Inevitable

Christian Hernandez, co-founder of venture capital firm 2150, discusses his journey into the climate space and their mission of revolutionizing cities' design and construction. They explore the importance of decarbonizing the built environment and their investment approach. The podcast also touches on topics such as reserves allocation, investment decisions, risk balancing, development of an investment thesis, measuring impact, and the search for 'giga-chorns'.

Julia Souder, CEO of the LDES Council, discusses long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies and their role in decarbonizing the energy system. She explores the importance of standards, local politics, and different types of batteries. The podcast also highlights the market potential and investment needed for LDAS technology.

Sandeep Nijhawan and Quoc Pham, founders of startup Electra, tackle the complex issue of steel decarbonization. They discuss the intricacies of current steel production, the US approach to decarbonization, and pathways including point-source carbon capture and hydrogen utilization. Electra's pioneering electrochemistry method shows promise in sustainable steel production.

Kim Zou and Sophie Purdom, co-founders of CTVC, discuss their journey in climate tech, the origins of CTVC, and the evolution of their market intelligence company. They delve into the current state of funding in climate tech, the role of project finance and infrastructure financing, and the challenges faced by climate tech companies in securing growth funding. They also highlight the importance of data-driven insights and the involvement of major banks in financing climate projects.

This episode focuses on funding energy efficiency contractors through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). They discuss the need for training programs to address challenges in the skilled labor workforce, the importance of funding to overcome bottlenecks, and the goals of the funding initiative. The podcast also explores AC-tripley's research on energy efficiency and highlights the Contractor Training Grants Program, which aims to attract and educate new workers in the clean energy sector.

Fabian Heilemann, founder and CEO of AENU, shares his journey to starting the firm, prioritizing impact without sacrificing returns. They discuss the challenges faced, resilience and adaptation, and making a climate impact. They also explore the importance of regulation, technology development, and individual behavior change in driving climate impact.

Three youth climate activists, Lissie Garvin, Ayakha Melithafa, and Dysmus Kisilu, discuss the importance of empowering youth to combat climate change. They touch on topics such as the lack of funding for youth movements, the impact of the 776 Fellowship program, using technology for climate solutions, personal experiences as activists, empowering small-scale farmers in Kenya through Solar Freeze, becoming 776 Fellows, and the power of local solutions in addressing climate change.

This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.Robert (Bob) Blake is a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation, which covers 1200 square miles in northwestern Minnesota. He's the founder, owner and CEO of a solar company called Solar Bear, which has a nonprofit associated with it called Native Sun Community Power Development.Solar Bear focuses on solar project development and installation for commercial real estate. Whereas Native Sun focuses on workforce development, K-12 education and exploring ways to build infrastructure beyond solar to improve energy reliability on tribal land. Robert believes that the true power of clean energy transition is to tackle multiple systemic issues at once: diminishing poverty and mass incarceration with employment opportunities, strengthening tribal and energy sovereignty by ending a reliance on fossil fuels, and of course, mitigating climate change. In this episode, we learn what has shaped Bob’s thinking and why he's so hopeful for the future. In this episode, we cover: [02:30]: Introduction to Red Lake Nation and impact of federal policies[05:34]: The concept of tribal sovereignty[08:05]: Bob's background and racism in Minnesota[10:37]: Unique opportunities within tribal nations for innovation and energy sovereignty[13:49]: Reversing colonial capitalistic systems[15:48]: Origins and overview of Solar Bear[20:01]: Examples of Solar Bear's customers[23:37]: Solar Bear's nonprofit counterpart, Native Sun Community Power Development[25:33]: Working with K-12 and college students [28:57]: Solar workforce development for incarcerated people[31:04]: Funding sources for Bob's work[34:43]: Policy work and the Tribal Energy Advisory Board [38:48]: Reimagining how energy is distributed in the transitionResources Mentioned: From Prison to a Career in Solar Sierra ClubGet connected: Robert Blake LinkedInYin X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on Jul 5, 2023 (Published on Sep 14, 2023) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In this podcast, John Tough from Energize Capital discusses their origins, approach to investing in climate tech, and criteria for companies. They explore shifting macro environments' impact on LP investments, check sizes, and comprehensive support offered. John shares insights from being a VC and entrepreneur, the importance of operational experience in investment decisions, and aligning investment theses with customer needs. They also cover venture strategy, firm's focus areas, investment processes, challenges in climate investment landscape, and managing firm culture.

Janelle Kellman, former mayor and CEO of Center for Sea Rise Solutions, discusses coastal resilience, collaboration with neighboring cities, and the distinction between sustainability and resilience. They also explore similarities between wildfire and sea level rise resilience and make an exciting announcement about their political future in California.