in this episode of conversations in cleantech, we’re joined by siobhan clarke operating partner at bp launchpad.

siobhan shares her practical insights into the scaling journey from zero to one, two to ten, and ten to 100 sized businesses as well as across seed-stage investment to series a, series b and series c level funding. siobhan discusses how launchpad as a platform enables startups to flourish and what she believes is the future of the cleantech – the “consumerisation of the electron economy”.

she also reflects on the importance of building an effective and diverse board to help craft a unified vision; a business’s board should grow as it grows, “interaction becomes less about advice, and switches to becoming more of an equal challenge and to support them in the direction that they're going”.

hosted by jenny gladman, director at brightsmith, this instalment is an informative listen for anyone seeking guidance on how to scale their cleantech company or start their journey and turn their innovative idea into a green reality.

resources:

listen to bp launchpad's own podcast: frankly. the energy podcast for founders: spotify, apple Podcasts and google podcasts 

learn more about the founder handbook written by siobhan clarke and andrius sutas

timestamped guide:

00:49 - introduction

04:10 – what is cleantech and how does bp launchpad fit into the industry?

07:32 – the stages of scaling

11:00 - building an effective and diverse board

15:33 - fundamental lessons from the founder handbook: how to get your first 10 enterprise customers

21.07 – challenges from the startup scene – building resiliency

25:01 – what makes launchpad such a great platform for launching startups?

27:30 – what it means to live your purpose and have a positive impact on the environment

30:38 – siobhan’s career standout

32:51 - how do you see things changing in clean tech? And on a global scale, where do you see the biggest changes?

34:01 – advice for cleantech innovators looking to scale

connect with your host, jenny gladman, on linkedin.

find your guest, siobhan clarke and bp launchpad on linkedin

thanks for listening to conversations in cleantech, brought to you by brightsmith

This podcast is a Loaded Hype production.