Electric Tractors w/ Steve Heckeroth (Solectrac)

Today, we are speaking with a representative of the legendary Rockefeller Foundation. For those unaware, this foundation is one of the oldest well-organized institutions of its type and has been responsible for a massive number of efforts over the past 100 years. 

Our guest is Thomas Belazis, Director of Innovative Finance. He runs their Climate & Impact Investing arm. 

Some of the notable things we cover today are... 

1. Their $1bn Climate and Net Zero Commitments
2. How they end up unlocking a lot of other capital when they invest
3. And why high integrity in EVERY investment matters because of the weight their name carries 

Enjoy this episode with Thomas from The Rockefeller Foundation. 🌱🌎

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Topics:
**What Thomas Does at TRF
**TRF’s $1bn Climate & Net Zero Commitment 
**Why Nature-Based Solutions
**Catalytic Capital & Unlocking Funding 
**The Role of Philanthropy in Climate 
**Flexible Investment Approach 
**His Career Journey and Mentorship 
**Collaboration with Elemental Excelerator 
**Future Projects 
**Emerging Market Interest 
**Global Ambitions

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Links:
**Thomas Belazis | The Rockefeller Foundation
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

**Check out the new takeaways section at the end of the episode!!**

In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Zecca Lehn, GP of Responsibly Ventures, backing U.S. PreSeed startups in both Social and Sustainable Tech. He uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guidepost for his investments.

We breakdown the specifics of his investing thesis including what is “customer love” and what it means to be ethical in investing, Zecca is especially good at using data and data reporting – we heard a lot of really unique insights from him on how he uses data in his operations. We also dive into his experience as an impact investor, the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

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🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
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Topics:
**1:45 Introduction and Background
**10:23 Early Interest in Sustainability
**13:43 Investing in Sustainability and Social Good
**15:52 What is Customer Love?
**17:13 Ethics and Honesty in Investing
**25:26 Balancing Returns and Impact
**27:21 Data and Reporting in Venture Investing
**30:52 Subjectivity in Measurement and Reporting
**31:57 Challenges of Collecting and Using Data
**34:05 Privacy and AI Concerns in Impact Investing
**37:09 The Power of Follow-on Investors
**39:50 Maintaining Focus and Presence
**42:08 Climate Anxiety and Perspective
**45:16 The Role of Returns in Climate Investing
**52:04 Addressing Desertification as an Impact
**54:05 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Zécca Lehn | Responsibly Ventures
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

Fast fashion is destroying the world. Imagine if we could make threads that are fully recyclable ... over and over... Well, that's what Oliver Shafaat is trying to do with Sci-Lume Labs. 

They use agricultural feedstock, and are using low-heat methods so they aim to be able to achieve cost parity. 

What they are working on is difficult, but would be world changing. 

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

---

🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
---

🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel 

-----
Topics:
**01:16 Intro
**02:16 The Challenges of the Apparel Industry
**04:34 The Inspiration Behind Bylon
**11:45 Evaluating Polymers
**13:59 Starting a Company
**15:22 Funding the Company
**18:45 The Process of Making Fibers
**23:19 Sourcing Feedstocks
**25:27 The Sustainability of Bylon
**28:31 Recyclability and End-of-Life
**30:21 IP and Business Model
**32:04 Scaling Up and Challenges Ahead
**34:58 Pilot Conversations
**38:49 Interest from Clothing Manufacturers

-----
Links:
**Oliver Shafaat | Sci-Lume Labs
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

In this episode, Somil chats with Adam Fraser, CEO at Terraset, the “anti-GHG” 501c3. Philanthropy in climate is a hot topic – leading up to this episode we were getting questions left and right about the future of this space. And it’s because there’s seemingly so much money that could be in the space but isn’t yet. 

That is the problem Adam and Terraset are trying to solve. It couldn’t have been a more timely show.

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

---
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
---

🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

-----
Topics:
**04:48 The State of Philanthropic Capital and Climate
**06:52 Challenges in Philanthropic Investment in Climate
**11:05 Being Anti-GHG and the Importance of Carbon Removal
**13:45 Different Carbon Removal Technologies
**16:32 Transition from Journalism to Philanthropy
**22:45 Efficiency and Scalability of Philanthropic Capital
**34:08 The CDR Landscape and Evaluation
**40:41 Donor Profiles and Funding Sources
**47:03 Genesis of Terraset and the "anti-GHG" Approach
**50:00 Optimism and Urgency for the Future

-----
Links:
**Adam Fraser | Terraset
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

 If you LOVE technology that allows for decarbonization TODAY, then Somil & Silas' conversation today with Lori Dunn from Optimus Technologies will interest you.

Discover how Optimus is revolutionizing the transport sector by producing bolt-on systems that allow truck drivers to utilize 100% biodiesel and reduce their overall emissions by up to 90%.

Learn from Lori how they are navigating the challenges of funding, team alignment, and strategic planning for the future.

Join us as we explore the journey from seed to series A, and the transition from small to big company energy.

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

---
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
---

🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
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Topics:
**1:43 Small vs Big Energy Company
**4:37 Decarbonizing Diesel Engines
**7:00 Challenges to Decarb the Diesel Industry
**9:39 Understanding Fleet Managers' Problems
**11:37 Previous Attempts
**14:33 The Long Game of Hardware Innovation
**19:25 Joining Optimus
**25:36 The Technology of Optimus
**29:07 Communicating Value to Investors
**33:16 Revenue Model and Cost Structure
**37:42 Scaling Manufacturing and Funding
**42:33 Metrics and Partnerships
**44:30 Early Stage Manufacturing
**46:34 Manufacturing In-house vs Outsourcing

-----
Links:
**Lori Dunn | Optimus Technologies
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

In this episode, I chat with Ben Eidelson, Co-founder & GP of Stepchange, an early-stage venture fund that invests in product-led companies that will make a “step change”, pun intended, I’m guessing?, impact on climate. 

When editing the episode, Alex, our executive producer, told us he could already tell one of our best episodes yet. I very much agree. This turned out to be the VC meets product meets content special I was hoping it would be. We discuss all things product in climate, Ben being a 2 time exited founder to big tech, starting a climate fund in this environment, and why his kids changed his life. 

A huge shoutout to Ben for coming on the episode. This started out as me fan-boying to one of his episodes and here we are. 

As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!

---
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
---
🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

-----
Topics: 
**3:10 What is a Product-Led Company?
**8:49 Why PMs are not Thinking about Climate
**14:45 The Importance of Active Listening
**16:03 Identifying Founder Potential
**18:29 The Role of Vulnerability in Relationships
**20:35 The Origin and Impact of Climate Papa
**25:41 The Product-Focused Thesis of Step Change
**27:41 Product Meets Hardware and Deep Tech
**34:35 Bullish Industries in Climate
**42:45 Lessons from Being a Founder
**44:59 Building Deep Co-Founder Relationships
**47:32 Tips for Product-Market Fit in Climate

-----
Links:
**Ben Eidelson | Stepchange | Climate Papa
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

Today we speak with Virginia Klausmeier, President & CEO of Sylvatex, a company aiming to commercialize technology that was originally developed by her father. The technology is a waterless method to produce Cathode Active Materials (the chemicals that go into the production of various types of batteries).

We cover a lot of things. The primary topics being Onshoring Battery Production, Getting to Bankability, and How their Technology works.

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

---
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
---
🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel 

----- 

Topics:
**1:23 Intro
**7:11 Battery Mfg in the US
**9:11 Onshoring Battery Mfg
**9:42 The Opportunity
**15:54 Motivation
**17:12 The Story of Sylvatex
**19:16 Starting a Company
**21:03 Taking the Leap
**24:13 Waterless Cathode Production
**30:51 State of Sylvatex
**42:11 Pilot Funding
**42:41Milestones for Commercialization
**45:05 Getting to Bankability
**47:29 Debt Financing for Modular Manufacturing
**48:25 Navigating the Unknown

-----
Links:
**Virginia Klausmeier | Sylvatex
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)

In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Leise Sanderson, founder and CEO of Pathways. Pathways is an AI platform that simplifies environmental impact analysis for the materials and manufacturing supply chain.

I’m a built environment junkie, so this was…really fun. Materials are the main cost driver of construction which means they will be especially difficult to decarbonize. Tools like Pathways make it easier to identify which materials will help maintain cost-parity. Major potential for a big emitter like construction and the built environment. 

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

-----
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
-----
🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨
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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

-----
Topics:
**01:28 Introduction
**03:18 What is a Life Cycle Analysis
**06:12 Environmental Product Declarations
**09:02 Deciding to Start a Company
**21:24 Finding a Co-founder
**30:48 Growing Interest in the Built Environment
**44:47 Landing the First Customer
**46:50 Receptiveness of Manufacturing Industry
**47:50 Building Relationships Across Differences
**53:39 What Attracted Investors
**55:27 Navigating an Oversubscribed Round
**58:45 Building Audacious Goals
**59:36 Reflecting on the Journey

-----
Links:
**Leise Sandeman | Pathways
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

Silas speaks with Ryan Jeffery, Sr. Managing Director of the Sustainability Accelerators at Gener8tor, a collection of Accelerators that serve the rest of the country outside of SF, NYC, and Boston, where the majority of VC dollars go.

(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)

Ryan started as a founder. Later, he became a VC and eventually ended up in Gener8tor running the sustainability-focused accelerators because of his desire to be closer to the founders and more involved.

He shared a lot of great data on where funding goes, his story, why investing in underserved founders is, beyond being the right thing to do, also leads to better returns.

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

-----
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
-----
🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨
-----
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

-----
Topics:
**4:00 Joining Gener8tor
**7:40 Biz Model, Challenges, & Financing an Accelerator
**8:56 Partnering w/ Corps
**11:35 Focus on Underserved Areas
**13:54 The Role of Non-Silicon Valley States in Climate Transition
**22:00 Value Add of an Accelerator
**34:13 Collab in Non-Tech Hub Areas
**40:27 Gap for These Founders
**42:03 Role of AI in Solving Climate Change
**49:40 Milestones for Hard Tech Companies
**57:46 Hiring & Building a Team
**59:57 Raising Tips
**1:06:44 Advice to Investors
**1:08:19 Getting into VC

-----
Links:
**Ryan Jeffery | Gener8tor
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com

In this episode, Silas and Somil chat with Robin Lane, CEO and founder of Transect, a product that aids and expedites site selection for infrastructure projects.

For Silas and I, this was an exciting mix of infrastructure meeting technology. Robin has been doing this for a while, so she had a lot to tell us about her experiences with developers, rolling Transect out to market, how she grew as a founder alongside her company, and what she sees for the future.

 (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)

We were really happy to have her on and learn a lot of new things about site selection and the problems plaguing infrastructure projects today – a major component of increasing the supply of renewables and advancing the climate transition.
-----
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

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Topics:
**02:37 Need for Transformation in Permitting
**05:58 How Transect Streamlines the process
**08:47 Building Trust with Developers
**11:50 Robin's Journey from Consultant to Entrepreneur
**23:33 Raising Transect's Seed Round
**24:38 Early Contracts and Scaling the Team
**32:24 Building a Culture-First Company and Hiring for Mission Alignment
**38:45 Being Customer-First
**45:32 Opportunities for Software in the Renewables Industry
**47:25 Future Solar Energy Costs

-----
Links:
**Robin Laine | Transect
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com