Nick Martin on Turning HVAC Into Climate Tech

What if the key to solving climate change was already sitting on top of every commercial building?

In this powerful episode of Founders Forum, Marc Bernstein is joined by guest co-host Matt Wampler, Founder & CEO of ClearCOGS, for a forward-looking conversation with Nick Martin, Co-Founder and COO of Carbon Reform. From AI and emerging tech to climate innovation and legacy thinking, this episode blends cutting-edge insight with deeply personal storytelling.

Nick shares how the unexpected loss of both his parents became the catalyst that pushed him fully into entrepreneurship. What followed was a bold mission: transform commercial buildings into high-performance, energy-efficient spaces using modular carbon capture technology. By leveraging existing HVAC systems, Carbon Reform helps reduce energy costs, improve indoor air quality, and remove CO₂—all while building a scalable climate tech company.

Key takeaways:

• Why “AI won’t take your job—but someone using AI will”
• How personal adversity can shape entrepreneurial resilience
• The business case for carbon capture in commercial real estate
• Why manufacturing in America can be a competitive advantage
• How to separate “signal vs. noise” when raising venture capital
• Nick’s 10-year vision for global climate impact and generational wealth

About Nick Martin:

Nick Martin is the Co-Founder & COO of Carbon Reform, a climate tech startup transforming commercial buildings into high-performance spaces through improved indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and carbon removal. Their modular retrofit technology offers a profitable, sustainable, and scalable solution to the climate crisis—reducing emissions while cutting HVAC energy use. Nick brings a background in chemical engineering and public sector innovation to his work building a healthier, low-carbon future.

Connect:

Website carbonreform.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nickmartincr/

This episode is brought to you by CamaPlan, A Different Way to Invest. Go to camaplan.com/foundersforum to learn more.

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