The Keep Cool Podcast

Nick and Albert Wenger, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures (and a preeminent investor in general), discuss the state of climate, climate and energy work in general, and climate venture capital in 2024 and beyond. Specifically, Nick and Albert dive deep on:How our collective response to climate change so far has been a bit ‘meh’The ‘low energy’ trap and what we stand to gain if we reverse itThe prognosis for climate tech venture capital in 2024 and beyondDon't miss out on this podcast if you’re interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, climate tech venture capital, electrification, and more! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.Timestamps:00:02:06 - Reflecting on 2023's Climate Crisis00:04:52 - Where we’re at: Climate Progress and Challenges00:05:14 - The Reality of Climate Action Progress00:08:12 - The Low Energy Trap00:13:03 - Funding Challenges for Climate Companies00:17:03 - The Benefits of a War-Like Climate Action Mode00:23:10 - The Need for Comprehensive Climate Action00:30:01 - The Climate Venture Capital Landscape in 202400:31:10 - The Impact of Interest Rates on Climate Work00:36:12 - The Importance of Writing for Idea CrystallizationRead Albert and others’ blog posts on USV’s website: https://www.usv.com/writing/If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcoolThank you so much! Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Albert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Albertvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

Nick and Katie McClain, Partner and COO at Energize Capital, a venture fund focused on climate and energy technologies, discuss what’s ‘hot’ right now in climate venture capital, besides for, you know, the rate at which the Earth is warming. Nick and Katie also take a keen look at what to expect in 2024 and beyond. Specifically, Nick and Katie dive deep on:The past five years of climate tech and electrification in the U.S.The outlook for climate tech venture capital and electrification in 2024What it’s like to both invest and operate in venture capital Policy levers ranging from the IRA to EuropeWhy sustainability is about much more than building ‘green’ solutions and systemsDon't miss out on this podcast if you’re interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, climate tech venture capital, electrification, and more! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.Timestamps:00:03:06 - Energize's Edge Platform for Portfolio Companies00:07:49 - Looking Forward to 2024 in Climate Tech00:09:06 - Evolution of Renewable Energy Industry Challenges00:14:13 - Exciting Portfolio Companies: Banyan Infrastructure and more00:18:28 - Demand-Side Efficiency and Electrification00:22:11 - The Future of Climate Tech and the IRA's Impact00:25:57 - Challenges and Opportunities in Project Deployment00:27:55 - Differences in Climate Tech Between North America and Europe00:32:02 - Differences Between Cleantech 1.0 and Climate Tech Today00:34:56 - Sustainability Beyond Emissions Reduction00:38:04 - Bringing Expertise from Other Sectors to Climate TechMore Notes:Follow Katie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-mcclain-91033650/If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcoolThank you so much! Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

Nick and Tom Quigley, co-founder and Managing Director of Superorganism, a venture firm focused on biodiversity, discuss what biodiversity is, why it matters to the world, and how it fits into the burgeoning climate tech ecosystem. Specifically, Nick and Tom dive deep on:The evaluation process behind creating a venture firm focused on biodiversityWhy biodiversity loss is about much more than just global warming and climate changeHow venture-scale businesses are being built to address biodiversity loss Don't miss out on this podcast if you’re interested in learning more about climate tech beyond well-covered sectors like energy and transportation! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.00:00:13 - The first venture firm focused on biodiversity00:04:51 - What is biodiversity, what drives biodiversity loss, and why is that a problem 00:10:30 - How venture capital can support biodiversity-focused businesses00:13:25 - Company examples: Discussing Inversa, lionfish, and invasive species00:18:00 - The many benefits of supporting biodiversity and its overlap with climate00:26:42 - Exploring more companies and tech trends at the forefront of biodiversity00:31:20 - Request for start-ups: Opportunities for innovation in biodiversity00:36:06 - Zooming out: the future growth of the biodiversity tech market00:41:15 - What it means to be "nature tech" vs. "climate tech"Learn More About Superorganism: https://www.superorganism.com/Follow Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommquigleyIf you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcoolThank you so much! Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

Ravi Mikkelson, CEO of Atmos, revolutionizing fintech infrastructure to make climate-positive lending solutions available to consumers (and banks!). Topics include financing solar with bank mortgages, technical challenges in climate tech banking, transitioning to a clean electrified economy, concrete KPIs for a sustainable future, and appreciation for climate-positive lending.

Adam Goff, Head of Strategy at 8 Rivers, discusses the challenges and opportunities in scaling carbon capture, as well as commercializing technologies in direct air capture and green hydrogen applications. They explore 8 Rivers' unique approach, achieving high carbon capture rates, leveraging common infrastructure, and reducing air pollution. They also discuss industry-wide expansion goals and the key to success through execution.

Curious about the emerging field of soil carbon and its role as a climate solution? Join Chris Tolles, CEO and co-founder of Yard Stick PBC, as he discusses the challenges and opportunities inherent to soil carbon, the soil carbon management space, and the market for nature-based solutions as a whole.Discover how Yard Stick uses innovative technology to measure soil carbon and helps farmers, ranchers, and other land stakeholders make informed decisions (and potentially, money!) by implementing more regenerative practices. Chris also shares his insights on the perils of false binaries in climate debates and the complexities of soil carbon quantification.  00:00:00 - Revolutionizing Soil Carbon Measurement Technology00:06:34 - The Carbon Opportunity: Managing Soils Responsibly00:12:24 - The Importance of Soil Health in Climate Change00:16:08 - Measuring Soil Carbon for Sustainable Agriculture00:21:57 - The Tension Between Offsetting and Insetting Carbon Emissions00:24:09 - Understanding Baselines for Soil Carbon Measurement00:33:36 - Navigating Risk in Soil Carbon Quantification00:42:38 - Measuring Success in the Long Term Learn More About Yardstick: Website: https://www.useyardstick.com Follow Chris:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christolles/ If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool Thank you so much! Stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool: https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/keep-cool/ or follow Nick Van Osdol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol  

What exactly is the future of carbon removal? What is the role of government, and why is the need for industry collaboration key to driving its success? And how can an all-hands-on-deck approach help to achieve ambitious climate goals by 2030?Giana Amador, Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Alliance, joins Nick to discuss all of the above as well as the importance of policy, infrastructure, and workforce development in reaching gigaton-scale carbon removal. Find out how the Carbon Removal Alliance is bridging the gap between the private sector and federal policymakers to accelerate the adoption of carbon removal. Giana also shares insights into the growth of the carbon removal industry and emphasizes the importance of integrating community benefit considerations into industry development while highlighting the challenges of measuring and verifying carbon removal and the need for robust monitoring, reporting, and verification systems.Tune in to learn more! 00:00:01 - The Competitive Challenge of Carbon Removal Solutions00:06:28 - Carbo 180: Pioneering Carbon Removal Industry00:10:01 - Government Funding Signals Growth in Carbon Removal Field00:15:01 - Supporting Carbon Removal Projects for a Sustainable Future00:21:43 - Government Procurement for Carbon Removal00:25:07 - The Importance of Monitoring Carbon Removal00:30:34 - Community Benefits Plan Required for Carbon Removal Projects00:37:34 - Carbon Removal Alliance's Ambitious 2030 Goals00:39:53 - The Challenges of the Director Capture Hubs Program Learn More About the Carbon Removal Alliance: Website: https://www.carbonremovalalliance.org Follow Giana: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianaamador/ If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool Thank you so much! Stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool: https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/keep-cool/ or follow Nick Van Osdol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol

Discover how Mast Reforestation (formerly Drone Seed) is revolutionizing reforestation efforts to combat climate change. In this episode, Matthew Aghai, VP of R&D Mast Reforestation, explores the company's mission to scale reforestation and reestablish the reforestation supply chain, all while expanding the variables used to evaluate successful ecosystem stewardship. You’ll learn about their use of equal parts big data and ground truthing to restore large, impacted landscapes and ensure the resilience of ecosystems.  Matthew also discusses how the company’s work will support making markets for biodiversity and broadening the scope of services inherent to ecosystem restoration. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the future of reforestation and the role of different stakeholders in driving that change. 00:00:07 - Scaling Reforestation to Combat Climate Change00:01:49 - Drone Seed: Revolutionizing Reforestation Efforts00:06:34 - Montana Reforestation Project Funded by Carbon Offsets00:14:50 - Restoring Ecosystems in a Changing Climate00:20:26 - The Future of Hardware Technology00:29:27 - Building Trust in the Emerging Marketplace00:35:10 - Mast's Integration of Biodiversity Metrics00:39:22 - The Importance of Conserving Dry Forests00:42:41 - Measuring Success for Long-Term Growth00:49:07 - The Future of Reforestation with Drones Learn more about Mast Reforestation: Website: https://www.mastreforest.com Follow Matthew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-aghai-a49317178/ If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool Thank you so much! Stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool: https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/keep-cool/ or follow Nick Van Osdol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol

Discover the future of ecosystem regeneration and biodiversity work as Nick sits down with Colin Averill, CEO and Founder of Funga, to discuss their groundbreaking approach to reforestation. By harnessing and unlocking fungal biodiversity insights, Colin's team introduces diverse fungal and bacterial communities to the reforestation process, helping to revitalize degraded soil microbiomes by establishing extensive mycelium networks that fuel plant growth. With a background in forest carbon cycle science, Colin's team is responsible for designing projects spanning thousands of acres that utilize rigorous scientific precision to achieve ecological restoration. Join Nick as he and Colin explore Funga's journey to amplify forest health, build a massive database of fungal biodiversity, and combat climate change through nature-inspired biotechnology. Learn More About Funga: Website: https://www.funga.earth Follow Colin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinaverill/ If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool Thank you so much! Stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool: https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/keep-cool/ or follow Nick Van Osdol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol

In this week’s pod, Nick chats with Sam Wevers, the Head of Software Product for Lunar Energy, as they dive into the heart of Lunar Energy's mission to revolutionize global home energy.Sam unveils how Lunar's state-of-the-art home electrification system seamlessly melds solar technology with home batteries, transcending analytics to offer customers deep insight into their home's energy rhythms and the larger ecosystem of energy they fit into.From there, Nick and Sam zoom out to discuss how electrification scales and the role that data can play in harmonizing endless clean energy around the globe.Learn more about Lunar Energy: Website: https://www.lunarenergy.com Follow Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwevers/ If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool Thank you so much! Stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool: https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/keep-cool/ or follow Nick Van Osdol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol