Inevitable

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.

Jonah Goldman, longtime managing director at Bill Gates' firm, Breakthrough Energy, discusses the origin and evolution of Breakthrough, the importance of investing in novel energy storage, carbon removal technologies, and sustainable materials, and the need for dominant climate investing. He also explores the challenges of financing high-risk climate projects, the role of podcast shows in the climate ecosystem, and his current activities and interests in the climate change sector.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry, Founder and CEO of Seed Global Health, discusses the intersection of climate change and health, the role of the healthcare sector in climate change response, valuing health over GDP, and her role at the World Health Organization. They also cover WHO's climate change policies and funding, and the need for systemic change to address climate change.

Revolutionizing Road Trips with Lightship's Electric RV features Toby Kraus and Ben Parker, co-founders of Lightship, an all-electric RV. They discuss the features of the L1, including a solar array, electric HVAC, and an 80 kWh battery. They also talk about how RV electrification can drive the electrification of pickup trucks and how the L1 can serve as a power source for homes. Topics covered include their backgrounds at Tesla, the transition to clean and all-electric fuel sources for camper trailers, and the design and features of the Lightship L1.

David Aronoff, Chairman and General Partner at MCJ Collective, discusses his journey from traditional VC to purpose-driven investing. They explore his transition, creating MCJ Collective, and their approach to venture capital. They also share insights on fundraising progress and motivations for climate activism.

Bill Caesar, President at Generate Upcycle, discusses how their subsidiary diverts organic waste from landfills and produces renewable fuels, electricity, and organic fertilizers. They explore the relationship between Generate Upcycle and Generate Capital, discuss the challenges of the recycling industry and the shift towards upcycling. The podcast also covers the technologies used by Generate Upcycle, including anaerobic digestion, composting, and wastewater treatment, and the potential for anaerobic digesters to divert waste from landfills.

Josh Silverman, CEO of Windfall Bio, discusses the use of methane-eating microbes to tackle the problem of atmospheric methane. They explore the challenges of capturing and controlling methane emissions and the role of these microbes in fixing nitrogen and increasing food supply. The podcast also delves into the process of using methane-eating microbes to reduce emissions in dairy farms and the value of methane capture for industries.

Ben Kortlang, partner at G2 Venture Partners, discusses his path to venture capital and climate investing, lessons from the Cleantech 1.0 wave, G2VP's investment approach, and insights into the clean energy transition. They also explore challenges in accessing capital for clean energy projects and the future of climate funds.

Danielle Deiseroth is the Executive Director of Data for Progress. Data for Progress produces polling, database messaging, and policy generation for progressive causes, campaigns and candidates. Danielle joined in 2020 and built the climate and environmental polling practice. She became interim executive director in December 2022 and was named executive director in June 2023.We have a robust conversation on what polling is and how it works, and then we dive into what polls are revealing about climate change from a messaging perspective and from a policy perspective. Cody and Danielle touch on trigger words in climate messaging and talk about popular policies related to climate change and policies that still concern folks. Spoiler alert: range anxiety with EVs is still very real. Lastly, we talk about some focus group work that Data for Progress recently conducted to get local insights from community members in a handful of geographies that are being considered for the Department of Energy's direct air capture (DAC) hubs program. Political polling can feel like a dark art, but we're grateful to Danielle for taking the time to help demystify it.In this episode, we cover: [2:40] An overview of Data for Progress and Danielle's background[7:38] The organization's earned media success[9:02] How Data for Progress is structured and the skill sets that contribute to its rapid response[13:02] Polling results regarding climate messaging and trigger words[21:00] Polarization around electric vehicles[23:36] The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and popular electrification rebates[26:10] Polling results from states that are receiving financial benefits from the IRA[27:32] The role of resiliency messaging[30:46] Direct air capture (DAC) hubs and regional differences in sentiment[35:42] The importance of environmental justice and workforce development in the clean energy transition[37:29] What's next for Data for Progress leading up to the 2024 election[40:53] How people can helpResources mentioned:New Bluegreen Alliance Data Visualization Identifies Hard-Hit Areas of the Country That Stand to Benefit from Federal Investments ShareYale Program on Climate Change CommunicationsGet connected: Danielle Deiseroth Twitter / LinkedInCody Simms Twitter / 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 August 3, 2023 (Published on August 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