Inevitable

Today's guest is Tadeau Carneiro, Chairman & CEO of Boston Metal.

This episode was part of the SOSV Climate Tech Summit. The SOSV Climate Tech Summit aims to convene the climate tech startup ecosystem of founders, investors, technologists, corporates, policymakers, and media to discuss the extreme challenges ahead. This year, the summit was held virtually on October 20th & 21st.

Spun-out of MIT in 2012, Boston Metal has invented a coal-free, emissions-free, modular method of industrial steel production based on the use of electricity. The company's molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) provides the metals industry with a greener solution for producing several metals and alloys from a wide variety of feedstocks. Earlier this year, Boston Metal raised $50 million in a Series B led by Piva Capital and Fidelity Investments. Tadeu joined the company in 2017 as its CEO, bringing with him more than 40 years of metal industry leadership and technology experience.

In this episode, Tadeau walks me through Boston Metal, the company's founding, and capital raise to date. We also discuss why steel is hard to decarbonize and why it poses a climate threat. Lastly, Tadeau weighs in on the importance of mission alignment for investors and advice for future entrepreneurs.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 8th, 2021

To learn more about Boston Metal: https://www.bostonmetal.com/

To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/boston-metal

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

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

Today's guest is Scott Jacobs, Co-Founder & CEO of Generate Capital.

Generate is a leading sustainable infrastructure platform delivering affordable, reliable resource solutions to companies, communities, and cities.

In 2007, Scott joined McKinsey & Company to co-found its global Clean Technologies Practice, advising companies, institutional investors, NGOs, and governments worldwide on the economic imperatives of resource productivity and climate solutions. Before that, Scott spent over a decade in technology and venture capital, helping start and grow several companies. In 2014, Scott co-founded Generate Capital and has served as CEO since. In addition, he is a regular writer, keynote speaker, and conference panelist on thematic investing and risk management, climate- and resource-related innovation, and building values-based and people-centric businesses. Scott earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and BA from Dartmouth College.

I was looking forward to sitting down with Scott and learning more about Generate Capital. Scott walks me through what led him to co-found Generate, the problem Generate is setting out to fix, and what sets the firm apart from its competitors. We also dive into how impact factors into Generate's mission, the types of entities that invest in Generate, and how the firm deploys capital. In addition, we cover carbon offsets, the future of fossil fuels, and a lack of political leadership around climate change. Scott is a fantastic guest.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded November 1st, 2021

For more information about Generate Capital, visit: https://generatecapital.com/

For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/scott-jacobs

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

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

Today's guest is Dave Snydacker, Founder and CEO of Lilac Solutions.

Lilac Solutions is a lithium extraction technology company based in Oakland, California. Lilac has developed a patented ion exchange technology that facilitates lithium production from brine resources with high efficiency, minimal cost, and ultra-low environmental footprint. Lilac's mission is to scale global lithium production to support the electric vehicle industry and energy transition.

Dave founded Lilac in 2016. He is a materials engineer and an expert in battery technology, with experience spanning multiple battery startups developing next-generation materials and manufacturing processes. Dave holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and a BA from Wesleyan University.

I was eager to sit down with Dave and learn more about Lilac Solutions. Dave and I explore his path to founding Lilac Solutions, the process of commercializing his research, and the early stages of funding for the startup. We also discuss why lithium is critical to batteries and Electric Vehicles, how to scale ion exchange technology, and the importance of government incentives and policy to a successful EV transition.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 21st, 2021

For more information about Lilac Solutions, visit: https://lilacsolutions.com/

For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/dave-snydacker

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

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

Today's guests are Lindsey Hoell, Co-Founder & CEO, and Maia Tekle, Co-Founder & Head of Sales and Partnerships, at Dispatch Goods.

After noticing microplastics littering beaches while living in Hawaii, Lindsey, and her partner, Maia, founded Dispatch Goods in 2019. The startup provides reusable metal containers for restaurants to use for takeout service rather than single-use options. Initially, Dispatch Goods partnered with restaurants near office buildings so employee lunch orders could come in reusable containers. Employees dropped off the containers in return bins on each floor, and Dispatch Goods collected them, cleaned them, and redistributed them to restaurants. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dispatch Goods quickly rebranded and expanded to pick up their containers at customers' homes. Dispatch Goods is on a mission to make reuse easy and delightful for everyone. 

In the episode, Lindsey and Maia walk me through their motivations for starting Dispatch Goods, the gap in the market the startup is filling, and how the process of ordering takeout works. We also dive into a conversation about how to scale their operation, how COVID-19 affected the Dispatch Goods, and what the startup has planned for the next 12 months. Lindsey and Maia are great guests, and I enjoyed learning more about Dispatch Goods.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded November 1st, 2021

To learn more about Dispatch Goods, visit: https://dispatchgoods.com/home

To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/dispatch-goods

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

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

Today's guest is Nancy Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner at DBL Partners.

DBL Partners is a venture capital firm whose goal is to combine top-tier financial returns with meaningful social, economic, and environmental returns in the regions and sectors in which it invests. The firm focuses on cleantech, information technology, sustainability products and services, and healthcare.

Nancy is the Founder and Managing Partner at DBL Partners. Before founding DBL, Nancy was a Managing Director in Venture Capital at JPMorgan. She started her investment career at Hambrecht & Quist in 1984. Nancy has also worked at Intel Corporation, the State of California, Stanford University, and the Sierra Club. She sponsors or sits on the board of directors of several companies, including Farmers Business Network, Andela, The Muse, Zola Electric, Bellwether Coffee, Spatial, and, before their public offerings, Tesla and Pandora. In September 2020, Nancy was named to the FORBES 2020 Impact 50 List of the most notable impact investors, was featured in the 2014 FORTUNE Inaugural World's Top 25 Eco-Innovators, and appeared on Fast Company's 2016 List of Most Creative People in Business. 

I was looking forward to sitting down with Nancy. She explains DBL Partners, why the "double bottom line" is vital to the firm's success, and what led her to focus on climate change. Nancy also shares what she learned from cleantech 1.0, how climate investing has evolved over the past two decades, and the sectors DBL focuses on. In addition, we have a lively discussion on carbon removal, nuclear energy, and the role fossil fuels play in the clean future. Nancy is a fantastic guest.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 20th, 2021

For more information about DBL Partners, visit: https://www.dbl.vc/

For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/nancy-pfund

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

Connect with MCJ:

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

Today's guest is Cody Finke, Co-Founder and CEO of Brimstone Energy.

Brimstone Energy's vision is to make ordinary portland cement without carbon dioxide emissions for a lower cost than conventionally produced cement. Brimstone Energy is a venture-backed R&D company with the ambition to reduce global CO2 emissions by a couple of percentage points. The cement/concrete industry is a $1T market opportunity responsible for 5.5% of GHG or approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions, the same emissions as cars. They have developed a process capable of producing carbon-neutral Portland cement and supplementary cementitious materials, regardless of the energy source. 

Brimstone Energy was founded in 2019 at Caltech and since then moved to the Bay Area thanks to Cyclotron Road and other federal and private grants. Cody holds his Ph.D. in environmental science and engineering under Prof. Michael Hoffmann at Caltech. During Cody's Ph.D., he specialized in electrochemistry and techno-economic modeling, where he attempted to find economically efficient ways to reduce carbon dioxide process emissions.

In this episode, Cody explains how Brimstone was founded, why Portland cement is carbon-emitting, and why it's hard to decarbonize cement. We also dive into the pilot plant the company is working on, what sets it apart, and how to scale its technology. Cody is a great guest, and we have a fascinating discussion.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 28th, 2021

To learn more about Brimstone Energy, visit: https://www.brimstone.energy/

To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/brimstone-energy

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

Connect with MCJ:

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

Today's guest is Dr. Shuchi Talati, Chief of Staff, Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy.

The mission of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management is to minimize the environmental impacts of fossil fuels while working towards net-zero emissions.

Dr. Talati joined the DOE at the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration. Before assuming her current role, Shuchi worked as the Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180, where she focused on policies to build sustainable and equitable carbon removal at scale. In addition, Dr. Talati was a Scholar in Residence at American University and she worked at the Union of Concerned Scientists, where she led efforts to guide sound governance around solar geoengineering and carbon removal approaches to limit global warming. Dr. Talati was the 2017-2018 AAAS/AIP Congressional Science Fellow in the U.S. Senate and served at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Obama Administration. Dr. Talati holds a B.S. in environmental engineering from Northwestern University, an M.A. in climate and society from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in engineering and public policy.

I was excited to sit down with Dr. Talati because of her role and expertise in the energy policy sector. Dr. Talati explains her position at the Department of Energy and why she dedicated her career to CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal). We dive into the role of fossil fuels, carbon removal, nuclear energy, and offsets as climate solutions. We also have a lively conversation about the role of policy and government in the energy transition and why understanding energy poverty is critical to a successful clean energy transition. Dr. Talati is an incredible guest, and this is a must-listen episode.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 13th, 2021

For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/shuchi-talati

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

Connect with MCJ:

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

Today's guest is Iggy Bassi, Founder & CEO of Cervest.

Cervest offers cloud-based Climate Intelligence (CI) to enable organizations to manage and adapt to climate risk at an asset level. Its on-demand, AI-powered platform delivers a standardized, science-based view of climate risk – simultaneously analyzing millions of global assets across multiple time horizons and risk categories. EarthScan, the first product on the platform, helps enterprises and governments baseline, monitor, and forecast climate risk. Through its open-access platform, Cervest incentivizes everyone to share and integrate Climate Intelligence into everyday decisions – protecting the world's critical assets – including our greatest asset, the planet. Cervest is a Certified B Corporation.

Iggy is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in both emerged and emerging markets. Driven by a relentless passion for world-changing innovations that tackle global challenges, he's the Founder/CEO, and driving force behind Cervest. He has advised Fortune 500, sovereigns, and entrepreneurs on competitiveness, sustainability, and resource security.

In this episode, Iggy explains Cervest and his motivations for founding the startup. He outlines how climate risk is defined and the existing landscape for climate risk platforms. We also dive into a discussion about balancing a quality product and scalability, why Cervest is working to democratize climate risk data, and the company's approach for various sectors across the climate industry. Iggy is a great guest, and it was exciting to learn more about Cervest.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 7th, 2021

To learn more about Cervest, visit: https://cervest.earth/

To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/cervest

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

Connect with MCJ:

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

Today's guest is Collin McLelland, Co-Founder & CEO of Digital Wildcatters.

Digital Wildcatters is a multimedia platform that offers podcasts, videos, and in-depth blogs detailing ideas to make the oil & gas and energy sectors cleaner and more efficient.

Digital Wildcatters was founded in March 2020. Through Collin's podcast "Oil and Gas Startups", a show that started as a hobby, he has built a go-to platform for oil & gas tech and cultivated a community that wanted to disrupt the status quo. Collin grew up in the Permian Basin in West Texas, the largest oil and gas field in the contiguous 48 states. After graduating high school during the 2008 Recession, he worked as a wireline operator drilling oil wells and a project manager at Enventure Global Technologies where he managed the expandable casing installations on drilling and completions projects across the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. Most recently, Collin co-founded Stealth Startup a funded fintech company in the oil & gas sector. 

While Collin’s background may not be that of MCJ's typical guest, I believe our purpose is to create bridges to tackle the massive problem of climate change. I was looking forward to speaking with Collin because of his experience in the oil & gas industry. Collin walks me through Digital Wildcatters, what the media company is working on, and why oil & gas needs to evolve. We also have a lively discussion on how climate impacts Collin's work, what role the government should play in the energy transition, and why Collin believes transitioning off of fossil fuels can create energy poverty. Collin is a great guest and we have a fascinating conversation.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded September 30th, 2021

For more about Digital Wildcatters or to listen to Collin's podcast, visit: https://www.digitalwildcatters.com/

For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/collin-mclelland

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

Connect with MCJ:

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

Today's guests are Dr. Etosha Cave, Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer, Dr. Kendra Kuhl, Co-Founder & CTO, and Nicholas Flanders, Co-Founder & CEO.

Twelve is the carbon transformation company, a new kind of chemical company built for the climate era. They make essential products from air, not oil. Twelve's groundbreaking technology eliminates emissions by transforming CO2 into critical chemicals, materials, and fuels currently made from fossil fuels. The startup calls it carbon transformation, and it fundamentally changes how we can address climate change, reduce emissions and reverse the carbon imbalance. Reinventing what it means to be a chemical company, we're on a mission to create a positive climate world and a fossil-free future through the power of chemistry. 

Founded in 2016, Twelve was part of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's first Cyclotron Road cohort, an incubator program that aids in the creation of environmentally beneficial companies.

In this episode, the founders walk me through their roles at Twelve, the company's mission, and the process of bringing technology from the lab to the market. We also explored their recent capital raise, customer base, and why carbon transformation is essential in the clean and carbon-free future. Etosha, Kendra, and Nicholas are fantastic guests, and it was exciting to learn more about Twelve.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded October 14th, 2021

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

Connect with MCJ:

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