Climate CEOs

Discover how Matt Lipscomb and DMC Biotechnologies are producing sustainable chemicals with fermentation, $50M in funding, & a 40-person team driving cost-effective scale-up.

⭐ My guest today is Matt Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of DMC Biotechnologies.

DMC is a Boulder-based biotech company that sustainably produces bio-based chemicals using fermentation, with over $50M in VC funding and a team of over 40 people.

In addition, Matt is a:

• Certified Ski Mountaineering Guide

• Rock climbing guide and instructor

• Director for the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education

• PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• The meaning of metabolic engineering

• How rock climbing has taught him to better manage risks as a CEO

• His experience seeing glacier retreat has inspired his work

• How DMC engineers microbes to standardize fermentation for cost-effective scale-up

• The definition of “friend-shoring” and how DMC improves companies’ supply chains

• Why his early work in chemical plants led him to where he is today

• What he means to cross-train physically and intellectually

• The pains of fast growth and techniques he uses to build culture and cohesion while growing 3x this year

• Why investors care that you’re founding a company with a former cofounder

• The difference between lifespan and healthspan

• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

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🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 80,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discover how Gabe Phillips is tackling hard challenges, scaling Catalyst Power, & delivering cheaper renewable energy with ESCOs, community solar, & battery solutions.

⭐ My guest today is Gabe Phillips, Founder and CEO of Catalyst Power.

Catalyst Power is an ESCO, retail electricity provider, community solar aggregator, and solar/battery developer for commercial and industrial businesses in the Northeast US.

In addition, he is a distance runner, musician, woodworker, father, and thriver on 4-5 hours of sleep per night. I told him that we might need to have an intervention later.

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• The outsized benefits of doing hard things

• How his customers view risks and risk mitigation when it comes to solar power

• Why a roll-up acquisition strategy made sense to launch this business

• How he’s able to get clean renewable power at cheaper prices for customers than brown power

• What the following phrase means: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

• Three of his favorite books on entrepreneurship, meditation, and the benefits of being uncomfortable

• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 80,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discover how Brad Hartwig and Arbor convert organic waste into carbon-negative power, fresh water, & monetizable carbon removal, all with lessons from SpaceX & modular, “hug-able” hardware.

⭐ My guest today is Brad Hartwig, CEO and Cofounder of Arbor.

Arbor is a carbon removal and storage company delivering carbon-negative power that converts organic waste into clean energy and fresh water. Their CTO Andres Garcia-Clark and lots of other team members bring lessons learned from SpaceX and big energy giants.

In addition, he was a former…

• Manufacturing Engineer for Crew Dragon Engines at SpaceX engineer

• Test Pilot for Kitty Hawk’s 100% electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle

• Chief Propulsion Engineer at the USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory

• Member of the Marin County Search and Rescue

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• How his work in search and rescue showed him the devastating personal and social impacts of climate-induced natural disasters

• What he means by "vegetarian rocket engines"

• What they did to eliminate the smoke stack from their power production systems

• How the Earth breathes each year by absorbing 100 tons of carbon dioxide each spring and summer in biomass before releasing much of that back to the atmosphere in the fall and winter

• Their ability to produce zero-cost clean baseload power due to monetizing other revenue streams like carbon removal credits and the 45Q tax credit

• Their modular design to be “hardware that you can hug”

• What surfing means to him as a way to recharge as a CEO

• Knowing whether you’re climbing the right ladder 

• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 80,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Howard Fischer of Gratitude Railroad shares how to shift profit-driven capital into climate and impact investments while balancing financial returns with deep social and environmental good.

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"

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⭐ 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.”

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• His 40 years in hedge funds
• How his rebirth in 2013 while not religious was like a metaphorical move from Gordon Gekko to Dalai Lama
• His financial reckoning during the 2008 financial crisis when his hedge fund went from $3B to $300M
• The risks in wearing the golden handcuffs of fat paychecks from big-brand employers
• How philanthropy is broken, and government is not a great problem solver
• Why we have to move more profit-driven capital to the climate sector
• Examples of the climate investments they’ve made at Gratitude Railroad, including a focus on organic waste management
• His theme of “Free the Money” and related investments in Climate First Bank and First Women’s Bank
• Why we can’t ask people to eat their broccoli (sorry, you have to listen to understand what this means)
• Some of his favorite books, such as The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche, and The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis
• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chris shares practical strategies for climate tech CEOs to schedule priorities instead of just prioritizing their calendar.

⭐ I’m not a ruthless person. Except when it comes to my calendar. 😃

And the climate tech startup CEOs in our peer group program at Entrepreneurs for Impact are always looking for ways to “schedule their priorities instead of prioritizing their schedule.”

So, in this podcast, I talk through a resource I put together on the topic for my climate CEO members. Hopefully, it stimulates some new ideas for you and your teams.

And...

Here's a Google Slides version:

"Experiment: 10 Ways to Create 10 Hours Per Week"

https://tinyurl.com/2r6kyptr

(Beware: Results may vary. Widely. 😏)

Also...

If you have other topics you’d like me to cover on a future AMA podcast, just DM me on LinkedIn or reply to my Entrepreneurs for Impact newsletter on Substack.

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chris answers listener questions on climate startup funding, helping female founders, recommended books, and career choices for impact.

⭐ In this Ask Me Anything (AMA) podcast, I cover these five questions from listeners to the Entrepreneurs for Impact podcast and readers of the ⁠Entrepreneurs for Impact newsletter⁠ on Substack.

1. “You always ask your guests what books they’re reading, but how about you? What books do you like to recommend?” – Thanks, Casey
2. “What are some of the best non-financial resources that are available to entrepreneurs (aside from badass climate CEO peer groups at Entrepreneurs for Impact)?” – Thanks, Nick
3. “If I want to have a bigger impact on climate change, should I work for a big firm or smaller one?” – Thanks, Tyler
4. “I want to help female founders in climate tech succeed. I would love to start off by working pro bono and helping them raise funds and learn as I go. But where do I start?” – Thanks, Helena
5. “If I’m raising VC capital for my startup, what do I need to create for investors, besides a pitch deck?” – Thanks, Brook

If you have other questions you’d like me to cover on the next AMA podcast, just DM me on LinkedIn or reply to my ⁠Entrepreneurs for Impact newsletter⁠ on Substack.

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn how Amanda Hall and Summit Nanotech use nanotechnology to cut lithium production from 18 months to 1 day while raising $72M to accelerate the EV revolution.

⭐ My guest today is Amanda Hall, Founder and CEO of Summit Nanotech, which supports the electric vehicle revolution by capturing lithium ion in brine using nanotechnology. 

In their unique process, they shorten the average industry rate of lithium production from 18 months to 1 day. They also dramatically reduce the amount of water, pressure, heat, and chemicals needed to responsibly mine this valuable input for battery storage.

To date, they’ve raised $7M in grants and $65M from investors, such as Capricorn, Evok Innovations, Volta, and Grantham.

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• How her training as a geophysicist in the oil and gas industry trained her for this job

• Why she felt compelled to travel to Tibet and why that led her to come back, quit her job, sell her home, sell her oil and gas stocks, and rethink her contributions to the world

• What the human kidney and biomimicry taught her about early designs for Summit’s technology

• Her advice on trusting her gut to make tough decisions earlier rather than later

• The importance of trusting and verifying the data you rely on for growing your company

• Why they are vertically integrating to own land and own lithium outputs

• What they look for when hiring new team members, such as humility, relentlessness, and a desire to do the impossible

• Her favorite quotes

• Book recommendations for CEOs to better manage their team’s growth

• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discover how EIF invests $3–10M in post-revenue climate and sustainability companies, building trust with CEOs over years and backing market-ready startups like EV Connect and ZepSolar.

⭐ My guests today are Devin Whatley, Managing Partner, and cofounder, and Geoffrey Eisenberg, Partner, at Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF).

EIF is a long-time VC investor in renewable energy, distributed energy, smart transportation, and sustainable agriculture.

On their fifth fund, they invest in companies in seed, Series A, and Series B, with a focus on post-revenue companies with no tech risk that are looking to scale. They like to be the lead investor and write checks between $3M and $10M.

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• What has helped them raise capital over 13 years across so many cycles in the sustainability, cleantech, and climate tech worlds
• Why they sometimes take 2-3 years getting to know a CEO before deciding to invest
• How they think about the total addressable market today vs. the distant future
• The benefits of disclosing the “skeletons in the close” of the company early…because they’ll definitely be discovered by the investor at some point
• Their focus on CEOs who are obsessed but not flashy (i.e., show, don’t tell)
• Some success stories in their portfolio, such as EV Connect and ZepSolar
• Book recommendations to help them maintain humility and perspective on how history shapes the present day
• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shawn Lesser, Cofounder of The Real, shares how burnout, depression, and identity tied to business shaped his journey and inspired a platform helping entrepreneurs find purpose through shared challenges.

⭐ My guest today is Shawn Lesser, Cofounder of The Real (current role) and Cofounder of Big Path Capital (prior role).

The Real is helping entrepreneurs deal with burnout and depression by connecting with others going through those same mental health challenges.

Big Path Capital is, according to Barron’s, “The Impact Investment Bank.” Their network of 2,500+ limited partners (investors) and 200+ impact-focused private equity firms led to billions of dollars flowing into companies that prioritize both profit and positive environmental or social impacts.

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• What triggered his depression

• The impacts of having too much of his identity tied up in his business

• Why a fish bowl being shaken up relates to where he was

• What he learned after spending three stints in centers to boost his mental health

• The speaking tour that he and his cofounder, Brent Herd, are on

• Why The Real is about finding purpose out of pain

• What an Uber driver and a post-exit entrepreneur with $800M in cash have in common

• And lots more

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👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏

---

🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chris shares key takeaways from coaching over 100 climate tech CEOs, highlighting leadership, decision-making, and scaling insights for impact-driven founders.

⭐ In today’s super short episode, I share parts of a white paper I recently wrote called “10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Coaching 100+ Climate CEOs.” 

The rest of the white paper is available for free on my website at www.entrepreneursforimpact.com. 

If you find something useful in it or have other lessons you think I should add to it, drop me a note at [email protected]. 🙏