Climate Cowboys

Are you curious about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer usable? Maybe your crazy uncle's statements from last Thanksgiving about how solar doesn't work are still echoing.

Well, look no further. Today, we are speaking with Adam Saghei, Founder of WeRecycleSolar, and we are discussing the end of life for solar panels.

How circular can we make the supply chain? What can OEMs learn about their products' end-of-life? What is the REAL lifespan of a solar panel? How is this reality affecting investor returns? How are solar panels being refurbished and resold? And how are investors getting early upgrades to make a higher return despite the additional capex?

Let's get into it. 🌱🌎

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Topics:
**01:34 Intro and Background
**03:15 The Problem of End-of-Life Solar Panels
**08:52 Financial Implications of Shorter Lifespan
**13:33 Recycling and Refurbishing Panels
**16:21 Reusing Materials in the Supply Chain
**21:06 Origins of We Recycle Solar
**23:29 Introduction to Returns Management Programs
**24:28 Starting the Refurbishing and Recycling Process
**25:32 Pivoting to a New Business Model
**26:44 Entrepreneurial Mindset and Taking Risks
**28:14 Scaling the Business and Future Growth
**30:51 Technology and Innovation in Recycling Processes
**31:38 Intellectual Property and Strategic Components
**32:34 Business Model and Potential Partnerships
**35:54 Current Scale and Future Goals
**38:24 Roadblocks and Challenges
**39:15 Funding and Bootstrapping the Business
**40:54 Acquiring Talent and Building Culture
**43:38 Supporting the Future of the Industry
**49:29 Takeaways

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Links:
**Adam Saghei | WeRecycleSolar
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

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🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition.

Today, we are talking to Mike Jackson from Earthshot Ventures.

We discuss…

* Strategies for startups to prepare for project finance

* Promising business models in ClimateTech

* What he learned from CleanTech 1.0 and what parallels he sees today

And a lot more.

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

Subscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work.

The Guest: Mike Jackson

* Mike Jackson is the Managing Partner at EarthShot Ventures

* His “climate career” started when he was a kid and donated part of his allowance to environmental groups — this reminds me a lot of John D. Rockefeller who did the same

* With a background in Biological Science and Earth Systems, Mike co-founded an early carbon offset market in cleantech 1.0

* Before leading EarthShot Ventures, he played a key role at the Westly Group, where he rocked from intern to partner in 5 years due to his ability to source and execute on great climate companies (he batted at 90%…)

* He spent some time in project finance, underscoring a deep commitment to harnessing entrepreneurial and financial strategies in the fight against climate change

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The VC: Earthshot Ventures

One Liner: Invests in entrepreneurs solving the toughest climate challenges

Earthshot Ventures invest in both hardware and software companies from Pre-seed through Series B across energy, mobility, food & agriculture, industry, and carbon.

They help supercharge our portfolio companies' growth by plugging them into our global network of customers, investors, and policymakers.

Prior to Earthshot Ventures, their team has collectively invested in over 200 climate tech companies and celebrated more than 25 exits. They have deep experience working alongside entrepreneurs as they deploy technology with customers.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 06:49 Journey from Childhood to Leading a Climate Fund

* 12:54 Lessons from Cleantech 1.0

* 15:54 Preparing for Project Finance

* 25:13 Importance of Business Models

* 32:35 Rising at the Westly Group

* 34:37 Building a Complementary Team

* 39:48 Why Earthshot is a "Network Fund"

* 43:14 Investing Earlier in ClimateTech

* 45:02 AI and its Impact on Climate

* 48:31 Attracting Capital from Generalist Investors

* 49:50 Advice for VCs 

Links

* Mike Jackson | Earthshot Ventures

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Asks 👋

* We recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear how we can improve the show and what you like most.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Early-stage founder looking for top-tier talent - reach out to Silas, and he’ll save you hundreds of hours with your critical searches.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS 🚨

* As you have seen, we have recently launched a Patreon 🥳🚀 please check it out and consider buying us **just one** latte ☕️

* Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Today, we are talking to Tiya Gordon from It’s Electric.

Tiya is an absolute rockstar. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her almost 1 year ago, and it has been phenomenal watching her and It’s Electric getting the recognition they deserve.

We actually recorded this episode a while back and it’s finally time to share it with you all. We discuss…

* Access and affordability for EV charging in cities

* The role of federal and city funding in scaling climate tech startups

* Tiya’s experience at NYCW and how its propelled It’s Electric forward

And much more…

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

Subscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work.

Already a subscriber? Upgrade to paid by clicking on “Upgrade to Paid” in the top right 👆

The Guest: Tiya Gordon

* Tiya Gordon is the Co-Founder & COO of It’s Electric

* Previous to It’s Electric, Tiya played a pivotal role in several high-profile projects, including the design and implementation of the public-facing technology for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center in New York City

* Early in her career, she was a Producer at the American Museum of Natural History, an adjunct professor of Design and Technology at The New School, and Managing Director of Local Projects, an award-winning design studio

* She was an Executive Producer at A Hundred Years and the Managing Director of REX Architecture, a world-class architecture studio, before co-founding It’s Electric

The Startup: It’s Electric

Urban Charging, Behind-the-Meter, EV Charging

One-liner: curbside EV charging specifically built for cities.

It's electric solves the largest barrier cities face in the deployment of public EV charging.

They with city property owners to unlock access to untapped electricity supply while they earn passive income.

They’ve been on absolute run 🚀…in 2023 It’s Electric was:

* Selected for the White House EV Acceleration Challenge,

* Won the SXSW Innovation Award,

* The Fast Company Innovation By Design Award for Sustainability,

* The City Solution of the Year from judges of the Earthshot Prize,

* Named The Next Big Thing In Tech.

Enjoy the content but unable to support financially? Share the episode with your network and mention your favorite aspect of the show. 🙏

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 03:03 It's Electric Origin Story

* 07:01 What does It's Electric do

* 11:31 What it's like Working with Cities

* 15:10 What she Learned From Working with Municipalities

* 31:04 NYCW

* 37:10 Building the Team

* 40:52 Having a "Non-Traditional" Background in ClimateTech

* 45:43 Advice for Founders

* 50:07 Note to Audience

Links

* Tiya Gordon | It’s Electric

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚨

* We’ve launched a Patreon 🥳🚀 please check it out and consider buying us **just one** latte ☕️

* Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition.

Today, we are talking to Logan Grizzel of MUUS Climate Partners.

Logan likely broke the quotable clip counter in this ep…so much good stuff. We discuss…

* Logan’s time at Toyota with alternative fuels and how the Prius transformed the EV industry

* Logan’s (semi) contrarian views on new tech like nuclear fusion

* The growth and relevance of the Denver and Colorado climate communities

And a lot more.

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

Subscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work.

Already a subscriber? Join our Patreon to support the show by becoming a patron! 🙏

The Guest: Logan Grizzel

* Logan is a partner at MUUS Climate Partners, investing in the convergence of decarbonization and technological innovation, often in new markets and opportunity spaces

* Logan started off his career spending a decade at Toyota where he worked on, amongst other things, alternative fuels

* He then transitioned to management consulting on the grid/OEM side at Navigant

* Before MUUS Climate Partners, he was CTO and Partner at Blackhorn Ventures, investing in entrepreneurs who are improving resource efficiency with science and engineering-based solutions

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The VC: MUUS Climate Partners

One Liner: Investing in the convergence of decarbonization and technological innovation, often in new markets and opportunity spaces

MUUS Climate Partners is the venture capital arm of MUUS & Co, and invests at the convergence of climate solutions and high-tech applications.

They invest at the cusp of commercialization (pre-seed to Series A) with check sizes of $500k-$1.5M, reserving half for follow-on.

They have a strong investment track record and decades of combined industry leadership. MUUS & Co, the parent company of MUUS Climate Partners, is a values-driven, privately held, entrepreneurial investment company founded by serial entrepreneur Michael Sonnenfeldt. 

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 03:11 Herd Mentality in Climate VC

* 09:26 Logan's Experience at Toyota

* 13:34 The Significance of the Prius

* 17:06 Nearshoring and Onshoring

* 21:34 The Mismatch in Hydrogen Supply and Demand

* 24:39 Decentralized vs Centralized Approaches to the Grid

* 28:04 Timing and Assessing Technology Maturity

* 29:25 Assessing Founder Adaptability

* 30:29 Dreaming Too Big or Small in Entrepreneurship

* 42:16 Denver Climate Scene

* 48:12 Lessons from Blackhorn Ventures

* 49:34 Diversity in Team Building

* 58:58 Advice to VCs

* 01:01:53 Takeaways

Links

* Logan Grizzel | MUUS Climate Partners

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Asks 👋

* We recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear how we can improve the show and what you like most.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: If you’re a ClimateTech founder looking to hire top talent but don’t like the cost of headhunters… reach out. For a fraction of the cost of traditional headhunters, I’ll help you find top talent for your ClimateTech startup. (booking here)

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS 🚨

* As you have seen, we have recently launched a Patreon 🥳🚀 please check it out and consider buying us **just one** latte ☕️

* Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Today, we are talking to Mike Hall from Anza

In this conversation, we chat about…

* How a process optimization mindset led them to sping out Anza from Borrego

* Providing end-user feedback to OEMs via benchmarking

* Transitioning from leading a developer to a software business

And much more…

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

Subscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work.

Already a subscriber? Upgrade to paid by clicking on “Upgrade to Paid” in the top right 👆

The Guest: Mike Hall

* Mike Hall started his career as a Process Engineer and eventually went to work with his brother at Borrego, where they would go on to turn it into one of the leading Renewable Energy Developers and EPCs in the US.

* Through building Borrego and always striving to improve efficiency, they developed internal software to help them procure solar panels more efficiently and always get the right hardware.

* In 2023, they raised some PE and then spun out Anza as its own company from Borrego.

The Startup: Anza

Solar, Procurement, Productization

One-liner: Saving solar developers large amounts of time and helping them always get the right product.

Anza is originally an internal tool that Borrego developed internally in order to streamline their procurement process and ensure they were always getting the right equipment for the job.

Despite only officially spinning out in 2023, this company or product has been in existence for years while being used and refined internally at Borrego.

Today Anza is helping dozens of clients save time and avoid mistakes when it comes to procuring solar pannels. Hopefully in the future we will see them add aditional functionalities.

Enjoy the content but unable to support financially? Share the episode with your network and mention your favorite aspect of the show. 🙏

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 02:20 The Problem with Solar Module Procurement

* 07:11 Value Beyond Price in Procurement

* 09:23 Working with Sellers

* 12:06 Trends in Solar Product Sales

* 15:38 The Journey of Starting ANZA

* 22:25 Transitioning from Borrego to ANZA

* 31:45 The Impact of Climate Legislation

* 37:24 Underutilizing Technology and Data in the Industry

* 41:11 Advice for Founders in the Renewable Energy Space

* 43:02 The Benefits of Being a Second-Time Founder

* 44:46 The Journey to Becoming an Entrepreneur

* 47:39 Takeaways Section

Links

* Mike Hall | Anza

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates?—Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS 🚨

* We’ve launched a Patreon 🥳🚀 please check it out and consider buying us **just one** latte ☕️

* Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Today, we are talking to Ryan Gilliam from Fortera

In this conversation, we chat about…

* How Ryan pivoted at the right time and was able to start Fortera

* What is their Net-Zero Cement technology and how they scaled it

* Why they are able to survive the “Startup Valley-of-Death”

And much more…

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

Subscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work.

Already a subscriber? Upgrade to paid by clicking on “Upgrade to Paid” in the top right 👆

The Guest: Ryan Gilliam

* Ryan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Fortera, a company pioneering net-zero cement

* He started off spending 11 years at the Calera Corporation, where he learned the fundamentals that would help him start Fortera

* Ryan is also a Venture Partner at 1955 Capital, investing in technologies developed in the Americas and Europe that can help solve China’s and the developing world's greatest challenges in areas including energy & environment, food safety & supply, health & education, and sustainable manufacturing

The Startup: Fortera

Net-Zero CO2 Cement, Materials, Construction

One-liner: Fortera develops a turnkey bolt-on decarbonization solution that integrates into existing cement plant infrastructures to produce net-zero cement

Their process draws on 100,000+ hours of R&D, 100+ issued global and pending patents and 10+ years of real-world product demonstration.

The Silicon Valley-based company is backed by leading investors including Khosla Ventures and Temasek.

Fortera’s first low-carbon cement plant is nearing completion in Redding, Calif., and will be one of the world's largest carbon mineralization plants.

Enjoy the content but unable to support financially? Share the episode with your network and mention your favorite aspect of the show. 🙏

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 01:44 Intro

* 05:08 Experience with the Cement Industry

* 09:40 The Problem of CO2 Emissions in Cement

* 13:34 Making the Technology Fit Within the Ecosystem

* 19:46 Changing Customer Mindsets

* 25:50 Integration with Cement Producers

* 29:56 Starting Fortera and Convincing Investors

* 33:55 Fundraising and Shifting Capital Stack

* 37:05 Raising Early Rounds and Bringing in New Investors

* 41:28 Transitioning to Project Financing

* 44:07 Project Development vs Licensing IP

* 46:28 Key Considerations for Commercial Projects

* 48:08 Importance of Planning and Preparation

* 48:35 Challenges in Supply Chain Management

Links

* Ryan Gilliam | Fortera

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates?—Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚨

* We’ve launched a Patreon 🥳🚀 please check it out and consider buying us **just one** latte ☕️

* Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, Impact Investor edition.

Today, we are talking to Thomas Belazis from The Rockefeller Foundation.

We have yet another great episode on the role that philanthropy plays in the climate fight. We discuss…

* How and WHY The Rockefeller Foundation (TRF) is going all-in on Climate

* How TRF uses their philanthropic capital to unlock other funding

* A nugget on how the philanthropy related to the king of oil, John D. Rockefeller thinks about the future of their role in ClimateTech

And a lot more.

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

Subscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work.

Already a subscriber? Join our Patreon to support the show by becoming a patron! 🙏

The Guest: Thomas Belazis

* Thomas is Director of Innovative Finance at The Rockefeller Foundation, but his background and journey into impact-investing is somewhat unique.

* Originally from the rust-belt (midwest), with a poverty lawyer for a father and nurse for a mother, his decision to go into the business world nearly caused his parents to have a heart attack.

* His career started in consulting out of a company in Brazil. In this role, he worked a lot on international opportunities and this opened his eyes to a number of things.

* Eventually, he moved into investing, working for hedge funds investing in emerging markets. During this time, he learned about impact investing. This idea and his interests aligned well and seemed to fill a gap.

* Eventually, he would land his first role at The Rockefeller Foundation where he rose the ranks and climbed to his current role.

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation

Philanthropic Capital, Nature-Based Solutions, Impact Investing,

One Liner: Investing Catalytic Philanthropic capital into emerging impact markets.

Originally founded in 1913 with donations from the historically-significant John D. Rockefeller, the giant who created Standard Oil, this foundation was one of the first well-organized and systematic foundations.

From the beginning, their charter has been “…to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable.” This, plus the origin of the money, makes it fitting that they have recently committed $1bn to investing in climate.

This amounts to about 75% of their spend going forward.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* What Thomas Does at TRF

* TRF’s $1bn Climate & Net Zero Commitment

* Why Nature-Based Solutions

* Catalytic Capital & Unlocking Funding

* The Role of Philanthropy in Climate

* Flexible Investment Approach

* His Career Journey and Mentorship

* Collaboration with Elemental Excelerator

* Future Projects

* Emerging Market Interest

* Global Ambitions

Links

* Thomas Belazis | The Rockefeller Foundation

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Asks 👋

* We recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear how we can improve the show and what you like most.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Early-stage founder looking for top-tier talent - reach out to Silas, and he’ll save you hundreds of hours with your critical searches.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition.

🚨🚨 Listen to the new takeaways section at the end of the episode!!

Today, we are talking to Zécca Lehn from Responsibly Ventures.

In this episode, we discuss:

* How he uses data in impact reporting and communicating with LPs

* How Responsibly Ventures maintains an ethical and integrity-based focus in their investing

* Maintaining focus and presence in what you do despite the noise

And a lot, lot more.

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Zécca Lehn

* Zécca is the GP at Responsibly Ventures where he invests at the Pre-Seed stage in sustainability and social good

* Zécca was interested in sustainability from when he was a child, before cleantech 1.0 and majority of what we know as climate tech today

* He started off his career as an environmental economist and data scientist, two skills that clearly benefit his ability to lead an impact-focused fund today

* He was able to combine his passion for economics and environmental consulting into running a fund which today is Responsibly Ventures

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The VC: Responsibly Ventures

Responsibly Ventures is a PreSeed VC Impact Fund, backing remarkable teams, focused on both Sustainability and Social Good.

They encourage competitive moats, rapid scale, all aspects of inclusion, ethics, integrity, and customer love.

They support our Founders in achieving Venture Scale Positive Impacts, considering a company’s impact-moat to be their financial opportunity. 

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 1:45 Introduction and Background

* 10:23 Early Interest in Sustainability

* 13:43 Investing in Sustainability and Social Good

* 15:52 What is Customer Love?

* 17:13 Ethics and Honesty in Investing

* 25:26 Balancing Returns and Impact

* 27:21 Data and Reporting in Venture Investing

* 30:52 Subjectivity in Measurement and Reporting

* 31:57 Challenges of Collecting and Using Data

* 34:05 Privacy and AI Concerns in Impact Investing

* 37:09 The Power of Follow-on Investors

* 39:50 Maintaining Focus and Presence

* 42:08 Climate Anxiety and Perspective

* 45:16 The Role of Returns in Climate Investing

* 52:04 Addressing Desertification as an Impact

* 54:05 Takeaways

Links

* Zécca Lehn | Responsibly Ventures

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Today, we are talking to Oliver Shafaat from Sci-Lume Labs

Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lori Dunn, who is decarbonizing today - but we wouldn’t have new technology like that without people like our guests today. Oliver Shafaat, the founder of Sci-Lume Labs.

Today’s core discussion points are…

* The overall problem with the apparel industry

* How they are solving it using an agriculture waste feedstock to create circular fibers (bylon)

* The challenges and process of developing deep-tech

And much more…

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The Guest: Oliver Shafaat

* After finishing his PhD at Caltech, Oliver worked with Spiber Inc in Japan where he was studying advanced fibers.

* Eventually, he felt the itch of entrepreneurship and knew he had to pull that thread to see where it led.

* Fast forward to today, he’s now a Gener8tor alumni, based in Oklahoma, developing his technology day by day.

The Startup: Sci-Lume Labs

Sustainable Fibers, Circularity, Biotech, Bylon

One-liner: Developing fully recycalbe fibers from agricultural waste as the feedstock, to substantially reduce emissions in the apparel industry.

Founded in 2022, the comapny is iterating quickly to develop recyclalbe fibers. They call it bylon.

To date, Oliver has been named Biotech Innovator of the year. Sci-Lume has gone through the Gener8tor accelerator program.

Step by step they are advancing to commercialization out of their Oklahoma-based lab.

Enjoy the content but unable to support financially? Share the episode with your network and mention your favorite aspect of the show. 🙏

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 01:16 Intro

* 02:16 The Challenges of the Apparel Industry

* 04:34 The Inspiration behind Bylon

* 11:45 Evaluating Polymers

* 13:59 Starting a Company

* 15:22 Funding the Company

* 18:45 The Process of Making Fibers

* 23:19 Sourcing Feedstocks

* 25:27 The Sustainability of Bylon

* 28:31 Recyclability and End-of-Life

* 30:21 IP and Business Model

* 32:04 Scaling Up and Challenges Ahead

* 34:58 Pilot Conversations

* 38:49 Interest from Clothing Manufacturers

Links

* Oliver Shafaat | Sci-Lume Labs

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates?—Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, Philanthropy edition?

Today, we are talking to Adam Fraser from Terraset

In this episode, we discuss:

* The state of philanthropic capital in climate and the need for more

* The in’s and out’s of carbon removal projects

* Adam’s journey from journalism to being “anti-GHG”

And a lot, lot more.

🚨🚨 We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most.

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

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The Guest: Adam Fraser

* Adam is the CEO of Terraset where he leads the organization in collecting donations and investing those into important carbon removal projects

* He started off with a career as a Journalist for ~6 years before moving into communications and leadership roles in the Sports world

* Before joining Terraset, he led global development and a program to use sports to end various inequalities under the patronage of Nelson Mandela

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The 501c3: Terraset

Climate scientists agree: it's not enough just to reduce emissions. We also need to remove large amounts of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere. Carbon removal solutions exist, but they're not growing fast enough, and there aren’t enough of them. We need to rapidly accelerate the deployment of permanent, high-quality carbon removal. To do that, we need policy change, corporate buyers, venture capital, philanthropic support - we need it all. They secure funding via tax-deductible donations from people, foundations, family offices, and donor advised funds, and use it to make strategic purchases of high-quality carbon removal. They use research from leading climate organisations like Frontier and CarbonPlan and evaluate potential recipients against strict criteria to ensure donations drive real impact on the planet.

Donors include Grantham Foundation, Conscience Bay Research, Tim Ferriss, Segment co-founder Calvin French-Owen, and multiple other funds and people who want to shape the future of the carbon removal market.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 04:48 The State of Philanthropic Capital and Climate

* 06:52 Challenges in Philanthropic Investment in Climate

* 11:05 Being Anti-GHG and the Importance of Carbon Removal

* 13:45 Different Carbon Removal Technologies

* 16:32 Transition from Journalism to Philanthropy

* 22:45 Efficiency and Scalability of Philanthropic Capital

* 34:08 The CDR Landscape and Evaluation

* 40:41 Donor Profiles and Funding Sources

* 47:03 Genesis of Terraset and the "anti-GHG" Approach

* 50:00 Optimism and Urgency for the Future

Links

* Adam Fraser | Terraset

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Asks 👋

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!