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Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Dr. Chris Wedding — Climate Tech CEO Coach | CEO @ EFI
251 episodes
1 day ago
Weekly briefing for climate founders, investors, and operators. Hosted by Dr. Chris Wedding, executive coach and CEO of Entrepreneurs for Impact (EFI), a peer group with 100+ CEOs & investors representing $40B+ in enterprise value and AUM. Climate CEOs delivers playbooks from the front lines of climate tech, with insights on raising capital, scaling startups in clean energy, batteries, carbon capture, and the circular economy, plus the founder mindset, mindfulness, daily habits, book recommendations, and resilience needed to thrive.
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All content for Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups is the property of Dr. Chris Wedding — Climate Tech CEO Coach | CEO @ EFI and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Weekly briefing for climate founders, investors, and operators. Hosted by Dr. Chris Wedding, executive coach and CEO of Entrepreneurs for Impact (EFI), a peer group with 100+ CEOs & investors representing $40B+ in enterprise value and AUM. Climate CEOs delivers playbooks from the front lines of climate tech, with insights on raising capital, scaling startups in clean energy, batteries, carbon capture, and the circular economy, plus the founder mindset, mindfulness, daily habits, book recommendations, and resilience needed to thrive.
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Entrepreneurship
Business
Episodes (20/251)
Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
How to build a startup advisory board (or join one)

Enjoy this brief primer on how to establish a board of advisors for your startup (or negotiate a seat on one). In our EFI climate CEO peer group, we have a growing library of these hot topic primers. To get more like this, join 40,000 who get my Climate CEOs newsletter. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Show more...
3 days ago
16 minutes 14 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Climate Week NYC: 16 Takeaways (from 50 Hours + 35,000 Steps)

100,000 people joined 1,000 events in NYC last week for the Climate Week. In this 18-minute podcast, I summarize 16 highlights from my time there. If you like this, join 40,000 who get my Climate CEOs newsletter. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Show more...
6 days ago
18 minutes 1 second

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
$5B Funding for Sustainable Infrastructure. Solar’s “Land Problem” is Overhyped. Boss: “Talk to AI Before Talking to Me.” $65M for AI in Agtech. Don't Be Consumed by Injustice.

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my Climate CEOs newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com


(Shout out to Carbon Brief on the visual.)

Show more...
1 week ago
12 minutes 43 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
EV Finance: $63M for Electric Fleets + 40% Lower Fuel and Maintenance

Electric vehicles, charging, and support in one predictable monthly payment (4 million EV fleet vehicles by 2030).

🎧 Episode Summary

7Gen is a Vancouver-based company that helps commercial fleets transition to zero-emission vehicles by providing turnkey solutions for electrification.

Their services include financing, procurement, charging infrastructure, and long-term support to simplify the switch from diesel to electric.

By acting as both a technology integrator and capital partner, 7Gen accelerates adoption of clean transportation in North America.

Frans is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a track record in scaling sustainable businesses.

He has led companies across sectors including renewable energy, transportation, and technology, with a consistent focus on impact and climate solutions.

His career spans Europe and North America, giving him a global perspective on the future of clean mobility.🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com


📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/


⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews


🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Show more...
2 weeks ago
32 minutes

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
60 nuclear startups to watch. AI for 220 million peer-reviewed articles. Meta CTO invests in climate. Stoic wisdom on corporate values. Robots building climate-resilient homes.

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my Climate CEOs newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Show more...
2 weeks ago
14 minutes 3 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Scaling Climate Finance in the Global South: A CEO’s Playbook

Mapping $1.9 Trillion in global climate finance. Who invests? Who gets the funding?

🎧 Episode Summary

The Climate Policy Initiative is a leading international nonprofit research organization focused on tracking and mobilizing climate finance.

Dr. Barbara Buchner is the lead author of the annual Global Landscape of Climate Finance reports—widely regarded as the standard for climate finance tracking—and directs CPI’s Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance, which has helped mobilize multibillion‑dollar investment for sustainable development worldwide.


🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com


📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/


⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews


🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Show more...
3 weeks ago
40 minutes 57 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
7 Ways AI is a Climate Champion vs. Climate Killer

Hear 5 themes from Sept. 10th EFI CEO & investor discussion on AI in climate tech in practice. Additionally, discover 7 ways AI is a climate champion, along with 14 example companies. (From my newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com)

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3 weeks ago
12 minutes 5 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Net Zero Homes: 2.5x Faster, 30% Cheaper, $20M VC Raise

Using robots and microfactories to build energy-efficient, affordable homes, resilient to natural disasters.

🎧 Episode Summary

Reframe Systems, led by CEO Vikas Enti, is a climate‑tech startup building compact, robotic micro‑factories that can construct climate‑resilient, net‑zero homes—specifically “missing‑middle” housing—significantly faster, cheaper, and with far lower carbon emissions than traditional methods.

Having previously led robotics innovation at Amazon Robotics (and before that, Kiva Systems), Enti’s Reframe was recently awarded LACI’s LA Resilient Rebuilding Cup, recognizing both his vision and progress toward scalable, resilient housing solutions.

🔑 Highlights

  • Raising a new $20M round co-led by Eclipse and VoLo Earth Ventures, with support from MassMutual Catalyst Funds, Cubit Capital, Planetary Health at RA Capital Management, Saga Ventures, and Nor’easter Ventures
  • Building affordable, high-efficiency homes 2.5x faster and 30% cheaper
  • Leading teams at Amazon Robotics with 1 million robots
  • Addressing a 500,000-worker shortage in building construction, with 40% of tradespeople expected to retire in the next 10 years
  • Changing a career based on children and finding more meaning in life


🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com


📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/


⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews


🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Show more...
3 weeks ago
43 minutes 13 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
China’s Power Grid Gains — Outpacing U.S. by 2–10x in Power & Solar

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Show more...
1 month ago
14 minutes 45 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Smarter Agriculture: 30x More Produce, 96% Less Water with AI-Powered Greenhouses

AI-powered agtech infrastructure is growing climate-friendly crops while boosting farmer profitability—backed by horticultural expertise and data science.

🎧 Episode Summary

IUNU is a Seattle‑based ag‑tech startup using AI‑driven computer vision and autonomous sensors—via its LUNA platform—to monitor greenhouse crop growth in real time, optimize operations, and boost farm productivity across 100 facilities in 18 countries.

They've raised over $60 million to scale up, including a recent $20M round led by our friends at S2G Investments.

Adam Greenberg is the CEO and co-founder. As a servant leader, he believes that "true leaders base their success on the success of those around them." Amen, brother!

His prior roles include consulting for Fortune 100 companies, volunteering with youth programs, and co-founding Pure Blue Tech (a reverse osmosis water tech co).

🔑 Highlights

  • How they recently raised $20 million in a challenging market by demonstrating strong market pull from customers
  • Why they help farmers, retailers, and breeders with real business benefits before mentioning their environmentally friendly attributes
  • What he means by Chief Translation Officer
  • How great leaders create an environment where everyone is willing to go the extra mile
  • The inverse correlation between high-impact work and personal balance
  • How Wim Hof breathing and meditation keep him healthy and sane


🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com


📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/


⭐ Leave a Review

No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews


🎙️ About the Host

Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Show more...
1 month ago
44 minutes 23 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Climate Capital Map + Brad Feld’s 30-Year VC Wisdom (and our shiny new pod name)

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI tips, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 20,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Show more...
1 month ago
13 minutes 13 seconds

Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
Reduce A/C Energy by 40%: MIT Spinout + Top Climate Tech VC Investors

Learn how to dramatically lower HVAC energy use via metal organic frameworks with Sorin Grama, CEO of Transaera.

🎧 Episode Summary

Transaera is reimagining air-conditioning with solid desiccant materials that strip out moisture before cooling.

Translation: less energy, fewer emissions, and a planet that sweats less.

It’s a plug‑and‑play upgrade across residential and commercial HVAC systems.

Sorin is an MIT-trained engineer, inventor, and serial entrepreneur.

He’s also the co-founder of Greentown Labs, a lecturer at MIT, and a Climate CEO Fellow in our EFI peer group program.

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • “Don’t fall in love with tech. Fall in love with the customer’s pain.”

  • Promethean Power Systems and the art of keeping dairy cold in rural India

  • The weird science of Metal Organic Frameworks

  • Leadership lessons from Hard Thing About Hard Things + Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

    His 5-minute journal + the radical act of slowing down to think clearly

  • 🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

    Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

    👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com


    📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

    For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

    👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/


    ⭐ Leave a Review

    No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

    👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews


    🎙️ About the Host

    Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

    👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

  • Show more...
    1 month ago
    47 minutes 30 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    9x Founder Becomes Low Carbon Investor. Sustainable Aviation Fuel with 95% Lower GHG. Policy-Proof Climate Businesses. GPT as Your Chief Culture Analyst. Sweat Lodge Ceremony in Costa Rica.

    Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI tips, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 20,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

    Show more...
    1 month ago
    10 minutes 41 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    "Give First" Mindset: VC Investor Lessons that Catalyzed 4,500+ Startups

    Legendary VC investor Brad Feld explains why “giving first” (his new book) is the key to building resilient founders, impactful startups, and thriving startup communities—especially in climate tech and turbulent times.

    🎧 Episode Summary

    Brad Feld, co-founder of Foundry Group and Techstars, joins Dr. Chris Wedding to discuss why his “Give First” philosophy—mentorship without expectation of immediate return—matters more than ever. Brad shares lessons from four decades as a VC investor, board member, and mentor. These include how startup founders can survive near-death experiences, embrace long time horizons, and create positive-sum relationships that outlast cycles of hype, political polarization, and shifting government priorities.

    Brad dives into the difference between being a mentor, advisor, coach, and investor—and why setting boundaries and focusing on the long arc of reputation and karma is critical for mental health and sustained impact. He also shares insights from his latest book, Give First, and how the practice of non-transactional mentorship can unlock new opportunities and durable communities in climate innovation.

    🔑 Key Takeaways

    • Private sector innovation—and founders with grit—are more important than ever for climate solutions, especially as government support and data become more fragile.

    • Most startups fail, but even failures drive learning, progress, and future breakthroughs—long-term impact compounds through experimentation.

    • The best founders are resilient, adaptive, and motivated by mission, not just market conditions; they see setbacks as “type 2” fun (enjoyable in hindsight).

    • “Give First” means engaging in relationships without upfront transactional expectations—positive outcomes flow back in unpredictable ways over time.

    • Mentorship is distinct from advisory, coaching, or investing: mentors give with no guarantee of return; advisors and coaches are transactional; investors have skin in the game.

    • Healthy boundaries are essential: founders and mentors must balance generosity, mental health, and financial realities.

    • Community building in climate tech—and beyond—relies on trust, shared learning, and a willingness to help without keeping score.

    • Reputation and “karma” accrue over decades, not quarters; the most satisfying business relationships are long-term, peer-based, and founded on authenticity and empathy.

    • Brad’s Mentor Manifesto (from Techstars) and the concept of “entrepreneurial tzedakah” (righteous giving) offer frameworks for effective, fulfilling mentorship.

    • Giving first in business isn’t altruism; it’s a philosophy for creating positive-sum games in a world fixated on transactions.

    🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

    Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

    👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com

    📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

    For entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.

    👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/

    ⭐ Leave a Review

    No sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.

    👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

    🎙️ About the Host

    Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:

    👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

    Show more...
    1 month ago
    57 minutes 36 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    100 Startups in Metals & Mining. Bill Liao @ SOSV ($1 Billion). Better AI Prompts w/ CRAFT Framework. Surprising Life Lesson from Engineering Legend Buckminster Fuller.

    Learn these 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI tips, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 20,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

    Show more...
    1 month ago
    14 minutes 3 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    Fusion Energy: $36M and World Records for Compact, Modular, Zero-Carbon Power (Kieran Furlong, CEO @ Realta Fusion)

    Learn how Realta Fusion raised a giant Series A VC round to commercialize university tech for affordable fusion energy in industrial heating.

    🎧 Episode Summary

    Kieran Furlong, Co-Founder and CEO of Realta Fusion, joins host Dr. Chris Wedding to reveal how his team is commercializing a breakthrough approach to fusion energy, spinning out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Realta’s “CosmoFusion”—compact, scalable, and modular—aims to bring affordable, zero-carbon energy to hard-to-abate sectors much sooner than the world expects.

    Kieran shares why their recent funding round was oversubscribed, details the world record 17 Tesla magnetic field their team achieved, and demystifies the practical steps from deep science to the first-of-its-kind commercial fusion plant. He digs into how Realta’s engineering mindset speeds up the path to market, why industrial heat (not just electricity) is an overlooked fusion product, and how the company is tackling public perception, regulation, and customer partnerships head-on.

    🔑 Key Takeaways

    • Realta Fusion’s CosmoFusion approach centers on building compact, modular, and scalable fusion plants—right-sized for private industry, not just distant grid-scale promises.

    • Their team achieved a world-record 17 Tesla magnetic field strength in plasma containment, a major technical milestone for fusion’s viability.

    • Realta targets delivering industrial heat directly to energy-intensive sectors (like petrochemicals and data centers), unlocking decarbonization beyond the electric grid.

    • The business model: ‘build-own-operate’ for the first commercial plant, with future expansion to OEM and global partnerships, rather than risky licensing.

    • Realta’s cost curve strategy borrows from the modular scaling seen in wind and solar, aiming for rapid cost declines as more units are built.

    • Fusion’s safety profile is fundamentally different from fission: no long-lived radioactive waste, no runaway reactions, and intrinsic fail-safety—the technical and public education challenge is a top priority.

    • Regulators in the US, UK, and Japan are already treating fusion differently from fission, making a faster, cheaper path to market possible.

    • The fusion industry benefits from bipartisan support and national interest in reshoring high-precision manufacturing and energy security.

    • Kieran’s advice for founders: set your personal red lines (e.g., defense work) early and align your team before pressure hits; build healthy routines (like biking year-round in Wisconsin!); and learn from big project management history.

    • Recommended reads: “How Big Things Get Done,” “Energy and Civilization” by Vaclav Smil, and “The Prize” by Daniel Yergin.

    🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

    Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — North America’s top invite-only community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. Capped at 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

    👉⁠ ⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠

    📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

    Written for entrepreneurs and investors, we cover five quick points on climate data, CEOs to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments, drawn from working with 400+ climate CEOs and investors and 25 years of meditation practice.

    👉⁠ ⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/⁠⁠

    ⭐ Leave a Review

    This podcast has no sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found it valuable, please take a minute to leave a review so more people can discover these stories.

    👉⁠ ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠

    🎙️ About the Host

    Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups, leadership, and finance on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding/

    Show more...
    1 month ago
    46 minutes 40 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    $41M for Biomass to Clean Firm Power. Private Equity Investing in Adaptation & Resilience. Murray McCraig, Investor @ArcTern Ventures. Brad Hartwig, CEO @Arbor. AI Tool for Competitor Analysis.

    Learn these 5 insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI tips, and mindfulness leadership. Join 20,000 who get my newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

    Show more...
    2 months ago
    11 minutes 18 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    Sustainable Forestry: $17M Becomes $300M (Plus 375 Tree Farms Without Carbon Offsets or Land Purchases)

    Discover how World Tree combines regenerative forestry, carbon sequestration, and impact investing to scale climate solutions across North America and Latin America.

    🎧 Episode Summary

    Doug Willmore, CEO of World Tree, shares how the company is commercializing the world’s fastest-growing hardwood, Paulownia, and how their EcoTree program enables retail investors to support regenerative forestry while earning returns.

    Doug explains the unique regenerative qualities of Paulownia, why biodiversity matters in timber projects, and how World Tree is educating investors on the environmental and financial benefits of sustainable forestry.

    🔑 Key Takeaways

    • World Tree is scaling Paulownia, a fast-growing hardwood that regenerates from the stump.

    • Their EcoTree program allows retail investors to offset carbon and earn financial returns.

    • Over $17M in non-dilutive capital has supported their tree-planting efforts.

    • Investors can target potential returns of 5–6x over 8–11 years.

    • World Tree avoids commodity markets by focusing on high-value wood products.

    • They’re working on off-take agreements to build long-term market demand.

    • Biodiversity is crucial for achieving optimal climate and financial outcomes.

    • The ideal EcoTree farmers vary by geography and practice.

    • Tax benefits are a key part of their investor education efforts.

    ⏱️ Chapters 

    • 00:00 – Intro & Doug’s background

    • 02:18 – World Tree’s mission

    • 04:41 – The unique Paulownia tree

    • 08:00 – EcoTree investment model

    • 16:11 – Investor education & expectations

    • 22:25 – Challenges of ag and forestry

    • 24:12 – Productizing the timber

    • 30:30 – Market performance & potential

    • 35:24 – Who the right EcoTree farmers are

    🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer Group

    Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re capped at 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

    👉 ⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠

    📨 Get Our 4-Minute Newsletter

    Written for entrepreneurs and investors, we cover five quick points on climate data, CEOs to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments, drawn from working with 400+ climate CEOs and investors and 25 years of meditation practice.

    👉 ⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/⁠

    ⭐ Leave a Review

    This podcast has no sponsors — just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found it valuable, please take a minute to leave a review so more people can discover these stories. Here’s how to leave a podcast review.

    👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews

    🎙️ About the Host

    Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups, leadership, and finance on ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

    Show more...
    2 months ago
    47 minutes 51 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    Climate Finance: $450T in Global Capital vs $4T Needed (+ BlackRock Deals & Bigger Returns Outside the Global North)

    Explore how Marilyn Waite and the Climate Finance Fund mobilize trillions in capital, proving each dollar delivers more climate impact in the Global South.


    The Climate Finance Fund is a philanthropic platform that helps to mobilize capital for climate solutions. Supported by the Hewlett Foundation and hosted by the European Climate Foundation, they’re focused on China, the European Union, and the United States.–

    Previously, Marilyn led energy and cleantech investments at Village Capital, managed nuclear and renewable energy projects at AREVA (now Orano), and served as a Senior Research Fellow at Project Drawdown, where she led a team to analyze, model, and forecast energy solutions to climate change. Marilyn also worked at the intersection of science and policy at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and in economic development at the United Nations in Madagascar. She is a multilingual speaker and author of Sustainability at Work: Careers that Make a Difference.

    –In this podcast, we talked about the $450T of global capital relative to the $4T needed each year to mitigate the worst economic and public health effects of climate change, her blended finance work with BlackRock, why each dollar can accomplish more climate mitigation inthe Global South, what a hummingbird in Jamaica might have foretold about her work at the Global Climate Finance Forum, and how to find a job in this field in her book, Sustainability at Work.

    –

    🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS

    Marilyn Waite - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynwaite

    Climate Finance Fund - https://climatefinance.fund

    –

    🙏 SHOUT-OUTS:

    Please give Marilyn and Climate Finance Fund a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people.

    –

    📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:

    Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability.

    We’re an invite-only community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions.

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    –

    📣 GET EFI'S NEWSLETTER:

    We share 4 insights in 4 minutes from working with 400 climate CEOs and investors. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    –

    ✍🏼 LEAVE A REVIEW:

    To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast.

    Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, our guests really appreciate your reviews!

    Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    –

    🤔 PODCAST HOST:

    Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Daily LinkedIn posts on climate tech startups, CEOs, and finance here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

    Show more...
    3 months ago
    50 minutes 48 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    Carbon Capture from Trains: $117M Raised at Age 28 (+ the Joy of Doing Hard Things)

    Learn how Paul Gross and Remora retrofit trucks and trains to capture 90% of CO₂ while turning emissions into revenue.


    Remora, founded in 2020 in Michigan, retrofits diesel locomotives and semi-trucks with onboard systems that capture, liquify, and purify up to 90% of CO₂ emissions – while also cutting soot, particulates, and NOₓ – then stores it for offloading and sale, sharing revenue with operators.

    Backed by $117 M in venture funding and piloting with major players like Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, Ryder, Werner, and DHL, the company overcame early design issues (like waterlogging and backpressure) and is now scaling for broader deployment.

    –

    Paul is the co-founder and CEO at Remora. In 2021, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Data Science from Yale University, where his research received the Porter Prize, the highest class-wide thesis prize.

    –

    In this podcast, we talked about how they got investors excited to invest $117M, why unit economics are so important, the joy of doing hard things, why expertise is overrated, the reason why reading biographies is so helpful, how he got the idea for this company as a senior at Yale University, why you should watch the movies Tommy Boy and Braveheart, and how the cost of capital influenced his choice of business model.

    –

    🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS

    Paul Gross - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulagross

    Remora - https://remoracarbon.com/

    –

    🙏 SHOUT-OUTS:

    Please give Paul and Remora a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people.

    –

    📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:

    Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability.

    We’re an invite-only community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions.

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    –

    📣 GET EFI'S NEWSLETTER:

    We share 4 insights in 4 minutes from working with 400 climate CEOs and investors. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    –

    ✍🏼 LEAVE A REVIEW:

    To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast.

    Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, our guests really appreciate your reviews!

    Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    –

    🤔 PODCAST HOST:

    Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Daily LinkedIn posts on climate tech startups, CEOs, and finance here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

    Show more...
    3 months ago
    47 minutes 20 seconds

    Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups
    Weekly briefing for climate founders, investors, and operators. Hosted by Dr. Chris Wedding, executive coach and CEO of Entrepreneurs for Impact (EFI), a peer group with 100+ CEOs & investors representing $40B+ in enterprise value and AUM. Climate CEOs delivers playbooks from the front lines of climate tech, with insights on raising capital, scaling startups in clean energy, batteries, carbon capture, and the circular economy, plus the founder mindset, mindfulness, daily habits, book recommendations, and resilience needed to thrive.