Inevitable

Today's guest is Alex Laskey, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Rewiring America.Rewiring America's mission is two-fold: 1) demonstrating that rapid electrification of all aspects of the American economy is the key to combating climate change, and 2) designing and promoting practical policies to accomplish it.Before Rewiring America, Alex was the President and Founder of Opower, the global leader in cloud-based software for the utility industry. Under his leadership, Opower grew from a two-person startup to a publicly-traded company whose software is used by more than half of the largest electric and gas utilities in the world. Today, Opower is a division of Oracle and delivers more than 6 TWh of energy savings per year to help homeowners save more than $1B per year on their energy bills. Alex is a Board member of Arcadia and a longtime Director of the Conservation Lands Foundation. In addition, he was a founding Commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and a board member of Advanced Energy Economy.I was excited to sit down with Alex and learn more about his climate journey. We discuss Rewiring America, the goals of the non-profit, and why energy grids and renewable power are vital to the clean energy future. Alex also walks me through his time at Opower, the unique idea that utilities can be customers, and Alex's career as a climate entrepreneur. Alex is an excellent guest.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded December 10th, 2021For more information about Rewiring America, visit: https://www.rewiringamerica.org/For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/alex-laskey 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 Belizaire, CEO of Soluna.Soluna is the leading developer of green data centers for batchable computing, powered by wasted renewable energy. Soluna's scalable, on-demand data centers buy every excess megawatt from renewable energy projects, increasing project revenue while eliminating wasted energy. Implementing Soluna data centers is a low-risk, low-friction process due to the company's four pillars of expertise: Project development, energy markets, project finance, and computing technology. Soluna has molded this unique expertise into a proven project finance structure and revenue-generating solution.John is a versatile CEO and serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded and scaled multiple technology companies over a 20-year career. Before Soluna, John was the founder and CEO of FirstBest, a transformative insurance software company acquired by Guidewire Software, and Theory Center, an e-commerce software company acquired by BEA Systems. In this episode, John explains Soluna's mission, approach, and the problem the startup is setting out to solve. He outlines why renewable energy can be inaccessible and the future of a connected energy grid in the clean future. We also dive into Soluna's competitors, customer base, and recent acquisition. It was great to sit down with John and learn more about Soluna. Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded November 30th, 2021To learn more about Soluna, visit: https://www.solunacomputing.com/To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/soluna 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 Katie Auth, Policy Director at Energy for Growth Hub.The Energy for Growth Hub is a global solutions connector, matching policymakers with evidence-based pathways to a high-energy future for everyone.Katie leads the Hub's work to strengthen international energy policy and investment by bilateral and multilateral development funders. Previously, she served as Senior Development Finance Advisor at the USAID and was a member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa Policy Accelerator. Before that, she was Acting Deputy Coordinator of the US Government's Power Africa initiative, working to catalyze public and private investment in sub-Saharan Africa's energy sector. Before joining Power Africa, Katie served as a Senior Analyst for Climate and Energy at Worldwatch Institute. She analyzed power sector reform and investment in the Caribbean and West Africa. Katie is also a co-host of the Hub's podcast series High Energy Planet with Research Director Rose Mutiso.I was eager to sit down with Katie because her work at the Energy for Growth Hub is important in the climate fight. Katie explains why energy poverty is a climate problem, the hub's work to address policy, and how she got into her role. We also dive into making climate a non-political issue, Sustainable Development Goals, and key initiatives the US must adopt in the future. This is a must-listen episode.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded November 29th, 2021For more information about Energy for Growth Hub, visit: https://www.energyforgrowth.org/For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/katie-auth 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 guests are Raphaël Haupt, Co-Founder & CEO, and James Farrell, Co-Founder & CTO, of Toucan Protocol.Toucan aims to build a regenerative financial system — one that nurtures the beauty of the Earth rather than exploiting it. They are leading the way in discovering how the open internet can help tackle climate change. Earlier this year, Raphaël and James rebranded and launched Toucan Protocol, public infrastructure for carbon markets running on open blockchains. While the co-creators plan to start with carbon markets, their vision is much bigger: they intend to kickstart a regenerative finance ecosystem based on Web3 technologies and values to make DeFi work for the planet (DeFi stands for “decentralized finance”, it’s a new global financial ecosystem running on public blockchains like Ethereum). In February 2020, Raphaël and James hacked together CO2ken, a prototype carbon offsetting system for Ethereum. Since then they joined the Blockchain For Social Impact incubator and were awarded a grant by Polygon to deploy the Toucan Protocol on the network.In the episode, Raphaël and James explain what ReFi is, the origination of Toucan, and a brief overview of Web3. We also dive into why they are applying ReFi's key principles to carbon markets, the existing carbon market and the problems associated with it, and the role Toucan plays in addressing the climate crisis. Raphaël and James are excellent guests with a wealth of knowledge about Web3 and ReFi.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded December 1st, 2021To learn more about Toucan, visit: https://toucan.earth/To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/toucan 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 Ryan Panchadsaram, Technical Advisor to John Doerr, Chair of Kleiner Perkins, & Co-Author of Speed & Scale.Speed & Scale is a new book that offers an unprecedented global plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions before it's too late.Ryan joined Kleiner Perkins in 2016 to focus on venture-stage companies across the firm and serves as technical advisor to John Doerr, Chair of Kleiner Perkins. During the Obama Presidency, Ryan was the Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the United States. At the White House, Ryan helped shape how federal agencies can use an $80 billion budget to deliver on their missions in a more effective, design-centric, and data-driven way. Before working in the public sector, he co-founded Pipette, a digital health startup acquired by Ginger.io, an MIT Media Lab spin-off using big data and machine learning to improve the world's health. In addition, Ryan worked at Microsoft and Salesforce.com in product and engineering roles. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California, Berkeley.I was looking forward to sitting down with Ryan because he's been on MCJ's guest wishlist for some time. First, Ryan and I dive into his new book, Speed & Scale, that he co-authored with John Doerr, his role as John's technical advisor, and how he assesses potential investments for Kleiner Perkins. We also explore the misconception that climate investors have to sacrifice returns for impact, the importance of policy and innovation, and why social justice and the climate crisis are interwoven. This is a fantastic episode, and Ryan is a great guest.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded November 15th, 2021For more information about Kleiner Perkins, visit: https://www.kleinerperkins.com/For more information on Speed & Scale, visit: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688191/speed-and-scale-by-john-doerr/For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/ryan-panchadsaram 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 Tadeau Carneiro, Chairman & CEO of Boston Metal.This episode was part of the SOSV Climate Tech Summit. The SOSV Climate Tech Summit aims to convene the climate tech startup ecosystem of founders, investors, technologists, corporates, policymakers, and media to discuss the extreme challenges ahead. This year, the summit was held virtually on October 20th & 21st.Spun-out of MIT in 2012, Boston Metal has invented a coal-free, emissions-free, modular method of industrial steel production based on the use of electricity. The company's molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) provides the metals industry with a greener solution for producing several metals and alloys from a wide variety of feedstocks. Earlier this year, Boston Metal raised $50 million in a Series B led by Piva Capital and Fidelity Investments. Tadeu joined the company in 2017 as its CEO, bringing with him more than 40 years of metal industry leadership and technology experience.In this episode, Tadeau walks me through Boston Metal, the company's founding, and capital raise to date. We also discuss why steel is hard to decarbonize and why it poses a climate threat. Lastly, Tadeau weighs in on the importance of mission alignment for investors and advice for future entrepreneurs.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded October 8th, 2021To learn more about Boston Metal: https://www.bostonmetal.com/To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/boston-metal 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 Scott Jacobs, Co-Founder & CEO of Generate Capital.Generate is a leading sustainable infrastructure platform delivering affordable, reliable resource solutions to companies, communities, and cities.In 2007, Scott joined McKinsey & Company to co-found its global Clean Technologies Practice, advising companies, institutional investors, NGOs, and governments worldwide on the economic imperatives of resource productivity and climate solutions. Before that, Scott spent over a decade in technology and venture capital, helping start and grow several companies. In 2014, Scott co-founded Generate Capital and has served as CEO since. In addition, he is a regular writer, keynote speaker, and conference panelist on thematic investing and risk management, climate- and resource-related innovation, and building values-based and people-centric businesses. Scott earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and BA from Dartmouth College.I was looking forward to sitting down with Scott and learning more about Generate Capital. Scott walks me through what led him to co-found Generate, the problem Generate is setting out to fix, and what sets the firm apart from its competitors. We also dive into how impact factors into Generate's mission, the types of entities that invest in Generate, and how the firm deploys capital. In addition, we cover carbon offsets, the future of fossil fuels, and a lack of political leadership around climate change. Scott is a fantastic guest.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded November 1st, 2021For more information about Generate Capital, visit: https://generatecapital.com/For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/scott-jacobs 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 Dave Snydacker, Founder and CEO of Lilac Solutions.Lilac Solutions is a lithium extraction technology company based in Oakland, California. Lilac has developed a patented ion exchange technology that facilitates lithium production from brine resources with high efficiency, minimal cost, and ultra-low environmental footprint. Lilac's mission is to scale global lithium production to support the electric vehicle industry and energy transition.Dave founded Lilac in 2016. He is a materials engineer and an expert in battery technology, with experience spanning multiple battery startups developing next-generation materials and manufacturing processes. Dave holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and a BA from Wesleyan University.I was eager to sit down with Dave and learn more about Lilac Solutions. Dave and I explore his path to founding Lilac Solutions, the process of commercializing his research, and the early stages of funding for the startup. We also discuss why lithium is critical to batteries and Electric Vehicles, how to scale ion exchange technology, and the importance of government incentives and policy to a successful EV transition.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded October 21st, 2021For more information about Lilac Solutions, visit: https://lilacsolutions.com/For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/dave-snydacker 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 guests are Lindsey Hoell, Co-Founder & CEO, and Maia Tekle, Co-Founder & Head of Sales and Partnerships, at Dispatch Goods.After noticing microplastics littering beaches while living in Hawaii, Lindsey, and her partner, Maia, founded Dispatch Goods in 2019. The startup provides reusable metal containers for restaurants to use for takeout service rather than single-use options. Initially, Dispatch Goods partnered with restaurants near office buildings so employee lunch orders could come in reusable containers. Employees dropped off the containers in return bins on each floor, and Dispatch Goods collected them, cleaned them, and redistributed them to restaurants. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dispatch Goods quickly rebranded and expanded to pick up their containers at customers' homes. Dispatch Goods is on a mission to make reuse easy and delightful for everyone. In the episode, Lindsey and Maia walk me through their motivations for starting Dispatch Goods, the gap in the market the startup is filling, and how the process of ordering takeout works. We also dive into a conversation about how to scale their operation, how COVID-19 affected the Dispatch Goods, and what the startup has planned for the next 12 months. Lindsey and Maia are great guests, and I enjoyed learning more about Dispatch Goods.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded November 1st, 2021To learn more about Dispatch Goods, visit: https://dispatchgoods.com/homeTo learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/dispatch-goods 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

Nancy Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner at DBL Partners, discusses double bottom line investing, advice for founders in climate tech, and the importance of prioritizing actions in the transition to a sustainable economy. She also explores past investments in renewable energy and electric vehicles, their approach to investing in fossil fuels, and the value of building networks and collaboration for impactful change.