Podcasts about climate investing

We've welcomed investors with unique backgrounds to First Funders before, but Sundeep Ahuja is our first operator-turned-actor-turned-investor. Sundeep is all in on all things climate tech. He's backing founders leading the way in cleaning up our water, purifying our air, and keeping our planet the way it should be: livable. Today, his micro fund and syndicate platform Climate Capital, has over 400 climate-focused companies in its portfolio. Sundeep shares why he thinks real-world, physical tech has the edge over software, how the words we use matter when it comes to addressing climate challenges, and why he's still optimistic about the future despite current social and political challenges to climate initiatives. He writes ~$150k checks out of Climate Capital into pre-seed and seed-stage startups addressing emission reductions and climate adaptation. Highlights:Sundeep had a winding path to investing, but his passion for the climate has always been there. He talks about how his time at Kiva shaped and expanded his worldview.We're heard a lot about software, but Sundeep is firmly in the hardware camp. He's seeing startups like Copper and Avalo make incredible strides working with physical products – or focusing on atoms over bits, as he says. The way we talk about issues matters, and Sundeep is seeing the impact of language play out in the climate space. His solution is simple: No vague, moralizing language. Just plainly state what you're doing to help the environment. Sundeep has a careful eye on what's going on regarding the climate and the current administration, but he's not feeling deterred. He believes there's still plenty of capital – and plenty of people who believe in the mission – to sustain the headwinds. Like a true investor, Sundeep has a story about his worst investment and what he learned from it. Mainly, that the importance of due diligence can't be overstated. (00:00) - Atoms over bits: Investing in hardware and innovative founders to solve climate challenges - Sundeep Ahuja, Climate Capital (01:39) - Sundeep's journey from eBay to Acting to Impact (02:44) - Finding his purpose at Kiva and focusing on climate (03:52) - Establishing Silicon Climate and writing his first book (09:17) - Sundeep's work founding and scaling up Climate Capital to an 400-company portfolio (13:45) - Why technical founders and defensible IP are now at the heart of their seed investments. (30:34) - Rethinking the language we use to talk about the climate (34:58) - Lessons from the worst investment Sundeep has made (37:34) - Reasons why Sundeep is hopeful for the future of climate tech

Low-carbon tech investments reached $2.1 trillion last year. But with the whole world trying to work out how to navigate US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policy agenda, is 2025 still a good time to invest in climate tech? This week on Zero Akshat Rathi interviews Greg Wasserman, head of private company climate investment at Wellington Management, which oversees more than $1 trillion in assets. Wasserman has to make investment decisions here and now about companies and technologies — weighing risks and opportunities in a volatile market. Explore further: Trump’s Big Oil Era Means Green Bargains for Investors Companies Pivot From Climate Talk to 'Greenhushing' in Trump Era Why ESG Faces Backlash and Its Future Under Trump 2.0 GOP to Phase Out Biden Energy Credits to Pay for Tax Cuts Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Amanda Kolson Hurley and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not yet clear exactly how devasting the loss of federal funding for climate nonprofits and climate tech companies will be, but we know the toll will be high. Beyond the funding freeze, there have also been rumors of other federal action targeting nonprofits in this space. No one knows exactly what will happen, but it's clear that philanthropy is more important than ever. Philanthropy alone can't fill the gap left by the government, but it can make a real difference.This episode is the first in a series of conversations we'll have this year focused on climate philanthropy. We're starting with not only one of the biggest climate foundations in the U.S., but also one that combines philanthropy with investments designed to catalyze more capital flows to climate. The MacArthur Foundation has long been a leader in using this impact investing approach to improve the ROI for investors seeking market-rate returns. In today's conversation, we're joined by MacArthur Foundation's Director of Impact Investments John Balbach and Program Officer Deborah Philbrick. We spoke about the Foundation's holistic, problem-first approach to climate, what that means for both their philanthropic funding and impact investing, how they're stepping up to what they see as a civil society crisis, and much more. Lots to learn and think about in this one. Let me know if you have ideas about other foundations to feature in this series. Here we go. On today's episode, we cover:[02:36] Introductions of John and Deborah[04:21] Overview of MacArthur Foundation's Climate Work[05:52] Climate Solutions Big Bet Details[07:02] Philanthropic Strategy and Theory of Change[08:15] Grantee Examples[10:37] Impact of Federal Funding Freeze[12:55] Strategic Shifts and Foundation's Role[15:57] Climate Philanthropy Landscape[17:04] Sub-national Climate Priorities[18:19] MacArthur's Impact Investing History[20:36] Risk and Return Approach[22:45] Impact Assessment Methodology[25:11] Catalytic Capital Strategies[28:01] Investment Thesis[31:20] Administration's Impact on Investments[33:30] Systemic Transformation DiscussionResources MentionedMacArthur FoundationMacArthur Fellows ProgramMacArthur Foundation: Climate Solutions Big BetJust Transition FundLeague of Conservation Voters Education FundAzolla VenturesEncourage Solar FinanceSunwealthMacArthur Foundation: How We Leverage the ‘Full Continuum' of Capital to Address the Climate CrisisMacArthur Foundation: Aligning Our...

What if the climate crisis isn't just about carbon—but about people, systems, and resilience? In this episode, I sit down with Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, a $100M early-stage climate tech fund. Hampus shares why he left a life of “freedom and bliss” to go all-in on climate innovation—and why the next great founders must be both visionary and gritty. From navigating uncertainty to betting big on bold ideas, this episode is a masterclass in investing at the frontlines of global change. Tune in to find out more.--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Listen on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!00:42 – Where Pale Blue Dot began01:30 – The meaning behind the fund's name04:25 – Why Hampus couldn't look away09:00 – “Do it only if you can't stop”10:50 – Climate investment mindset shift15:45 – How climate became politicized18:45 – The Pale Blue Dot investment thesis23:30 – What great founders must have26:10 – Founder-market fit and raw authenticity34:55 – When founders stop scaling38:50 – Fundraising isn't the real problem44:50 – Why climate investing isn't slowing down47:30 – Innovation thrives in chaosUseful links: Pale blue dot's website: https://paleblue.vc/              Pale blue dot's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/palebluedotvcclimate/             Hampus Jakobsson's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hampusjakobsson/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/

Join us for an exclusive discussion with Jonathan Silver, one of America's leading clean economy investors and advisors. As chair of the Global Climate Council at Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO), he helps guide the firm's sustainability investments across five dedicated funds. With more than $750 billion in assets under management, Apollo plans to invest up to $100 billion in the sector by 2030. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights into enduring investment opportunities amid an evolving policy landscape.

Solving the climate crisis is not just a moral imperative, but also an opportunity for investors to earn a competitive return for finding and funding the desperately needed solutions. On this week’s episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Senior ESG Analyst Rob Du Boff talks with famed hedge-fund investor Tom Steyer about his new venture Galvanize Climate Solutions. This episode also includes a discussion with Galvanize’s Chief Investment Officer for Global Equities Seth Kirkham from the BI ESG Conference on Dec. 11. This episode was recorded on Dec. 20, 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.***Eric Gossart, a partner at Racine2, an 85 million euro impact fund focused on climate, health, and education, joins the podcast to discuss the differences between traditional venture capital and impact investing.⁠​⁠​In our conversation, we dive into:* The reasons behind his transition from traditional VC to impact investing* His approach to assessing and supporting impact-driven companies* The strategies he used and concerned he had when raising an impact fund⁠​***TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction07:48 Defining “Impact” in Venture Capital10:42 Challenges and Strategies in Impact Investing15:07 The Role of VCs in Shaping the Future21:25 Aligning Business Models with Impact26:54 Measuring and Reporting Impact33:59 Understanding Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)37:49 Equity Stories and Fundraising Challenges43:39 Raising an Impact Fund56:54 Fire Questions***REFERENCED• Jean Moreau • Cap Horn• Serena and Racine2• Technology Readiness Level• Planet A• France 2030 • Antidote au culte de la performance***GUEST▶️ Eric Gossart - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gossart***If you're new here, I'm Hugo Rauch, the founder of VCo2 media and an aspiring climate tech VC who shares insights, interviews, and research about venture capital and climate tech. I aim to help you become a better climate-tech entrepreneur and smarter impact investor. ***CONNECT WITH ME ▶️ Newsletter - https://climateventuresvco2.substack.com

By now, you've likely noticed our refreshed look. We're evolving the show to focus on the inevitable impacts of climate change and the groundbreaking solutions shaping our future.To kick off this next chapter our first guest on Inevitable is Tom Steyer, Co-executive Chair at Galvanized Climate Solutions, a multi-strategy investment firm focused exclusively on the climate transition. A little over a year ago, Galvanize announced the final close of its Innovation + Expansion Fund at over $1 billion, one of the largest climate venture funds ever raised. Tom is also the recent author of the New York Times bestselling book, "Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We'll Win the Climate War," and he wrote the Forward to Project Drawdown.In 2020, Tom was a Democratic presidential candidate with a climate-focused policy agenda, and he participated that year on the primary debate stage alongside now President Joe Biden and now VP Kamala Harris, among many other notable Democratic party leaders. He's the founder of NextGen America, the largest youth voter organization in the USA, which he created in 2013. But Tom hasn't always been focused on the energy transition and climate change. In 1986, he founded Farallon Capital Management, a multi-strategy hedge fund that he ran for over 25 years and grew to hundreds of employees and $20 billion in assets under management. His story of having incredible success in one field and then feeling the inevitable pull to work on the biggest problem of our time is exactly the type of pathway that we plan to explore on this show. *We recorded this episode live during Climate Week NYC, in front of a fantastic audience. We'd like to thank them for joining as well as the folks at ethic for lending their beautiful space and JP Morgan for helping to sponsor the event. In this episode, we cover: [4:55] Tom's book theme: "do the obvious thing"[9:58] Tom's book theme: "the status quo will not go on forever"[13:53] Energy is wealth and how we can collectively retire fossil energy with renewables[17:06] Tom's decision to dedicate his career to climate and his early pathway[21:34] NextGen and the org's origins[23:32] Sharpening your bullshit detector[25:03] What prompted Tom's 2020 presidential run[26:05] The catalyst to Galvanize[29:26] The firm's different focus areas and strategy[34:45] Tom's "five plus one" approach to investing[38:01] The model Tom would like O&G companies to take in the transition[40:45] Thoughts on the "climate war"[44:13] What happens when climate tech is no longer a category[46:56] Tom's thoughts on permitting halting clean energy progress[49:59] Rapid fire topics including China and India[53:13] Hyperscalers and AI[55:01] Tom's policy wish list[59:29] His call to action for listenersEpisode recorded on Sept 24, 2024 (Published on Nov 4, 2024) Stay Connected with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedIn | Cody Simms on XVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to Our NewsletterEnjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.

Today on Equity, Rebecca Bellan sits down with Lisa Coca from Toyota Ventures during Climate Week NYC to discuss a key part of Toyota Ventures' $800 million portfolio - their Climate Fund. The fund's $300 million is laser-focused on climate innovation, but Coca says it casts a wide net beyond just mobility, backing startups from seed to Series A. So far, they've invested in companies like AM Batteries, which is cutting battery manufacturing costs by 40%, and Ecoletro, pioneers in green hydrogen production using hydropower.Together, Bellan and Coca are shedding light on the significant challenges in hydrogen, direct air capture, and methane reduction, and emphasizing that startups need to achieve cost parity with fossil fuels to drive real change.As always, Equity will be back with a news roundup on Friday. If you like what you hear, don't forget to leave us a review!  Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

Breene Murphy is the president of Carbon Collective, a climate investment advisor. They create low-fee investment portfolios for employer 401k plans and individuals that divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in climate solutions. They have launched two Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): a climate solutions equity ETF (ticker: CCSO), and a green bond fund (ticker: CCSB).. Carbon Collective is an implementation partner of Project Drawdown, and a member of Rewiring America's CEOs for Electrification coalition. If you are responsible for your company's 401K plans, look to Carbon Collective's ETFs as a sustainable option to offer employees. In this episode, we discuss: ●     What an ETF is, and why Carbon Collective needed to create their own ●     How an investment portfolio is made ●     Why it's important to invest more funds into climate solutions companies Key Takeaways: ●     Investing: Simplify the Complex. Investing can feel like trying to decipher a foreign language. You're either lost in the weeds or barely skimming the surface. Here's my straightforward advice: First, if you're in the USA, start investing in your 401K as early as possible, and always contribute at least the maximum amount that your company matches. There is no fallback social system to rely on in retirement. Second, remember that your investments are your bets on the future. When you put your money into a company, you're saying, "I want this company to be part of tomorrow's world." So, invest with intention. Make sure your financial choices align with the future you want to live in. ●     Expanding Investment Choices. For markets to genuinely reflect individual choices, people need a full spectrum of options. Carbon Collective stepped in to fill a significant gap by creating new ETFs and 401K portfolios that exclude fossil fuel companies—something that was missing in the market. Considering that 401Ks are the primary retirement-saving vehicle for Americans, having no option to align those investments with personal values means the market can't truly reflect individual preferences. It's like having a dessert bar that only offers ice cream and then assuming everyone's favorite dessert is ice cream. True choice requires diverse options. ●     Helping: The Antidote to Helplessness. Before we started recording, Breene shared his eye-opening experience of joining the workforce and realizing that most adults are just figuring it out as they go, struggling along the way. This shattered the illusion that adults “have it figured out”. He talked about the impact helping those around him had on his career. It reminded me of the phrase "helping is the antidote to helplessness". No matter what, every life journey will have spots that feel helpless. This phrase is a nice reminder. Helpful acts not only lift others up but also pull us out of our own helpless ruts, reminding us that we have the power to make a difference. References: ●     Connect with Breene on LinkedIn ●     Carbon Collective ●     Project Drawdown ●     International Energy Agency ●     Rewiring America Connect & Share: If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading them! If this episode resonated with you, I ask you to send it to a friend. Help bring even more visibility to these leaders that are using business as a force for good! Subscribe to the Purpose and Profit newsletter to make sure you don't miss future episodes. This podcast is for you, the listener. I'd love to hear what resonated with you, or if you have a suggestion on who would be a great guest for this show. Please send me a note at info@KathyVarol.com.

Forget Fan Mail, Fan Text Us!

We started the Climate Positive podcast just over three years ago at HASI, seeing an opportunity to contribute our unique perspective to the climate and clean energy podcast scene. As a pure play climate investment firm, we aimed to cultivate a forum for mission-driven leaders, innovators, and changemakers to engage in conversations about the challenges and opportunities on the path to a climate-positive future. Our inaugural episode of Climate Positive featured our trailblazing former CEO and current Board Executive Chair, Jeff Eckel. Now, looking back on over 75 episodes since launch, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and celebrate this journey and share more about the people leading HASI today in this special episode. Join Chad, Gil, and Hilary in this insightful conversation with three of HASI's most senior leaders - CEO Jeff Lipson, CFO Marc Pangburn, and Chief Client Officer Susan Nickey.Links: Jeff Lipson Bio & LinkedInMarc Pangburn Bio & LinkedinSusan Nickey Bio & LinkedinEp. 1: A climate finance pioneer | Jeff Eckel, CEO of HASIPress Release: HASI and KKR Establish $2 Billion Strategic Partnership to Invest in Sustainable Infrastructure Projects (May 7, 2024)Episode recorded June 13, 2024  Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Highlights from this week's conversation include:Derrick's background in venture capital (0:19)Transition to public sector (2:27)The Government's role in innovation (4:55)Public perception of government in venture capital (8:40)Government programs for venture capital (10:48)Constraints of public funding (13:11)Coordination among state programs (15:18)Purpose of public venture funds (17:14)Supporting Underrepresented Small Businesses (17:34)Investing in Diverse Teams (22:41)Insider Segment: Vested's Differentiation from Competitors (24:59)Considerations for Pre-IPO Shares (25:35)Thought Leaders in the LP Community (27:11)Allocation for Diversity and Climate (29:16)Definition of Climate Justice (31:01)Unique Aspects of Climate Investing (34:02)Mission and Returns in Inclusive Investing (37:30)Fund Size and Deployment (40:35)Final thoughts and takeaways (42:15)Derrick Tang serves as the Deputy Director of Venture Capital at IBank California, a role he was appointed to by Governor Gavin Newsom. With a rich background in climate change, venture capital, and government leadership, Derrick has dedicated his career to increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs. His work focuses on supporting underrepresented fund managers and entrepreneurs, with an additional emphasis on climate justice investments. Derrick's previous roles include leading the Climate Investments team at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and managing grants at the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF). He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and is passionate about leveraging venture capital to drive social and environmental change.Vested empowers startup employees to capitalize on their hard-earned equity, primarily by providing funding to help exercise stock options. The company's overarching mission is to democratize access to equity, ensuring that startup employees both understand and have a real chance to tangibly benefit from the shares they're granted.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Head of Multi-Asset Strategy for EMEA, Supriya Menon, explores her team's latest research on how climate change effects capital market assumptions.Key topics:2:05 – Supriya's investment background3:25 – Climate research from an allocator's perspective6:10 – New research framework: Three pillars8:20 – Collaborating with internal climate experts9:50 – Key research findings12:30 – Implementing a climate framework14:45 – Climate risk, geopolitics, and transition scenarios18:20 – Integrating climate across asset classes22:05 – Insurers approach to climate23:30 – Next steps for climate researchThe views expressed are those of the speaker(s) and are subject to change. Other teams may hold different views and make different investment decisions. For professional/institutional investors only. Your capital may be at risk.

On today's episode of the Climate Insiders podcast, we're diving into an engaging conversation with Benjamin Kayser, a former French Rugby international with a 16-year long career. Today, Benjamin is a renowned commentator of international rugby games on TV, both in France and the UK, and his voice is easily recognizable by all Rugby fans.More relevant to this podcast, Benjamin is the Co-founder and Partner at Teampact Ventures, a Venture Capital fund that specializes in human capital. We discuss a range of important topics affecting the VC industry, focusing on their core thesis: the idea that human capital, like in sport, is a central ingredient of sustainable success.This episode delves into:- Connecting Elite Athletes with Startups: Teampact Ventures Model- Shared Traits of Elite Athletes and Founders: Resilience, Drive, Ambition, and a Growth Mindset- The Birth of Teampact Ventures: Athletes' Willingness to Overcome Barriers and Make a Positive Impact- Personal Branding as a Powerful Tool: Connecting on a Human Level and Differentiating in Business- The Olympics: Showcasing Dedication, Talent, and DiversityIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our channel!Want to go deeper? Invest in climate moonshots with Climate Insiders. Join 300+ members and become a shareholder of the best climate tech startups alongside us, from $1,000. Become a member now: https://www.climateinsiders.com Join the Climate Insiders newsletter, The only newsletter you need to invest in climate tech. Every Saturday I share one actionable tip to invest successfully in climate tech. Join 3,500+ investors and get access to investing tips and strategies to invest today: https://climateinsiders.substack.com/Looking for 5 Winning Strategies for Climate Investing? Here's the exact system used to generate a 5.5x return in 6 years investing in outlier climate tech companies ONLY: https://climate-insiders.ck.page/590a53f906(00:00) – Intro(01:47) - Teampact Ventures: A Platform for Athletes to Drive Social Impact(05:42) - Does Sports Training Prepare You for Business Leadership?(08:36) - Finding the Yin in Your Yang: How to Avoid Burnout in Business(13:05) - Can the Flame of Athletic Drive Sustain Business Success?(15:48) - Convincing Top Athletes to Give Back: What's the Strategy?(18:47) - What CEOs Can Learn from Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer?(21:52) - What Are the Secrets to Balancing Talent and Team Dynamics?(27:23) - How Can Founders Create a Culture That Values Self-Worth?(29:07) - Why Is Feedback Frequency Crucial for Employee Engagement?(30:39) - Turning Negative Feedback into Growth Opportunities: How?(33:07) - Are Women the Key to Unlocking a More Empathetic Business World?(38:04) - Do You Measure Success by What You Earn Now, or Where You'll Be in Five Years?(42:08) - Salary Transparency: Does It Simplify or Complicate the Hiring Process?(44:05) – The role of Media: What Inspired Ben's Podcasting Journey?(47:42) - Why Authenticity in Content Creation Attracts More Than Just Attention(50:17) - Can Allowing Personal Projects Boost Employee Engagement and Innovation?(54:07) - How Do Founders Balance Personal Branding with Company Identity?(56:19) - Are People Losing Interest in Global Sporting Events Like the Olympics?(59:00) - Outro

In late 2023, a dream team of former elected officials, mayors and chief planners, Indigenous leaders, designers, builders and developers, affordability advocates, and finance and insurance experts came together to create a Task Force for Housing and Climate.  This group released their Blueprint for More and Better Housing in March 2024.This episode we welcome Housing and Climate Task Force co-Chair Don Iveson.  We discuss why addressing Canada's housing crisis should also include consideration of the climate crisis.  We hear how over a hundred recommendations coalesced into a report that is both bold and grounded. We explore why this challenge motivated Don and his colleagues on the Task Force to try and set the floor for climate and housing discussions.About our guest:Don served as Edmonton's Mayor from 2013 until 2021, and Chair of Canada's Big City Mayors for 5 years. Since retiring from City Hall, he's worked part-time with Co-Operators as Executive Advisor for Climate Investing and Community Resilience. He also operates Civic Good, an advisory practice focused on climate resilience, housing innovation, and civic innovation projects with clients ranging from startups to governments. He's a member of the Expert Panel on Adaptation at the Canadian Climate Institute, is Co-Chair of the Task Force for Housing and Climate, and serves as Board Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Additional resources:https://housingandclimate.ca/blueprint/ https://civicgood.substack.com/p/a-blueprint-for-housing-and-climate https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/work-in-progress/ https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/canadas-housing-affordability-challenge-plenty-of-questions-some-answers-jan2024/

To celebrate International Women's Day we're shining the spotlight on our special ops team. For the past two years, our all-female Special Ops team has been deploying flexible non-dilutive financing to companies trying to reach that next stage of scale. S2G's Andrea Woodside and Marisa Sweeney break down what a special opportunity is, the role this type of funding plays in today's funding environment, and who should reach out to them (any asset-oriented climate company) and when (as soon as possible).  If you are seeking funding for an infrastructure-oriented company this episode is for you!Key Takeaways:The state of climate funding today: Billions of dollars have gone into climate tech, much of it to clean energy technologies, enabling them to transition from early-stage venture to later-stage capital. There is currently a funding gap for capital-intensive climate companies that are at a point where VC is too expensive, but banks or other institutional investors may not have enough creativity or flexibility to structure solutions.The mission of Special Ops: The team is working to deploy non-dilutive capital to scale developers and other asset-oriented businesses efficiently. What the team is looking for: credit and infrastructure-oriented investment opportunities. The team is focused on downside protection, so opportunities with cash flows, collateral, and contracts that offer confidence around cashflow visibility are a good fit.How this funding pairs with venture and growth equity funding: It's not a replacement, but it can help reduce the amount of corporate equity a company needs.The team's perspective on FOAKS: While they are not the focus of Special Ops, Marisa, and Andrea have some insights for companies looking to fund FOAK projects.Who should reach out: If you think this type of funding might be applicable, Marisa and Andrea are happy to chat!Resources:Andrea's BioMarisa's BioWomen in Climate Investing & FinanceFinancing Pathways for Climate Tech: Looking Beyond Corporate EquityFinancing Pathways for Climate Tech: The Role of Alternative FinancingSpring Lane Developer UOver $150 billion in climate techThis content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein. For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

**Check out the new takeaways section at the end of the episode!!**In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Zecca Lehn, GP of Responsibly Ventures, backing U.S. PreSeed startups in both Social and Sustainable Tech. He uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guidepost for his investments.We breakdown the specifics of his investing thesis including what is “customer love” and what it means to be ethical in investing, Zecca is especially good at using data and data reporting – we heard a lot of really unique insights from him on how he uses data in his operations. We also dive into his experience as an impact investor, the good, the bad, and the ugly. ---

Rachel Sheinbein is an angel investor with over 250 startup investments.  She shares her insights on angel investing and how it allows her to work with founders “even before the seed stage,” writing $25k checks into technology startups through her vehicle Very Serious Ventures.  Later, Rachel discusses how building a community drives her investing strategy and lessons from memorable startup investments.  Shaherose and Aamir kick off the show with a special message for founders who like to argue and end with their personal takeaways from the conversation with Rachel.Highlights from our discussion:Why Rachel chose angel investing over a partner position at a VC firmWhat to look for in a quality angel groupUsing a DAF to align with an investing purposeDetecting founder passion and coachabilityDefining your purposeThis is for information purposes only. This is not investment advice.Topics(00:00) - 03: Rachel Sheinbein, Angel (01:14) - PSA: Your startup's users know more than Aamir the angel investor does (02:51) - Rachel Sheinbein, angel investor and advisor (04:56) - From engineering to venture capital to angel investing (07:28) - Do angel groups and angel networks provide value to startup investors? (13:23) - How Rachel aligns purpose and philanthropy with her early-stage startup investing (16:08) - Rachel's first angel investment was in a gaming startup (19:17) - Investor experience, startup luck, and Sequoia (21:49) - How does an angel investor like Rachel measure bad outcomes in startup investments? (24:53) - How angel investors operate differs from venture capitalists (29:47) - Pitch decks - do they matter when seed investing so early? (33:45) - Startup founder signals that matter to an angel investor (40:47) - A climate tech seed investment that paid off quickly and returned funds (46:39) - Very Serious Ventures angel invests $25k super early in founders (48:51) - An exercise to help you become a better angel investor (51:04) - Speed round, and the best book on strategy for startup founders (52:59) - Our takeaways on better startup investing Connect with UsFollow the First Funders PodcastNewsletter with behind-the-scenes access and key takeawaysTwitter/X @shaheroseTwitter/X @aviraniEmail us with feedback and suggestions on topics and guests

I'm not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It's an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Vicky: I believe my relentlessness or tenacity, determination, whatever you want to say that is, has been a real driver in my life–always.“The Humane League works to end the abuse of animals raised for food,” says the nonprofit's president, Vicky Bond. “We're working to end cages for laying hens worldwide through our work with the Open Wing Alliance.”Always an animal lover, Vicky trained as a veterinarian. She shares her experience:While training to be a vet, I witnessed factory farms for the first time. I got to see how these animals suffered day in and day out in these systems. As a veterinarian, you would go on a farm and treat the individual animal. You may give bulk antibiotics for the animals, but you weren't treating the fundamental issue: these systems are wrong. Animals should not be in them, and being in them causes them a lot of suffering. So, while doing my veterinary degree, I went and did a master's of environment, development and policy and learned about the impact of policy work of that institutional change that you can make and how much you can scale up impact.So, when I left that school–I did work as a vet for a while–but I also got involved in more activist-led things, in policy change and ended up being able to work what I do now, which is to create change for farm animals on a large scale, impacting hundreds of millions of animals versus what I could have done as a veterinarian, which would have probably been much smaller on the individual level of animals.The work is staggering. In the US alone, producers are raising about 1.5 billion chickens, including broiler and laying hens. About 9 billion are raised annually in this country alone–broiler chickens are slaughtered after just six weeks.Vicky describes what she's seen firsthand:I've been on these on these farms. You walk into a very large shed, and all you can hear is the clanging noises of the birds' beaks and feet on the metal because that's their entire life. They spend their life in this metal cage, four or five of them–not even enough space to spread their wings. They will be fed, given water, and that's all they get. They never get to see sunlight. They never get to spread their wings. They often end up pecking at each other through sheer boredom. They end up with broken bones. All in the name of cheap eggs.“When we talk about the world, we're talking about over 70 billion land animals raised and slaughtered every year for food,” Vicky says. It's not sustainable. The cruelty is not sustainable. The food system itself–we need to move to more plant-based options to remove some of the eggs, dairy, and meats from our diets so that we can have a sustainable food system.”She is emphatic that animal suffering needn't be a part of our food supply. “It is perfectly plausible for us to have farming systems that are higher welfare and that move away from these intensive practices that see animals stacked on top of each other, beak to beak,” she says.“We want a day when animals aren't abused for food,” Vicky continues. “We want to see that through incremental change, like ending cages, like ending farrowing crates, which is where mama pigs are put while they're pregnant–and they can't even turn around.”The Humane League is making progress. “We started this work over a decade ago now,” she says. “At the time in the US, 5 percent of birds were cage-free here for laying hens; we're now at 14 percent. So, we're seeing an impact of 130-plus million birds every year.”Throughout her career, she has used and strengthened her tenacity, making it a superpower.AI Episode Summary1. The Humane League, led by President Vicky Bond, aims to end the abuse of animals raised for food, predominantly by working with food companies to improve farm animal welfare in their supply chains.2. They also focus on policy and legislative changes, advocate for individual diet changes, and aim to end the use of battery cages for laying hens through collaborative global efforts with the Open Wing Alliance.3. The Humane League engages in peaceful protests to raise public awareness and hold companies accountable for farm animal welfare, especially in regard to ending the confinement of laying hens in cages.4. Vicky Bond described the poor conditions of caged hens, emphasizing the lack of space and natural behaviors, highlighting the broken bones and the lack of access to sunlight, which leads to suffering—all for the production of cheap eggs.5. Vicky argues for a sustainable food system that doesn't include farm animal cruelty, stating that higher welfare farming systems are possible and that we should shift towards plant-based options to maintain sustainability.6. Incremental changes advocated by The Humane League have led to significant welfare improvements, citing that the percentage of cage-free hens has increased from 5 to 14 percent in the US, thereby affecting the lives of over 130 million birds annually.7. Vicky Bond transitioned from veterinary practice to animal welfare advocacy after witnessing the suffering of animals on factory farms, realizing she could have a broader impact on animal welfare through policy change and activism rather than individual veterinary care.8. Actions that individuals can take to support the Humane League include volunteering, taking digital action through Fast Action Network, raising awareness on social media, donating, and making informed purchase decisions based on welfare-conscious product labeling.9. Vicky encourages a gradual approach to changing dietary habits towards plant-based options, acknowledging that swift changes can be difficult and recommending gradual steps like "Meatless Mondays" or substituting one meal a day with a plant-based alternative.10. Finally, Vicky shared her superpower of tenacity, recounting her refusal to back down against industry leaders, such as a rabbit farm donor, ultimately influencing him to consider cage-free options, highlighting the importance of staying persistent to achieve goals.Share to encourage others to take action.How to Develop Tenacity As a SuperpowerVicky shared a story that illustrates her tenacity:A number of years ago now, I was working on rabbit farming. So rabbit farming–we don't hear of it that much, but it's the second most farmed species in Europe. I was working across Europe. I was at a conference and trying to push to end cages for rabbits as well because they're predominantly in battery cages in Europe. We're at the conference, and I didn't know at the time, but he was the largest owner of all the systems, basically, in Austria, Germany and other places. After the conference, he came up to me and said, “Well, it's nice to meet you, but what would you know about rabbit farming? This is unrealistic, and I can show you why it's good to keep them in cages.”In that moment, I just didn't stand for it. I was very much like, “Well, the science is this. I disagree strongly on this. I've got systems. I've seen systems that work that are not in cages. It is doable. This is very much a profit-driven mentality.”He was pretty upset and left. Then, the next day, he came up to me and was like, “I was thinking about what you said. I do think we should potentially–this does sound like this might be the future for rabbit farming. I want to understand more. Here's my card. Can we have a conversation?”So, in those moments, I've come up against industry leaders. It's not shrinking down. But actually, standing tall, I think, has paid off.The tenacity paid off! Vicky offers some advice for strengthening yours:Think that mistakes are good. We're going to make mistakes, but learning from them is the important bit. So, if you have a clear goal, don't give up. You will get there. The path might be wandering and might not appear exactly how you hoped it would, but you will get there if you stay the course of time. So, stay strong, stay relentless. You can make it.By following Vicky's advice and example, you can strengthen your tenacity. With practice and patience, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileVicky Bond (she/her):President, The Humane League, The Humane LeagueAbout The Humane League: The Humane League is a global nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food. We work to influence the world's largest food companies to improve the treatment of animals by adopting higher welfare practices for the animals raised for food in their supply chain, which includes a current focus on accelerating the food industry's momentum and legislation toward production of cage-free eggs. Website: www.thehumaneleague.orgX/Twitter Handle: @thehumaneleagueCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/thehumaneleagueOther URL: FastActionNetwork.com; EndCages.com; InspireBrandsBetrayal.com; DupedbyDunkin.com; SonicsSecrets.comBiographical Information: Vicky Bond is a doctor of veterinary science, animal welfare scientist, and president of The Humane League, a global animal protection nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food. Bond trained as a veterinary surgeon and practiced as a veterinarian with the primary goal of helping animals. When she witnessed firsthand the horrors that take place on factory farms, she realized that if she really wanted to help animals, she had to work to end factory farming. From there, Bond worked internationally in research and food business departments for several animal protection organizations. She worked closely with food corporations, including restaurants, retailers, food service companies, producers, and suppliers, as well as in slaughterhouses, to better understand and improve their supply chains and business structures to improve the lives of animals raised for food. X/Twitter Handle: @vickybond_thlLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/vicky-bond-b9107936/Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024: This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore's prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* Superpowers for Good - Kinect Capital Live Pitch, March 28 at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific: Four companies currently raising via crowdfunding will pitch their offerings live via the Superpowers for Good streaming television show on e360tv. Kinect Capital will host the pitch. Applications to pitch will open soon! Save the date! More information is coming soon! * SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don't miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Leveraging Donor-Advised Funds for Climate Investing, Raise Green, Today at 11 AM ET* Strengthening Positive Peace to Create Hope in the World, February 24, Fredericksburg, VA* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

I'm not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It's an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Karl: I sometimes say that I'm a puzzle solver. I have the ability to connect the dots.Karl Dakin, the capital coach, helps small businesses raise capital–or even figure out how to get where they're going without it. A big fan of regulated investment crowdfunding, he led an effort to pass enabling legislation in Colorado. Then, he helped to launch a crowdfunding portal to take advantage of the rules.Investment crowdfunding has topped $2 billion cumulatively since it started but still represents a small part of the economy. When issuers and investors finish the courtship, the space could explode to multiples of this scale. Karl thinks he's figured out how that could happen. Keep reading!Seeing the vital role small businesses play in the local economy, he works with a wide range of companies.I work with all kinds of companies and all kinds of industries. Some people think I'm confused because of the diversity of things I work with. Right now, I'm working on a dinosaur theme park. I'm working with an international lottery gaming company. I'm working with a company that's using topical CBD products to reduce pain and inflammation. I'm also helping with the local crowdfunding platform that is working to set up a farm-to-table group of supporters for any small business that's looking for microfinancing here within the state of Colorado.He's also helping an LGBTQ woman-owned manufacturer of vegan protein bars raise capital. Greens Gone Wild, led by Laura Harris, is raising capital via Crowd Sprout, a crowdfunding portal operating under the Colorado State exemption. The campaign is open only to Colorado investors.I love this one. It hits so many notes for me. It's a small business that is scalable. A woman leads it. A member of the LGBTQ community leads it. It is vegan. The layers of impact inspire me. This is a moment when I wish I lived in Colorado so I could invest.Karl uses that offering as an example of what he suggests all consumer products companies should do with their campaigns. He explains the example:With Greens Gone Wild, if you make a $100 investment, you're also going to get $50 of free product. They'll ship to your door product, just like if you had ordered it on their online website–$50 value. Then we also give a $100 discount on future purchases. So, you get 20% off the list price on buying these products.The company also agrees to donate $25 per investor to a local nonprofit.The investor gets $150 in rewards–plus the satisfaction of enabling $25 of charitable giving. The company presumably has a good margin on the products, so it doesn't cost $50 to offer the $50 perk. The discounts are valuable to the consumer but still allow the company to make a narrow profit. The investors become long-term, repeat customers.Then, the investor gets equity, too. For small investors, the rewards essentially remove the risk. The company gets repeat customers with a permanent connection–ownership–to the business. Problem solved!That, Karl believes, is the key that will unlock crowdfunding success for small businesses.He reached this conclusion using his superpower, I'll call problem-solving.AI Episode Summary1. Devin introduces Karl Dakin, founder and CEO of Dakin Capital, who shares Devin's passion for investment crowdfunding.2. Karl Dakin's company, Dakin Capital, is a consultancy firm that assists small businesses in obtaining the necessary capital for starting or growing their ventures.3. Karl positions himself as a "capital coach," aiding businesses in designing capital campaigns, preparing to receive capital, and, in some cases, managing the entire campaign on behalf of the company.4. Karl believes that small businesses are vital in bringing innovation to the market, contributing to global impact by improving the quality of life through their products and services.5. He works with a diverse range of companies across different industries, such as a dinosaur theme park, an international lottery gaming company, a CBD product company, and a crowdfunding platform focused on microfinancing in Colorado.6. One of Karl's current projects involves working with Greens Gone Wild, a company producing vegan protein food bars, to help them navigate crowdfunding to reach a broader base of investors.7. Karl emphasizes targeting campaigns not just at wealthy individuals but also at customers and future patrons, integrating immediate value for investors through product discounts and immediate gratification.8. For the Greens Gone Wild crowdfunding campaign, with a $100 investment, investors receive $50 of product, $100 of future purchase discounts, and a $25 product donation to a local charity, creating a package with a retail value of $275.9. Karl believes in the potential of equity crowdfunding to allow non-wealthy individuals to invest and build wealth while supporting small business growth and innovation.10. Karl encourages reaching out to him through LinkedIn, where he recently started a daily newsletter called Instant Funding, his website Dakin Capital, and other platforms like SuperCrowd, expressing his dedication to helping small businesses raise capital.Share this post to start a discussion on X, LinkedIn or Facebook about adding rewards to investment crowdfunding campaigns.How to Develop Problem-Solving As a Superpower“People would say is I see dots that no one else sees,” Karl says of his problem-solving superpower. Like solving a puzzle, he connects the dots between disparate data points to draw fresh conclusions to test new solutions.Following the passage of the JOBS Act in 2012, Karl began working on implementing crowdfunding in Colorado. So, he's been thinking about optimizing fundraising for a decade, along the way, helping companies do it. He loves that under the new rules, “investments are not limited to wealthy people.” But, he sees a need to think differently about bringing in small, novice investors. He framed the question as, “How do you get a non-wealthy person to be able to make an investment where they can benefit enough that it makes sense to them at their income level, where they're at in their life?”His conclusion is to incorporate substantial consumer rewards, reflecting a genuine innovation in crowdfunding. He developed that strategy using his ability to solve problems.Karl offers some tips for strengthening your ability to solve problems.First, he suggests shaking off the fear by embracing the idea that much of what you try will fail–on your way to ultimate success. Second, he offers that it is important not to lock your focus on what has been done in the past. Start with a “blank canvas,” focusing on what you want to accomplish rather than how you'll get there.That kind of thinking, he says, allows you to conclude that you may be able to borrow or rent something rather than raise capital to buy it. You get where you're going without some of the cost and stress.By following Karl's example and advice, you can strengthen your ability to solve problems. With practice, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileKarl Dakin (he/him):Founder / Owner, Dakin Capital LLCAbout Dakin Capital LLC: A specialty consulting company that provides coaching to small businesses in the design, staging and conduct of capital campaigns.Website: www.dakincapital.comX/Twitter Handle: @KarlDakinBiographical Information: Mr. Dakin is a professional entrepreneur, a leader of business startup projects, consultant on small business capital formation and an educator on entrepreneurship. He owns and operates Dakin Capital LLC, where he provides services as a capital coach to small businesses leveling up or just getting started. He serves as a business leader in several small businesses.Mr. Dakin is currently an Adjunct Faculty with the University of Denver and a member of a faculty team that teaches the BioEntrepreneurship program at University of Colorado, Anschutz Campus.He shares his knowledge of raising capital through his Instant Funding newsletter, media posts and guest appearances.Mr. Dakin is a member of the Economic Development Council of Colorado, National Coalition for Community Capital, SuperCrowd, and the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs.He is a licensed attorney in the State of Colorado with 45 years of experience in commercializing innovation. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Washburn University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Washburn University School of Business in Topeka, Kansas.X/Twitter Handle: @KarlDakinPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/karl.dakinLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/karldakin/Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024: This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore's prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* Superpowers for Good - Kinect Capital Live Pitch, March 28 at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific: Four companies currently raising via crowdfunding will pitch their offerings live via the Superpowers for Good streaming television show on e360tv. Kinect Capital will host the pitch. Applications to pitch will open soon! Save the date! More information is coming soon! * SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don't miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Leveraging Donor-Advised Funds for Climate Investing, Raise Green, February 15 at 11 AM ET* Strengthening Positive Peace to Create Hope in the World, February 24, Fredericksburg, VA* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

I'm not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It's an easy way to support our work.Devin: What is your superpower?Paul: My favorite superpower, my favorite personal talent or strength, is what Don Clifton and the Clifton Strengthsfinder would call ideation.Paul Allen, serial entrepreneur and founder of Ancestry.com, is building on his history managing massive databases to develop a proprietary ethical AI model he's deploying in several fields, beginning with Citizen Portal. The new company monitors public governmental meetings, from school boards to the Supreme Court. (Full disclosure: I'm a crowdfunding investor in Citizin Portal.)Soar is a parent company Paul founded to develop the proprietary AI engine that underlies Citizen Portal and other companies in the works. “Our vision for PURE AI is an acronym for personalized–you ought to be able to control the AI and design it according to your needs–uplifting–it ought to be wonderful to interact with and joyful to use–and then responsible and ethical,” Paul says. “A lot of companies talk about responsible AI and ethical AI, but we like the personalized and uplifting as well.”Paul shares the vision for Citizen Portal:The vision of Citizen Portal is to use AI to empower citizens to become informed and engaged about every issue they care about at the local, state, and federal level. If you think about the difficulty of being a citizen right now–do we trust our leaders? Do we know what's going on? Are we happy with the $34 trillion debt? I mean, there are lots of issues that make you feel like the country is not going in the right direction.Paul notes that part of the lack of trust is the rapid decline in local journalism over the past 20 years or so. Two or three decades ago, local papers had reporters at virtually every public meeting. That is no longer true. Citizen Portal can monitor all public meetings that are accessible digitally–which is a vast majority today.Citizen Portal is now conducting a crowdfunding raise under Regulation Crowdfunding via StartEngine.Paul shares his thoughts about crowdfunding:I literally love the American Jobs Act from 2012–finally, the SEC in 2016 launched the rules for crowdfunding. But I love the idea that average people can invest in a startup company that has a lot of promise, and obviously, billions of dollars have now been raised across the industry.Paul will deliver a keynote address in the opening session of SuperCrowd24 on April 17. To learn more about the offering, visit startengine.com/citizenportal.Paul has built Soar to take advantage of his superpower, ideation, enabling him to apply the core technology across a broad suite of applications.AI Episode Summary1. Paul Allen, the founder of Ancestry.com, is introduced as a "rock star entrepreneur" and is currently working on a new venture called Citizen Portal.2. Citizen Portal is an AI-driven platform designed to empower citizens to become informed and engaged on issues at the local, state, and federal levels, addressing the decline of traditional media coverage.3. The platform has imported and transcribed 600-700,000 hours of public meetings, making the content searchable and accessible to citizens.4. Paul's vision is to fill the void left by the diminishing newspaper industry by giving citizens firsthand access to government proceedings and facilitating a new generation of informed citizens.5. The ethical AI model used at Soar, called PURE AI, focuses on creating AI that is Personalized, Uplifting, Responsible, and Ethical.6. Paul plans to launch around 15 corporations in the next 2-3 years, including Faith Portal AI for religious content, Learning Portal, and Workplace AI Portal, aimed at improving human capability and decision-making.7. Family and Friend Portals are also in the pipeline to help enhance relationships, countering the rise in loneliness, stress, and isolation exacerbated by platforms like Facebook.8. Citizen Portal is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on StartEngine to further develop the platform and strengthen democracy.9. The platform aims to create a personal voter scorecard by indexing content from elected officials and opposition candidates, providing personalized, issue-based insights for voters.10. Paul attributes his success as an entrepreneur to his superpower of "ideation," the ability to come up with new ideas, which he pairs with executing strengths and building teams to bring ideas to reality.How to Develop Ideation As a SuperpowerPaul is a primary reason we call the show and the newsletter “Superpowers for Good.” An expert in personal strength development, Paul and I–friends for decades–met for lunch four or five years ago, and he explained how he appreciated the superpowers questions I asked guests. That ultimately led to writing the book, Superpowers for Good, and the show's rebranding.Paul shared his struggle with his ideation superpower in the early days of the World Wide Web: I had what I called dotcom syndrome. That is, for any word in the English language, I would just close my eyes and put a .com on it, and boom, a business model would pop into my head. Here's what the product or service could be. I bought a high-speed satellite dish in 1995 in Provo, Utah. I was probably the first person [there] to have high-speed internet. I would stay up till 2 or 3 in the morning studying thousands of other dot coms to find out their marketing strategy, their product strategy, what niches they were in, and how were they getting funded. I had a folio knowledge base with over 3,000 copy-and-paste things about what I discovered about internet companies.Paul advises changemakers: “Don't take advice from other people unless that advice lets you play to your strengths.”By following Paul's example, you can strengthen your ideation ability. With practice, you, too, could make it a superpower that would enable you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that, as Paul suggests, research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfilePaul Allen (he/him):CEO & Board Member, Citizen PortalAbout Citizen Portal: Citizen Portal is a non-partisan, AI-powered platform with $426,200 in pre-seed funding and a seasoned leadership team aiming to revolutionize civic engagement, revive government transparency, and transform American democracy. Citizen Portal is on a mission to transform democracy with an AI-powered approach. We are reshaping civic engagement and education by providing Americans with up-to-date, accurate, newsworthy information straight from the source. Citizen Portal utilizes AI to index, transcribe, and summarize meetings and hearings at all levels of government. By providing access to video recordings of school boards, local, state, and federal meetings, Citizen Portal helps to empower citizens, journalists, and advocates to know what is being said by their elected officials and done in their government.Website: citizenportal.aiX/Twitter Handle: @CitizenPortalAiCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/profile.php?id=100093227401453Other URL: startengine.com/citizenportalBiographical Information: Paul Allen is a visionary tech entrepreneur and evangelist driven by a desire to help individuals live their best lives. Paul has founded eight companies. He calls himself a “platform entrepreneur” since his products are usually built on top of the latest tech platform or wave, such as CD-ROM, the World Wide Web, mp3 audio, or Facebook. For the past several years, Paul's focus has been using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential.In 1990, Paul founded Infobases, whose mission was to digitize and publish the world's most important books on CD ROM with a full-text search engine. This endeavor led directly to Ancestry.com—Paul's best-known company—which sought to gather and publish the world's genealogy records, family trees, and memories on the internet to enable everyone to discover their heritage. Over 100 million people have learned about their family history at Ancestry.com.Paul's teams have a history of building viral products. MyFamily.com (1998) attracted millions of users and, for a time, was the fastest-growing online community on the web, as well as the top photo-sharing site in 2000 and 2001. Paul's We're Related app on Facebook (2007-2010) gained more than 120 million users in two and a half years. From 2012 to 2017, Paul worked with Gallup to promote the StrengthsFinder assessment (now called CliftonStrengths) from the Washington, DC headquarters. As the “Global Strengths Evangelist,” Paul helped increase online purchases of the assessment and supported a global community of strengths coaches. Today, more than 30 million people have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment. Paul's most recent creation is Soar.com, a company whose mission—once again—is to uplift humanity. Paul is a strong advocate for using AI in positive ways, specifically to enable individuals to become the best version of themselves. When excellent training is paired with AI-generated feedback on actual performance, leaders, managers, founders, and individual contributors can achieve excellence faster than ever before. Soar is an AI Studio that will form more than fifteen separate corporations to bring PURE AI (Personalized Uplifting Responsible Ethical AI) to many fields, including education, faith, government, health, finance, medicine, law, family history, and the workplace. Eventually, Soar will enable people to build and customize their own AI assistant (think of Jarvis from Iron Man or Janet from The Good Place) to help them learn, grow, make better decisions, and maximize their time on Earth. Paul's influence extends beyond entrepreneurship. He's a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, teaching the importance of family stories and personal strengths in shaping one's identity. A lifelong learner, Paul has amassed a vast library of thousands of books. In fact, Paul's dedication to learning extends to his teaching roles in Internet Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. He's received numerous accolades, including Ernst & Young Utah Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000 and MarketingSherpa National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008. Paul is a fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association and was named a Cyber Pioneer in 2010 by the Cyber Law Section of the Utah State Bar. In 2016, he was the honored alumnus of the BYU Humanities College, having graduated in 1990 with a BA in Russian. Most recently, Paul has been featured on The Pulse of AI, The Briefing with Steve Scully, The Business of Learning, and The Adventures in Machine Learning podcasts.Paul and his wife, Christy, reside in Missouri. They have eight adult children and five grandchildren.X/Twitter Handle: @paulballenPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/paulallenLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/paulballen/Instagram Handle: @paulallendcUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024. This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore's prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don't miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.” Paul Allen will deliver a keynote address in the opening general session.* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Leveraging Donor-Advised Funds for Climate Investing, Raise Green, February 15 at 11 AM ET* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Climate Investing has evolved from a focus on portfolio exclusions to a diverse set of products, such as low-carbon solutions. In this episode of ESG Currents, senior ESG strategist Shaheen Contractor is joined by Leslie Samuelrich, the president of Green Century Capital Management, to discuss the evolution of climate investing, demand drivers, shareholder advocacy and measures of success. Green Century is one of the oldest environmental fund managers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

⭐ In today's super short holiday episode, I cover these 4 topics: (1) Report — Climate investing for family offices, (2) POV — What climate tech software means for an $80B VC investor, (3) Mental model — Hanlon's Razor (Don't assume the worst), (4) Mental fitness — What is the feeling you're unwilling to feel? ---

Head of private climate investing Greg Wasserman joins host Thomas Mucha to discuss his latest research on climate venture capital, including highlighting climate technology in the private market, the impact of today's geopolitical and policy environments, and much more.Key topics:2:35 – The evolution of climate venture capital6:45 – Private climate's growing opportunity set9:07 – What technologies are maturing versus mature?10:25 – Leading-edge climate innovations12:10 – Collaborating with industry and climate experts15:25 – Climate change disrupting capital markets17:45 – The US Inflation Reduction Act20:15 – The intersection of climate and national security23:30 – What's driving climate entrepreneurs?

This episode is part of our Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. On today's MCJ Capital Series, we have two guests: Mark Berryman, Managing Director of Impact Investments, and Nick Flores, Managing Director of Impact Investing and Client Advisor for Caprock. Caprock is a multifamily office that provides customized, comprehensive and strategic financial solutions for a select number of families and foundations. They advise over $8 billion in assets of which over $2 billion has been allocated to impact investments. Caprock is a founding B corporation, which certifies that they meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. In this episode, we cover: [2:05] An overview of Caprock[3:07] The roles and collaboration between the client advisory and investment research teams at Caprock[5:38] Caprock's approach to impact, due diligence and monitoring[8:48] The firm's emphasis on privates[18:21] Client demand for deeper and more niche impact investment opportunities[25:19] How Caprock thinks about return profiles[30:51] Criteria for manager and fund selection[34:13] Tracking specialists vs generalists[38:23] Nick and Mark's concerns and what excites them in the climate space[41:35] Caprock's interest in deep tech[45:00] Thoughts on first of its kind (FOAK)[47:31] Evolution of LP base and barriers holding it back[51:31] Continuous learning and knowledge sharing as a key aspect of Caprock's approach to impact investingResources mentioned: Caprock's Impact Investment Case StudyCorrection: In this episode, Jason mistakenly refers to Caprock as having over $8 billion in assets under management. Caprock advises over $8 billion in assets. Get connected: Jason Jacobs X / LinkedInMark Berryman LinkedInNick Flores 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 Oct 12, 2023 (Published on Nov 1, 2023) 

There are a lot of quarterly ups and downs in venture dollars deployed across climatetech. But the trend is generally up. Since 2021, more than 200 new climate investment funds have been created with $121 billion under management, according to CTVC. Earlier this month, Canary Media Editorial Director Eric Wesoff explored the evolved state of climate investing at Canary Media's live event in Berkeley.  The panel included: Nancy Pfund, managing partner at DBL Investors; Mona EINaggar, a partner at Valo Ventures, and Elaine Hseih, a senior advisor at the US Department of Energy. They discussed what sectors are most promising, the pathways to commercial success, and what America's green industrial strategy means for investors. This episode is brought to you by SPAN, a smart electrical panel that helps homeowners save on their energy bills. Interested in having a SPAN Panel installed in your home? Visit span.io to learn more. This episode is brought to you by Nextracker, a leading provider of intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions used in solar projects around the world. Learn more at Nextracker.com.

Startups aren't the only companies racing to build the new world of AI. This week, Sarah Guo talks with Brian Halligan, the co-founder, longtime CEO and now executive chairperson of HubSpot, the fastest growing CRM. He talks about category creation, coining the term ‘inbound marketing,' lessons in scaling from an app to a suite to a platform, staying innovative at scale, and how they're navigating the AI disruption. Brian also describes the life-threatening moment he decided to step back from the CEO role. Plus, what he's up to at Propeller Ventures and why he's banking on the ocean to save us from climate change. Brian coined the term "inbound marketing" and together with Dharmesh Shah built a movement around the concept, which included organizing the industry-leading INBOUND event and co-authoring the book Inbound Marketing. Now, as the founder of Propeller Ventures, Brian directs a $100 million climate tech venture fund, specializing in ocean investments. He also serves on the boards of Navier and Aquatic Labs. Brian developed MIT's popular Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures class, which he's taught for over a decade. Show Links:  Brian Halligan | LinkedIn  Propeller VC WHOI Partnership HubSpot Culture Code Read his books: Inbound Marketing and Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil |@BHalligan Show Notes:  (0:00:00) - HubSpot's Journey from Unlikely Startup to Industry Incumbent (0:05:32) - The End of Cold Calling (and the Birth of Inbound) (0:16:40) - Building a Multi-Product Company (0:22:07) - How to Stay Innovative and Hungry after Going Public (0:29:12) - AI Workflows in CRM and the Incumbent Data Advantage (0:36:09) - Creating a Culture Code for HubSpot (0:40:24) - Propeller Venture Fund, Ours Oceans and Climate Investing

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. David Helgason is a partner at Transition. Transition is a venture firm that partners with Seed and Series A founders to accelerate the climate transition. They've come together as founders, investors, operators, engineers, and scientists from across the world with a single mission: building an abundant and resilient society that can thrive within our finite planet.Prior to starting Transition, David was Co-founder of Unity Technologies, and served as the CEO until 2014. He's still on their board of directors. With his background in the gaming industry, David took interest in green gaming, before stretching that interest into mitigating and adapting to climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy. We have a great discussion in this episode about David's journey, the work that he's doing at Transition, how he got started in climate, what types of companies and projects are most interesting to him and his team, and how he sees transition evolving and playing out for all of us.In this episode, we cover: [02:43]: Introduction to Transition[05:07]: David's background in the video game industry[07:01]: His journey into climate tech investments, starting with angel investments[10:47]: His decision to focus on climate, and the choice of venture for climate impact[14:07]: Challenges faced by generalist venture firms when investing in climate tech[17:03]: Transition's approach to impact measurement using the Planetary Boundaries framework[19:08]: Risk assessment and capital intensity in Transition's investment process[23:10]: Exploration of the future of climate tech and the potential for every company to be a climate company[26:54]: The role of incumbents and collaboration in the energy transition[28:50]: The challenges and opportunities of working with oil majors[31:59]: The role of individuals in the transition[33:15]: Advice for those interested in working on climate tech problems.Resource Mentioned: Planetary boundaries - Stockholm Resilience CentreGet connected: David Helgason LinkedInJason Jacobs X / 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 Sep 28, 2023 (aired on Oct 11, 2023) 

This episode is part of our Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Fabian Heilemann is the founder and CEO of AENU. Fabian is a long-time entrepreneur, and after several successful exits, he became very concerned about climate. He started with his personal carbon footprint and then evolved to looking at what he could do internally when he was a traditional, financially-oriented venture capitalist. He looked at the footprints of the portfolio companies of that firm and then ultimately came to realize that he wanted to build a new kind of investment firm that puts impact front and center without being concessionary in any way from a return standpoint.Jason and Fabian have a great discussion about his journey to starting AENU, some of the core principles the firm stands for and how they go about it, where they are on that journey, how they got going, and where Fabian sees AENU going in the future. And of course how that fits into his thoughts on the broader transition and what we can do collectively to accelerate progress. In this episode, we cover: [4:21] An overview of AENU [5:59] Fabian's decision to work on climate [12:58] His firm's early structure and evolution [19:26] AENU's initial vision and its current strategy [28:50] The relationship between new technologies, sustainability, and their impact on established industries, corporations, and policymakers[39:10] Fabian's experience trying to start a climate sleeve in traditional VC [50:07] AENU's check size, portfolio construction, and the firm's scope [54:23] Fabian's thoughts on the need for collaborationGet connected: Fabian Heilemann X / LinkedIn Jason Jacobs X / 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 Sept 6, 2023 (Published on Sept 20, 2023)

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. John Tough is Managing Partner at Energize Capital, a leading climate software investor. Energize partners with best-in-class innovators to accelerate the sustainability transition, and they have both an early-stage traditional venture vehicle as well as a growth vehicle.In this episode, Jason and John delve into the firm's origins and John's motivations for co-founding it. They explore his early career at Kleiner Green Growth and his pivotal role as employee number three at Choose Energy. The discussion also covers Energize's approach, LP composition, evolution, and the alignment between LPs and the venture and growth vehicles.They then examine the shifting macro environment's impact on LP investments in climate tech, company criteria, check sizes, leadership roles, diligence procedures, thesis-driven aspects, and the comprehensive post-company support offered by Energize.In this episode, we cover: [02:34]: The origin story of Energize Capital (formally Energize Ventures)[07:26]: John's insights from being both a VC and an entrepreneur[09:01]: His decision to anchor in the Midwest[12:35]: Launching an early-stage venture firm[15:30]: The pitch to GMs[17:34]: Impact and thesis-driven vs. opportunistic approaches[19:53]: Traditional venture vs. growth strategies[22:31]: Energize Capital's current thesis [25:15]: Value for founders working with Energize [27:28]: LP base evolution[30:43]: Tailored corporate engagement strategy[31:59]: John's answer to "why software only?"[35:55]: Current climate tech observations the role of international deal flow[40:28]: Current (late 2023) LP sentiment amidst market uncertainty[44:39]: Rise of dedicated institution-based climate capital pools[46:38]: Energize Capital's evaluation criteria  [50:42]: Controllable and uncontrollable factors in this space[52:59]: Who John and Energize want to hear fromGet connected: Jason Jacobs X / LinkedInJohn Tough X / 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 Aug 16, 2023 (aired on Sep 13, 2023) 

In this episode, Chad Reed speaks with Calvert Impact's President and CEO, Jennifer "Jenn" Pryce, and Beth Bafford, Calvert Impact's Vice President of Syndications and Strategy. Calvert Impact is a global nonprofit investment firm that helps investors and financial professionals invest in solutions that people and the planet need. During its 28-year history, Calvert Impact has mobilized approximately $5 billion to build and grow local community and green finance organizations.Jenn and Beth discuss Calvert Impact's history, evolution, and core mission. They also delve into Calvert Impact's unique nonprofit model, financial self-sufficiency, and structure. Chad, Jenn, and Beth explore the impact investing space overall and highlight the distinctions from ESG investing. Finally, Jenn and Beth share stories about what drew them into the impact investing field before closing with a discussion around Calvert Impact's work spearheading the Climate United coalition, which is participating in the EPA's National Clean Investment Fund $14 billion grant competition announced earlier this summer.Links: Jennifer Pryce BioJennifer Pryce LinkedInBeth Bafford BioBeth Bafford LinkedInCalvert Impact LinkedInWebsite: Calvert ImpactCalvert Impact 2022 Impact ReportWebsite: Climate UnitedClimate United Press Release (June 21, 2023): Leading sustainable energy and community finance organizations join forces to pursue National Clean Investment Fund mandateEpisode recorded August 15, 2023 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Jonah Goldman was a longtime managing director at Bill Gates' firm, Breakthrough Energy. Breakthrough Energy is dedicated to helping humanity avoid a climate disaster through investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy advocacy, and other activities. They're committed to scaling the technologies that we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Jonah helped establish the firm in 2015 and served as primary architect for all of the programs and funds. Currently, Jonah serves as the founder and Principal at North Cascades Strategies where he works with clients and partners to creatively commercialize critical climate technologies.  He also serves as a Senior Advisor for Public Affairs at Generate Capital and a Senior Advisor at the Boston Consulting Group. We have a great discussion in this episode about the origin of Breakthrough, how Jonah found himself doing this climate work to begin with, how Breakthrough is set up, the different areas in which they operate, how they've evolved over time, and how that fits into the broader problem of climate change and the broader solution set. We then cover the nature of the problem of climate change, the best ways to address it, and some of the biggest opportunities and challenges with accelerating the transition.In this episode, we cover: [03:28]: Jonah's background[04:50]: The focus on traditional climate solutions at the 2015 Paris COP[06:56]: Breakthrough Energy's inception as a bridge between public research and private capital[08:34]: Bill Gates' commitment to real capital and the challenge to the public sector[09:49]: Factors that contributed to people saying "yes" to Breakthrough Energy[11:56]: Bill Gates' leadership and the global commitment to addressing climate change[13:12]: Differences between Breakthrough Energy One and traditional venture capital[14:12]: Need for purpose-built investment vehicles for climate technologies[16:04]: The firm's goal of creating a commercial environment for hard technologies[17:56]: Distinguishing climate-focused investments from general investments[19:19]: Integrating climate considerations into all sectors[22:10]: Perfecting purpose-built vehicles for climate investments[23:52]: Aligning financial incentives and solving challenges to drive investments[30:08] The need for existing players willing to take new models[36:52] Government's role in the clean energy transition[41:24] Need for a multifaceted approach to solving climate[45:15] BEV's focus on investing in hard tech[47:41] Jonah's thoughts on company climate commitments[52:34] His feelings about carbon markets[55:55] The role of behavior change[1:00:17] Jonah's current projects and who he wants to hear fromGet connected: Jonah Goldman X / LinkedInJason Jacobs X / 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 Aug 4, 2023 (aired on Aug 30, 2023) 

Since it's summer, I'll play my "on vacation" card and recycle this podcast, one of our most popular so far. Plus, Howard and Gratitude Railroad are putting on their upcoming 2023 Gratitude Investor Gathering on Sept. 10 - Sept. 13 at 1440 Multiversity in California. Check it out! Details here: "From outdoor sessions under the canopy of thousand-year-old redwoods, to fireside chats around roaring fire pits, this year's Gathering venue - 1440 Multiversity - specializes in curated experiences that inspire the best in the human spirit to cultivate the greater good. What we're excited about: Community-centric and purpose-driven programming designed to explore ideas and catalyze investments in nature-based solutions, the inclusive economy, equitable health, alternative energy, futurist food systems, & more... Trusted and deep relationships with values-aligned investors, founders, fund managers, academics, and impact leader Investment opportunities and tools for accelerating capital into enduring and equitable impact" --- ⭐ My guest on this podcast was Howard Fischer, the Chief Evangelist at Gratitude Railroad. Gratitude Railroad's mission is to support investors in moving capital from traditional finance to impact investments that create deep social and environmental impact, without compromising financial returns. His bio on the GR website is delightful in its brevity and insight into who he is. And I quote: “Uphill over downhill; Snow over sand; Read over watch; Trees over skyscrapers; Pizza over steak; Conversation over gossip; Disagree over agree; Instinct over spreadsheets; Relationship over contract.” ---

This episode is part of our Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Ben Kortlang is a partner at G2 Venture Partners, or G2VP. Ben, alongside his partners, Brook Porter, David Mount, and Daniel Oros founded G2 Venture Partners in 2016 while working together as senior partners at Kleiner Perkins Green Growth Fund. Ben and Jason have a great discussion in this episode about Ben's path to venture capital and his path to climate investing, his thoughts on the Cleantech 1.0 wave and some of the lessons learned, the formation story of the firm, their investment approach, how that's evolved over time and what they look for when they make investments. They also discuss the broader investment landscape and the clean energy transition overall, some of the blockers and some changes that Ben thinks could unlock faster progress. In this episode, we cover: [02:13]: G2 Venture Partners' origin story and overview[04:10]: Ben's initial interest in alternative energy[06:11]: Takeaways from his experience at VC firm Kleiner Perkens[14:51]: G2VP's 2016 spinout during the darkest hour of the "cleantech winter" [18:13]: Key lessons from cleantech investing[20:25]: Examples from Tesla's 20-year journey to success [22:30]: Cleantech's hardware challenge, software vs. hardware dynamics[24:34]: The need for resilience after Cleantech 1.0 skepticism[26:54]: G2VP's fundraising process and "inflection point investing" strategy[30:13]: Their fund structure and expansion across verticals[33:27]: LP composition changes and other differences between Fund 1 and Fund 2[35:22]: Geography, capital intensity, and regulatory risk considerations[39:32]: Balance between thesis-driven and opportunistic investments[40:48]: How the firm and their LPs approach impact [46:23]: Importance of deep research to identifying winners in B2B contexts[50:32]: Ben's thoughts on valuing companies and confidence in exits[53:43]: Addressing the "capital gap" for first-of-a-kind projects[55:38]: Climate's potential integration across sectors, similar to mobile tech[57:08]: "Additionality" in climate investing[59:24]: Ben's take on institutional capital's hesitance to invest in climate[01:03:10]: His take on whether we'll solve the climate crisis and how the world has to change  [01:06:31]: Ben's messages to CIOs of university endowments, founders of successful companies, and independently wealthy peopleGet connected: Ben Kortlang LinkedInJason Jacobs 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 Jul 25, 2023 (published on Aug 16, 2023) 

Jay Kapoor is the General Partner of VSC Ventures, an offshoot of the internationally lauded PR firm VSC. As a seasoned investor Jay, who spent the last decade advising teams and athletes in the NFL, NBA and other major US sports, is now entrenched in the climate world- he hosts the climate pod Climb which you can check out here. Money is important to building a sustainable solution. So is policy, advocacy, corporate responsibility, personal accountability, technology, and collaboration. No one solution or tactic will provide a silver bullet to creating a sustainable solution. The unifying thread that binds them all together, and makes the sum greater than the parts: storytelling. Jay works with his companies to develop a narrative that will supercharge their ability to attract and enrapture customers. By leveraging their PR prowess VSC is able to provide exposure, craft narratives, and make the problem of climate change feel personal through the companies they support. Todays episode is sponsored by See Change Sessions: Join a global crew of adventurous minds to solve some of the worlds biggest problems . For more information about their upcoming session in Vermont, September 12-14, check out their website here: https://www.seechangesessions.com/

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores various capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Irena Spazzapan is Managing Partner at Systemiq Capital, the climate-tech VC spin-off from the world's largest pure-play climate advisory firm, Systemiq. Irena built the current team and led most investments in Fund I, including companies like Charm Industrial and Brimstone. And in 2022, she led the spin-out of Systemiq Capital from Systemiq with the launch of Fund II, which continues to back early-stage companies across the UK, EU, and North America. In this episode, Irena and Jason have a great discussion about the origin story of Systemiq Capital, their approach to climate investing, and how they evolved over time. We also cover a bevy of related topics, including what's been happening in the macro, some of the bottlenecks that are holding up progress, what we can do to accelerate progress and, of course,  where Systemiq Capital and early-stage climate tech innovation generally fit in. Enjoy the show! In this episode, we cover: [2:17] An overview of Systemiq Capital [3:17] The fund's origin story spun out of McKinsey [5:17] Irena's background and professional journey [7:26] The impetus for Systemiq's investing efforts[10:49] The fund's investing matrix and their rationale for it[14:42] The role of family offices in Systemiq's pilot fund [16:43] Systemiq's goals for its pilot fund [18:36] Systemiq's views on impact vs returns [21:21] Why are LPs mostly climate folks? [24:36] The working relationships and collaboration between Systemiq and Systemiq Capital[27:27] How learnings from Systemiq's Fund I informed Fund II[31:27] The importance of timing and impact on returns [33:38] Irena's thoughts on regulation and upcoming directives [35:45] Risks Systemiq is comfortable taking vs. non-starters [37:13] FOAK projects and Irena's views on how they should be funded [40:06] Differences between real assets experts vs. Silicon Valley founders [44:19] Differences between climate tech innovation in Europe vs. the US [47:05] Challenges of getting financially-driven institutional capital allocators to invest in climate[52:32] Systemiq's current deployment status and returns [54:05] Types of capital Systemiq doesn't take and Irena's thoughts on the topic generally[59:21] How Systemiq measures and tracks success[01:01:16] Irena's theory of changeGet connected: Jason Jacobs Twitter / LinkedInIrena Spazzapan 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 July 11, 2023 (Published on July 26, 2023) 

Michael DeLucia  is the Sector Lead for Climate Investing at Wellington, an investment management firm with over $1 trillion assets under management. Before joining Wellington Management in 2021, Mike was a founding partner at ⁠Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners⁠ (SIP), where he led all aspects of the investment process for companies and projects in the infrastructure technology space, focusing.  Prior to joining Wellington Management in 2021, Mike was a founding partner at Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), where he led all aspects of the investment process for companies and projects in the infrastructure technology space, with a focus on investments in the energy transition and the built environment. SIP is a spin-off of Alphabet's cities-of-the-future arm, Sidewalk Labs, where he worked as associate director, of investments.  He was also previously a vice president in the Energy Markets Division of Macquarie Group, investing directly in the energy and power sectors. Mike began financing energy companies as a project finance analyst at HSH Nordbank, then as an investment associate at Nereus Capital.  Mike holds a B.A. in philosophy and economics from Brown University. About VSC Ventures: For 20 years, our award-winning ⁠⁠PR agency VSC⁠⁠ has worked with innovative startups on positioning, messaging, and awareness. We are bringing that expertise to help climate startups with storytelling and narrative building. Last year, general partners Vijay Chattha and Jay Kapoor raised a $21M fund to co-invest in the most promising startups alongside leading climate funds. Through the conversations on our show CLIMB by VSC, we're excited to share what we're doing at VSC and VSC Ventures on climate innovation with companies like ⁠⁠Ample⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Actual⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Sesame Solar⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Synop⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vibrant Planet⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Zume⁠⁠ among many others.

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Vikram Raju is Managing Director, Head of the 1GT Platform and Head of Climate Investing for the private credit and equity division of Morgan Stanley Investment Management.Morgan Stanley, of course, is a big player in the investing world, and seeing that they are entering climate tech and doing so at the growth equity stage is intriguing. Jason and Vikram cover a lot in this episode, including Morgan Stanley's journey to standing up this 1GT Platform and also Vikram's journey to doing the work that he does. We also discussed the energy transition generally, barriers holding it back, and changes that could unlock faster progress. In this episode, we cover: Morgan Stanley and Vikram's role within the firmMorgan Stanley's 1GT strategy for private capital in the climate spaceVikram's personal journey and professional background that lead him to his current role in climate investingMorgan Stanley's focus on CO2 emissions and how it came aboutHow the firm assesses carbon reductions and the transparency of its methodologyWhere impact assessment kicks in during the deal processSources of capital for Morgan Stanley's 1GT strategySome of the areas that Vikram spends most of his time on, including mobility, energy, circular economy and food and agricultureSome of Morgan Stanley's investments to dateOpportunities for Morgan Stanley to provide crucial capital to promising climate tech companies during a challenging investment landscapeVikram's thoughts on the gap between venture capital and project financeHis skepticism toward the regulatory landscapeThe importance of working with incumbents while also disrupting the system to make progressVikram's perspective on fossil fuels and the role of asset owners and big banks in helping steward the clean energy transitionWho Vikram wants to hear fromESG and the politicization of the wordGet connected: Jason Jacobs Twitter / LinkedInVikrum Raju 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 June 28, 2023 (Published on July 19, 2023) Disclaimer from Morgan Stanley: This a general communication, which is not impartial and all information provided has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security or to adopt any specific investment strategy. The views and opinions and/or analysis expressed are those of the author or the investment team as of the date of preparation of this material and are subject to change at any time without notice due to market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Forecasts and/or estimates provided herein are subject to change and may not actually come to pass. Information regarding expected market returns and market outlooks is based on the research, analysis and opinions of the authors or the investment team.

This episode is part of our Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Sebastian Heitmann is a partner at Extantia Capital. Extantia Capital is a platform to invest in breakthrough technology solutions that address the climate crisis via mitigation and adaptation. The 300 million euro platform includes Extantia Flagship, which backs scalable deep decarbonization companies; Extantia Allstars, which partners with mission aligned climate tech, venture capital fund managers; and Extantia Ignite, a sustainability hub, advancing knowledge and competence in climate innovation and ESG practices.In this episode, we cover: [02:02]: An overview of the Extantia platform and its investment strategies[03:03]: What Extantia looks for when evaluating opportunities[05:14]: Sebastian's background and the origin of Extantia[08:32]: The changing market and political environment that created opportunities for Extantia[12:19]: The unique skillsets and expertise within the Extantia partnership[16:10]: The evolution of Extantia, starting with a pilot fund[18:06]: Extantia's extension projected impact calculation (EPIC) methodology for measuring impact[19:43]: The current fund structure and status of fundraising for Extantia's Flagship fund[20:18]: Extantia's focus on B2B tech solutions that address the "energy trilemma"[22:25]: Investment opportunities in the hydrogen economy and breakthrough cooling tech[25:29]: How Extantia thinks about returns and why Sebastian doesn't like the term "impact fund"[27:44]: The kinds of LPs the firm targets, including pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and corporates[31:14]: The need for successful exits in the climate tech space[33:00]: How current energy models underestimate the impact of innovation[38:56]: Alignment between the US and Europe in climate tech innovation and investment[43:43]: The types of clean energy tech Sebastian is most excited about[45:54]: Advice for people seeking a career transition into the climate sector[47:24]: Who Sebastian wants to hear fromResources mentioned:Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now (John Doerr)How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need (Bill Gates)Get connected: Jason Jacobs Twitter / LinkedInSebastian Heitmann 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 June 20, 2023 (published July 12, 2023) 

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Rob Day is Partner and Co-founder at Spring Lane Capital. Spring Lane Capital provides hybrid project capital with equity for small-scale systems and projects across food, water, energy, transportation, and waste markets. They also bring experienced tools and capabilities to help developers and entrepreneurs succeed with their project deployments. Rob has been around the block in climate tech even before it got its name, and he's learned a lot of useful lessons. Not to mention, Spring Lane has an innovative approach that plays in the capital gap, that so many people talk about between early-stage venture capital and project finance. In this episode, we cover: [2:36] An overview of Spring Lane Capital and the firm's origin story [4:49] The large gap between venture capital and project finance[8:05] Spring Lane Capital's broad approach to different areas of climate [10:52] Capitalizing early-stage companies, scaling, and the role of equity and debt[13:42] Advice for entrepreneurs thinking about different types of capital at various stages of a company's lifecycle [16:06] Triggers for founders to understand when equity is optimal vs debt (Rob's Atlas Organics example)[22:22] How terms vary with Spring Lane Capital's deals vs more traditional lenders [24:43] Where first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects fit in [30:41] Spring Lane Capital's fund two and its institutional investors[33:19] Skillsets required to be successful in Spring Lane's capital allocation[38:23] Success milestones and Spring Lane's role[40:46] Changing macroeconomics and their impact on Spring Lane's corner of the industry [43:48] Spring Lane's process, key steps, diligence, etc. [50:17] Issues with financing FOAK projects and Spring Lane's plans to address themGet connected: Jason Jacobs Twitter / LinkedInRob Day 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 Jun 14, 2023 (aired on July 5, 2023) 

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Sandy Guitar is the managing director of HX Venture Fund. HX Venture Fund is a fund investing in venture capital funds and they are seeking to transform Houston into a world-leading hub for innovation by bringing together key players in the ecosystem, linking investors to startups and startups to capital. In this episode, Jason and Sandy discuss Sandy's background and the origin story of HX Venture Fund. They delve into the fund's inspirations from various regions, highlighting the key factors contributing to its success elsewhere and the rationale behind applying their model to Houston. They also talk about the current standing of the firm, their investment criteria, and notable examples of their investments. Looking ahead, Sandy provides insights into the future direction of HX Venture Fund and her aspirations for Houston's future.In this episode, we cover: [3:03] An overview of HX Venture Fund [5:00] The firm's origin story [10:17] Sandy's background in venture capital [15:03] HX Venture Fund's portfolio split [15:47] Key learnings from the firm's first fund[18:52] Early VC focus on strategy compared to returns [20:20] How HX sources deals [21:28] The firm's energy transition investments [23:39] Venture Houston event on September 7, 2023[25:20] Houston's role in the energy transition and major players in the city [31:10] Criteria for evaluating funds in energy transition vs other categories [33:41] Traditional vs non-traditional portfolio construction and HX's position on the two [34:51] Generalists vs specialists in the energy transition category [36:34] Importance of impact tracking [39:12] How strategic LPs engage with HX Venture Fund and its portfolio companies [46:45] Sandy's thoughts on growth vehicles [51:13] Advice for emerging funds working with fund of funds vs directly with strategics [56:55] What success looks like for HX Venture Fund and measuring it beyond financial returns [59:43] How HX Venture Fund sets itself apart [01:03:29] Who Sandy wants to hear from and where HX needs helpGet connected: Jason JacobsSandy Guitar / HX Venture FundMCJ 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 May 18, 2023.

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 its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Rick Zullo is co-founder and general partner at Equal Ventures, a firm that is purpose-built to deploy technology across society and industry. And as they say on their website, they back the non-obvious founders before it's obvious. There are a few categories where they spend most of their time in: retail, insurance, supply chain, care, and climate. Rick and Jason have a great discussion in this episode about the origin story of the firm, what makes them different, their strategy, their approach, what it was like to raise Fund I, where they're at today, what criteria they use when they make their investments, what their process is, and how their firm fits into the broader investment landscape in climate and beyond. In this episode, we cover: [00:00]: Intro[02:46]: Overview of Equal Ventures[04:23]: What sectors and stages Equal invests in[06:09]: Origins of Equal Ventures[08:35]: Rick's thoughts on the "conviction gap"[11:02]: Three big questions he asks for every opportunity[17:40]: Overview of Equal's Fund I[18:13]: Rick's thoughts on reserves[24:16]: Equal Venture's differentiators[28:07]: Their views on disciplined pricing and founder alignment[32:33]: Domain expertise, portfolio balancing, and power law dynamics[39:52]: Bandwidth constraints and scaling[44:44]: How the climate playbook differs from other sectors[51:01]: What Rick's most excited about in climate[54:13]: Who Rick wants to hear fromGet connected: Jason JacobsRick ZulloMCJ 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 Apr 20, 2023

FootPrint Coalition invests in high-growth, sustainability-focused companies. They make charitable grants to non-profits that advance the adoption of environmental technology and entertain, inform, and mobilize the public with original and curated content. They are a coalition of investors, donors, and storytellers committed to scaling technologies to restore our planet. Jonathan Shieber is the chief editor and a venture partner at FootPrint Coalition. He previously worked as Climate Editor, Contributors Editor, and a Senior Editor and writer at TechCrunch. Before TC he was a reporter covering venture capital and private equity investment in the U.S. and China at Dow Jones & Co. with work published in Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Manuel Waenke, Director at FootPrint Coalition, is an experienced leader in the sustainability and climate tech industry. He previously served as the Head of Corporate Strategy & Development at an agriculture biotech startup. Starting his career at McKinsey in Austria, Manuel later moved to the US after earning his MBA at Stanford. His focus is on leading diligence and investment activities at FootPrint Coalition. About VSC Ventures: For 20 years, our award-winning ⁠PR agency VSC⁠ has worked with innovative startups on positioning, messaging, and awareness and we are bringing that same expertise to help climate startups with storytelling and narrative building. Last year, general partners Vijay Chattha and Jay Kapoor raised a $21M fund to co-invest in the most promising startups alongside leading climate funds. Through the conversations on our show CLIMB by VSC, we're excited to share what we're doing at VSC and VSC Ventures on climate innovation with companies like ⁠Ample⁠, ⁠Actual⁠, ⁠Sesame Solar⁠, ⁠Synop⁠, ⁠Vibrant Planet⁠, and ⁠Zume⁠ among many others.

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by MCJ partner, Jason Jacobs. This series explores 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 take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress.Mohammad Barkeshli is the Vice President of Full Consequence Investing at Hall Capital Partners. Hall Capital Partners has a singular focus on building and managing large investment portfolios. Their clients include families, endowments, and foundations with over $40 billion under management. Mohammad focuses on the firm's impact investing efforts which they've coined Full Consequence Investing or FCI. He's responsible for research, identification, due diligence, and ongoing monitoring of investments across asset classes. Jason and Mohammad have a great discussion in this episode about Hall Capital's strategic  approach, where it fits in the climate tech and capital stack, the criteria they use when making investment decisions, what they're hearing from their clients now, and how that's evolved.In this episode, we cover: [3:00] The benefits of increasing transparency across the capital stack and why Mohammad agreed to come on the show[4:35] An overview of Hall Capital[6:48] The firm's approach known as Full Consequence Investing (FCI)[8:25] The average asset class for its clients[11:38] Hall Capital's different investment vehicles[16:26] How the firm's investing teams are divided across asset classes[21:00] Mohammad's background[22:25] Where FCI fits into Hall Capital's story and brand[28:06] FCI as a key diligence effort for the firm's investment strategy[29:38] What falls within FCI and how Hall Capital evaluates opportunities across categories[34:00] The role of ESG across industries and investments[36:00] Hall Capital's process for working with clients who are interested in building a portfolio that's geared toward climate solutions[42:46] Balancing investments for profit, impact, and the public good[46:23] Limitations and challenges with time horizons[47:57] How Mohammad thinks about team and track record[52:55] Concessionary impact investments[1:00:57] Hall Capital's involvement with philanthropic capital[1:04:36] Areas Mohammad would like to improve for his clients and their investments[1:06:51] Who Hall Capital would like to hear from and how people can helpGet connected: Jason JacobsMohammad Barkeshli / Hall CapitalMCJ 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 April 5, 2023.

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 its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Will Tickle is a partner, senior investment advisor, and director of impact investing for Ballentine Partners. Ballentine Partners is a wealth management firm that prioritizes the needs of its clients while maintaining integrity and independence. The firm offers customized investment solutions and planning expertise to a wide range of clients, from individual professionals and entrepreneurs with liquid assets of $3.5 million to multi-generational families with assets worth over a billion dollars.In this episode, Jason and Will discuss his process for defining impact and which areas are important for his client's portfolios. They also cover the balance of impact between the firm's contributions and those from the clients directly. Will shares how his clients' impact investments have evolved since the firm's first involvement in 2005. Lastly, they explore where climate and climate tech fit into all of this. Enjoy the show! In this episode, we cover: [2:49] An overview of Ballentine Partners[4:25] How the firm's clients inspired its approach to climate investing[7:09] Will's background and focus on impact[9:27] The firm's ethos to serving clients[11:58] How Ballentine Partners applies an impact lens to its existing portfolio of assets[14:10] What Ballentine is hearing from clients[17:01] Challenges of assessing impact across an entire portfolio[19:23] How Ballentine balances impact with returns[23:55] Capitalism and its role in the future of the clean energy transition ahead[29:24] Changes to inspire widespread adoption of impact investing[32:40] The role of shareholder activism[34:17] Ballentine's impact reports[37:35] Who Ballentine wants to work withGet connected: Jason JacobsWill Tickle / Ballentine PartnersMCJ 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 April 4, 2023.  

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 its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Today's guest is Mark Robinson, Founder and Managing Director at WAVE Equity Partners, an impact investing firm that seeks to maximize returns for investors, growth for portfolio companies, and impact for all. WAVE achieves this goal by investing in sustainability innovators that tackle our greatest environmental challenges on a global scale. Jason and Mark discuss the origins of WAVE, the timing of its launch, and some of the key lessons that Mark learned from Clean Tech 1.0. They also delve into why WAVE took a contrarian bet when it started and how its approach differs from other firms. Mark explains the company's investment stage, check size, sector focus, diligence process, and value-add post-investment. The episode also covers the industrial market landscape, where WAVE spends a lot of time. Jason and Mark explore various topics such as the ecosystem of founders, the regulatory and policy landscape, and the current capital environment. In this episode, we cover: An overview of WAVE Equity PartnersThe firm's origin story and path to focusing on clean energy, food, water, waste and recyclingEarly fundraising challenges for industrial solutionsKey lessons from Clean Tech 1.0Changes in the ecosystem since WAVE got started and how the firm addressed themWhat gets Mark up every day and the underlying decision to start the firmThe firm's investor makeup and LP shifts over timeWAVE's fund structureNon-starters and the types of risk WAVE is comfortable takingThe balance of fundraising vs domain expertise when building a companyThe role of the regulatory landscape and government funding when making investment decisionsWAVE's 6-month or longer diligence processThe firm's approach to defining and measuring impactMark's thoughts on doing things cleaner vs. reforming entire systemsThe role of government supportMark's wishlist for the future of the industrials marketGet connected: Jason JacobsMark Robinson / WAVE Equity PartnersMCJ 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. 

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 its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Today's guest is Grant Mulligan, a Vice President at Alvarium Tiedemann (AlTi). AlTi is a global wealth and asset manager that's in the business of turning powerful ideas into high-performing strategies and solutions. Whether they are individuals or institutions, foundations, or family-led businesses, AlTi offers its clients a connected ecosystem of advice, solutions, and investment opportunities from across their global network. As an institutional investor, AlTi is serious about impact. And Grant focuses specifically on the firm's net-zero strategies and nature-based solutions. This conversation takes a fascinating dive into their approach, their origin story, how they measure impact, and how they allocate capital across many different asset classes. We also discuss the types of clients who prioritize impact investing and how this landscape is evolving over the past few years and into the future. Tune in to learn more about AlTi's mission to create enduring value. In this episode, we cover: [3:00] An overview of Alvarium Tiedemann (AlTi) and where Grant sits in the firm[7:12] The role of impact in AlTi's clients' decision making [12:23] Grant's theory of change and work in wildlife biology[17:56] What inspired him to transition upstream and join AlTi's mission [20:45] A deep dive into the forthcoming wealth transfer [25:21] How AlTi structures capital allocation[29:39] AlTi's theory of change for overall climate sustainability, decarbonization tech, and nature-based solutions[33:45] The role of changing perspectives on impact and asset allocation as a result of recent market fluctuations [39:26] AlTi's impact assessment process[44:45] How Grant balances servicing existing client demand vs generating new demand [53:34] The role of client recommendations in deploying capital[57:12] Grant's thoughts on what's missing in impact investments [1:00:37] Where philanthropic capital fits in Get connected: Jason JacobsGrant Mulligan / Alvarium TiedemannMCJ 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 8, 2023. 

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. 

Last year's surge in oil prices brought record windfall profits for oil majors, and a boon for investors. But historic trends don't favor fossil fuels. From 2010 to 2020, the oil & gas sector underperformed the broader S&P 500 index. The sector gained 6% over that period, while the benchmark S&P index grew 180%. Some called it a "lost decade" for fossil fuel investors. “If anything, oil's been a drag,” says Zach Stein, the co-founder and CEO of Carbon Collective, a company building climate-focused portfolios for investors and employer 401(k) plans. The recent surge for the oil and gas sector shows how fundamental fossil fuels are for today's economy. But looking forward, oil is facing the most significant competition it has ever seen, thanks to electrification and clean energy.  That view of the long-term threat to fossil fuels drove Zach to co-found Carbon Collective – with a mission to build funds around industries that will deliver strong returns in a climate-constrained world. In this episode, produced with Carbon Collective, Zach Stein talks with Stephen Lacey about trends in sustainable investing – how to define the category, identify good investments, and separate it from the confusing world of ESG. If you want to invest sustainably – at work or individually – you can learn more at carboncollective.co. There, you can see how the portfolios are built and read more about the company's theory of change.