Climatebase

Climatebase Fellows aren’t just learning about climate solutions, they’re building them.👇 From tools that de-risk grid upgrades for faster renewable build-out, to peer-to-peer EV charging networks, to nonprofit models that transform underused goods into shared community resources - these are just a few of the hundreds of Capstone projects and startup ideas incubated during Cohort 8. 🚀 To support the founders and project leads behind these ideas, Evan Hynes (Co-Founder & CEO, Climatebase) hosts a series of candid conversations with climate founders about what it really takes to build in this space. 💡 Here are a few standout insights these leaders shared with Fellows: Will Wiseman, CEO & Co-Founder, Climatize Drew a powerful parallel between entrepreneurship and scientific experiments: iterate and de-risk step-by-step so you can test your idea without committing too much, too fast. Kevin Berkemeyer, CEO & Co-Founder, Station A Highlighted that when building an MVP, you must stay objective about whether you’re delivering real value. Rejection is inevitable - resilience and focus on value are essential. Anastasia Volkova, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder, Regrow Ag Shared that when you’re creating a new market category, don’t try to educate everyone. Instead, focus on educating the people who matter most for your product’s success. Daniel Gajardo, Co-Founder, Reciprocal Encouraged founders to look beyond capital when choosing investors or partners - prioritize aligned values, meaningful connections, and those who will add real value to the journey. Barclay Rogers, Co-Founder & CEO, Graphyte Emphasized the importance of honestly evaluating capital needs — and minimizing or avoiding a raise if possible. Fundraising isn’t the goal; building a sustainable, scalable business is. 🧑🤝🧑 Climatebase’s founder team — Evan Hynes, Jesse Hynes, and Justin Hardin - also reinforced the importance of having the right co-founders: trusted partners who can navigate tough decisions and share the weight of early-stage challenges. 🎤 Tomorrow, Fellows will pitch their ideas to a panel of climate investors and receive live feedback. We’re thrilled to welcome: • Cece (Xixi) Zhao, CFA, VP, Climate Venture Investment, Vectors Capital • Omar Mawji, Venture Partner & Portfolio Manager, NorthX Climate Tech ➡️ Next week, we’re concluding this founder series with Peter Ciulla, Founding Partner, Grand Summit Group, who will share hard-earned lessons and insights on what contributes to early-stage success. 💡 Fellows also received hands-on support through workshops led by: • Sherrie Totoki, GM, Climate Angels - on crafting an investor pitch that blends mission with a compelling business case. • Beck Hayes, Cohort 6 Fellow & Funding & Impact Strategist, The Atharii Collaborative - through three sessions guiding Fellows from ideation to bringing their projects to life. 🌍 A huge thank you to our speakers for empowering Fellows to build real climate solutions!

My startup’s first investor? Food stamps. Back in 2020, SNAP benefits kept me fed long enough to get Climatebase off the ground. I had no job, no income, and close to zero savings. Every dollar mattered, literally. But I did have *some* things. I had an idea. Ambition. Internet. A founding team. A place to sleep. And, as shown in this photo, a very well thought through plan 😅 And, fortunately, I also had food stamps. My EBT card was my lifeline, and without it, I doubt Climatebase would exist today. But today, MILLIONS of the poorest, most vulnerable Americans are at risk of losing SNAP benefits — going hungry — due to the Republican-led government shutdown. If this were 5 years ago, Climatebase's future would have been in jeopardy. Conservative pundits say things like: • “People on SNAP are lazy.” • “It’s wasteful government spending.” • “Fraud and abuse are rampant.” • “It creates dependency and discourages work.” But here’s what the data actually says: – 4 in 5 SNAP households include children, seniors, or people with disabilities. – Among adults who can work, most do over the course of the year — often in low‑wage or unstable jobs. – Fraud (benefit “trafficking”) is only at 1–2%. – According to the federal gov's own research, in a weak/slowing economy, each $1 in SNAP generates about $1.54 in GDP. Receiving food stamps didn't discourage me from working. Quite the opposite. It gave me the lifeline to work towards contributing to our economy — and since then, we certainly have. SNAP helped make all this possible: • A team of 20 of the most intelligent, hardworking, empathetic people I know. • The world's most popular climate jobs platform used by millions of people and thousands of employers. • The Climatebase Fellowship (think: "Harvard MBA for climate"), which has supported and accelerated the careers of nearly 4,000 mission‑driven professionals. • The Climatebase Weekly newsletter, which shares critical climate news, insights, and jobs with our 120,000+ subscribers. • My co-founders, Justin Hardin and Jesse Hynes, being listed on Forbes 30u30 (I was slightly too old lol 😅) • SF Climate Week, now one of the largest climate events in the world — 25k+ attendees, 650+ events, speakers like Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Van Jones, Alex Honnold — generating millions in local economic impact. • Our newest initiative, Climate Week Network, bringing Climate Week to every city around the world. We’re still just getting started — and none of this would have happened without the food stamps SNAP provided me. --- So, please, call your Republican reps, and tell them to end the shutdown and fully fund SNAP. Please join me in donating to your local food banks. And please share any resources for people who need help — or want to help — below in the comments. This isn’t about right vs left. It’s about ensuring that people don't go hungry, for f*ck's sake. --- #SNAP #FoodStamps #ClimateJobs #ClimateTech #SocialImpact #Sustainability

Halfway Through the Climatebase Fellowship | Thoughts 💭 Six weeks ago, I rolled up my sleeves to understand the climate solutions space. You hear a lot about the "decisive decade" but often think that a challenge this massive needs to be left to scientists. Turns out the science is largely solved. The challenge now is a lot about execution: adoption, scaling, yes policy, but as much go-to-market. The climate change as a whole is costing the world $16 million per hour. And unlike what I previously thought, this isn't primarily an awareness challenge anymore, at this point it's an operationalization challenge. Groundbreaking technologies and startups are emerging with real solutions, and many are actively looking for advisory and growth help. A few things that stuck with me: 👉 Renewable markets are booming even faster than I realized, much faster than policy. They're rewriting how our grid works already. If you've ever optimized supply chains, managed complex operations, or built GTM systems, you're already thinking about the right problems. 👉 No matter the politics, action still comes down to three things: electrify everything, run it on renewables, and do it equitably. 👉 The top 10 nature-linked commodities represent a multi-trillion-dollar trade. This is where sustainability tools will truly move the needle. If you understand long sales cycles or enterprise adoption, you already understand how to drive change here. 👉 And then there's flying. If you're on LinkedIn, you probably fly more than most. But did you know that just 1% of the world's population causes 50% of aviation emissions? So, this fall I started working with Katie Thompson, an ex-pilot turned sustainability advocate, to help amplify her work on sustainable aviation demand management. Check out bumprints.org if you want to understand your footprint and make better choices. It turns out the skills we don't always associate with climate are exactly what's needed right now. If this has been on your mind, there are more ways to contribute than you might think. Two places to start if you're curious: 🧩 Project Drawdown: a roadmap of 104 solutions across emissions reduction, carbon sinks, and social systems 🧩 Climate Tech Atlas (climatetechatlas.com): a directory of the companies building them We're at halftime in the decisive decade. And the second half needs more people willing to execute.

🗣️ “Humans are a keystone species. We have the possibility of having a largely positive effect on our planet, and we are already taking steps in that direction.” – Philippe Birker, COO, Climate Farmers Philippe Birker was among a dozen industry leaders (full list below) from the food & ag and nature-based solutions sectors who recently joined the Climatebase Fellowship as expert guests to share their invaluable insights with Cohort 8. 💡 Highlights from our Panel Discussions: 👩🌾 We explored how regenerative farming can transform our food system during the Food & Agriculture Industry Panel. From outcome-based certifications to data-driven storytelling, the discussion underscored how shifting incentives, policies, and mindsets can empower farmers and restore ecosystems. Thank you: - Saswati Bora, Global Director of Regenerative Food Systems, The Nature Conservancy - Philippe Birker, COO, Climate Farmers - Moderator: John Harris Alexander, Cohort 7 Fellow and Operations Specialist at GoodSAM, PBC 🌱 The Nature-Based Solutions Industry Panel brought a powerful discussion on biodiversity monitoring, AI, and conservation finance. The panel focused on the blend of technology, traditional knowledge, and equitable financing as a way forward to scale nature-based solutions worldwide. Thank you: - Amy Rosenthal, Senior Global Director for Conservation Initiatives, Planet - Yihan Wang, Strategy and Climate Impact, Terraformation - Moderator: Amal Ketata, Cohort 5 Fellow and Founder at Nui 💼 During our Climate Career Lightning Talks, speakers shared their transitions into the climate industry, guiding Fellows on how to stand out in a competitive field. Thank you: - Faith Chonko, Cohort 6 Fellow, Assistant Director at Texas Department of Agriculture & Co-Founder of Uncooked Earth - Bourhan Yassin, President & CEO, Map of Life 💡 Highlights from our Workshops, Fireside Chats, and Deep Dives: 🧑⚖️ Ramin Pejan (Senior Attorney, Earthjustice) joined us to explore litigating against the climate crisis. We examined case studies from South Africa and beyond, learning how strategic litigation can hold polluters accountable and advance environmental justice globally. Thank you, Chris Wilke (Cohort 7 Fellow, Executive Director at The Center for Environmental Law & Policy), for moderating. 🗞️ Kenny Torrella (Senior Reporter, Future Perfect, Vox) offered a journalist’s perspective on climate and food reporting, unpacking the meat industry’s environmental impact, the role of alternative proteins, and the need for nuanced, solution-oriented storytelling. ⚙️ Katherine Markova (Partnerships Lead, Climate Interactive) introduced En-ROADS, the climate model co-developed with MIT Sloan, and highlighted how climate scenario analysis is becoming a must-have skill for professionals in finance, policy, and sustainability. 🌍 Huge thanks to all our speakers, instructors, and Fellows for two more inspiring weeks of learning, leadership, and climate impact!

Climatebase Fellowship update: We're already halfway through – wow! I've been absolutely amazed by the fellowship team, guest speakers, and most of all, my peers. Cohort 8 is full of talented, inspiring folks ready to embrace a broad range of climate solutions, and in such creative and innovative ways. I feel lucky to count myself among them! Here are some highlights from the past 6 weeks: • So far we've covered Climate Fundamentals, Energy, Transportation, Food & Agriculture, and Nature-Based Solutions. • Magda Kufrej has guided us through several career growth sessions – her coaching on the concept of ikigai specifically resonated with me, giving me plenty of fuel for new ideas surrounding my career path! • I attended four events during Toronto Climate Week, including a solarpunk event and a workshop for women and gender diverse professionals. • I've connected with over 70 people on LinkedIn, significantly growing my network. It's been quite the journey already, and I can't wait to see what the next 6 weeks have in store!

🔍 Looking for a job in climate? Hiring in Q4? Know someone who is? 📅 Mark your calendars for Climatebase LIVE — Virtual Climate Job Fair — Thu, Oct 23 • 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET (Keep reading to see what organizations will be participating 👇) For the past few years, Climatebase has hosted the world’s largest climate job fairs. Countless people have gotten hired — and our next event is right around the corner. 🤝 Job seekers — Watch live pitches from climate organizations, join the Q&A, and apply or follow up with the employers after the session. ☑️ RSVP (Job Seekers) → https://luma.com/m5j4mfjy 💼 Employers, are you hiring? There's still time to sign up! You'll get: • High-signal exposure to hundreds of motivated, talented candidates • Live Q&A with attendees • Post-event interest via your links/forms ☑️ Present/Hire (Employers) → https://lnkd.in/eV5X4ARD Browse orgs & roles joining the Climatebase LIVE on Oct. 23: Nira Energy → https://lnkd.in/ezqqhNSM Moon Five → https://lnkd.in/eVhnphmP Greentech Renewables → https://lnkd.in/eiA6zVmn PowerHouse Texas → https://lnkd.in/eNbtcB2S Nettie → https://lnkd.in/e57xdPpX #ClimateJobs #ClimateTech #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #Grid #ESG #EVs #Renewables #Hiring #Climatebase

The first sector deep dives of Cohort 8 of the Climatebase Fellowship focused on Energy and Transportation ⚡️. We welcomed an incredible lineup of speakers who explored breakthrough technologies, equitable transitions, and the evolving climate career landscape. 🎤 Panel Sessions: The Energy Industry Panel explored innovations in distributed energy, solar market transformation, and Africa’s climate leadership. Panelists discussed the future of DERs, policy shifts, and the importance of building consumer trust in renewables. Thank you: - Brian Korgaonkar, Chief Product Officer, Solfácil - Bhekumuzi Dean Bhebhe, Senior Just Transitions & Campaigns Advisor, Power Shift Africa - Zygmunt Strawczynski, Director, International Business Development, EnergyHub The Transportation Industry Panel unpacked the complexities of decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, spotlighting used-EV marketplaces, shipboard carbon capture, and climate entrepreneurship. Thank you: - Alisha Fredriksson, Co-Founder & CEO, Seabound - Jimmy Douglas, Founder & CEO, Plug - Moderated by Gabriella G. Hernandez 🇰🇾🇪🇸 (Cohort 7 Fellow), Head of Communications & Sustainability, Metta Our Climate Career Lightning Talks highlighted diverse journeys into climate tech, marine innovation, and people-centered urban planning. Some of our speakers were also Fellowship alumni, and they shared how Capstone projects, storytelling, and technical pivots shaped their paths. Thank you: - Shane Swiderek (Cohort 4 Fellow), Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Sofar Ocean - Reena Mahajan (Cohort 7 Fellow), Media & Communications Manager, Lab of Thought; Founder, StreetSmart - Emily Moini, Product Manager, Nira Energy 🎙️ Speaker Highlights: - Nathaniel Burola (AI & Environment Research Consultant) led a deep dive on “AI x Energy,” balancing AI’s potential to optimize renewables and grid operations with environmental and equity trade-offs. - Katherine Markova (Partnerships, Climate Interactive) introduced Fellows to the EN-ROADS simulator, modeling policy impacts and the systems behind energy transitions. - SatKartar Khalsa (Senior Initiative Director, Transportation, Climate Imperative Foundation) offered a philanthropic lens on electrifying transportation—focusing on policy, global trends, and human-centered storytelling for impact. - Katie Thompson (Cohort 6 Fellow & Founder, Bumprints) shared insights on aviation decarbonization - from sustainable aviation fuels to rethinking air-travel norms. 💡 Fellows also pitched Capstone and startup project ideas in a series of rapid-fire sessions - recruiting teammates, gathering feedback, and advancing the climate solutions they’re building. Capstone Project Leaders & Founders: share your ideas for climate solutions with our broader community and tag your teammates in the comments below! 👏 Huge thanks to our speakers, instructors, and Fellows for making Energy and Transportation Weeks a powerful and energizing part of Cohort 8.

🔍 Looking for a job in climate? Know someone who is? 📅 Mark your calendars for Climatebase LIVE — Virtual Climate Job Fair — Thu, Oct 23 • 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET For the past few years, Climatebase has hosted the world’s largest climate job fairs. Countless people have gotten hired — and our next event is right around the corner. Job seekers — Watch live pitches from climate organizations, join the Q&A, and apply or follow up with the employers after the session. (Keep reading to see what organizations will be participating 👇) PS — Are you hiring? There's still time to sign up! You'll get: • High-signal exposure to hundreds of motivated candidates • Live Q&A with attendees • Post-event interest via your links/forms (Sign up link in comment below) Featured employers: Kestrix — Data for deep retrofit decisions → cuts building emissions faster. Nira Energy — Unclogging interconnection bottlenecks, bringing clean capacity online faster. Moon Five Technologies — EV charging for renters providing access & resilience for apartments. Greentech Renewables — Scaling solar nationwide; equips installers (panels → batteries). PowerHouse Texas (501c3) — Bipartisan energy policy education, develops durable policy leadership. Nettie — AI-powered ESG reporting (IFRS S1/S2, EU Taxonomy, BR regs); turns compliance into an edge. ✅ RSVP: To participate as a job seekers or employer, use link in the comments. Tag a friend who’s job-hunting—or a team that’s hiring! #ClimateJobs #ClimateTech #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #Grid #ESG #EVs #Renewables #Hiring #Climatebase

Last week I had the privilege of speaking with 70+ entrepreneurs, innovators, and dedicated stewards of our climate about the growth and development of Regrow. This was part of the Climatebase Entrepreneurship Fellowship Support Series — a series I am deeply connected to as a member of the community myself. Together, we tackled some big questions: What is it like to start a mission-driven organization like Regrow? As an entrepreneur, how do you know when it’s time to pivot, and who does that knowledge come from (investors, leadership teams… employees?) What does it take to establish a market, educate customers about that market and continue to innovate within your own organization? The Entrepreneurship Fellows that joined our session made poignant, thoughtful remarks that reminded me how dedicated our community is. We’re dedicated to building businesses that change the world. We’re dedicated to building the resilience to establish new markets, push new ways of thinking and unearth new opportunities for climate-related industries. Thanks for having me,Evan Hynes and the team at Climatebase. If you attended and we didn’t get to your question, please message me or drop it in the comments! Otherwise, if you’re interested in learning more, you know where to find the DM. Want to continue to learn abuht the story behind Regrow, look at the Resources page, especially at early podcasts on www.regrow.ag.