⭐ In today's super short holiday episode, I cover these 4 topics: (1) Report — Climate investing for family offices, (2) POV — What climate tech software means for an $80B VC investor, (3) Mental model — Hanlon’s Razor (Don’t assume the worst), (4) Mental fitness — What is the feeling you're unwilling to feel? --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the world-changing climate tech 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is Haroon Inam, CEO and co-founder at DG Matrix. DG Matrix is a power electronics startup building L3 DC fast EV chargers, that are 10-20x smaller than competitors, as well as all-in-one single-unit microgrid solutions. They have over 100 engineers innovating on these two products. Haroon has three decades of experience in executive, product, and operations roles in energy technology companies, including the commercialization of billions of dollars worth of power electronics products and over 50 patents awarded. Links: Haroon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/harooninam DG Matrix - https://www.dgmatrix.com --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: Their $1B pipeline of big companies that are excited to use their fast chargers. The benefits of fast chargers that are 70% smaller than competitors’. The role of silicon carbide in their innovation. Lessons learned from 30+ years in power electronics. The benefits of improving EQ (emotional intelligence) earlier in one’s career. Why he meditates and aims for a low ego. 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is Shely Aronov, Founder and CEO of InnerPlant. InnerPlant is a VC-backed agtech company on a mission to transform farming by enabling crops to communicate with growers. Their Living Sensor plants emit optical signals detectable by tractors in the field or by satellites in space. Shely is a serial entrepreneur with experience in multiple sectors across multiple countries with an MBA from Stanford University. Links: Shely - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelyaronov/ InnerPlant - https://innerplant.com/ --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: United Nations estimates that we lose 40% of crops to diseases and pests each year. How she’s building tech that sounds like a mood ring for plants. The benefits of cross-domain expertise. Why they settled on fungal infections in soybeans as their first problem to solve. How they use a paid waiting list of farmers who are helping to co-create the best product-market fit. The number one reason that startups fail. Lessons from wizards and prophets. 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is Micah Kotch, Partner at Blackhorn Ventures. Blackhorn Ventures invests in companies redefining industrial resource efficiency. Their portfolio serves enterprise customers across Energy, Construction / Real Estate, Supply Chain / Logistics and Transportation – interconnected industries that generate $3T in annual revenue and account for the vast majority of global greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve raised three funds totalling over $270 in AUM. Their investments in 60+ seed and Series A ventures is performing in the top quartile of all comparable VC funds, according to Cambridge Associates. Micah was previously part of the BMW Group, where he served as Managing Director of URBAN-X; the platform for startups reimagining city life. He is also a Founding Partner of C3, an AngelList syndicate backing companies working to reduce emissions, mitigate the worst effects of climate change, and help humanity adapt to a changing world. --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: The debate between hardware and software investing in climate tech. Why the September 11 tragedy catapulted him into sustainability. How he moved from an undergraduate major in East Asian studies to be a VC investor. How an off-grid family cabin in New Engand taught him about his current career mission. Their work to integrate impact additionality into the full life cycle of their investments. The importance of tackling big problems outside of our comfort zone. How loud music and motorcycles keep him calm. And his favorite NGO to support – Green City Force: https://greencityforce.org 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). 😃

⭐ In today's super short holiday episode, I cover these 5 topics: (1) 200 climate tech experts define top investment trends. (2) U.S. Department of Energy gives guidance on climate tech investment readiness. (3) The formula for happiness: Just two variables. (4) Carl Rogers: Accept reality before you can change it. (5) Nightly gratitude challenge --- 🙏 QUICK FAVOR: Please leave a review or rating on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the world-changing climate tech 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is Mike Reynolds, Managing Director at Ultra Capital. Ultra Capital is a mid-market investor in infrastructure and growth equity in the energy transition. They were founded in 2016 and have invested $5M to $25M per company across two funds. Mike’s prior work includes structured finance at a little-known firm named Goldman Sachs and founding EverVest, a financial modeling software for infrastructure investors. --- 🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS: Potential risks that billions of dollars in the IRA get clawed back if Republicans gain control of D.C. The financing niche they fill by sector and company stage. Why they don’t take tech risk. What they look for in a founding team. Why we should take a 40-year, not 4-year, view on our career trajectory. The need to set boundaries to protect time with family. FOMO vs. JOMO. Read their white paper on political risks to the Inflation Reduction Act here: https://tinyurl.com/yxj2xv65 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is me. That’s right. No guest. Just 10 or so lessons learned from my work in capital raising for climate ventures as a private equity investor, founder, board member, and investment banker. If you liked these tips, share them with a founder friend. I know it's rough out there raising capital right now. But remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t stress too much about your 1-year goals. Try to think about the 10-year plan instead. #EasyToSayHardToDo --- 🙏 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. --- 🌎 To boost your growth in climate tech, Entrepreneurs for Impact can help you with... 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is Lila Preston, Head of Generation Growth Equity. Generation Growth Equity is a part of the larger Generation Investment Management, an investment management firm founded in 2004 by former US Vice President Al Gore and Goldman Sachs' Asset Management head David Blood, with a focus on sustainable investment options. They now manage about $40B. Generation Growth Equity invests globally in growth-stage, private companies with proven technology and commercial traction, run by talented, mission-driven management teams. They take active minority positions in companies that are driving broad-based, system-positive change. They’re now investing out of their fourth fund, a $1.7B vehicle. Lila joined Generation in 2004. Previously, she was a director of finance and development at VolunteerMatch in San Francisco and was also a Fulbright Fellow in Southern Chile. She received a BA in English and Latin American Studies from Stanford University and an MBA from London Business School. She serves on the board of Nature’s Fynd and as a board observer for CiBO Technologies, Optoro, and Pivot Bio. She is also on the Board of Advisors at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. --- 🎙️ In this episode, we talked about: What she means by “system positive” as a filter for their investments. Why sustainability is at the core of their strategy and boosting investor returns. Which risks they’re willing to take – i.e., no tech risk, no product-market fit risk.  How they develop the conviction to invest $50M to $150M per company. The breadth of their sustainability research and what parts of that they share out to the world. The need to “stay in your lane” when investing and let others do the same. Example investments such as M-KOPA which started out as an energy access play and grew into a financing vehicle to improve households in Africa in new ways. The massive opportunities for biology to replace chemistry – e.g., with their Pivot Bio investment.  The biggest challenges that CEOs in their portfolios face. The role of life cycle assessments to assess net impacts, positive and negative. The distinction between being proactive and reactive in investment and career development more broadly. What her Fullbright work in Chile taught her. 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. --- 🌎 To boost your growth in climate tech, Entrepreneurs for Impact can help you with... 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). 😃

⭐ My guest today is Andy Moon, CEO and Cofounder of Reunion. Reunion's mission is to accelerate investment into clean energy. The Inflation Reduction Act created a simpler way to finance solar, wind, battery storage, and other clean energy projects through the sale of tax credits. In July 2023, Reunion launched a marketplace for corporations to identify, due diligence, and purchase tax credits from leading project developers. Reunion raised corporate funding from leading clean energy investors in January 2023, and their founding team previously raised over $2B to finance solar energy projects around the world. Andy is the former CEO of SunFarmer, a Y Combinator-backed social enterprise that has completed over 1,500 solar energy installations in Asia. Previously, he raised over $200 million from institutional investors to finance solar energy projects in the US and Europe, and worked as a consultant in the energy and buildings practice at McKinsey and Company. He was also an early advisor to Possible Health, a leading public health nonprofit. Andy holds a Phi Beta Kappa honors degree from Stanford University and was named a 2016 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. --- 🎙️ In this episode, we talked about: Our shared experience of the friction required to use tax equity to finance solar projects going back to 2009-2010. How those high transaction costs and bottlenecks are still a part of this financing mechanism today. The drastic increase expected in tax equity funding from around $20B today to over $80B in a few years. The process he used to pick this new venture. Why his cofounder selection was so important. What he learned from building SunFarmer, a Y Combinator-backed startup funding distributed solar installations in Asia. His 90/10 rule on focus. What his managed marketplace at Reunion makes tax credit transferability easier between project developers and corporate buyers. How tax credits can fund 30-50% of a project. The costs to buy these credits. The role of newer technologies in the tax credit landscape, such as hydrogen and biogas. Why his team uses the two-week sprint model to manage performance. How the book Radical Candor has shaped Reunion’s culture. And lots more! --- 👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏 --- 🌎 To boost your growth in climate tech, Entrepreneurs for Impact can help you with... 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, long-haired "hippie capitalist," and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃

⭐ My guests today are my collaborators at Terraset, the anti-GHG 501c3 that purchases CDR (aka, carbon removals) using philanthropic dollars. Adam Fraser is our new CEO. Alex Roetter is the founder and also GP at Moxxie Ventures. Erzsi Sousa is also a Board member and wizard brand strategist. I guess I’m a host and guest, too, as a cofounder and Board member of Terraset, too. --- 🎙️ In this episode, we talked about: Why Adam took the leap and joined Terraset, leaving behind a CEO role at a multinational impact NGO. Why we chose Adam, instead of a CDR expert, to scale up Terraset. The types of donors supporting Terraset’s mission and why they’re contributing (i.e., to build an entirely new and crucial industry, not to get offsets) How we prioritize which CDRs we purchase. The recent growth in CDR purchases year-over-year. Our thoughts on engineered vs. nature-based solutions. And lots more… Hope you enjoy it! And please give Adam and Terraset a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people. --- 👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏 --- 🌎 To boost your growth in climate tech, Entrepreneurs for Impact can help you with... 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, long-haired "hippie capitalist," and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃