Climate CEOs: Scaling Startups

Discover how Electra is decarbonizing ironmaking with $85M raised, partnerships with Nucor, and a breakthrough process that produces green steel at 60°C instead of 1,600°C — all with zero cost premium.My guest today is Sandeep Nijhawan, the Cofounder and CEO of Electra.Electra is decarbonizing ironmaking for green steel production using intermittent renewable energy and low-grade iron ores, and producing higher-quality steel at the same time. Backed by $85M of VC and corporate VC capital, they will do all this at zero cost premium to existing steel manufacturing.In addition, Sandeep is the former:President of AquaHydrex, which was focused on developing a novel electrolyzer for the hydrogen economyOperating Partner for True North Venture PartnersPresident of Staq Energy, a distributed energy storage solutions developerIn this episode, we talked about:Their new partnership with Nucor, the largest steel manufacturer in the U.S.How he transitioned from a PhD in mechanical engineering to leading energy tech startupsWhy his “midlife crisis” led to the clarity to build novel energy solutions among small teams of bonafide geeksThe importance of producing green steel at 60 degrees Celsius instead of 1,600 degreesHow they balanced strategic and financial investors, ignoring conventional wisdom in the processThe ways in which steel plants can get access to their solution as an OpEx, instead of just as a CapExThe prioritization of self, family, and team – not the reverse order – and this is anti-selfishPerspectives on really knowing the “why” in order to allow the “how” to be easierAnd lots moreHope you enjoy.And give Sandeep and Electra a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Our two offerings include:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover what a $1.1B climate tech VC looks for in startups — plus trends from $64B in new funding, carbon markets, & the mindsets shaping future founders.In this newsletter-turned-podcast episode from Entrepreneurs for Impact, I cover the following:💰 $64B of new cash for climate in 2022📰 New carbon removal buyer's guide☁️ TPG invests $300M into carbon credit platform🤔 Pain + reflection = progress⛰️ 75 Hard vs. 60 Medium🥇 Here’s what this VC looks for in a climate tech startup📰 News flash: Climate is about people, not just startup exits🙋‍♂️ Want a job in climate tech?📈 Price’s Law: The square root of people👵 Retire far earlier than age 65Enjoy!Ping me on LinkedIn to let me know what you think about it.https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding-------Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Here's our weekly newsletter — A 3-minute summary of climate tech startups, better habits, and deep work trends: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comOur main program is a Climate CEO Mastermind peer group community: https://entrepreneursforimpact.comOur invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how Ambient Fuels is building green hydrogen projects for heavy industry — and how CEO Jake Susman blends cleantech VC chops, perfect timing, & startup grit to scale the sector.My guest today is Jake Susman, Cofounder and CEO of Ambient Fuels.Ambient Fuels is a pure-play developer of green hydrogen projects, guiding heavy industry through the great green upgrade.In addition, he is the:Executive Advisory Board Member at Activate CapitalBoard member of Urban Resiliency Advisory Board with the Partnership Fund for New York CityBoard Member at SolarKal, the largest commercial solar marketplace in the U.S.Board President & Co-Founder at Cleantech Leaders RoundtableIn this episode, we talked about:How Ambient Fuel was focused on green hydrogen before the Inflation Reduction Act made it super attractive to be in this sectorThe kinds of sectors that Ambient helps the most – e.g., refining, chemical, and fertilizersHis prior development firm, Own Energy, and its origin as one of the earliest VC-funded renewable energy project developers, which was later purchased by EDFThe genesis of his entrepreneurial journey via “el jefe” at AES in SpainWhy timing can be so important in determining whether a deal gets done, or dies on the vineThe fact that not all investor capital is created equal and a gross analogy with fast foodWhy premortem analysis exercises can help reduce future startup failure risksHis commitment to meditation 4x per week and sweating in some kind of physical activity every dayAnd lots moreHope you enjoy it.And give Jake and Ambient fuels a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Our two offerings include:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how Atlas Organics turns food & yard waste into profitable compost — leveraging public-private partnerships, strategic investors, & founder grit to scale nationwide.My guest today is Joseph McMillin, Cofounder and CEO of Atlas Organics.Atlas Organics is a national leader in organic waste recycling. Their key partner is Generate Capital, a multi-billion-dollar sustainable infrastructure investor.Joseph is also a member of the Climate Mastermind peer groups we run at Entrepreneurs for Impact with three dozen growth-stage CEOs and investors tackling climate change.In this episode, we talked about the following:His purchase of an old school bus, which he renovated and drove across the country during Covid, with his wife, young son, and four dogs (woah!)The importance of his earliest investors – such as Closed Loop and Gratitude Railroad – having confidence that he and his partner would land on the right business model to scale organic waste recyclingTheir evolution from collecting food waste in a truck to doing public-private partnerships to handle cities’ waste and buying existing organic waste processing facilities across the countryHow his projects earn revenue, and which revenue sources are contracted versus the spot marketThe role of city and state mandates and voluntary targets in driving greater organic waste recyclingHow their talent and operational processes have been influenced by books, such as Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm, as well as the interview practices described in topgradingHis ideal morning routine of exercise, journaling, meditation, and reflection – if he’s able to get up at 4:45 amAnd lots moreHope you enjoy.And give Joseph a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Our two offerings include:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how Alex Roetter is reshaping carbon removal financing with Terraset — combining advanced market commitments, donor-friendly transparency, & climate tech VC experience.My guest is Alex Roetter, General Partner at Moxxie Ventures, Founder of Terraset, and former Head of Engineering at Twitter.In addition, he came up with this great idea around which we teamed up together to launch Terraset, an anti-GHG 501(c)(3) for advanced market commitments in the carbon removal industry (CDR).In this episode, we talked about the following:How philanthropy only provides 2% of its donations to tackle climate change, and only 3.8% of that small number goes to carbon dioxide removal (CDR)Why advanced market commitments (or AMCs) can help create market validation for CDR companies so they can get their projects financedHow Terraset is similar and different from the $925M Frontier Fund, which includes partners such as Stripe, Shopify, Alphabet, Meta, and McKinseyThe ways that Terraset makes it easier for donors to find trusted CDR projects to support, and receive a tax deduction in the U.S.The preseed and seed VC funding he provides at Moxxie Ventures, which focused on climate tech, as well as health tech, AI, and moreExamples of the cool portfolio companies they’ve funded, such as BasiGo, an EV bus company in NairobiMistakes he has seen CEOs, including himself, make and how to avoid themWhy environmental and social co-benefits in climate tech financing matterAnd lots moreHope you enjoy it!And give Alex a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Our two offerings include:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover fresh tools, mindset shifts, & fundraising insights — from a new climate finance tracker to pitch decks that helped raise millions for carbon tech startups.In this newsletter-turned-podcast episode from Entrepreneurs for Impact, I cover the following:💵 New “Climate Finance Tracker”🤬 To all the carbon tech haters😮 A new tablet to kill your pen and paper👂 We have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason🚀 We launched a new anti-GHG NGO called Terraset💰 15 money-winning climate tech pitch decks🤔 Are you becoming better or bitter?😵 Beware of “Thinkwashing”Enjoy! Ping me on LinkedIn to let me know what you think about it.https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding-------Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Here's our weekly newsletter — A 3-minute summary of climate tech startups, better habits, and deep work trends: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comOur main program is a Climate CEO Mastermind peer group community: https://entrepreneursforimpact.comOur invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how Howard Fischer went from hedge fund titan to climate impact evangelist — moving capital from spreadsheets to soul to fund game-changing climate solutions.My guest today is Howard Fischer, the Chief Evangelist at Gratitude Railroad and CEO of Basso Capital Management.Gratitude Railroad's mission is to support investors in moving capital from traditional finance to impact investments that create deep social and environmental impact, without compromising financial returns.His bio on the GR website is delightful in its brevity and insight into who he is. And I quote:“Uphill over downhill; Snow over sand; Read over watch; Trees over skyscrapers; Pizza over steak; Conversation over gossip; Disagree over agree; Instinct over spreadsheets; Relationship over contract.”In this episode, we talked about:His 40 years in hedge fundsHow his rebirth in 2013 while not religious was like a metaphorical move from Gordon Gekko to Dalai LamaHis financial reckoning during the 2008 financial crisis when his hedge fund went from $3B to $300MThe risks in wearing the golden handcuffs of fat paychecks from big-brand employersHow philanthropy is broken and government is not a great problem solverWhy we have to move more profit-driven capital to the climate sectorExamples of the climate investments they’ve made at Gratitude Railroad, including a focus on organic waste managementHis theme of “Free the Money” and related investments in Climate First Bank and First Women’s BankWhy we can’t ask people to eat their broccoli (sorry, you have to listen to understand what this means)Some of his favorite books, such as The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche, and The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in CrisisAnd lots moreHope you enjoy.And give Howard a shout-out on LinkedIn or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Learn more:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 3x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 60,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how Taj Eldridge is reshaping climate investing — blending alpha returns, social equity, & place-based innovation to power the next wave of green jobs.My guest today is Taj Ahmad Eldridge.Taj is the Director of Climate Innovation at Jobs for the Future, and Cofounder of Include Ventures, a fund of funds investor focused on emerging managers at the intersection of “Alpha + Inclusion + Sustainability.”In addition, Taj is…Advisory Panel member @ The Schmidt Family FoundationFounding Advisory Board member @ GreenTech NoirBoard Member @ Homeboy IndustriesFormer Director of the Startup Accelerator @ University of California, RiversideFormer Senior Director for Investment @ the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)And investor in Invictus Growth Partners, SparkCharge, Form Energy, ChargerHelp!, and many more high-impact venturesIn this episode, we talked about:Who holds the real power in allocating capitalThe importance of place-based innovationHow talent is universal, but opportunity is notJobs for the Future’s goals of creating 25,000 new jobs in climate resilienceThe need to reframe climate change as a mission around public health, social equity, and economicsTwo of his portfolio companies led by Black founders and CEOs that are changing federal transportation policy and making EV charging super easyHow he believes a focus on minority-led ventures creates alpha opportunitiesThe need to bring your whole self to workWisdom from the beat poets like Jack Kerouac and one of our favorite books, Dharma BumsAnd lots moreHope you enjoy it!And give Taj a shout-out on LinkedIn or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Learn more:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 3x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 60,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how Collaborative Fund backs for-profit & for-good startups — from $200M growth bets to 100 micro-investments fueling the next wave of climate innovation.My guests in this episode are Sophie Bakalar and Tomás Álvarez Belón from Collaborative Fund.Collaborative Fund is a 10-year-old VC firm investing at the intersection of for-profit and for-good, with a long-time focus on climate. Today, they’re investing in Series A- and B-stage startups from their $200M Collab SOS Fund. Through their Shared Future initiative, they're also investing $100,000 into 100 startups per year that come through top-notch accelerator programs like YCombinator, Activate, and AirMiners.In this episode, we talked about the following:How they make investment decisionsLessons they’ve learned from past investment mistakesTips for startup founders who are new at pitching to investorsTwo of their portfolio companies tackling cell cultured animal fat and smarter EV charging through software that recognizes the bottlenecks of the power gridThe importance of distinguishing roles and responsibilities among foundersPersonal goals of ever greater simplicity in lifeRecommended sci-fi books to readThe power of slow morningsAnd lots moreHope you enjoy!And give Sophie, Tomás, Collaborative Fund, and Shared Future a shout-out on LinkedIn or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.---Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Learn more:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 3x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 60,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

Discover how 8 Rivers is building billion-dollar net-zero energy projects & licensing game-changing tech to accelerate the global clean energy transition.My guest for his episode is Damian Beauchamp, the President and Chief Development Officer of 8 Rivers.In addition, he is also:An advisor to the Carbon XPrizeA Board member at NET Power8 Rivers is a platform company developing the sustainable infrastructure of tomorrow by inventing and commercializing large-scale innovations in the race to Net Zero. Founded by a former Wall Street finance executive and a literal rocket scientist, their investors include industry heavyweights Exelon, SK Group, McDermott, and Occidental Low Carbon Ventures.In this episode, we talked about the following:How they’re creating billions of dollars of market-proven valueHow Blue Ocean strategies have served them wellThe validation they’ve received on a net-zero, cost-neutral natural gas power plant in TexasTheir go-to-market plan of innovation and IP development, followed by licensing the tech to others for maximum scale and climate benefitsThe path to securing big-name corporate partnersThe need to be optimistic and solutions-oriented when it comes to tackling climate changeQuotes from Calvin Coolidge on the power of persistenceWhy he has a picture of the Grand Canyon as his LinkedIn banner pictureAnd lots moreHope you enjoy!And give Damian and 8 Rivers a shout-out on LinkedIn or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.-------Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Learn more:Climate CEO Mastermind Peer Groups — Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Newsletter — A 3-minute weekly summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 3x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 60,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.