The Tech 4 Climate Podcast

Wildfires are getting, well, wilder. Allison Wolff’s platform helps land managers monitor forests to make sure they remain resilient.  Ep.#70    Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: Allison Wolff, CEO at Vibrant PlanetDuring this new episode of our Founder Series, we sat down with Allison WolffVibrant Planet is a tech platform that is accelerating fire-prone forest resilience worldwide. Currently, there is a little more than half of the land worldwide that needs fire in some way to cycle nutrients, cycle carbon, and to regenerate. Brilliant Planet has created an online platform for landscape restoration that helps land managers plan in more fire-prone ecosystems. Allison grew up in Colorado, with issues of forest fires and pine beetles in her backyard. After a successful career in tech in Silicon Valley she started gravitating more toward climate issues and it wasn’t until after the Paradise Fire that she really dove into how to regenerate the forests in the west that had been mismanaged for so many years. California is losing 6% of its forests per year, and Allison traced this down partially to a data and communication problem. So, she set out to create a platform that facilitated the monitoring and reporting of this rapidly changing ecosystem. In this episode, Allison starts off by explaining what nature-based solutions are and how she has created a tech product to enable them. She goes on to explain the natural challenges nature-based solutions face, along with those faced by analytics-as-a-service products. In doing so, she sets out how she created her product while ensuring good UX, and the economics of nature-based solutions.  PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)During this second part of the discussion, Allison gives her tips on how to fundraise for nature-based solutions, while maintaining a good work life balance. She also gives her book recommendations based on projects she has worked on. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

EV adoption faces a lot of barriers compared to the ease of filling your gas tank and driving away. John is making sure that electric can be as easy and as cheap as gas. Ep.#70    Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: John de Souza, Co-founder & President at AmpleDuring this new episode of our Founder Series, we sat down with John de Souza, Co-Founder and President of Ample. Ample is solving the problem of delivering energy to electric vehicles with a solution that provides autonomous battery swapping for electric vehicles and makes driving EVs as simple and cheap as gazoline cars. John’s international background provided a fascinating perspective to our discussion on electric vehicles and entrepreneurship, which he gained during his formative years spent in Ethiopia and Dubai where he learned that founding a company is much more common than we think and we shouldnt be afraid of the risk. John then established himself in the US and had a long career in tech and health. He was later looking to buy an electric car when he realized that EVs were still not easy to charge quickly and drive long distances, so he set out to found Ample. In this episode, John gives a captivating look at the electric vehicle industry beginning with an examination of what major markets have done to increase the adoption of EVs. He then dives into the main challenges EVs face and why current subsidies are misguided. From there he moves into the infrastructure difficulties EVs face, how more charging stations are not just the answer due to a multitude of considerations and why Ample’s simple solution is a needed alternative for technology we hope to build, but do not yet have.  PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY=> More info on our site)During the second part of the discussion, John gives some as-of-yet-unheard tips on the Tech4Climate podcast about how to make sure you get the most out of your fundraising. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Retail accounts for 25% of carbon emissions. Tristan is working with retailers to put carbon neutral products on their shelves and reduce those emissions. Ep.#69    Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: Tristan A. Foerster CEO & Co-Founder at ClimatePartnerDuring this new episode of our Founder Series, we sat down with Tristan Foerster, Co-founder and CEO at ClimatePartner. ClimatePartner helps businesses on the long journey of reducing and abating carbon emissions by enabling them to carbon footprint their emissions and offset unabatable emissions through the projects it has developed with its partners across the globe.Tristan’s story was unique and fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his journey toward helping businesses be carbon neutral. Tristan has had a variety of experiences, from early search engines to an ecommerce startup, then to consulting before working for matchmaking software, Tristan joined ClimatePartner 12 years ago and hasn’t looked back. Including scope 3 emissions, retail accounts for 25% of global GHG emissions.  In this episode, Tristan dissects how he helps retailers account for their carbon emissions, and why double accounting is actually necessary for improving accountability. He then dives into the intricacies of retail and why emissions are so hard to offset, why that meant that ClimatePartner had to exist, how he developed the company, and how it works.  PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)During the second part of the show,  Tristan gives his tips on how to make it, even if your company functions as an involuntary non-profit for several years. He then gives us a glimpse on ways he has found to reach a good work life balance and what sources of information he uses to stay abreast of the climate landscape. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Ep.#68    Marcus Lehmann - Co-Founder and CEO of CalWave  l  Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: Marcus Lehmann, Co-Founder of CalWaveDuring this new episode of our Founder Series, we sat down with Marcus Lehmann who has developed, with his team, a unique way to harness the power of waves. Waves are the largest unused renewable resource in the world with the great benefits of being more energy-dense, stable, and predictable than other forms of renewable energy. Marcus’ startup Calwave intends to equip coastal communities with clean, reliable and local energy while keeping our planet healthy.It was clear from speaking with Marcus that co-founding CalWave was the natural progression of what had been a continuous interest in both building things and riding the waves. From early on, Marcus was already building robotic boats and self-propelled surface vessels, despite growing up in Munich. After studying mechanical engineering with a focus on entrepreneurship, Marcus came to UC Berkeley for his Master’s thesis where he was introduced to the technology that would lead him to Co-found CalWave.Energy dependency is a particularly poignant discussion right now with the war in Ukraine, and it was fascinating to talk with Marcus about how his solution has the potential to mitigate the energy dependency of so many coastal communities, particularly island nations. In doing so, we talked about the value chain of renewable energy, how that affects the adoption of renewables, and how CalWave is making waves in the energy market.  PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)In the second part of the show, Marcus shares his tips for fundraising and getting out of your lab. He also gives some recommendations on work life balance and books that help him get there. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

After flying to Bangladesh to help with the Rohingya Crisis, Alex Blum discovered a new way of creating plastics that was more sustainable and could have a huge impact on the construction industry. Ep.#67    Alex Blum - Co-Founder of Applied Bioplastics  l  Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: Alex Blum, Co-Founder of Applied BioplasticsDuring this new episode of our Founder Series, we sat down with Alex Blum who has developed a way to mix sustainable plant fibers with durable plastics that are either virgin, recycled or bioplastics to enable their use in standard manufacturing and substantially reduce their cost and carbon footprint. It was fascinating to sit down with Alex who speaks with such passion about his journey as a successful tech salesman turned philanthropist, and now entrepreneur.  In 2017, sensitive to the humanitarian crisis of the Rohingya population, Alex decided to take action and flew to Bangladesh with a film crew to produce 2 award winning documentaries showcasing the crisis with the world. The trip led him to learn about new plant based cellulose technologies that could be used in the construction industry, especially for better refugee shelters. Although the company has since shifted from this initial model toward producing pellets for manufacturers that are decarbonized through their plant fibers mix, it still makes houses for refugees that are sustainable, not only by reducing the material carbon footprint, but by using local material and labor to construct them. During this episode, Alex took me on a deep-dive into the plastics industry to learn how the market works, who the main players are, why there is a trail of dead-bodies in the bioplastics space and what Alex is doing differently.  In doing so, we dove into the technicalities of plastic, its regulations and market, and what role it plays in the global economy.  PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)In the second part of the show, Alex shares his tips for fundraising, especially in the current economic climate. He also gives some great book recommendations and his unconventional view on work life balance. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Ep.#66 Jon Salazar Founder and CEO @ Gazelle Wind Power l Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: Jon Salazar Founder and CEO at Gazelle Wind PowerDuring this new episode of our Founder Series, we sat down with Jon Salazar Founder and CEO at Gazelle Wind Power. Gazelle has developed a unique and innovative Hybrid Floating Platform with high stability and attenuated pitch, designed and engineered by leading expert naval engineers. The company is on a mission to enable the power of wind for the globe and accelerate the worldwide opportunity for deep-water offshore wind energy.I was excited to have Jon on the show and learn the ins and outs of the fast-growing offshore wind energy industry and how Gazelle has the potential to play a key role in tackling the cost and engineering challenges of deep-water floating wind turbines to unleash the industry's full potential. During this episode, you will learn about the industry and its potential for growth. What needs to happen to accelerate the development of the sector? Then we will cover with Jon the initial challenges in developing the solution Gazelle engineered from lab scale to pilot project. Finally, we will dive into their business model, their path to scale their solutions, and how you can get involved in the project. PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)In the second part of the show, Jon will share his secret sauce to successfully raise millions from large institutional investors to finance his hardware startups. He will also share some of his best reads and how he keeps up high energy despite his intense workload.

Meet 4 incredible entrepreneurs deploying new innovations in the fight against climate change. Ep.#65 Beth Zonis Senior Director @ Cleantech Open Northeast - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder:During this special episode of our Founder series, we are sitting down with Beth Zonis Senior Director @ the Cleantech Open Northeast chapter and 4 of the finalists from the 2022 program. The Cleantech Open is considered the world’s oldest and largest cleantech accelerator, providing entrepreneurs and technologists the resources needed to launch a successful cleantech company. This was the second time we had Beth and the winners of the Cleantech Open with us on the show, and it was great to learn about the new companies going through the program and hear about their journeys and startups, their challenges, and market potential. During the episode, we will hear from each of these incredible founders, and how you can get involved in their exciting innovations to fight climate change: John Ireland, Founder and CEO of NTP Technologies - a startup aimed at reducing and eliminating synthetic nitrogen fertilizer by providing farmers a cleaner and greener alternative that is organic, salt-free, and produced onsite and on demand. Ian McKendry, Senior Research Scientist at Hit Nano - a startup focused on advanced manufacturing of energy storage materials aimed at producing creating more energy and carbon-efficient cathodes for batteries. Bohdan Radejko, CEO of Kasava Engineering - a startup that has created a more powerful and efficient transmission that allows smaller engines to perform as well as larger engines and reduces greenhouse gases.Skylar Bagdon, CEO of Verde - a startup that has developed solar panels that are 10x lighter in weight and more flexible than currently available rooftop panels.🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️ 🌎Access to exclusive contents & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp 👉 https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Ep.#64 Marcus Lovell Smith CEO @ Neutral Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the founder: Marcus Lovell Smith, CEO of Neutral During this new episode of our Founder Series, we are sitting down with Marcus Lovell Smith, CEO of Neutral. Neutral is the first pure carbon-neutral food company in the US and works directly with dairy farmers and beef ranchers to mitigate their climate impact and deliver carbon-neutral food products to consumers in more than 2000 locations. It was utterly fascinating to converse with Marcus and learn the ins and outs of the dairy industry and how Neutral is tackling the emissions of a notoriously difficult sector to decarbonize. Marcus first got involved in the sector when he came to the US twenty years ago to run a family dairy farm. He has since worked with the best at Alphabet, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and the Harvard Entrepreneurship program, in a variety of leadership roles. With his love for the countryside and farm life, he naturally found his way back by combining his business acumen, passion for climate change, and love of the country through his work at Neutral. As 93% of Americans have dairy milk in their refrigerators, it’s imperative that the sector’s emissions are tackled head-on immediately. And Marcus is doing just that with Neutral. During the episode, we got to ask him, where do the main dairy industry emissions come from? How does he go about decarbonizing the industry? How does he get farmers on board? And what are the future market opportunities for companies in this space? PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)In the second part of the show, Marcus explains how he got celebrity investors such as Lebron James, and Mark Cuban to embrace his vision and invest in the company. He will also share how he has sold his story, and how he keeps the smile on his face despite the workload. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️ 🌎Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp 👉 https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Electrification is not a trend, it’s a revolution, and batteries are at the forefront. Nadav Steinmetz from Nomea helps us explore where the market is going.Ep.#63  Nadav Steinmetz @ Nomea - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup basecampPART 1: Meet the investorToday we are speaking with Nadav Steinmetz, Founder & CEO @ Nomea. Nomea is a UK-based, climatetech fund that invests in transformative technologies that advance the transition to net-zero emissions. They particularly focus on startups within the UK, Europe, and Israel and invest in both early and late-stage companies helping them grow into highly profitable and successful enterprises. It was fascinating to talk to Nadav. He’s Franco-Israeli yet spent much of his career in the US and UK, and first considered impact when he founded an NGO as a student. Two years ago, he left the financial sector to found Nomea and truly focus on climate tech on the premise that it was the sector that would provide the most impact. In founding Nomea, Nadav became an expert in battery technologies. He takes us on a journey across the global battery market in an attempt to understand what are its main drivers, what it would take for Europe to catch up to the Asian Market and how batteries can become more sustainable amidst this electrification revolution. In doing so, we learn more about Nomea and their founding premise, what type of investments they make, what they are excited about and how you can get involved. Part 2: My Secret SauceIn the second part of the show, Nadav explains two tips for founders who are fundraising. He also gives a controversial opinion on why work-life balance is overrated. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎Access to exclusive contents & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Wes set out to prove that you can indeed do both things by investing in mission-driven startups. Ep.#62 Wes Selke @ Better Ventures. - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup BasecampPART 1: Meet the investorToday we are speaking with Wes Selke, Founder Partner @ Better Ventures. Better Ventures is an Oakland-based, early-stage venture firm that backs mission-driven founders that are leveraging emerging technologies and break-through science to solve big problems in the world from climate to health to economic opportunity. It was a pleasure to talk to Wes who has been investing in mission-driven startups for over a decade. Over the course of his career, he has gained particular insight into synbio and how it will play a crucial role in decarbonizing our industries. He gives us a deep dive into how economic growth is compatible with sustainability and reducing global emissions, and what role synbio can play. Part 2: My Secret SauceIn the second part of the show, Wes clues us into what framework he uses to assess the “je ne sais quoi” of the founders he invests in. He also provides his tips on what he does to really keep a clear mind and work-life balance. 🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our partners.🌱Help us to reach this 1st goal.Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️ 🌎Access to exclusive contents & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp 👉 https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/