Climate CEOs

Learn from two climate tech VC investors sharing startup lessons in energy, buildings, mobility, and industry.

🎧 Episode Summary

VoLo Earth Ventures is an early-stage climate tech venture capital firm that invests in scalable innovations in clean energy, mobility, built environment, and industry.

They provide returns-first catalytic capital and hands-on leadership to help founders decarbonize global systems. They raised two funds and invested in 36+ companies.

Kareem Dabbagh and Joe Goodman are the co-founders and Managing Partners.

Kareem has over 15 years of experience in renewable energy and clean technology, spanning startups, project finance, and grid modernization.

Prior to VoLo Earth, Kareem held leadership roles at SolarCity, Sunrun, and Aurora Solar, and supported early-stage ventures through Rocky Mountain Institute and Cleantech Open.

Joe brings two decades of experience in energy markets, carbon policy, and sustainability finance.

Prior to VoLo Earth, Joe worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute, the U.S. Department of Energy, and multiple advisory roles advancing decarbonization strategies for utilities and governments.

He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and loves connecting rigorous climate science with pragmatic venture investment.

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Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter: Climate CEOs

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick ideas on climate data, CEOs to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments — drawn from lessons working with 400+ climate CEOs and investors, plus 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Leave a Podcast Review

No sponsors — just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a climate CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. For more on climate tech startups and leadership, connect on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Here are today’s five topics on climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership:

1. CLIMATE DATA

Which cities have the most startup funding?

2. CEO TO KNOW

Toussaint Wattinne @ Upway — $60M for sustainable mobility

3. INVESTOR SPOTLIGHT

Tim Krysiek @ Climate Technology Fund of MassMutual Ventures

4. AI INSIGHT

Don’t be scared: “100 million jobs erased by AI in the USA in 10 years.”

5. MINDFUL MOMENT

“Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Only assholes do that.”

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Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter: Climate CEOs

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments — drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Leave a Podcast Review

No sponsors — just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. For more on climate tech startups and leadership, connect on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Serial entrepreneurs, MIT professors, and climate tech experts share their blueprint for building startups in this new book.

🎧 Episode Summary

Tod Hynes is the Co-founder and CEO of Maigent, Board Chairman at Woodwell Climate Research Center, and Senior Lecturer at MIT.

He has co-founded several organizations and companies and has raised over $500 million. 

He has also helped hundreds of teams of students launch their own climate and energy companies through the MIT Climate & Energy Ventures (CEV) class and MIT Climate & Energy Prize.

Tod helped the Woodwell Climate Research Center raise matching funds and win a $41 million grant through the Audacious Project for their Permafrost Pathways Project. Only 18% of IPCC Earth Systems models include emissions from permafrost, which is like leaving out a Japan or even the U.S. worth of emissions. 

His newest venture, Maigent, leverages AI to accelerate climate solutions by turning us into super connectors to the right investors and partners needed for scale.

I could try to summarize his other 44 “Experiences” on LinkedIn or how we have 364 mutual connections, but you get the idea!

Learn more:

MIT Course: https://www.climateandenergyventures.com

New Book Website: https://www.de4cev.com

Maigent Website: https://maigent.ai

Woodwell Website: https://www.woodwellclimate.org

Book coauthors include veteran entrepreneur Bill Aulet, climate tech expert Ben Soltoff, and the additional faculty behind MIT's Climate & Energy Ventures course, Francis O'Sullivan, and Libby Wayman.

--------

Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter: Climate CEOs

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments — drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Leave a Podcast Review

No sponsors — just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. For more on climate tech startups and leadership, connect on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Tackling superpollutants, carbon insetting, digital carbon, and ESG strategy consulting before climate tech was cool.

🎧 Episode Summary

ClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization and an Inc. Best Workplaces Company. Since 2009, they have evolved from a pioneer in nitrous oxide abatement projects to a global leader in the environmental commodities market.

Bill Flederbach is a Sustainability Hero Award Winner 2025, a former executive with MGM and AgCert, and an active member of the Rotary Club, implementing their four guiding principles across ClimeCo:

1. Is it the truth
2. Is it fair to all concerned
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned

🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/

⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my Climate CEOs newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

With 40 million electric bikes worldwide, we need Upway's marketplace to refurbish and resell them at scale.

🎧 Episode Summary

Upway is a marketplace for refurbished electric bikes in eight countries. Backed by $60M in VC funding, including household names like Sequoia, they’ve sold over 80,000 bikes across hundreds of OEMs at 40% discounts to new e-bikes.

Toussaint brings almost a decade of experience from Uber in the EU before starting Upway. And simply listening to his rich French accent may increase your cool factor by 20 points. I know it did for me.

🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/

⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Enjoy this brief primer on how to establish a board of advisors for your startup (or negotiate a seat on one). In our EFI climate CEO peer group, we have a growing library of these hot topic primers. To get more like this, join 40,000 who get my Climate CEOs newsletter. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

100,000 people joined 1,000 events in NYC last week for the Climate Week. In this 18-minute podcast, I summarize 16 highlights from my time there. If you like this, join 40,000 who get my Climate CEOs newsletter. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my Climate CEOs newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

(Shout out to Carbon Brief on the visual.)

Electric vehicles, charging, and support in one predictable monthly payment (4 million EV fleet vehicles by 2030).

🎧 Episode Summary

7Gen is a Vancouver-based company that helps commercial fleets transition to zero-emission vehicles by providing turnkey solutions for electrification.

Their services include financing, procurement, charging infrastructure, and long-term support to simplify the switch from diesel to electric.

By acting as both a technology integrator and capital partner, 7Gen accelerates adoption of clean transportation in North America.

Frans is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a track record in scaling sustainable businesses.

He has led companies across sectors including renewable energy, transportation, and technology, with a consistent focus on impact and climate solutions.

His career spans Europe and North America, giving him a global perspective on the future of clean mobility.🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/

⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding