Inevitable

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by MCJ partner, Jason Jacobs. This series will explore 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'll take a deep dive into the world of capital and the critical role it plays in driving innovation and progress. Today’s guest is Jacqueline van den Ende, founder and CEO of Carbon Equity. Carbon Equity pools capital to provide individuals with access to world-class private equity funds, while their team of experts handle the research, management, and investment work. Their approach allows investors to build a diversified portfolio of climate startups and scaleups. In this episode, Jacqueline and Jason delve into Carbon Equity's origin story, their unique approach, and what sets them apart in the industry. They discuss the firm's journey so far, the challenges they've encountered, and the exciting trends that they believe will drive progress in the field. They also examine how Carbon Equity fits into the broader climate capital stack, as more funds and limited partners enter the space.In this episode, we cover: [2:20] An overview of Carbon Equity [4:41] How Jacqueline's original idea for climate investing came about [9:19] Carbon Equity's focus on the mass affluent market today [13:55] How they raised early funds and who they targeted [17:50] Differences between US vs Europe investor limitations [21:27] Carbon Equity's diligence process [28:12] The firm as a diversification provider [30:57] Jacqueline's thoughts on sector expertise and mission alignment [35:25] Carbon Equity's milestones since January 2021 [39:59] The firm's plans for thematic funds [46:02] Some of Jacqueline's key learnings from her journey and the difficult questions she's asking[50:31] An overview of MCJ's journey and funding progress to date[53:22] Who Jacqueline wants to work with and her parting words, including job opportunities with Carbon EquityRecommended Resources:The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth KolbertGet connected: Jason JacobsJacqueline van den EndeMCJ 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 March 23, 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

 Today's guest is Will Steger, an educator, activist, photographer, and polar explorer. Will is a prominent spokesperson for the preservation and understanding of the Arctic and is the creator of the Will Steger Foundation, which exists to educate and empower people to engage in solutions to climate change.Will was the fourth person ever to have reached both Earth's poles. He led the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole in 1986. In 1989 and 1990, he led the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica, a 3,471-mile journey, to raise awareness of the need for international cooperation to ban mining and oil exploration in Antarctica. This journey became a worldwide media phenomenon, leading to meetings with multiple global heads of state.Will and Cody talk about how he built and leveraged his platform, the current priorities of his foundation, his childhood, how he started exploring, and how he's seen the world change in his lifetime, both physically and in terms of the understanding of and support for climate action. Lastly, they talk about survival, how Will manages to do it in the bleakest moments of an expedition, and how he thinks humans will do it in the face of climate change. In this episode, we cover: [2:15] Will's early expedition to Antarctica which gained global recognition in 1986[7:45] An overview of the Antarctic Treaty and Will's experience with diplomacy and building awareness and cooperation among global leaders[10:15] Reflections on his first trip to the Antarctic and landing on the Larsen A Ice Shelf[12:40] An overview of the Will Steger Foundation[15:58] His work to bring climate into school curriculums and the shifting youth attitudes toward the topic[20:58] Will's upbringing and early interest in exploration[26:40] How he got involved with dogsledding and an overview of working with dogs[29:30] Will's first journey to the North Pole in 1986[33:16] An overview of Will's new Steger Center for Innovation and Leadership[34:28] Observations that have been most effective in helping people understand the implications of climate change[42:14] How to follow Will's travels at https://stegercenter.org/Get connected: Cody SimmsWill StegerMCJ 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 March 13, 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

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.Today's guest is Dylan Welch, Plant Manager at AMP Robotics. Dylan grew up in the foothills of California and Arizona, before going to school in Colorado. He’s had quite a non-linear career path. Dylan started his career building custom motorcycles out of his garage and then became a carpenter and subcontractor, before joining the team at AMP Robotics, where he oversees facility operations. AMP Robotics develops and deploys AI and robotics technology that enables a recycling facility to drive efficiencies across its sorting process, lower the cost of its operations, and produce higher-value commodities. As proud investors of AMP Robotics via our MCJ venture funds, we’ve excited to share yet another perspective from the company and learn about Dylan’s personal journey. In this episode, we learn a lot from Dylan the recycling industry, and how Dylan applied his interest towards a career addressing the waste problem.In this episode, we cover: Dylan's early interest in machinery and his professional backgroundHis career path as a carpenter, contractor, and running a recycling plantAn overview of AMP Robotics and how Dylan landed his current role A deep dive into recycling and its shortcomings Dylan's day-to-day experience running a secondary MRF (materials recovery facility)How he interacts with folks outside of the plant Dylan's perspectives on how automation can close the staffing gap in the recycling industryHow Dylan combined his personal interests with his role at AMP Robotics Advice for people interested in learning how systems work but aren’t sure where to startGet connected: Yin Twitter / LinkedInAMP RoboticsMCJ 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 January 11, 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

Today's guest is John Kinney, Founder, CEO and Managing Partner at CleanFund. CleanFund specializes in PACE financing, an innovative way for property owners to finance public good improvements to their buildings, including clean energy, efficiency, and resiliency through their property taxes. CleanFund got its start in Berkeley, California in 2009 and initiated the first privately funded PACE transaction focused on solar power. Since then, PACE financing options have taken hold in dozens of states across the USA, and CleanFund serves as an enabling mechanism in all of them. CleanFund specifically focuses on C-PACE or Commercial PACE, which means that it's wholly focused on commercial buildings. C-PACE can be applied to new construction or building retrofit projects, and the types of projects that qualify for C-PACE vary by state or locality. It's going to take new ways of thinking about things for us to drive the decarbonization of our economy as fast as possible. With CleanFund, John is focusing on the huge emissions footprint of the built environment and is helping property managers and lenders unlock new tools to finance needed clean energy upgrades. In this episode, we cover: John's transition from fitness into climateAn overview of PACE or “Property Assessed Clean Energy”Difference between residential and commercial PACEImpacts of building regulations and penaltiesNew Hyatt construction example in Salt Lake CityAn overview of CleanFund and its role in PACEWho's on the capital side of PACE productsHow CleanFund interacts with green banks at the state levelForecasting the future of energy efficiency in the built environmentInnovative approaches to addressing emissions in the spaceThe challenges of working in commercial real estateHow to engage with CleanFund and learn more about PACE at CleanFun.comCleanFund's plans for expandingGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInCleanFundMCJ 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 February 24, 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

Today's guest on the My Climate Journey Startup Series is Jack Morrison, Co-founder and CEO at Scythe. Scythe recently announced a $42M Series B round of financing led by Energy Impact Partners to grow and scale their product line of autonomous electric commercial lawnmowers. When discussing the need to electrify everything, we tend to focus on electric vehicles and home efficiency. But over the next 5-10 years most of us will be surprised by just how many things in our daily lives will move from loud, smelly, gasoline-powered engines to quiet, odorless electric motors. This podcast has featured electric solutions for pleasure craft boating, motorcycles, passenger buses, semi trucks, and even cargo shipping. And in most cases, the business models of the electric versions of these things are innovative in some way or another too.The Scythe team is pioneering a new usage-based model for their mowers and the company believes it offers a more sustainable way for landscaping companies to manage their cashflows and help their employees get the job done. In this episode, we cover: [2:00] Jack's background in programming and robots [4:00] His transition from 3D scanning to landscaping [6:48] Climate impact of the landscaping business and Scythe's role in helping curb the emissions footprint[11:03] Scythe's M.52 mower product [13:17] Why Scythe chose an electric and autonomous solution [18:16] The safety side of the company's tech[22:36] Impacts on landscapers' day to day [27:45] Technology barriers for incumbent mowing companies [30:18] Scythe's early traction, progress to date, and market shareGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInJack Morrison / ScytheMCJ 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 March 7, 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

Today's guest is Robert Piconi, CEO and co-founder at Energy Vault, which develops and deploys utility-scale energy storage solutions. The company's offerings include proprietary gravity, battery, and green hydrogen energy storage hardware technologies supported by a technology-agnostic energy management system software layer. They can deliver short- and long-duration energy storage with the goal of helping carbon-free energy be as cost-effective as possible at all times of the day and night. Robert and Cody have a great conversation about why energy storage matters, the different types of energy storage today, and some unique insights from Bill Gross at Idealab that led to the earliest version of Energy Vault. They talk about the rapid iterations Energy Vault has done on its gravity storage model, and how they've raised capital. Energy Vault went public via SPAC one year and one day before Rob and Cody had this conversation. It's incredible to see such an infrastructure-heavy company grow and iterate so quickly. Enjoy the show! In this episode, we cover: [2:41] Robert's background and interest in the energy sector [6:55] Challenges of energy storage[10:19] Energy Vault's history as a company and exponential growth [15:16] The energy storage space broadly and its shortcomings [19:09] How Energy Vault landed on its solution and a description of its tech[26:17] Feedback from customers and the evolution of the company's tech [29:04] An overview of the company's EVX platform [30:55] Differences between long vs short storage [34:36] Energy Vault's latest project announcements [42:25] Tailwinds from the Inflation Reduction Act [45:45] The 24/7 carbon-free energy market [49:40] Talent and partner opportunities with Energy VaultGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInRobert Piconi / Energy VaultMCJ 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 February 15, 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

Today's guest is Heidi Kujawa, founder and CEO at ByFusion. ByFusion is solving the global plastic waste crisis by turning unrecyclable plastics into building materials.Plastics are lightweight, durable, strong, low-cost, and built to last. Those qualities are fantastic in reducing the cost and weight of shipping and packaging items. And those qualities are equally terrible when it comes to waste. Not to mention, virgin plastics come from fossil fuels and are providing an increasing amount of the value of a barrel of oil. ByFusion is looking to take advantage of plastic's positives while obviating its negatives by turning waste plastic into durable building blocks.Heidi and Cody have a great conversation about her background, the different types of plastics, and what's recyclable and what's not (side note: we can all probably do better when it comes to recycling). They also talk about how ByFusion works with municipalities and waste management companies to source materials, what the company’s ByBlocks look like, who is building with ByFusion and what they are building, the evolution of plastic waste credits (which are similar to carbon credits) and how Heidi is financing the company and its product development. This is a jam-packed episode and we hope you enjoy it! In this episode, we cover: [2:09] Heidi's background and how it fed her experience building ByFusion [4:31] How she decided to focus on plastic waste[6:58] An overview of ByFusion and the company's ByBlock product [9:44] Recyclable vs non-recyclable plastics [13:34] Different use cases for ByFusion's construction materials [17:14] ByFusion's municipalities customers, unit economics, and who's paying [21:36] The company's business model [23:51] The plastic diversion/credit market [25:43] ByFusion's upcoming projects [28:34] State and country-wide policies around plastic and their implications [30:50] The company's financing to date [34:37] Where ByFusion needs help todayGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInHeidi Kujawa / ByFusionMCJ 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 January 18, 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

Today's guest is Martin Wainstein, Founder and Executive Director of OpenEarth Foundation, a California-based nonprofit that creates and supports the deployment of open-source software at the intergovernmental level to further climate understanding and action.When we think of blockchain, our brains are mostly wired to think of cryptocurrencies and for-profit schemes. OpenEarth Foundation, however, is applying blockchain principles to United Nations-scale carbon accounting efforts to aid in the understanding of and deployment of software that can support an open and accountable data layer for critical carbon accounting. As carbon offsets are retired, as renewable energy credits are traded, and as compliance and voluntary carbon markets grow in prominence, how do we ensure that these systems can understand each other across borders, governments, and methodologies?After all, a ton of CO2 should be a ton of CO2, and yet orchestrating agreement and dialogue across major stakeholders including governments, markets, and corporations, is never an easy task. Martin and Cody have a great conversation about his journey into the climate space and the origins of OpenEarth Foundation, which was inspired in part by his time at Yale Open Lab and his work on digital currencies at MIT Media Lab. We also cover the state of carbon accounting at the nation-state level today, the innovative ways that OpenEarth Foundation has raised money to date, and some of the big ideas that they're thinking about for the future. In this episode, we cover: [3:01] Martin's climate journey [9:38] An overview of the OpenEarth Foundation[14:25] Leveraging technology for the common good [17:32] Carbon accounting and where the data comes from today [24:10] Openclimate.network and other digital tools [29:48] Transparency challenges on the national and subnational levels[34:25] How OpenEarth is helping large global entities with consensus building [40:44] OpenEarth's initial funding via NFTs and plans moving forward [49:38] Some of OpenEarth's current projects [55:07] Where OpenEarth needs helpGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInMartin Wainstein / OpenEarth FoundationMCJ 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 February 2, 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

Today's guest is Megan O'Connor, CEO and Co-Founder of Nth Cycle. Nth Cycle uses a metals processing technology that allows battery manufacturers to convert lower-grade critical metals into EV-battery grade on-site. The company’s approach obviates large portions of cumbersome and dirty metal supply chains for crucial EV battery metals like nickel. Megan claims that Nth Cycle's technology can be applied to existing batteries just as it can be to newly mined ore, thus accelerating circularity for the lithium-ion battery and battery recycling.One significant component of the Inflation Reduction Act is the formalization of US EV tax credits, and a qualification requirement that automakers must source at least 40% of their EV battery components - by value - in the United States or countries with which the US has a free trade agreement starting this year, with escalation to 100% by 2029.With this change in the backdrop, Megan and Cody have a great conversation about the state of EV battery metal supply chains and battery recycling today, how Megan started working on this problem in the first place, how Nth Cycle works, and what her plans are for the company. We have focused quite a bit recently on EV batteries and the underlying metals that power them on the podcast. If you want to learn more about the topic, check out past episodes with Simon Moores, Jigar Shah and Ajay Kochhar, and Impossible Metals. Enjoy the show!In this episode, we cover: [2:18] How a molecule of metal turns into a battery [7:18] The embodied carbon in an EV [10:03] Different refining mechanisms, their limitations and environmental justice concerns[17:55] The origin of Nth Cycle [23:21] How Megan gained the confidence to change her PhD and focus on battery metals[27:23] Megan's entrepreneurial journey as a grad student [29:36] An overview of Nth Cycle's solution [33:12] A description of the company's system [35:20] How the Inflation Reduction Act is changing the supply chain for nickel and where Nth Cycle fits in [37:35] How the technology can be applied to all critical metals [41:56] The company's capital history [43:40] Job opportunities with Nth Cycle [46:14] Megan's predictions for the futureGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInMegan O’Connor / Nth CycleMCJ 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 January 23, 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

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.Today is Zach Gallant, Head of Maritime Operations at Fleetzero. Zach grew up in Maine and attended the Maine Maritime Academy after high school. He spent 15 years on board ships of all types and sizes. His career started on freighters carrying bulk cargo such as iron ore in the Great Lakes. Then Zach worked at Transocean, the world's largest offshore drilling contractor, for over a decade. He recently transitioned to Fleetzero, a startup building a fleet of electric ships to help address and reduce the carbon emissions from the shipping industry, which accounts for about 3% of total global emissions. As investors in Fleetzero via the MCJ Collective venture funds, we’ve also spoken to co-founders, Steven Hendersen and Mike Carter, in a previous Startup Series episode (listen here).  In this episode, we cover: [2:00] Zach's background and experience as a marine engineer[7:42] A career working on the deck side of ships vs the engineering side [11:13] Different types of maritime ships and propulsion systems [15:33] Zach's firsthand experience witnessing the impacts of climate change[18:41] The process of setting up an exploratory drill well [24:33] Zach's decision to transition out of oil and gas into a climate tech maritime company [27:51] Technological shifts in the maritime industry[30:05] Shortage of maritime workers and how to encourage more people to get involved[32:23] What keeps Zach optimistic Get connected: Yin 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 December 21, 2022.  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