February Podcast Recap

Welcome back to the CleanTechies podcast recap! Last month was full of subversive innovations and fascinating perspectives. Let’s jump into it!

Helping Consumers Signal Desire for Sustainable Products w/ Olivia Pedersen (Sustaio)

“Consumers should be taught how to build an acumen around their carbon management just like they do with any aspect of their life.” - Olivia Pedersen

What if your personal carbon footprint could improve your credit score? Olivia Pedersen tells the story of her energytech startup, from beginning as a struggling designer, to growing her network, to swimming through her shift into an unfamiliar entrepreneurial world.?

If you’re a founder with the heart of an artist, or if you want to see how a cool new idea could change the way you purchase, this is your episode.

From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)

“The true entrepreneurs enjoy solving the hard problems, because the hard problems are what change the world the most.”

Think you need technical experience to solve big problems? Think again. Teague Egan’s EnergyX began with a little observation, which became an idea, and led down a trail of breadcrumbs to revolutionizing the lithium recovery industry.

If you’re curious how the future of lithium will bolster industries like EV’s, look no further. Here’s your episode.

Carbon Capture Paint, Gigaton Scale, & Landing ClimateTech Pilot Projects w/ Beth & Steve McDaniel

“Albert Einstein once said ‘I’ve never had an innovation in which I’ve made from my intellect. I’ve only ever made it with intuition and inspiration.’” - Steve McDaniel

What if the innovation you’re looking for is right in front of you? Steve and Beth McDaniel talk about connecting a solution nature developed centuries ago to today’s pressing carbon capture problem. And alongside that, the importance of changing the way we think of competitors in climatetech.?

If you’d like to rejuvenate your approach to climatetech, or reframe to get through a block, this is the episode you’ve been looking for.

How to Raise Money for your ClimateTech Startup w/ Tommy Leep, founder of Jetstream VC

“I would encourage founders to think ‘its not about the best deal, optimize for the partner, the rest kinda takes care of itself.’” - Tommy Leep

Is your fundraising process up to par? Tommy Leep talks VC partnerships, from the inside out: how to optimize your process, how to pick the right partners at your stage, and growth goals that people sometimes get wrong.?

If you’re looking to learn about or refresh your mindset on fundraising for your business, this is the episode for you.?

Up-skilling Talent to be ESG-Aligned and AI Talent Prediction w/ Joe Bushnell (Azollo)

To make it to net zero, companies will have to reimagine their entire business model, and Joe Bushnell is looking to tackle that problem

“If companies are going to be successful in transforming themselves to be low-carbon emitters in the future, it really needs to permeate through every role and every person within the organization, and that’s where there’s a massive blocker at the moment.” - Joe Bushnell

That’s what he sets out to do with Azollo, a workforce intelligence platform looking to tackle both the company values side and the talent side of sustainable business matters.

?“People want to work with companies that are transparent and clear and pushing ahead with being climate conscious, not companies that are laggards.” - Joe Bushnell

Joe notes that industries struggle to adopt sustainable practices because they don’t know what they need, so they don’t know how to look for it. Many also have aging workforces who are used to the ideology of optimizing just enough to be compliant. The AI built into Azollo reveals the cost-benefit potential of optimizing for the most sustainable operation in a more and more sustainability-focused world.

Joe also addresses the talent issue with sustainability training and “green skill” definitions, so executives and employees can clearly understand what skills they need. It also changes hiring by searching for potential over pre-existing skills, to increase longevity. How else could workforce intelligence change the way we think? Could AI-driven hiring practices solve any other problems?

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