Invested In Climate

Reimagining Higher Ed for the Climate Era with Unity Environmental University, Ep #131

Education and our ability to respond to climate change are inexorably linked. Major international studies have shown that education is the single strongest predictor of whether or not someone is aware of climate change. In the US, while 74% of Americans support climate action, support is typically 10–20 points higher among those with a college education. It's not about perceptions on climate change; a more educated workforce is better able to innovate, accelerate the climate transition, and adapt in a less stable world – especially if that education builds climate resilient skills.One could almost imagine a university designed around this need – and that is exactly what the team at Unity Environmental University are building. Today, we're joined by Unity President Dr. Melik Khoury who is creating not just a new curriculum, but a new, more inclusive approach to higher ed. Dr. Khoury argues powerfully against the elitism that has underpinned our educational system and climate narratives. We spoke about his background, the role of education in addressing climate change, how Unity is different, and the influence it could have. Dr Khoury’s energy is contagious and we're sure he’ll get you thinking. Enjoy.On today’s episode, we cover:03:06 – Dr. Khoury’s upbringing in West Africa and awakening to environmental issues04:24 – Discovering the real impacts of resource exploitation06:01 – Choosing higher education transformation as the main lever08:32 – The core climate problem: beyond politics and single-issue framing09:04 – Climate as transdisciplinary: food, energy, people, commerce11:05 – History of Unity Environmental University13:07 – Transforming Unity’s model and unbundling education15:14 – New operational model and rethinking the faculty role15:23 – Scaling Unity and redefining what a university is19:42 – Preparing students to operate in complex, uncertain systems20:15 – Embedding climate and sustainability across the curriculum23:14 – AI’s challenge to traditional notions of knowledge and learning23:48 – What Unity is learning from its students and their needs28:14 – What success looks like for a climate-focused university28:30 – Influencing the broader higher-ed ecosystem31:47 – How AI is changing higher education and climate learning32:11 – Why Unity embraces rather than bans AI35:58 – Concrete AI experiments at Unity (UNA, tutors, automation)39:31 – Is climate momentum fading? Perception vs. reality39:57 – Climate’s “brand problem” and the real enemy: ignorance42:58 – Depoliticizing climate and making the economic case43:16 – How we broadly attack ignorance through education reform45:52 – Call for partners and funders to back scalable climate education45:52 – Closing thanks and episode wrap-upResources MentionedUnity Environmental UniversityConnect with usDr. Melik KhouryJason RissmanKeep up with Invested In ClimateSign up for our NewsletterLinkedInInstagramIf you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

Creating Leaders for a Regenerative Economy with Work on Climate, Ep #130

Imagine for a moment if economic activity made nature and society healthier. It’s a notion that at first might seem absurdly idealistic, and then when you think about it, maybe essential for our survival and thus perhaps what the goal of an economy should actually be. Welcome to the concept of regenerative economics. There’s a growing number of leading thinkers, organizations, policymakers, and even businesses fueling the regenerative movement. With AI and a new geopolitical order creating massive disruption, it’s an important time to consider bold visions for the future.Today, we’re joined by someone who’s both a bold visionary and practical implementer. Eugene Kirpichov left his dream job at Google in 2020 to found Work on Climate, a community that has now helped tens of thousands of people looking for ways to address climate change. Eugene sees communities as mindbogglingly effective for scaling impact. By helping people realize their potential as climate leaders, Work on Climate is harnessing the power of community to work towards a regenerative economy. Eugene is a guy of big ideas, who thinks about systems strategically and makes things happen. It was a blast talking to Eugene and we suspect you’ll enjoy the conversation as well. Here we go.On today’s episode, we cover:00:57 – Regenerative Economics & Introducing Eugene02:41 – Recent Encounters & Shared Community03:00 – Eugene’s Early Life in Russia & Tech Beginnings06:25 – Joining Google & Finding Eugene’s Niche08:47 – Eugene’s Climate Wake‑Up & Decision to Leave Google10:30 – Discovering the Climate Solutions Ecosystem12:56 – Founding Work on Climate14:18 – Community Power & Founder Success Stories from Work on Climate15:34 – How Work on Climate Operates & Is Funded17:36 – Eugene’s Shift: From Climate Jobs to Climate Leaders21:30 – Examples of Everyday Climate Leadership24:25 – Three Qualities of a Climate Leader26:33 – Rethinking the “Most Impactful Thing I Can Do”29:56 – Eugene’s Long‑Term Vision for Work on Climate33:02 – What a Regenerative Economy Is38:18 – How to Build a Regenerative Economy in Practice44:18 – AI as System Accelerator & Regenerative Tool48:15 – EPA Ruling, Shared Reality & Coordination51:32 – What Eugene Is Reading & Learning From55:07 – Call to Action for Funders & IndividualsResources MentionedWork on ClimateAn Inconvenient TruthAn Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to PowerWork for ClimateEigen RoboticsClimate Capital: Tom ChiRelationality: David JayPedagogy of the Oppressed: Paulo FreireImpact Networks: David EhrlichmanEugene’s article on the EPA rulingConnect with usEugene KirpichovJason RissmanKeep up with Invested In ClimateSign up for our NewsletterLinkedInInstagramIf you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

Adding Rigor to Climate Finance with Robert Brown, Ep #129

Frequent listeners know we're always eager to learn about how climate investing needs to change to be more effective. With the attacks on ESG and a new political era, we’re clearly in a new chapter for climate investing and being intentional about the ingredients, language and goals of this new chapter is critical for delivering both solid returns and real impact.Rob Brown argues that its time to step back from overreach and inauthentic impact goals, and fuel this new chapter with rigor. Rob wears a couple of hats as Director of Climate Research at Resolution Investors and Chief Research Officer at Impact Evaluation Lab. In these roles, Rob bring his decades of investment experience using research and analysis to improve long term thinking, risk management and what he calls mission authenticity, or the ability to really deliver on the kind of impact one promises. Tune in for a deeply fascinating conversation about how climate investing is maturing and the work that still needs to be done for this new chapter. Enjoy.On today’s episode, we cover:02:41 – Rob’s career journey & love of solving problems05:17 – From Just Capital to Impact Evaluation Lab & Resolution Investors09:52 – How to tell serious impact investors from pretenders14:34 – Is rigor a cost center? Making the ROI case19:29 – A lightning history of sustainable investing23:14 – Why sustainable finance is “deeply stressed”27:08 – Climate investing as long‑term risk‑adjusted returns29:27 – Two key shifts: longer horizons & real tech expertise33:02 – Rigor, incentives, and how the field grows up36:45 – Why sustainable investing is the future of capital markets39:11 – Closing remarksResources MentionedResolution InvestorsImpact Evaluation Lab.Just CapitalAtlas Impact PartnersGeneration Investment ManagementConnect with usRob BrownJason RissmanKeep up with Invested In ClimateSign up for our NewsletterLinkedInInstagramIf you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

Earthshot & Elemental’s 1–2 Punch for Climate: VC + Philanthropy, Ep #128

We all know that no single investment strategy—and no single asset class—is going to fund the climate innovation we need on its own. Moving real solutions forward takes multiple tools working together. That’s why I’ve long been drawn to catalytic capital and blended finance—using philanthropy to unlock risk-taking and bring more and different kinds of investors along.That’s what drew me to the work of Elemental Impact and Earthshot Ventures, two organizations founded by Dawn Lippert that are designed to move critical climate technologies from early validation to scale. Elemental uses philanthropic capital to de-risk and accelerate early solutions—but for those solutions to reach real commercialization, venture and private markets have to follow. That’s where Earthshot Ventures comes in, investing early in companies with a strong “why now.” Together, they direct capital into consequential companies to create impact at scale.In this episode, we’re joined by Dawn, along with Matt Logan, General Partner at Earthshot Ventures. We talk about how Elemental and Earthshot work together in practice, real examples of the companies and projects they’re backing, a new and innovative investment structure they’ve pioneered, and where they see climate investing headed in 2026—and beyond.This conversation kicks off a new deep dive series with Elemental Impact. Stay tuned for more, and if you’d like to find or propose future series ideas, reach out to us through our website.What You’ll LearnThe Power of Catalytic Philanthropy: How a "slice" of philanthropic capital can act as the nucleus for a project, bringing in banks, corporates, and infrastructure funders.The dSAFE Innovation: How Elemental adapted the Y-Combinator SAFE note into a "Development SAFE" to reduce transaction costs and provide non-dilutive capital for early projects.Community-Led Scaling: Why the "human" half of the solution—customers, cities, and communities—is just as essential as the technology itself for climate tech to succeed in the real world.A VC Lens on Climate: How Earthshot operates as a returns-focused venture fund that only backs climate-positive companies, uses a proprietary outbound-sourcing engine to find founders before they’re fundraising, and targets “cheaper, better, faster—with greener as a co-benefit” business models.The 2026 Investment Frontier: Why Earthshot is doubling down on Space Tech for remote agriculture and wildfire monitoring, and why Robotics is a top category to watch for automating "dull, dirty, and dangerous" climate jobs.A Unique Partnership Model: How a service agreement and shared revenue between a non-profit and a VC fund creates a sustainable ecosystem for innovation.In today’s episode, we cover:02:48 2025 temperature check05:39 Why Dawn started Elemental and then Earthshot07:39 Matt’s background and path into climate VC09:49 Earthshot’s thesis and sourcing–picking–winning–helping11:15 How Elemental and Earthshot are structurally linked13:34 Philanthropy, donor-advised funds, and recycling returns16:09 Nitricity case study – low‑carbon fertilizer18:21 The Development SAFE (dSAFE)21:31 Earthshot portfolio highlights – KoBold Metals, Etched & SuperCircle27:01 Workforce, community, and local impact30:31 Fervo Energy case study – rural apprenticeships33:46 Policy as alpha in AI, mining, and space35:48 2025 turbulence, donors, and investor caution38:00 Moving beyond solar/wind/EVs in philanthropy38:57 Mining, metals, and transition tradeoffs41:03 2026 outlook – AI, infrastructure, space, and robotics47:49 Optimism and “Audacity” for 2026Resources MentionedElemental ImpactEarthshot VenturesNitricity – Low‑carbon, renewable-powered nitrogen fertilizerKoBold Metals – AI-powered mineral exploration for the energy transitionEtched – AI accelerator chips built specifically for transformer modelsSuperCircle – Circular logistics and recycling infrastructure for apparelFervo Energy – Next‑generation geothermal power developerHubble Network – Satellite network enabling direct-to-space Bluetooth connectivityARPA‑E (Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy)International Energy Agency (IEA) Advanced Microgrid Solutions – Distributed energy storageConnect with UsDawn LippertMatt LoganJason RissmanElemental ImpactWebsite: https://elementalimpact.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elementalimpact/‍Earthshot VenturesWebsite: https://www.earthshot.vc/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthshot-venturesInvested in ClimateSign up for our NewsletterLinkedInInstagramYoutubeHave feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!

What's Changed and What's Coming in Climate Investing with Rob Day and Raj Atluru, Ep #127

We’re back with the sixth installment of our Missing Middle in Climate Tech series, produced in partnership with Spring Lane Capital.As we kick off 2026, this episode offers a timely, grounded conversation with two seasoned investors who bring decades of perspective to where climate investing has been and where it’s headed next. Rather than focusing on predictions alone, the discussion goes deeper into the nuance of how capital is actually being deployed in today’s market.Rob Day, Co-Founder of Spring Lane Capital, and Raj Atluru, Managing Partner at Activate Capital, trade ideas and reflect on how the climate tech landscape has evolved.Together, they unpack how investor priorities have shifted over time, the metrics they look for in growth-stage companies, and the opportunities emerging from today’s macro forces, including interest rates, deglobalization, and AI’s rapidly escalating energy demand.For listeners looking to understand how experienced investors are navigating complexity, risk, and scale in climate tech right now, this is a conversation worth spending time with.Explore the full Missing Middle in Climate Tech series or reach out with ideas for future collaborations at investedinclimate.com. On today’s episode, we cover:02:20 – Guest Intros & The “Missing Middle” Problem04:39 – A Second Lens on the Missing Middle07:00 – Origin Story of Activate Capital10:40 – Energy, Load Growth & Macro Shifts12:09 – “Why Now?” and Today’s Load Shock17:27 – Structural Causes of the Missing Middle19:26 – Heavy Lifting at Growth Stage25:43 – Hardware Is Back: Fund III Themes30:16 – Scaling, Learning Curves & Project Execution33:00 – From Founder-Led to Scalable Sales40:13 – Being Contrarian (EVs, AI & Hype Cycles)43:57 – EV Fundamentals & Infrastructure Gaps45:15 – Policy vs. Interest Rates47:55 – Home Electrification & Rooftop Solar48:06 – Speed-Round Predictions for 202649:26 – Dry Powder & Exit Fuel51:50 – Climate Tech Becomes “Just Tech”53:06 – Closing & Call to ActionResources MentionedSpring Lane CapitalActivate CapitalDFJ (Draper Fisher Jurvetson)SolarCity (historical, now part of Tesla Energy)EnpalVoltus Crusoe EnergyXNRGYAeronesInfravisionJetsonMuon SpaceSolunaLunar EnergyConnect with usRob DayRaj AtluruJason RissmanKeep up with Invested In ClimateSign up for our NewsletterLinkedInInstagramIf you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!