) and extremely fouling-resistant membranes to reduce industrial water use, save energy, and reduce chemical inputs. Alex turned a startup bootcamp during his M.S. at Tufts University into an award-winning business and the largest Series A investment in water tech to date.  Hope you enjoy it! Share this podcast with your people to give Duncan and Highland a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter. --- 🌐 LINKS: ZwitterCo: https://zwitterco.com/  Alex:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-rappaport/ --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: How ⅔ of the world is projected to be experiencing water shortages by 2025. Why water costs are rising faster than we think. His near-death experiences with water. How their filters don’t clog even in very dirty industrial environments. Tips on telling your company store more effectively. The link between water security and climate resilience. And lots more! --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player. It means a lot, and I read every one. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. --- 🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT: 2-minute newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Climate CEO peer group community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/V6xcB⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/QCcl5⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
undefined
Mar 21, 2024 • 48min

#173: Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland — $250M in Private Equity Funding for Electric School Busses. Selling Prior Business for $100M. Expect Tough Times. Garden Work in Cold Dark Mornings.

Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland, discusses raising $250M in private equity, converting CapEx to OpEx for customers, and reducing life cycle costs for city fleets. He shares the value of performance guarantees and the importance of expecting tough times. Additionally, he talks about his routine of organic farming in cold mornings and the benefits of sustainable food practices.
undefined
Mar 14, 2024 • 47min

#172: Rohan Puri, CEO of Stable — Dynamic Pricing for EV Charging. More Profit with AI-Based Siting Location. Don't Sell Software to Software Companies. Relentless Focus. MIT, Harvard, and TechStars.

⭐ My guest today is Rohan Puri, CEO of Stable. Stable maximizes EV charging station ROI with strategic placement and pricing solutions. Rohan brings experience from MIT, Harvard, and TechStars. Hope you enjoy it! And give Rohan and Stable a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people. --- 🌐 LINKS: Stable – https://stable.auto/ Rohan – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohanspuri/ --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: How 70% of EV fast chargers are underperforming financially. Why static pricing at EV charging stations makes no sense. How 15% vs. 5% should inform ideal charging goals for chargers. Their AI tool for optimizing charger location for quicker paybacks to investors. Deliberately keeping their team small. Why you shouldn’t sell software to software companies. Relentless focus. And lots more! --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player. It really means a lot, and I read every one. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. --- 🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT: 2-minute newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Climate CEO peer group community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/V6xcB⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/QCcl5⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
undefined
Mar 7, 2024 • 52min

#171: Mike Hall, CEO of Anza Renewables — Smarter Solar and Battery Procurement. Private Equity Investment. 500x Solar Growth. Ultimate Frisbee Meets Buddhism. Founder Happiness Without Unicorns.

⭐ My guest today is Mike Hall, CEO of Anza Renewables. Anza is a solar module and battery storage procurement platform that helps developers and project owners see more options in less time to increase project profits and productivity. Mike is a long-time solar industry veteran with 20+ years of experience, including ex-CEO of Borrego and Board member of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Hope you enjoy it! And give Mike and Anza a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people. --- 🌐 LINKS: Anza Renewables – https://www.anzarenewables.com/ Mike Hall – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hall-b281615/ --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: What he’s learned as the solar sector has grown 500x since he got involved. How their platform is saving 100s of customers millions of dollars and moving gigawatts of product into high high-quality projects. Why economies of scale procurement contracts don’t always lead to cost savings. The path to founder happiness without reaching unicorn status. How ultimate frisbee and Buddhism keep him calm and centered as a leader. And lots more! --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. --- 🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT: 2-minute newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Climate CEO peer group community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/V6xcB⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/QCcl5⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode