The Impact Venture

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, faculty members at UC Berkeley, and all of our friends, focusing on impact investing, cleantech venture capital and project finance.

Today, we're joined by Justin Burden, a seasoned investor and Managing Director at Industry Ventures, one of the most prominent firms in the venture capital ecosystem. Since joining Industry Ventures in its early days, Justin has been instrumental in building and shaping the firm's pioneering approach to secondary direct investments and secondary limited partnership interests, primary venture fund commitments, direct venture rounds, and technology buyout funds.

With over two decades of experience in venture capital, Justin brings a unique perspective on market cycles, fund structures, and the evolving role of secondary markets in fueling the liquidity of capital. Justin holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley. We’re excited to have Justin here to share his insights on unlocking the liquidity of venture capital, the art of secondary and primary investing.

The Impact Venture invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary Due Diligence AI Copilot - where AI meets investors. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture, featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, and faculty members at UC Berkeley.

Ciaran Quinn is a globally experienced senior executive, entrepreneur, angel investor, and advisor with four decades of leadership across energy, digital media, sports tech, SaaS, and venture acceleration. Based in Europe, he is currently engaged with a number of innovative companies across Europe and North America as Seed investor, board member and Board Chair. Ciaran is also a Key Advisor and LP at Berkeley SkyDeck, UC Berkeley’s flagship startup accelerator.

In this episode, Ciaran shared his insights about

1. What strategies or mindsets help manage successful transitions across seven diverse sectors, including energy, technology, sports media, and investment?
2. What are the key factors to consider when evaluating early-stage startups as a SkyDeck advisor and LP?
3. How AI is used in sports tech company, Ochy.io, one of Ciaran's portfolios?
4. What is the most important thing to prioritize during an MBA program to build a strong foundation for future success?

The Impact Venture (www.theimpactventure.com/) invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary AI Due Diligence Copilot - where AI meets VC. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to The Impact Venture Podcast, where we explore the intersection of innovation, investment, and impact.

In this episode, we sit down with Amit Patel, Managing Director at Owl Ventures, the world’s largest edtech-focused venture fund. Amit shares insights from the frontlines of education investment — from how venture capital evaluates early-stage startups to the metrics that matter most in scaling impact.

We discuss why education technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, yet still largely under-digitized. Amit also reflects on what makes founders stand out, the role of team dynamics and market understanding, and how lifelong learning will redefine both education and work in the years ahead.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture, featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, and faculty members at UC Berkeley.

Today’s guest is Joshua Posamentier, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Congruent Ventures. He recently closed their third fund, with consistently growing assets under management over the last 10 years. They are actively investing in energy transition, smart cities and mobility, food and agriculture, and sustainable consumption and production.

In our conversation, Josh shares his journey from a corporate executive to an entrepreneur and an investor. He also shared three essential qualities he looks for in a startup: a compelling idea with a sizable market, a team with either deep expertise or the ability to get smart and move quickly in a new domain, and a valid market channel strategy.

Whether you are already an entrepreneur building in cleantech or an MBA student exploring startups, this episode is packed with insights.

The Impact Venture invests in cleantech, sustainability, and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary AI Due Diligence Copilot - where AI meets VC. We also designed a Cleantech Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, faculty members at UC Berkeley, and all of our friends, focusing on impact investing, cleantech venture capital and project finance.

In this episode, we're joined by Charles Hudson, Founder & Managing Partner of Precursor Ventures, a trailblazing early-stage firm known for backing nearly 500 startups led by first-time and underrepresented founders. Charles explains why he built Precursor to fund ambitious entrepreneurs at the idea stage—people who may lack credentials but possess clarity, courage, and a willingness to take risks.

We explore how Charles evaluates founder-market fit, the importance of lived experience over polished resumes, and why co-founder dynamics, resilience, and risk-taking are critical signals of success.

This episode is packed with insights for founders, fund managers, and anyone passionate about building an inclusive and imaginative venture ecosystem from the ground up.

The Impact Venture invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary Due Diligence AI Copilot - where AI meets investors. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, faculty members at UC Berkeley, and all of our friends, focusing on impact investing, cleantech venture capital and project finance.

In this episode, we’re joined by Raymond Zheng, Sr. Managing Director of Honda Xcelerator Ventures, where he leads corporate venturing and open innovation initiatives. With a career spanning engineering, M&A, and startup collaboration—from Cisco to Honda—Raymond shares how corporate venture capital drives impact across safety, mobility, and sustainability.

We explore Honda’s investment thesis around carbon neutrality and zero-fatality vehicles, his approach to deep tech due diligence, and how startups can build meaningful, strategic partnerships with corporates. A valuable listen for founders and investors focused on cross-border collaboration and strategic synergy. 

The Impact Venture invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary Due Diligence AI Copilot - where AI meets investors. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, faculty members at UC Berkeley, and all of our friends, focusing on impact investing, cleantech venture capital and project finance.

In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew Chang, Chief Growth Officer at New Energy Nexus, one of the world’s leading ecosystem builders for clean energy entrepreneurs. Andrew drives growth and business development by leading a cross-border team and expanding into emerging climate ecosystems and new markets. He previously spearheaded the organization’s expansion into Asia—including China, Thailand, and Indonesia—and launched innovation programs with LG Energy Solutions, Hyundai, Kia, and Hub71 in Abu Dhabi. We explore how New Energy Nexus supports early- and growth-stage startups through non-dilutive funding, testbed access, and global collaboration—and why cross-border innovation is essential to accelerating climate solutions at scale.

The Impact Venture invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary Due Diligence AI Copilot - where AI meets investors. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, faculty members at UC Berkeley, and all of our friends, focusing on impact investing, cleantech venture capital and project finance.

Today on the show, we're joined by Xan Wood, investor at Canvas Prime, where he focuses on Seed to Series B investments. A strong supporter of UC Berkeley’s innovation ecosystem, Xan brings a sharp eye for transformative technologies and a track record of backing ambitious founders early. He also curates the newsletter "Built-by-Berkeley," which highlights exceptional founders emerging from the UC Berkeley community.

The Impact Venture invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary Due Diligence AI Copilot - where AI meets investors. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, faculty members at UC Berkeley, and all of our friends, focusing on impact investing, cleantech venture capital and project finance.

Today on the show, we’re joined by David Bloom, Principal at The House Fund—Berkeley’s flagship pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital fund backing startups founded by students, faculty, and alumni. A community builder at heart, David brings a sharp eye for innovation and a deep commitment to empowering builders from day one.

In this episode, we dive into the evolving role of co-founders in the GenAI era—where non-technical founders can now rapidly build MVPs and validate ideas faster than ever. We also explore how to plug into The House Fund’s vibrant ecosystem through events designed to connect builders, founders, and creators. The House Fund Event Calender⁠. If you’re thinking about starting something, this conversation is a must-listen.

The Impact Venture invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary Due Diligence AI Copilot - where AI meets investors. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.

Welcome to our podcast with The Impact Venture , featuring in-depth interviews with LP-GP institutional investors, angel investors, and faculty members at UC Berkeley.

Can you be both an investor and an entrepreneur? Can you take the leap—giving up something stable in pursuit of something bigger? Can you keep progressing and honoring the promise you made to yourself, no matter what?

The answer is yes—and today’s guest, Rob Caliento, proves it. His story is one of bold transitions, calculated risks, and the relentless pursuit of building something meaningful—driven by long-term passion and a commitment to creating that fundamentally matters. Follow Rob on TikTok: @ElbertStreetETA

The Impact Venture (www.theimpactventure.com/) invests in climate tech and renewable energy projects via venture capital and project finance, leveraging our proprietary AI Due Diligence Copilot - where AI meets VC. We also designed a VC Deal Fellowship Training Program for fellows to gain deal experience.