Dan Preston is the co-founder and CEO of Stand, a brand-new startup property insurer providing homeowners insurance for climate-exposed properties. They’re launching with a go-to-market focus on higher-end properties in California—homes that are otherwise unable to obtain affordable rates or any coverage at all due to wildfire risk.

Stand claims that their differentiation, as Dan will explain in depth, comes from how they assess fire risk at the individual property level and help homeowners take proactive steps to mitigate those risks as part of the underwriting process.

Dan is a seasoned entrepreneur with a win under his belt in InsurTech. He was previously the CEO of Metromile, which went public on the NASDAQ in 2020 via a SPAC merger and was later acquired by NextGen insurance company Lemonade in 2022.

Stand recently raised a $30 million Series A, co-led by Inspired Capital and Lowercarbon, and came out of stealth at the end of 2024 to begin underwriting properties.

Insurance risk is being priced and managed in ways that no longer match today’s realities, and we loved hearing from Dan about how Stand is tackling the challenge.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [3:49] Dan’s background in computer science and machine learning
• [7:00] The catalyst for starting Stand
• [9:22] How insurance companies typically evaluate risk
• [11:05] Challenges in measuring wildfire risk
• [17:32] Managing fire-prone communities and the importance of collective resilience
• [20:53] The role of private firefighters in insurance
• [22:08] Stand’s mission and focus on climate-exposed properties
• [26:53] Progress since launch and early traction
• [27:39] Stand’s product, technology, and risk modeling approach
• [33:18] Why legacy insurers have struggled to adapt to wildfire risk
• [38:35] What "perils" mean in insurance and why they matter
• [41:47] Stand’s $30M Series A funding and future plans

Episode recorded on Feb 11, 2025 (Published on Feb 20, 2025)

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Hudson Gilmer is the co-founder and CEO of LineVision. 

LineVision is a Series C-stage startup helping utilities monitor and increase the capacity of the vast network of transmission lines that serve as the vascular system of the U.S. electric grid. The U.S. transmission grid spans 600,000 to 700,000 circuit miles of high-voltage lines, connecting energy generation with consumption and delivering power across the country. This infrastructure typically lasts for decades, yet much of it was built before the advent of sophisticated software-based monitoring or persistent connectivity.

LineVision provides a non-contact sensor and software system that detects issues with transmission lines and enables grid operators to safely increase their capacity—critical in an increasingly electrified world where grid constraints limit power delivery and building new transmission lines is a slow, multi-year process.

We explore all this and more in our conversation with Hudson.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [2:06] An overview of transmission as one of the backbones of infrastructure in the US
• [7:00] LineVision’s focus on high-voltage, long distance lines 
• [8:53] Hudon’s background and LineVision’s origin story
• [12:41] LineVision’s customers and who they work with
• [14:33] An overview of LineVision’s product 
• [19:31] How seasonality plays into transmission capacity 
• [22:53] The lifespan of typical transmission lines 
• [25:10] The future of transmission line monitoring 
• [28:11] LineVision’s funding to date 
• [31:05] How LineVision’s business could be applied in the future
• [33:30] How monitoring facilitated grid security
• [35:42] LineVision’s  new customers

Episode recorded on Jan 30, 2025 (Published on Feb 13, 2025)

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

John Rappaport is the Chief Investment Officer at Keyframe Capital, a special situations fund manager. They help management teams solve complex asset and corporate financing requirements. In finance speak, this is often referred to as structured capital—the process of separating a company's capital structure into layers, enabling each layer to be fit for an investor seeking that specific risk-return profile.

As John shares, structured capital can often be a good fit for companies in the energy transition, as those in renewable energy and adjacent categories often have high upfront capital costs and a relatively low cost of ongoing production.

John has spent much of his career in financial roles within the energy and transportation sectors. Prior to founding Keyframe in 2020, he joined Cyrus Capital Partners in 2008, and before that, he worked for Sankaty Advisors, a division of Bain Capital. He has lectured on structured capital and economics at Yale University and sits on the boards of many companies in the energy transition space, including Wonder Capital, Utility Data, and Sealed, among others.

So, let's dive into the wonky but important world of structured capital.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [1:57] Overview of Keyframe Capital
• [2:52] The origin of Keyframe and a story about Terawatt Infrastructure
• [11:25] Understanding structured capital
• [17:01] Examples of structured capital: Infrastructure as a service
• [21:10] Keyframe’s thesis-driven approach
• [25:56] The data center financing challenge
• [31:02] When and how founders should engage with structured capital providers
• [35:48] Keyframe’s current focus areas

Episode recorded on Jan 21, 2025 (Published on Feb 6, 2025)

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Halen Mattison and Luke Neise are co-founders at General Galactic. 

General Galactic is a seed-stage e-fuels startup out of El Segundo in the Los Angeles area that converts captured CO₂ into synthetic fuels, starting with natural gas. They claim that their end product is a carbon-neutral drop-in replacement for natural gas that can run in all of today's vast gas infrastructure. In their view, any company or country can in theory become a gas producer. 

The two founders met at Stanford and went on to early careers in aerospace, Halen at SpaceX and Luke at Varda Space Industries. As they'll share, the vision for General Galactic was ultimately inspired by technologies that are used in space today, which they felt could help solve the energy transition here on Earth.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [1:43] The origin of the name General Galactic (GG)
• [3:07] Halen and Luke’s backgrounds
• [7:00] An overview of GG
• [8:14] How GG’s technology leverages existing infrastructure
• [14:15] GG and its connection to SAF
• [16:55] How GG chose to focus on natural gas
• [19:18] Differences between CNG and RNG
• [22:44] An overview of LNG
• [26:06] The Jones Act and its impact on fuel transportation
• [28:14] GG’s drop-in replacement and its economic implications
• [31:02] The footprint of GG’s “Genesis modules”
• [34:49] The importance of location for GG’s hardware
• [38:05] Addressing methane emissions concerns
• [40:19] GG’s technology readiness and commercialization pathways
• [42:11] GG’s business model and go-to-market strategy
• [45:12] GG’s financing to date
• [49:20] Who GG wants to connect with

Additional Resources:

• Our World in Data - Energy Mix
• Estimates of Methane Emissions by Segment in the United States

*The claims made in this episode are based on current research and theoretical models. Real-world impact will depend on factors like scalability, infrastructure readiness, and policy support. We encourage listeners to stay curious, explore further resources, and engage in the evolving conversation around these solutions.

Episode recorded on Nov 7, 2024 (Published on Jan 30, 2025)

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Paul Lambert is the Co-founder and CEO of Quilt,  a company designing smart ductless heat pumps for residential heating and cooling with intelligent room-by-room controls. Quilt was founded in 2022 and launched in the San Francisco Bay Area in spring 2024. Since then, they have achieved hundreds of deployments and are preparing to expand to their next market in Southern California. Earlier this year, they announced a $33 million Series A financing round co-led by Energy Impact Partners and Galvanize Climate Solutions, following a $9 million seed round in 2023 co-led by Lowercarbon Capital and Gradient Ventures. MCJ is proud to have invested in both rounds through our venture funds.

Before founding Quilt, Paul led sustainability efforts at Area 120, Google’s in-house incubator for product ideas developed during employees’ 20% time. He previously held product roles at Google and Twitter and began his career by founding, running, and exiting a startup called LearnDot.

In this conversation, we wanted to understand Paul’s product mindset—how Quilt works, the assumptions he’s validated along the way, and how he’s approached the challenges of building the business.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [2:01] The origin of the name Quilt
• [3:32] An overview of Quilt’s product stack
• [5:37] Quilt’s installation process
• [8:24] An overview of mini splits
• [10:56] How Paul and his co-founder decided on ductless mini splits
• [17:09] Paul’s path from design spec to prototype
• [18:47] The company’s progress to date
• [21:38] Consumer sentiment about heat pumps
• [23:51] Seasonal changes that drive consumers to purchase Quilt
• [27:16] Paul’s biggest learnings in building the company
• [32:16] Design considerations in Quilt’s product
• [34:59] Workforce development and other inertia challenges
• [40:51] What’s next for Quilt
• [45:52] Where Quilt is hiring, plus its newly launched merch store

Episode recorded on Dec 17, 2024 (Published on Jan 23, 2025)

*Due to the recent fires, Quilt will now launch in Los Angeles in the Spring of 2025. 

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Sharon Schneider is the Founder of Integrated Capital Strategies, a consulting firm that helps founders and family offices drive positive social change. Her firm specializes in setting up or realigning family offices to better align with the values and evolving priorities of individuals seeking a more integrated approach to life.

We invited Sharon on the show after being inspired by one of her posts, where she highlighted a growing trend: younger generations of high-net-worth families are rethinking their relationship with family wealth, especially in light of climate change.

In this conversation, we explored the distinctions between impact capital, aligned capital, and catalytic capital, and how family office strategies can incorporate these concepts. We also discussed key considerations for entrepreneurs and fund managers when engaging with family offices, how family offices can structure loan guarantees to address the first-of-a-kind project finance gap—and much more.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [2:13] Sharon’s journey to founding Integrated Capital Strategies
• [8:42] Her perspective on catalytic capital
• [12:27] Feedback from family offices: privacy and urgency
• [16:14] Fiduciary duties of family offices
• [19:25] How Sharon collaborates with family offices
• [23:30] Tips for high-net-worth individuals
• [27:23] Guidance for founders approaching investors
• [28:53] Advice for GPs raising capital
• [32:55] Underutilized tools in catalytic capital
• [37:40] More advice for founders seeking funding
• [41:57] The role of corporate strategics in startups
• [44:11] Sharon’s outlook on the future of family office investments

Episode recorded on Dec 19, 2024 (Published on Jan 20, 2025)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Eliot Brooks is the CEO and co-founder of Cocoon. 

Cocoon is driving the industrial circular economy, starting with a process that helps the steel industry continue supplying a critical feedstock for cement production. This feedstock is increasingly at risk as steelmaking transitions from coal-based blast furnaces to lower-emission electric arc furnaces. 

Cocoon was founded on the realization that as industries decarbonize, certain process changes disrupt circular supply chains. The connection between the slag byproduct of steelmaking and the demands of cement production is their starting focus. Earlier this year, Cocoon announced a $5.4 million pre-seed round led by Wireframe, Gigascale, SOSV, and Celsius Industries.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [1:33] Introduction to Cocoon
• [3:13] The challenge steel decarbonization poses for the cement industry
• [9:56] Cocoon's process for transforming steel slag into a cementitious material
• [10:51] Eliot’s background and journey to working on this technology
• [15:46] Cocoon's business model and go-to-market strategy
• [19:43] Decarbonization pathways for steel and the role of electric arc furnaces
• [21:10] Cocoon's current technology readiness and near-term deployment plans
• [22:05] Building industrial expertise at Cocoon
• [25:07] Comparing the US and Europe as initial target markets
• [27:57] Cocoon's recent $5.4 million pre-seed funding round
• [30:00] Eliot’s perspective on bringing expertise from other industries to address challenges in steelmaking

Episode recorded on Nov 20, 2024 (Published on Jan 16, 2025)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Adrian Deveny, former Director of Energy and Environmental Policy for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, was a key architect of the Biden-era climate policy agenda, including the landmark Inflation Reduction Act. In this conversation, we explore Adrian's perspective on what to expect from Washington, D.C., in the years ahead, as the federal government transitions to Republican control of the executive branch and both chambers of Congress.

We discuss the likely fate of the climate and clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act over the next couple of years and whether there are viable pathways for new clean energy policy in the near term. Given the ambitious policies rolled out in recent years, Adrian also shares insights on the "unfinished business" he sees as critical. Spoiler alert: he believes we need to more than double our policy efforts to meet U.S. emissions targets. 

In this episode, we cover: 

• [3:36] Adrian’s background and  journey in the Senate
• [8:26] Republican trifecta’s impact on climate policy
• [11:47] Regulatory challenges, including Supreme Court rulings
• [17:48] Challenges in EPA funding and appropriations
• [19:53] Defending clean energy tax credits under the IRA
• [24:08] IRA’s impact on manufacturing and the EV supply chain
• [31:48] Bipartisan opportunities in geothermal, nuclear, and defense projects
• [45:28] Debates on permitting reform for energy projects
• [52:00] Future clean energy growth and market forces
• [55:12] Adrian’s focus on advancing federal climate policy

Recommended listening: 

• Crafting Landmark Climate Legislation Russel Kenneth DeGraff

Episode recorded on Nov 20, 2024 (Published on Jan 13, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Kathryn Bakos is the Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, an applied research center within the faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo in Canada. 

Our conversation today is all about the inevitable impacts of climate change, including floods, wildfires, and heat waves in particular, as these phenomena are Kathryn's main focus. We talk about the increasing severity of each of these, the preventative efforts that individuals and communities can each take to avoid their worst effects and how risk and insurance industries are navigating these perils. And lastly, we have a conversation about why adaptation measures have seemingly lagged behind decarbonization efforts in the public consciousness about climate change. 

In this episode, we cover: 

• [0:00] Overview of the Intact Centre
• [1:30] Canada’s climate vulnerability
• [2:44] Kathryn’s career path
• [4:00] Major risks: flooding, wildfires, heat waves
• [9:59] Responses to flooding: individuals, communities, industries
• [16:55] Updating flood maps and using AI
• [26:07] Wildfire risks: actions for homes and communities
• [34:53] Wildfire insurance and resilience challenges
• [37:42] Balancing adaptation and mitigation
• [41:28] Political will for adaptation measures
• [45:50] Cost-effectiveness of adaptation
• [46:41] Don River and Waterpark Project
• [48:34] Innovation in resilience technologies
• [51:58] Heat risks and urban solutions
• [58:34] Final reflections on resilience efforts

Resources from Intact: 

• Three Steps to Cost-Effective Home Flood Protection
• Three Steps to a Cost-Effective FireSmart™ Home
• Three Features of a Wildfire-Ready Community
• Three Steps to Cost-Effective Apartment and Condo Heat Protection
• Three Steps to Cost-Effective Home Heat Protection

Episode recorded on Dec 2, 2024 (Published on Jan 6, 2025)

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Seyed Madaeni is the co-founder and CEO of Verse. Verse develops software that helps organizations understand, plan, and manage clean energy. Their platform simplifies the complex clean energy procurement process, enabling companies to meet their emissions goals in the most economical way possible. 

MCJ is proud to be a repeat investor in Verse through our venture capital funds, including participation in their recent Series A round alongside GV and Coatue. To us, Verse embodies the inevitable shift where large companies must integrate clean energy management as a core business capability.

Hyperscalers have led this trend, driven by their insatiable need for electricity to power data centers—a demand that’s only growing with AI. We believe this focus on clean energy will expand across major corporations, much like the widespread adoption of IT and cloud technologies over the past two decades. But enough from us—let’s hear directly from Seyed about what he’s building with Verse.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [1:43] Overview of Verse’s mission and focus
• [2:05] How Seyed founded Verse
• [4:54] Lessons from Seyed’s time at Fluence
• [6:02] Insights into the buyer side of the market
• [10:03] Rising demand on the U.S. energy grid
• [13:02] Breakdown of Verse’s customer base
• [17:44] Challenges corporate buyers face with energy and emissions
• [19:14] Overview of virtual PPAs and additionality
• [25:14] How Verse helps buyers make energy decisions
• [27:28] Importance of data in pricing and forecasting
• [30:40] 24/7 carbon-free energy vs. carbon matching
• [35:00] The role of batteries in increasing emissions
• [38:56] How Verse is expanding its offerings
• [41:15] Understanding Verse’s approach
• [44:00] Verse’s funding history and goals

Episode recorded on Oct 17, 2024 (Published on Jan 2, 2025)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant