Invested In Climate

Invested In Climate

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Invested In Climate episodes

  • Southeast Asia's Massive Climate Opportunity with 100x100, Ep #138

    In our last episode, we covered a recent study on climate venture studios conducted by Jamil Wyne and Hazelwood Network and discussed the role studios can play in accelerating climate innovation.

    Today, we’re seeing what that looks like in practice in a region critical to our climate future.

    Across Southeast Asia, growing incomes and rapid urbanization are driving demand for energy, housing, and food. Meeting those needs creates an enormous business opportunity—and the choices made today will shape emissions for decades.

    Our guests are Steve Melhuish and Marie Cheong, founding partners of 100x100, which builds climate companies across Southeast Asia and India. Their first fund raised $60 million and launched 26 businesses, with companies generating revenue in just five and a half months, on average.

    We explore how they recruit experienced entrepreneurs, identify overlooked opportunities, and build businesses that can deliver both financial returns and meaningful emissions reductions.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 01:22 - Introducing Steve, Marie, and 100x100
    • 02:34 - Marie's Path from Politics to Climate Venture Building
    • 06:32 - Steve's Journey from Property Guru to Climate
    • 10:29 - Mapping Southeast Asia's Emissions and the Green Discount
    • 14:38 - Can Existing Tech Plus Regional Reach Deliver Venture Returns?
    • 16:44 - Growth and Challenges in Southeast Asia
    • 18:40 - Inside the Venture Building Process
    • 22:35 - Engineering the Spark and Finding Product-Market Fit
    • 25:21 - Founder-Friendly Deal Terms: 70/30
    • 26:17 - Fund Math, Survival Rates, and M&A Exits
    • 28:57 - Lessons from Fund One and Expanding to India
    • 32:47 - Talent-Forward vs. Sector-Driven
    • 33:24 - Structural Advantages: Seaweed, Cattle Feed, and Distributed Solar
    • 37:37 - Sharing Lessons Across Markets
    • 38:10 - Who 100x100 Wants to Hear From
    • 39:38 - More Women Founders in Climate
    • 40:30 - Wrap-Up

    Resources Mentioned
    • 100x100
    • Hazelwood Network Research: Climate Venture Studios: Building the Infrastructure for Climate Innovation
    • Engie Factory
    • Wavemaker Partners
    • PropertyGuru
    • Greta Thunberg's school strike for climate
    • Larry Fink's letter to CEOs, "A Fundamental Reshaping of Finance"
    • Nūl
    • Zentide
    • HiFeed
    • Neoterra,

    Connect with us

    • Marie Cheong
    • Steve Melhuish
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    42 min
  • Global Climate Venture Studio Study with Jamil Wyne, Ep #137

    How can we give climate startups a better shot at success—and get their solutions into the world faster?

    Companies built through venture studios can reach seed funding in about half the time and exit roughly 33% faster than other startups. Those findings span industries, but they raise an exciting question: what could this model do for climate?

    Today, Jamil Wyne returns to Invested in Climate to share new global research from the Hazelwood Network on climate venture studios—organizations that act as co-founders, bringing together talent, funding, and customers to build businesses from the ground up.

    We explore what makes these studios work, the challenges they face, how they differ by region and industry, and their potential to accelerate climate solutions, especially in emerging markets.

    For anyone interested in improving outcomes for climate ventures, there’s lots to learn in this one.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 01:14 - Episode intro: Climate venture studios
    • 02:18 - What Jamil is working on now
    • 03:48 - Opportunism and the ecosystem approach
    • 05:38 - What is a venture studio?
    • 08:46 - Why a global study of climate studios
    • 12:41 - How many climate venture studios exist
    • 14:01 - Surprises from the research
    • 16:04 - What makes studios work
    • 19:47 - Standout studios: Engie, Delta40, GigaClimate
    • 23:30 - Investing in studios: The Vault Fund
    • 24:26 - Why studios matter in emerging markets
    • 27:51 - The economics of venture studios
    • 31:06 - Who should be paying attention
    • 35:18 - The next five years for climate studios
    • 38:00 - Closing thoughts

    Resources Mentioned
    • Hazelwood Network
    • Hazelwood Network Research: Climate Venture Studios: Building the Infrastructure for Climate Innovation
    • Max Pog Big Startup Studios Research
    • World Bank / IFC
    • Engie
    • Delta40
    • Giga Climate
    • The Vault Fund
    • Haske Ventures
    • Climate Mayors
    • Switch 5
    • Halcyon
    • New York Climate Exchange
    • Impossible Foods
    • Unilever
    • Xylem

    Connect with us
    • Jamil Wyne
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    39 min
  • Activating Climate Capital at Scale: Conduit's Unconventional Playbook, Ep #136

    The climate transition will require trillions of dollars of investment, but many of the biggest opportunities still face structural financing barriers because our financial system was not designed for a challenge of this scale and complexity. As investors, entrepreneurs, and institutions work to accelerate the transition, there is a growing need for new financial models that can bridge those gaps and unlock capital more effectively.

    Today, we’re joined by Bob Zulkoski of Conduit Capital, a firm taking a very different approach to climate finance. Rather than building one big fund, Conduit is creating platforms designed to unlock private capital at scale — from financing energy-efficiency upgrades in commercial real estate, to launching climate-transition SPACs, to developing a new blended-finance vehicle aimed at helping impact investment managers bridge what Bob calls the “Pioneer Gap.” Bob calls the model radical collaboration, and the goal is not just to invest well, but to prove new models that others can replicate.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 1:19 – Framing the Climate Finance Challenge and Introducing Bob Zulkoski
    • 2:34 – What Is Conduit Capital? Vision and Radical Collaboration
    • 3:48 – Replication as Theory of Change: Paving the Way for Competition
    • 5:23 – Business Model: Non‑Concessionary, Patient, Impact at Scale
    • 6:41 – Introducing Sustainable Credit Partners (SCP) and Mid‑Market CRE
    • 8:09 – The Retrofit Problem: Aging Buildings, Spiking Energy Costs, Brown Discount
    • 10:04 – SCP’s Lending Model: Easier, Cheaper, Faster for Borrowers
    • 11:34 – Underwriting + GreenGen Partnership and Education Role
    • 13:55 – SCP Traction: Origination Targets, Pipeline, Institutional Capital
    • 16:02 – Loan Sizes, Typical Collateral, and Brown Discount Mitigation
    • 16:48 – Three “Superpowers”: Market Familiarity, GreenGen + Climate First Bank, Moody’s
    • 19:53 – Who Else Should Do This? Scaling via Competition and Green CLOs
    • 22:48 – Introducing Climate Transition SPACs and Market Backdrop
    • 23:01 – Rethinking SPACs: Tool for Climate Transition and Valuation Gaps
    • 27:37 – First SPAC: Energy Transition Special Opportunities and Target Sectors
    • 29:48 – Why Regenerative Agriculture Belongs in Climate SPACs
    • 32:19 – Defining the Pioneer Gap vs. Missing Middle/Valley of Death
    • 35:30 – The Pioneer Gap Impact Platform Fund and Alliance Structure
    • 37:50 – Blended Finance Stack: Catalytic, Mezzanine, and Market Capital
    • 39:08 – Why This Is the “Best of Times” for Climate Investing
    • 41:40 – Closing Reflections

    Resources Mentioned
    • Sustainable Credit Partners (SCP)
    • GreenGen
    • Moody’s Investors Service
    • Climate First Bank
    • C‑PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy)
    • Climate Transition Special Opportunities SPAC
    • Spring Lane Capital
    • Pioneer Gap Alliance & Pioneer Gap Impact Platform Fund

    Connect with us
    • Bob Zulkoski
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Newsletter
    • Subscribe for our Other Future Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    43 min
  • From Climate Breakthrough to Scale with Skyline Foundation, LabStart & New Energy Nexus, Ep #135

    Climate philanthropy does far more than fund advocacy and conservation—it bridges critical funding gaps for breakthrough technologies that traditional, financially driven investors often overlook. In this special episode, we continue our ongoing Climate Philanthropy series in partnership with the Skyline Foundation to explore how non-profit support accelerates the climate tech pipeline.

    Shereen D’Souza (Climate Solutions Portfolio Lead at Skyline Foundation) sits down with two powerhouse CEOs from her grantee portfolio, Deepa Lounsbury of LabStart and Andrew Chang of New Energy Nexus, to discuss what it really takes to move climate innovation from a university lab to global deployment.

    Why This Episode Matters

    Bringing a "hard tech" climate startup from initial lab concept to commercial scale takes an average of 10 years, and every single step of that journey faces a unique "valley of death." Because scaled deployment looks drastically different depending on the geography, supporting entrepreneurs requires a highly specialized ecosystem.

    This conversation highlights how philanthropy strategically funds distinct, critical phases of the lab-to-market pipeline to scale viable climate solutions faster.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 0:58 – Why climate philanthropy & Skyline partnership
    • 3:35 – LabStart vs. New Energy Nexus focus
    • 4:09 – Guest intros: Deepa (LabStart) & Andrew (New Energy Nexus)
    • 4:46 – Deepa’s background in climate, VC, and CalSEED
    • 6:20 – What LabStart does & “deep climate tech” focus
    • 8:02 – Andrew’s overview of New Energy Nexus global model
    • 9:43 – Programs: bootcamps, grants, CalSEED, and global south focus
    • 11:16 – What it looks like to be a New Energy Nexus entrepreneur
    • 11:54 – Philippines rooftop solar opportunity: Solar Innovation Program
    • 12:48 – Pakistan rooftop solar boom and Climate Innovation Pakistan
    • 13:40 – CalSEED structure and impact in California
    • 13:58 – What it looks like to be a LabStart entrepreneur
    • 14:55 – LabStart Discover and Launch phases
    • 15:54 – Why philanthropy is needed in climate tech innovation
    • 18:36 – Philanthropy in the global south and hyperlocal impact
    • 22:10 – LabStart success story: architect-turned-3D housing founder
    • 24:32 – Additional LabStart founders and outcomes
    • 25:25 – How much philanthropic capital is needed
    • 27:17 – IEA investment gap and catalytic examples from Indonesia
    • 29:43 – Why fund new technologies vs. only deployment
    • 32:06 – How country pathways shape New Energy Nexus engagement
    • 33:02 – California deployment example: ThermoShade
    • 33:58 – Indonesia fishermen & electric motorboats case: Volto Sea
    • 34:51 – Pakistan PakPlug EV charging app
    • 35:22 – What else the ecosystem needs: Andrew on subnational governments
    • 37:34 – What else the ecosystem needs: Deepa on IP & ecosystem gaps
    • 41:02 – Five-year vision & asks: Deepa and LabStart
    • 43:49 – Five-year vision & asks: Andrew and New Energy Nexus
    • 47:26 – Closing thanks from Shereen

    Resources Mentioned
    • Invested in Climate: Climate Philanthropy series
    • Skyline Foundation
    • LabStart
    • New Energy Nexus
    • Project Drawdown
    • Jamil Wyne
    • CalSEED
    • Solar Innovation Program
    • Climate Innovation Pakistan
    • CalTestBed
    • AusTestbed
    • ThermoShade
    • Swap Energy
    • Xuraya
    • Volto Sea
    • PakPlug
    • Schmidt Family Foundation
    • Boundless Earth
    • Atlassian Foundation
    • California Energy Commission (CEC)
    • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
    • Mubadala Investment Company (Abu Dhabi)
    • Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
    • International Energy Agency (IEA)
    • Elemental Impact
    • Activate
    • Renewables First

    Connect with us
    • Shereen D’Souza
    • Deepa Lounsbury
    • Andrew Chang
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Newsletter
    • Subscribe for our Other Future Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    49 min
  • Investing in the Supply Chain behind Renewables with MUUS, Ep #134

    Today, we’re diving into a part of the climate transition that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as solar panels, electric vehicles, or AI: the materials, minerals, and manufacturing systems that make modern civilization possible. Steel alone accounts for roughly 7–8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the energy transition is driving unprecedented demand for critical minerals, advanced materials, and domestic manufacturing capacity. These sectors offer incredible investment opportunities, and that’s the focus of my guest, Kavita Patel.

    Kavita is a portfolio manager for venture investment for MUUS & Company (MUUS), the family office of TIGER 21 Founder and Chairman, Michael Sonnenfeldt, and his family.

    We discuss opportunities ranging from critical mineral recycling to next-generation building materials, what she’s learned investing through the ups and downs of climate tech, and why she believes some of the most compelling opportunities today may be hiding in sectors many investors overlook.

    We also explore where climate capital is flowing, where it may be underinvesting, and how investors can think rigorously about both financial returns and real-world climate impact.

    I learned a lot from this conversation, and I think you will too. Here we go.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 01:12 – Introducing guest: Kavita Patel of MUUS & Company
    • 02:35 – Kavita’s background and path into climate investing
    • 05:24 – From BlackRock and ESG to climate venture
    • 07:19 – What is MUUS & Company? Climate thesis and focus areas
    • 09:35 – Why critical minerals, materials, and domestic manufacturing
    • 11:30 – Is materials & mining underhyped for investors? Market overview
    • 13:17 – Venture timelines in hardware and industrial innovation
    • 15:13 – Portfolio example #1: Nth Cycle’s critical minerals recycling
    • 18:28 – Mining’s environmental impact and why focus on recycling
    • 20:08 – Portfolio example #2: InventWood as a low‑carbon steel replacement
    • 22:53 – No green premium: solving top pain points in B2B climate tech
    • 23:03 – Where climate capital is flowing vs. where it should go
    • 25:22 – What Kavita has learned from founders through market cycles
    • 29:01 – Common fundraising pitfalls for climate founders
    • 32:20 – Building the capital stack: partners, family offices, and non‑dilutive capital
    • 35:15 – Measuring impact: MUUS’ use of the Crane tool
    • 38:16 – Closing thoughts

    Resources Mentioned
    • MUUS & Company (MUUS)
    • TIGER 21
    • Nth Cycle (critical minerals refining & recycling)
    • Trafigura (metals & commodities trading group)
    • InventWood (wood-based high‑performance material)
    • CRANE – Carbon Reduction Assessment for New Enterprises
    • International Energy Agency (IEA)

    Connect with us
    • Kavita Patel
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Newsletter
    • Subscribe for our Other Future Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    39 min
  • The Abundance Playbook for Renewable Energy with GoodPower, Ep #133

    Most people assume the main barrier to clean energy in America is technology or cost. Neither is true anymore. The sun is cheap. The wind is free. The turbines work. What doesn't work is the system we've built around them. Between 70 and 90 percent of renewable energy projects started in the US never reach construction. The ones that survive face a gauntlet of federal reviews, local ordinances, interconnection queues stretching years, and organized opposition campaigns funded by interests that don't want to see the grid change. We're talking about over 2,000 gigawatts of clean energy projects sitting in line waiting to plug into the grid — enough to power the country many times over.

    Today's guest is doing something about this problem. GoodPower is a nonprofit organization using research, strategic communications, campaigns, and even technology to accelerate the transition to renewable energy around the world. In this conversation, I’m joined by Leah Qusba, GoodPower’s CEO, who has been with the organization for almost 17 years.

    We spoke about GoodPower's history and evolution, its work in changing culture, building political power, accelerating an economy that works for all, and much more.

    Leah reflects a fast-growing school of thought — calling it the abundance mindset, after Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein's influential book — that sees future-forward infrastructure as the key to unlocking tremendous economic opportunity. It's a compelling, inspiring perspective that has spread quickly and is already driving real policy and investment.

    So buckle up and enjoy.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 01:31 – Clean energy bottlenecks & introduction of GoodPower
    • 03:15 – Welcoming Leah Qusba
    • 04:03 – Founding story of Good Power (formerly ACE)
    • 04:44 – From youth education to campaigns and power-building
    • 05:31 – Why rebrand from Action for Climate Emergency to GoodPower
    • 05:49 – Moving from alarm to hope and economic opportunity
    • 07:11 – Core problem: speeding up an inevitable energy transition
    • 08:19 – Shift from “protecting environment” to building clean energy
    • 09:22 – Strategic plan overview & Pillar 1: shifting culture at scale
    • 09:44 – Operating in culture & early bet on the creator economy
    • 11:05 – Lessons from supporting climate-focused creators
    • 13:06 – Surprising creators: rural and agricultural influencers
    • 15:10 – Laying cultural groundwork and de‑politicizing renewables
    • 17:35 – Pillar 2: building political power in the U.S.
    • 19:13 – Climate as a voting issue vs. economic priorities
    • 21:52 – Mobilizing climate‑first nonvoters & social norms of voting
    • 24:46 – Pillar 3: building a “good economy for all”
    • 27:58 – Under the hood: siting and permitting campaigns
    • 31:05 – Beyond core pillars: funding models and nonprofit evolution
    • 33:15 – How listeners can help locally & post‑election accountability

    Resources Mentioned
    • GoodPower
    • GoodPower Strategic Plan
    • Environmental Voter Project (We featured CEO Nathaniel Stinnett on Ep #94!)

    Connect with us
    • Leah Qusba
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Invested in Climate Newsletter
    • Subscribe for our Other Future Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    36 min
  • New Thinking for a New Era with Climate Capital Reset Project, Ep #132

    Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, we’re in a new era of climate investing. Unprecedented uncertainty, federal policy upheaval in the United States, repeated energy shocks from wars, inflation, high interest rates, a persisting liquidity crunch, the AI data center boom – much has happened, the game has changed and investors are thinking very differently about climate than they did just a few years ago.

    Three expert climate finance advisors who have worked in climate finance for decades set out to understand what has changed in climate investing. Dan Firger, Will Coleman, and Bill Tarr are highly respected thought leaders and strategic advisors working with large family offices, foundations and prominent climate investors. They teamed up and interviewed over 150 investors and experts to develop Climate Capital Reset Project, a detailed account of the new thinking defining this new era of climate investing. We spoke about the trends reshaping climate finance today, emerging dynamics, recommendations for capital allocators, considerations for philanthropists, and much more. Dan, Will, and Bill’s report will likely be one of the most influential pieces written on climate finance this year. It’s already the basis for closed-door consultations and convenings with prominent investors, and our conversation shed incredible light on the new paradigms already driving climate finance today.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    • 03:01 – Guest Introductions & Backgrounds
    • 06:04 – Why the Climate Capital Reset Project Now?
    • 08:55 – Trend #1: Unprecedented Market Uncertainty
    • 11:13 – Trend #2: AI, Data Centers & the Grid
    • 13:23 – Trend #3: Liquidity Crunch & the Missing Middle
    • 15:42 – Trend #4: Narratives, Labels & Climate Messaging
    • 17:24 – How We Talk About Climate & Climate Investing
    • 19:37 – Theme: ‘Ruthless Pragmatism’ in Climate Capital
    • 24:00 – Shaping Winners Through Consolidation
    • 26:57 – Domestic vs. International: Who Captures the Upside?
    • 27:31 – Blended Finance: Misuse, Scarcity & Focus
    • 30:48 – Examples of Effective Blended Finance
    • 31:56 – Geographic Arbitrage & Emerging Markets
    • 34:37 – Corporates’ Role in Climate Tech & Scale
    • 38:05 – War in the Middle East, Energy Shocks & Resilience
    • 43:24 – New Investment Models & Insurance Innovation
    • 46:24 – Long-Duration, Asset-Heavy Climate Businesses
    • 48:43 – A Narrow Window for a Climate Capital Reset
    • 50:41 – What’s Next for the Climate Capital Reset Project
    • 51:41 – Closing & Call to Action

    Resources Mentioned
    • Climate Capital Reset Project
    • Builder’s Vision
    • Intersect Power
    • Lineage Logistics
    • Devoted Health
    • Fervo Energy
    • Frontier
    • Microsoft Carbon Removal
    • PJM Interconnection
    • ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas)
    • USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development)
    • Bloomberg Philanthropies
    • ReGen Ventures
    • More Davidow Ventures (MDV)

    Connect with us
    • Dan Firger
    • Will Coleman
    • Bill Tarr
    • Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    • Sign up for our Newsletter (Other Future)
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    Share ideas for our newsletter here!

    53 min
  • Reimagining Higher Ed for the Climate Era with Unity Environmental University, Ep #131

    Education and our ability to respond to climate change are inexorably linked. Major international studies have shown that education is the single strongest predictor of whether or not someone is aware of climate change. In the US, while 74% of Americans support climate action, support is typically 10–20 points higher among those with a college education.

    It's not about perceptions on climate change; a more educated workforce is better able to innovate, accelerate the climate transition, and adapt in a less stable world – especially if that education builds climate resilient skills.

    One could almost imagine a university designed around this need – and that is exactly what the team at Unity Environmental University are building.

    Today, we're joined by Unity President Dr. Melik Khoury who is creating not just a new curriculum, but a new, more inclusive approach to higher ed. Dr. Khoury argues powerfully against the elitism that has underpinned our educational system and climate narratives. We spoke about his background, the role of education in addressing climate change, how Unity is different, and the influence it could have. Dr Khoury’s energy is contagious and we're sure he’ll get you thinking. Enjoy.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    1. 03:06 – Dr. Khoury’s upbringing in West Africa and awakening to environmental issues
    2. 04:24 – Discovering the real impacts of resource exploitation
    3. 06:01 – Choosing higher education transformation as the main lever
    4. 08:32 – The core climate problem: beyond politics and single-issue framing
    5. 09:04 – Climate as transdisciplinary: food, energy, people, commerce
    6. 11:05 – History of Unity Environmental University
    7. 13:07 – Transforming Unity’s model and unbundling education
    8. 15:14 – New operational model and rethinking the faculty role
    9. 15:23 – Scaling Unity and redefining what a university is
    10. 19:42 – Preparing students to operate in complex, uncertain systems
    11. 20:15 – Embedding climate and sustainability across the curriculum
    12. 23:14 – AI’s challenge to traditional notions of knowledge and learning
    13. 23:48 – What Unity is learning from its students and their needs
    14. 28:14 – What success looks like for a climate-focused university
    15. 28:30 – Influencing the broader higher-ed ecosystem
    16. 31:47 – How AI is changing higher education and climate learning
    17. 32:11 – Why Unity embraces rather than bans AI
    18. 35:58 – Concrete AI experiments at Unity (UNA, tutors, automation)
    19. 39:31 – Is climate momentum fading? Perception vs. reality
    20. 39:57 – Climate’s “brand problem” and the real enemy: ignorance
    21. 42:58 – Depoliticizing climate and making the economic case
    22. 43:16 – How we broadly attack ignorance through education reform
    23. 45:52 – Call for partners and funders to back scalable climate education
    24. 45:52 – Closing thanks and episode wrap-up

    Resources Mentioned
    1. Unity Environmental University

    Connect with us
    1. Dr. Melik Khoury
    2. Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    1. Sign up for our Newsletter
    2. LinkedIn
    3. Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    47 min
  • Creating Leaders for a Regenerative Economy with Work on Climate, Ep #130

    Imagine for a moment if economic activity made nature and society healthier. It’s a notion that at first might seem absurdly idealistic, and then when you think about it, maybe essential for our survival and thus perhaps what the goal of an economy should actually be. Welcome to the concept of regenerative economics. There’s a growing number of leading thinkers, organizations, policymakers, and even businesses fueling the regenerative movement. With AI and a new geopolitical order creating massive disruption, it’s an important time to consider bold visions for the future.

    Today, we’re joined by someone who’s both a bold visionary and practical implementer. Eugene Kirpichov left his dream job at Google in 2020 to found Work on Climate, a community that has now helped tens of thousands of people looking for ways to address climate change. Eugene sees communities as mindbogglingly effective for scaling impact. By helping people realize their potential as climate leaders, Work on Climate is harnessing the power of community to work towards a regenerative economy. Eugene is a guy of big ideas, who thinks about systems strategically and makes things happen. It was a blast talking to Eugene and we suspect you’ll enjoy the conversation as well. Here we go.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    1. 00:57 – Regenerative Economics & Introducing Eugene
    2. 02:41 – Recent Encounters & Shared Community
    3. 03:00 – Eugene’s Early Life in Russia & Tech Beginnings
    4. 06:25 – Joining Google & Finding Eugene’s Niche
    5. 08:47 – Eugene’s Climate Wake‑Up & Decision to Leave Google
    6. 10:30 – Discovering the Climate Solutions Ecosystem
    7. 12:56 – Founding Work on Climate
    8. 14:18 – Community Power & Founder Success Stories from Work on Climate
    9. 15:34 – How Work on Climate Operates & Is Funded
    10. 17:36 – Eugene’s Shift: From Climate Jobs to Climate Leaders
    11. 21:30 – Examples of Everyday Climate Leadership
    12. 24:25 – Three Qualities of a Climate Leader
    13. 26:33 – Rethinking the “Most Impactful Thing I Can Do”
    14. 29:56 – Eugene’s Long‑Term Vision for Work on Climate
    15. 33:02 – What a Regenerative Economy Is
    16. 38:18 – How to Build a Regenerative Economy in Practice
    17. 44:18 – AI as System Accelerator & Regenerative Tool
    18. 48:15 – EPA Ruling, Shared Reality & Coordination
    19. 51:32 – What Eugene Is Reading & Learning From
    20. 55:07 – Call to Action for Funders & Individuals

    Resources Mentioned
    1. Work on Climate
    2. An Inconvenient Truth
    3. An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
    4. Work for Climate
    5. Eigen Robotics
    6. Climate Capital: Tom Chi
    7. Relationality: David Jay
    8. Pedagogy of the Oppressed: Paulo Freire
    9. Impact Networks: David Ehrlichman
    10. Eugene’s article on the EPA ruling

    Connect with us
    1. Eugene Kirpichov
    2. Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
    1. Sign up for our Newsletter
    2. LinkedIn
    3. Instagram

    If you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

    59 min
  • Adding Rigor to Climate Finance with Robert Brown, Ep #129

    Frequent listeners know we're always eager to learn about how climate investing needs to change to be more effective. With the attacks on ESG and a new political era, we’re clearly in a new chapter for climate investing and being intentional about the ingredients, language and goals of this new chapter is critical for delivering both solid returns and real impact.

    Rob Brown argues that its time to step back from overreach and inauthentic impact goals, and fuel this new chapter with rigor. Rob wears a couple of hats as Director of Climate Research at Resolution Investors and Chief Research Officer at Impact Evaluation Lab. In these roles, Rob bring his decades of investment experience using research and analysis to improve long term thinking, risk management and what he calls mission authenticity, or the ability to really deliver on the kind of impact one promises. Tune in for a deeply fascinating conversation about how climate investing is maturing and the work that still needs to be done for this new chapter. Enjoy.

    On today’s episode, we cover:
    1. 02:41 – Rob’s career journey & love of solving problems
    2. 05:17 – From Just Capital to Impact Evaluation Lab & Resolution Investors
    3. 09:52 – How to tell serious impact investors from pretenders
    4. 14:34 – Is rigor a cost center? Making the ROI case
    5. 19:29 – A lightning history of sustainable investing
    6. 23:14 – Why sustainable finance is “deeply stressed”
    7. 27:08 – Climate investing as long‑term risk‑adjusted returns
    8. 29:27 – Two key shifts: longer horizons & real tech expertise
    9. 33:02 – Rigor, incentives, and how the field grows up
    10. 36:45 – Why sustainable investing is the future of capital markets
    11. 39:11 – Closing remarks

    Resources Mentioned
    1. Resolution Investors
    2. Impact Evaluation Lab.
    3. Just Capital
    4. Atlas Impact Partners
    5. Generation Investment Management

    Connect with us
    1. Rob Brown
    2. Jason Rissman

    Keep up with Invested In Climate
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    3. Instagram

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    40 min

About Invested In Climate

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Invested in Climate hosts conversations with leading thinkers to help our listeners do more to address the climate crisis through their Work, Investments, Learning, Lifestyle and Activism.

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