Invested In Climate

Tackling climate change can’t be left to companies and governments. The nonprofit sector plays a crucial role in everything from research, education, conservation, helping communities cope with climate impacts and much more. There’s literally tens of thousands of environmental nonprofits, and almost all depend on philanthropy to do the vital work they do. 

And yet, only a tiny fraction of global giving goes to climate. That’s part of why Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard set up an ambitious program called 1% for the Planet. The idea is simple really - companies donate 1% of their revenue to environmental nonprofits. Currently, over 5,000 companies have signed on. 

Today’s episode focused on an innovative new initiative that aims to significantly grow 1% for the Planet’s fundraising. The Planet Impact Fund is a partnership between 1% for the Planet, the National Philanthropic Trust and impact investing enabler CapShift that leverages potential of investment returns to increase philanthropic support. I was joined by Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, and Jesse Simmons, a Managing Director at CapShift. Through our conversation, I learned a lot about climate philanthropy, impact investing, donor advised funds, and the importance of innovative partnerships that unlock more capital for climate. Hope you enjoy. 

• [3:51] What is 1% for the Planet & the problem they’re aiming to tackle
• [5:16] How much capital is going into climate philanthropy
• [11:11] What is CapShift & the problem they’re aiming to tackle
• [12:30] CapShift’s traction & the amount of investments that they’re facilitating
• [13:41] The Planet Impact Fund: A Partnership between 1% for the Planet & CapShift
• [19:06] The donors & investors that the Planet Impact Fund is intended for
• [22:13] The rise of intergenerational wealth transfer
• [24:47] How investments are selected for the Planet Impact Fund
• [26:17] How today’s investments are faring
• [28:23] Nonprofit partners in Planet Impact Fund’s network
• [31:47] The opportunity to create a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
• [33:35] Addressing the criticism around DAFs
• [36:17] Other ambitious partnerships around climate
• [40:06] Learning across public-private partnerships
• [42:31] Tips for anyone considering climate philanthropy & investing

• The Planet Impact Fund
• 1% for the Planet
• CapShift
• 1% for the Planet Network Directory
• Project Drawdown
• UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Connect with Kate
• Connect with Jesse

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

Ever get carry out food and then feel guilty about all the plastic packaging? Single use plastics are a real problem. Every year over 14 millions tons of plastic end up in our oceans, and plastic that ends up in landfills release toxins that pollute our soil, waterways and food chain. This is not to mention the carbon emissions of producing plastic packaging to begin with. 

The convenience of carry out food isn’t going anywhere, and so we need to find alternatives to plastic packaging. That’s where Dispatch Goods come in. They’re an innovative startup that’s already replaced over 1 million pieces of plastic packaging with reusable containers. 

In this episode, I spoke with Dispatch Goods’ CEO Lindsey Hoell and Christina O’Conor, a partner at Congruent Ventures who led a seed investment in Dispatch. We talked about Dispatch’s history and progress, the challenges of scaling circular economy businesses and what our future might look like as companies like Dispatch grow and enable us all to return packaging and materials for future use. Hope you learn as much as I did. Enjoy. 

• [3:09] What is Dispatch Goods & the problem they’re aiming to solve
• [4:45] Dispatch’s partners & how their business works
• [5:40] The scale of our waste problem
• [7:15] Does recycling plastics work
• [8:49] Lindsey’s journey developing traction & where Dispatch is at today
• [11:33] The materials that Dispatch is currently focused on
• [13:00] What is Congruent Ventures, their investment thesis & why did they invest in Dispatch Goods
• [16:13] How is Dispatch scalable & what will it take to scale
• [20:52] Dispatch’s vision for the future & key strategies for growth
• [25:37] The scalability challenges of circular businesses from an investor’s perspective
• [26:36] What Christina & Congruent are looking for from entrepreneurs
• [27:24] Congruent’s investments in Planet FWD & other ventures
• [30:26] The investment opportunity for consumer products-related companies
• [32:04] Untapped opportunities that deserve more attention
• [35:08] What if the unit economics don’t make sense yet
• [35:46] The scope of what Dispatch will be doing in the future

• Dispatch Goods
• Congruent Ventures
• Planet FWD
• Parallel Systems
• Lydian Labs
• Kodama

• Connect with Lindsey
• Connect with Christina

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

I’ve been really curious about seaweed. I hear a lot about seaweed-based businesses, and there’s a lot of hope and hype around the potential for seaweed as a climate solution. The seaweed market has grown to become a $15 billion industry and it's projected to grow to $25 billion by 2028.  

To learn more, I caught up with two aspiring seaweed startup founders: Alexia Akbay and Julia Marsh. Their companies couldn’t be more different – one is using seaweed to eliminate plastic packaging and the other is feeding seaweed to cows so they burp less. This conversation helps highlight the range of possibilities for seaweed, what’s so special about seaweed to begin with, some of the challenges seaweed startups are facing, and a spicy question that helped me understand one of the more radical seaweed ideas floating about these days. OK, I promise no more puns, or maybe just a couple, but lots of insights to chew on. Enjoy!

• [3:19] What is Sway & the problem they’re aiming to solve
• [4:13] What is Symbrosia & the problem they’re aiming to solve
• [6:02] What's so special about seaweed & why is it being looked at as a climate solution
• [9:25] How Alexia & Julia got started 
• [10:26] Other exciting applications for seaweed & the potential ahead
• [13:42] The technological breakthroughs that set Symbrosia & Sway apart & how far along they are in their journey
• [20:15] What are the biggest barriers to scale & what needs to change
• [23:58] The unit economics & value for partners
• [27:51] Considerations for entrepreneurs & investors thinking about seaweed 
• [29:57] The growing market & what this means for seaweed companies
• [33:13] Super spicy talk around seaweed right now
• [35:14] What consumers should know about seaweed
• [37:51] How Sway & Symbrosia can support a bigger ecosystem

• Symbrosia
• Sway
• Oceans 2050: Seaweed Project
• Institute for Abundant Oceans

• Connect with Alexia on LinkedIn
• Connect with Julia on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

A couple weeks ago our episode focused on Speed & Scale, a comprehensive action plan to cut  emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. It's a book and an ambitious ongoing effort to track global progress on addressing climate change. 

This week we focus again on a book and ambitious ongoing effort: The Carbon Almanac. Over 300 volunteers created the book, and now it's a movement of over 1,900 people who are continuing to add resources to help the world get the facts straight about climate. 

The founder and lead organizer of this ambitious project is someone you’ve likely heard of before: Seth Godin. Seth has written over 20 best selling books. He’s widely recognized as a thought leader on marketing, how ideas spread, leadership, creativity and change. I was thrilled to have the chance to talk to Seth and he was just as fun and thought provoking as I hoped.  

And, a little warning – something happens in the background towards the end of episode. Normally we’d edit it out for you but it actually led to a really interesting discussion about a way everyday people can have a lot of impact. I’ll let it remain a surprise for you but you’ll know it when you hear it. Enjoy!

• [3:19] What is The Carbon Almanac & how it came to be
• [4:57] What motivated Seth to look at climate change
• [7:17] What role do individuals have in systems change
• [9:09] Today’s culture in regards to climate change and how it's changing 
• [11:04] What it takes to get to the next level of action
• [14:17] What we need to change and what is Seth most excited to work on
• [19:20] How systems change 
• [21:24] Comparing the climate era to the digital transformation era
• [23:08] What we need from leaders today
• [24:33] The influence of corporations
• [27:57] Narratives that (don’t) work for bold climate action
• [29:10] Action around leaf blowers
• [30:14] What Seth is working on next & his call to action
• [32:29] The role in design in making a new future tangible

• The Carbon Almanac

• Connect with Seth on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

I’m not going to sugar coat this – fast fashion stinks. It creates a truly unfathomable amount of wasted materials, water, labor, money and carbon emissions.

This means it provides the perfect context for discussing today’s prevailing paradigm for eradicating waste – not just in fashion, but in all sectors. The idea is a bold one – that we can transform our economy from an extractive, wasteful, linear system of using and discarding stuff, to a circular economy that keeps products, components and materials in circulation for future use. It's an idea that has gained tremendous attention and enthusiasm across the business community in recent years, though it still remains quite difficult to achieve.

For this discussion, we’re joined by two people working hard to make the apparel industry circular: Annie Agle, Sr Director of Impact & Sustainability at Cotopaxi and Peter Whitcomb, President of TERSUS Solutions.

Annie and Peter are true leaders in this field, with clear visions of what a circular future could look like and the hard earned knowledge of the challenges we face. I hope you enjoy this conversation, and if nothing else, think more about throwing out clothes in the future. Here we go.

• [3:39] What the term “circular economy” means and why it's a helpful framework 
• [10:18] The Del Dia Program: A Cotopaxi success story
• [12:40] The biggest challenge about keeping materials out of landfills
• [14:58] What TERSUS is doing and the problem that they’re aiming to solve
• [20:07] The environmental impact of TERSUS’ waterless cleaning process
• [23:18] Consumer interest and how Cotopaxi is driving demand for secondhand goods
• [24:07] The economic toll that we're already seeing from water-related climate impacts 
• [28:37] The growth of resale - what portion of the market will eventually become secondhand products
• [31:50] Thinking about other circular economy business models
• [42:09] What has made the circular narrative so resonant and successful
• [41:58] What do we need to do to accelerate implementation of circularity
• [45:55] How we all contribute to reducing waste and building a more circular economy

• Cotopaxi
• TERSUS Solutions

• Connect with Annie on LinkedIn
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

My favorite read in the last couple years by far is a book called Speed & Scale. We know there’s been a massive mobilization of capital, talent and attention to address climate change, but how do we know if it’ll be enough? 

Speed & Scale offers a clear, sector by sector, action plan and online tracker of what we need to do to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. It’s incredibly well researched, packed with data and inspiration, and it uses the tried and tested system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to create clear goals that add up to a comprehensive plan. 

Some quick context for you:

OKRs became a popular management system after venture capital investor John Doerr introduced them to Google in 1999. John wrote about OKRs in his book Measure What Matters. He’s long been a leading climate investor and donor, and recently gave $1.1 billion dollars to found Stanford’s new School of Sustainability. 

Bringing the OKR framework to create a global action plan for climate was an ambitious and much needed effort that can help inform climate action. 

For today’s episode, I spoke with Ryan Panchadsaram and Anjali Grover. Ryan is a special advisor to John Doerr, and is the co-author of Speed & Scale. Anjali is Partner and Managing Director of Speed & Scale, overseeing the ongoing initiative to accelerate and track progress against the OKRs. We cover a lot of ground – from high level to nitty gritty, from code red OKRs where progress isn’t being made to real reasons for optimism, and of course, also, what this all means for everyday people who care about climate change. Enjoy.

• [5:01] What is Speed & Scale and how it came about
• [7:36] The key objectives covered in Speed & Scale
• [11:51] Objective example: electrifying transportation
• [15:14] Speed & Scale's tracker tool and the current status on climate
• [19:55] The state of large scale investments - what else is needed
• [24:35] Reasons for hope
• [27:25] Lessons and insights from being in the investor space
• [31:25] How close can we get to accomplishing the 10 OKRs
• [35:39] How did the Inflation Reduction Act shift what needs to get done
• [39:44] The most important thing people can do right now

• Speed & Scale
• Speed & Scale Tracker - Objectives & Key Results
• Speed & Scale Action Guide

• Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn
• Connect with Anjali on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

Today’s episode focused on food waste, a topic that I love talking about as it's one of the most accessible ways for pretty much anyone to make a difference on climate change. 

Wasting food is a huge problem. Roughly 40% of the world’s food is wasted each year, while almost a billion people are undernourished. Further, wasted food adds up to 8-10% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

Like many people working on this issue, my understanding of the food waste opportunity was shaped by an organization called ReFED. They launched in 2015 and have been one of the best examples of an effort to accelerate investment and entrepreneurship through data, storytelling and partnerships. 

We’re fortunate to be joined by Dana Gunders, Executive Director of ReFED. Prior to joining ReFED, Dana wrote the book, The Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food.

We were also joined by Gaeleen Quin, Head of Impact for the fast growing food waste startup Too Good to Go, which enables retailers to offer soon to be wasted food to consumers at a discount. 

We discuss a wide range of opportunities for eliminating food waste, and tap into Gaeleen and Dana’s insights to growing this emerging innovation space. No matter who you are, if you buy and eat food, I’m sure you’ll find something immediately useful in this episode.

• [4:44] Why does food waste matter & why it matters to climate change
• [8:18] What is ReFED & what is their role
• [9:51] Food waste categories & which ones offer the most leverage 
• [11:55] Where we need to focus most & where there’s most opportunity for impact
• [13:44] The problem that Too Good to Go aiming to solve
• [16:22] The hardest part of gaining market adoption
• [19:47] What can retailers do about food waste
• [21:43] The importance of Gaeleen’s role as Head of Impact
• [23:27] Examples of partnerships with schools and community organizations
• [25:21] The most effective way for us to reduce or eliminate food waste
• [31:30] The status on ReFED’s goal to cut food waste in half by 2030
• [37:10] Making immense amounts of data inspiring & actionable
• [43:19] The most exciting things that Gaeleen & Dana are working on right now

• ReFED
• Too Good to Go

• Connect with Dana on LinkedIn
• Connect with Gaeleen on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

This week’s episode was a lot of fun. Tom Chi is one of the biggest thinkers I’ve encountered in the climate space. He was one of the founding members of GoogleX, leading teams that developed self-driving cars, Google Glass, high altitude balloons that broadcast the internet and much, much more. He also helped build Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo Answers. Tom now teaches and coaches entrepreneurs and is the founder of At One Ventures. Tom’s investment thesis is truly visionary, aspiring to not just reduce carbon emissions, but to create a net positive civilization where humans do more good than harm to nature. This conversation is quite philosophical and we cover a lot of ground, but I’m already finding some practical applications for Tom’s ideas. I hope you find this as provocative and useful as I did. So let’s dive in. 

• [3:23] The future of life on Earth & making the switch from optimism to efficacy
• [6:39] Tom’s medium for creating masterpieces
• [12:40] The different styles of cognition used for approaching climate change
• [16:05] How At One Ventures aspires to create a net positive civilization
• [19:44] Contributing to the health of the planet through new businesses and startups
• [25:15] What is an invention catalyst & how do At One’s investments fit the bill
• [30:00] Investing in biopolymers: Cruz Foam & Simplifyber
• [38:03] What can we do to accelerate a consciousness shift around climate
• [48:02] What if we were to compost late-stage capitalism
• [49:31] The empowerment formula for everyday listeners

• AtOne Ventures
• TomChi.com

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn and Twitter

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

This summer, the impacts of climate change have been impossible to ignore. Record heat waves, droughts and floods have inflicted a terrible toll around the world. They’ve made all the more clear the pressing need to transform how we access, use, reuse and protect ourselves from water. It’s the source of life on Earth, and yet our relationship with water clearly needs to change. 

In this episode, we dive deep into the opportunity for investing in water with Tom Ferguson and Erin Rothman. Tom is the Founder and Managing Partner of Burnt Island Ventures, a new venture firm focused on investing in water businesses. Erin is the founder and CEO of StormSensor, a climate tech company focused on helping cities predict and plan for storms and floods.

I learned a lot through this conversation and left feeling really grateful for the work being done by Tom, Erin and a growing pool of water entrepreneurs. Warning, in case you can’t tell, this episode is awash in puns. Hope you enjoy. 

• [3:24] Tom’s path to Burnt Island Ventures and the investment thesis behind their work
• [10:18] What is StormSensor and what problems does it aim to solve
• [12:57] How the water space has developed over the years
• [17:11] US infrastructure and how new legislation will help climate entrepreneurs
• [20:07] How StormSensor works and its technical innovation
• [22:45] What the future looks like if StormSensor is successful
• [24:07] The economic toll that we're already seeing from water-related climate impacts 
• [30:32] The exciting range of water innovations that hold promise
• [36:26] The gaps and opportunities in entrepreneurial efforts and investments
• [42:09] Visions for the future of water - what path are we on
• [48:59] What can everyday listeners do for impact

• Burnt Island Ventures
• StormSensor

• Connect with Tom on Twitter and LinkedIn
• Connect with Erin on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate

Hi folks, tackling climate change will take entrepreneurial efforts of all shapes and sizes. There’s already been unprecedented growth in the number of startups focusing on climate over the past few years, but I believe it's just the beginning. Decarbonizing the global economy, adapting to climate impacts, and introducing new products and services for a decarbonized world will require millions of people with an entrepreneurial mindset and commitment to climate. 

So where will all these entrepreneurs come from and how will they be supported? That’s just one of the questions I discussed with Mia Diawara and Jamil Wyne. Mia is a Partner at Lowercarbon Capital, one of the most ambitious and well-respected climate tech venture funds. Jamil is an advisor and educator working with climate entrepreneurs and investors around the world. Jamil and Mia are collaborating on a new bootcamp for climate entrepreneurs, and our conversation about climate entrepreneurship was truly energizing for me. I hope you enjoy. 

• [3:24] Why Mia chose to focus on climate and how she ended up at Lowercarbon Capital
• [7:43] Jamil’s climate work journey and support for investors and entrepreneurs
• [11:30] The most exciting spaces in climate investing right now
• [18:35] Customer acquisition for adoption of built environment technologies
• [23:28] Opportunities for climate tech startups right now
• [27:43] What is the bootcamp and who does it aim to support
• [32:48] Mia as a bootcamp instructor and what participants can expect
• [35:50] The future of climate entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurial ecosystems must evolve to help founders succeed
• [44:08] Advice for prospective climate tech founders

• Lowercarbon Capital
• Climate Tech Bootcamp
• Axios: Map of U.S. counties expected to experience heat indices above 125°F by 2053

• Connect with Mia on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Jamil on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

Subscribe to Invested In Climate