Inevitable

This episode focuses on funding energy efficiency contractors through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). They discuss the need for training programs to address challenges in the skilled labor workforce, the importance of funding to overcome bottlenecks, and the goals of the funding initiative. The podcast also explores AC-tripley's research on energy efficiency and highlights the Contractor Training Grants Program, which aims to attract and educate new workers in the clean energy sector.

Fabian Heilemann, founder and CEO of AENU, shares his journey to starting the firm, prioritizing impact without sacrificing returns. They discuss the challenges faced, resilience and adaptation, and making a climate impact. They also explore the importance of regulation, technology development, and individual behavior change in driving climate impact.

Three youth climate activists, Lissie Garvin, Ayakha Melithafa, and Dysmus Kisilu, discuss the importance of empowering youth to combat climate change. They touch on topics such as the lack of funding for youth movements, the impact of the 776 Fellowship program, using technology for climate solutions, personal experiences as activists, empowering small-scale farmers in Kenya through Solar Freeze, becoming 776 Fellows, and the power of local solutions in addressing climate change.

This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.Robert (Bob) Blake is a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation, which covers 1200 square miles in northwestern Minnesota. He's the founder, owner and CEO of a solar company called Solar Bear, which has a nonprofit associated with it called Native Sun Community Power Development.Solar Bear focuses on solar project development and installation for commercial real estate. Whereas Native Sun focuses on workforce development, K-12 education and exploring ways to build infrastructure beyond solar to improve energy reliability on tribal land. Robert believes that the true power of clean energy transition is to tackle multiple systemic issues at once: diminishing poverty and mass incarceration with employment opportunities, strengthening tribal and energy sovereignty by ending a reliance on fossil fuels, and of course, mitigating climate change. In this episode, we learn what has shaped Bob’s thinking and why he's so hopeful for the future. In this episode, we cover: [02:30]: Introduction to Red Lake Nation and impact of federal policies[05:34]: The concept of tribal sovereignty[08:05]: Bob's background and racism in Minnesota[10:37]: Unique opportunities within tribal nations for innovation and energy sovereignty[13:49]: Reversing colonial capitalistic systems[15:48]: Origins and overview of Solar Bear[20:01]: Examples of Solar Bear's customers[23:37]: Solar Bear's nonprofit counterpart, Native Sun Community Power Development[25:33]: Working with K-12 and college students [28:57]: Solar workforce development for incarcerated people[31:04]: Funding sources for Bob's work[34:43]: Policy work and the Tribal Energy Advisory Board [38:48]: Reimagining how energy is distributed in the transitionResources Mentioned: From Prison to a Career in Solar Sierra ClubGet connected: Robert Blake LinkedInYin X / LinkedInMCJ 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 Jul 5, 2023 (Published on Sep 14, 2023) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In this podcast, John Tough from Energize Capital discusses their origins, approach to investing in climate tech, and criteria for companies. They explore shifting macro environments' impact on LP investments, check sizes, and comprehensive support offered. John shares insights from being a VC and entrepreneur, the importance of operational experience in investment decisions, and aligning investment theses with customer needs. They also cover venture strategy, firm's focus areas, investment processes, challenges in climate investment landscape, and managing firm culture.

Janelle Kellman, former mayor and CEO of Center for Sea Rise Solutions, discusses coastal resilience, collaboration with neighboring cities, and the distinction between sustainability and resilience. They also explore similarities between wildfire and sea level rise resilience and make an exciting announcement about their political future in California.

Gonzalo Fuenzalida-Meriz, CEO of Andes, discusses how their startup uses microorganisms to remove carbon from the atmosphere. They introduce microbes into soil alongside agricultural seeds to expedite CO2 transformation. Andes also genetically modifies microorganisms to improve nitrogen fixation in crops, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. The podcast explores the significance of organic carbon in soil, the challenges of decomposing it, and the process of applying microbes for carbon removal.

Ian Smith, Director of Investments at The Nature Conservancy, discusses how TNC balances impact and profit in their investments. They explore climate investing, private investing, and investing in general. Topics include TNC's endowment asset allocation, their transition to in-house portfolio management, measuring impact in climate-specific investments, and the role of catalytic capital in impact investing.

Mario Molina is the Executive Director of Protect Our Winters (aka POW). POW was founded in the late 2000s by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones. They've grown to 130,000 supporters that consist of passionate outdoor athletes motivated to protect the places they live and love from climate change. POW's goal is to give a voice to the outdoor sports community (or the Outdoor State, as they call it) and channel it into political will to help get energy transition and related climate change policies passed.Mario has been working in climate for many years. Prior to POW, he was the international director of the Climate Reality Project, which was created by former Vice President Al Gore. Before that, Mario led strategy and programs as deputy director at the Alliance for Climate Education.Politics generally follows culture, not the other way around. In other words, political movements grow from cultural movements. By harnessing people's love of outdoor recreation and helping them share stories of how they directly observe the world changing around them, POW is helping to channel the cultural agenda around climate change. And by giving their supporters tangible things to do, policies for which to advocate and candidates to support, they're seeking to influence actual outcomes that can make a difference. You'll want to listen to this one in its entirety as Mario has a bit of a surprising announcement at the end. Enjoy the show!In this episode, we cover: [2:38] An overview of Protect Our Winters (POW) and its origins [5:36] Athlete stories that highlight the impact of climate change [8:22] POW's theory of change and applications to the 'Outdoor State'[14:44] Examples of athlete engagement in policy[17:39] How POW determines which projects to support[21:44] The org's 501(c)(4) arm that allows POW to endorse or campaign for certain candidates[23:50] Challenges POW faced in getting brand partnerships[26:21] What has proven effective in bridging cultural awareness with political action, and where tension still lies[30:06] Mario's background and accomplishments[36:42] Where POW needs help and how listeners can get involvedGet connected: Mario Molina LinkedInProtect Our Winters X / LinkedIn / InstagramCody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / Instagram*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 Aug 2, 2023 (Published on Sept 5, 2023) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Alyssa Thomas from SunPower discusses workforce development in the solar industry. They focus on skill development, career pathways, and partnerships with community organizations. They also highlight the importance of job fairs, collaboration with hiring managers, and training programs. Additionally, they discuss the collaboration with policymakers, the role of education departments, and the need for diversity and inclusion in the solar industry. Finally, they explore the benefits of apprenticeships and equitable education policies.