Inevitable
an MCJ podcast
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Top 10 Inevitable Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Inevitable episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Inevitable for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Inevitable episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Startup Series: Open Forest Protocol
Inevitable
01/13/22 • 45 min
Today's guests are Fred Fournier, Co-Founder & CEO, and Michael Kelly, Co-Founder & CPO of Open Forest Protocol.
Open Forest Protocol (OFP) is on a mission to accelerate the global response to climate change via nature-based solutions. The startup is building a product that will allow reforestation and afforestation projects, conservation organizations, and forest managers to easily measure, report, and verify environmental data from their land. The current MRV landscape is expensive and inaccessible, inhibiting the establishment of a global carbon economy. Open Forest Protocol has built a system for accessible and transparent forest MRV, laying the foundation for an accelerated response to humanity's greatest existential threat.
Before OFP, Fred co-founded ON A MISSION, a non-profit organization enabling businesses and individuals to invest in local, sustainable reforestation projects to compensate for carbon emissions. Fred and his team at ON A MISSION discovered that measuring, recording, and verifying (MRV) reforestation was difficult. At the same time, Michael was focusing on designing a protocol to track and verify things like tress using blockchain technology. So in October 2020, Fred and Michael co-founded Open Forest Protocol and continued their work to decarbonize and reforest the planet.
In this episode, I'm joined by Michael and Fred of OFP. We dive into Open Forest Protocol's approach, why marrying blockchain and reforestation will bring us into the clean future, and how Fred and Michael co-founded OFP. We also talk about the existing carbon verification and certification landscape, OFP's community fund, and an overview of NEAR. This is a great episode if you're interested in learning more about web3 and climate change.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded January 4th, 2022
To learn more about Open Forest Protocol, visit: https://www.openforestprotocol.org/
To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/open-forest-protocol
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
2 Listeners
Startup Series: Wattbuy
Inevitable
09/09/21 • 44 min
Today's guest is Naman Trivedi, Co-Founder & CEO of WattBuy.
Naman Trivedi is the Co-Founder & CEO of WattBuy. He founded the company to help millions of Americas choose cheaper, greener electricity plans and advance the global transition to a clean energy economy. WattBuy provides transparent, intelligent insights for homeowners & renters, helping them save upwards of 40% on electricity bills, select renewable energy plans, and gain a deeper understanding of their home's energy use. Prior to co-founding WattBuy, Naman worked at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, pushing a policy initiative for Community Choice Aggregation. This system aggregates the buying power of individuals in a neighborhood to purchase renewable energy supply contracts. He also spent two years at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Obama Administration, working on federal renewable energy policy and grand prizes.
In this episode, Naman gives me an overview of WattBuy, why their work addresses climate change, and what motivates consumers to use WattBuy. We also talk about how WattBuy builds trust amongst its customers, the barriers WattBuy faces as the startup looks to scale, and a discussion on how to increase home sustainability consulting. It was great to learn more about WattBuy and have Naman join me this week.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded August 11th, 2021
To learn more about Wattbuy, visit: https://wattbuy.com/
To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/orbillion
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
2 Listeners
David Roberts, Volts
Inevitable
10/10/22 • 75 min
Today’s guest is David Roberts, aka Dr. Volts, who runs the Volts newsletter and podcast.
David has been reporting on and explaining clean energy topics for almost 20 years. He talks to politicians, analysts, innovators, activists, and more about the latest progress in the world's most important fight. David’s work is deeply researched and an invaluable resource for people who want a better understanding of what a clean energy transition and viable future could look like. And he isn’t afraid to share his strongly held opinions.
In this conversation, Jason learns more about David’s background, his views on the issue and how they’ve evolved throughout his career. They discuss some of the fundamental politics ingrained in climate, and some of the solutions that are accelerating our transition away from fossil fuels. There’s a lot of insight packed into this episode and we hope you enjoy it.
In this episode, we cover:
- [4:49] How David got involved in journalism and climate
- [9:10] His thoughts on the climate issue early in his career and how they've evolved
- [13:54] How concerned he thinks people should be
- [23:32] Approaching solutions to climate that also solve other issues
- [27:25] Importance of celebrating small victories to motivate future progress
- [34:37] David's optimism for a clean energy future
- [44:16] The human need to feel some sense of control and how that impacts their views on climate
- [54:07] U.S. journalism today
- [57:54] Intersection between environmentalism and climate
- [1:01:03] David's thoughts on tech and how it’s approaching clean energy
- [1:05:02] Speed round including solar geoengineering, nuclear, carbon capture, offsets, and more
Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Dr. Volts Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on September 23, 2022.
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
2 Listeners
Startup Series: Planetary
Inevitable
05/05/22 • 56 min
Today's guest is Mike Kelland, CEO of Planetary. Planetary has an accelerated carbon transition platform that creates effective carbon removal at gigaton scale and reduces emissions through a clean alternative to fossil fuels. Their platform results in permanently sequestered carbon through ocean air capture, ocean deacidification, and clean hydrogen. They also recently won the XPRIZE Milestone Prize.
Mike was actually one of the earliest listeners of this podcast, one of the earliest members of the My Climate Journey member community, and he also has a similar story to mine, coming from the traditional software startup world and finding his way into climate tech. In this episode, we talk about Mike's journey, why it came about, how it came about, the different phases and stages that he went through between becoming determined to work in climate and anchoring where he did.
We talk about the Planetary origin story and Mike's evaluation process, in which he was talking to different labs and assessing different technologies. And we talk about what he learned about determining commercial viability and commercial readiness. We also talk about the Planetary approach, where they're at today, the different risks, the business model, building pilot plants, how those will be financed, who their customers will be, what the value proposition is for those customers.
And we have a great discussion about carbon removal in general and some of the debates that have been occurring, what Mike's thoughts are on those debates, what gives him the confidence that carbon removal is not only important, but ultimately will be viable, and also just how the landscape plays out. Is there one winner? Are there a few winners? Is there a huge long tail, where there'll be lots of different winners? Are there no winners? At any rate, really great discussion, and I think you'll learn a lot.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter at @jjacobs22, @mcjpod, and @mcjcollective, and via email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded April 28, 2022
To learn more about Planetary, visit: https://www.planetarytech.com/
To learn more about this episode, visit: https://mcjcollective.com/my-climate-journey-podcast/planetary
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
Startup Series: Project Canary
Inevitable
04/07/22 • 56 min
Today's guest is Anna Scott, an atmospheric scientist and the Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder at Project Canary.
As a scientist, Dr. Scott has worked on projects around the world with the Red Cross/Red Crescent’s International Climate Center, NASA, The World Bank, and numerous local governments. She has installed sensor networks and led field campaigns in Birmingham, Alabama, Nairobi (Kenya), and Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Scott founded the Baltimore Open Air project, a community-based air quality monitoring project that designed, built, and deployed air monitors in the Greater Baltimore region.
She received her PhD in the Earth and Planetary Science Department at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Chicago, a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and a Master of Arts and Sciences in Earth Science from Johns Hopkins University.
Project Canary is a data analytics and environmental assessment company committed to accelerating the path to net-zero. We focus on methane emissions measurement and reduction, freshwater use, and community impacts for energy-intensive industries. Our customers now have a holistic, granular view of their operations from tip to tail at their fingertips 24/7/365. As the business world has become more data-reliant, our independent, high-fidelity insights give stakeholders - investors, buyers, operators - an ESG-ready view of a company's environmental footprint and progress in real-time on a facility by facility basis. The company announced their $111m B round if financing in Feb. 2022.
In this episode, we cover Dr. Scott's journey and path to working in climate and working at Project Canary, as well as a deep dive into the company, what it does, and why it matters.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter at @jjacobs22, @mcjpod, and @mcjcollective, and via email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded March 30, 2022
To learn more about Project Canary, visit: https://www.projectcanary.com/
To learn more about this episode, visit: https://mcjcollective.com/my-climate-journey-podcast/projectcanary
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
04/25/22 • 57 min
Today's guest is Katie Dykes, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Katie was nominated by Governor Ned Lamont to serve as the Commissioner of DEEP, and was confirmed on February 20, 2019. Katie previously served as Chair of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) from 2015-2018, and as Deputy Commissioner for Energy at Connecticut DEEP from 2012-2015. Katie also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI) from 2014 to 2017. RGGI is a multi-state effort focused on reducing carbon emissions from electric generating facilities. Katie joined CT DEEP in March 2012 after prior service as Deputy General Counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as a Legal Advisor to the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy. She is a graduate of Yale College and the Yale Law School.
I was looking forward to this episode, as government is not an area where I historically have been particularly strong, but it's so important for tackling a systems problem like climate change. And it's not just the federal government, state governments really matter as well, and Katie's in a key role, in a key state, doing really interesting things. This is a great opportunity to learn about how someone in Katie's shoes thinks about setting priorities for the state, getting things done, what form the transition should take, what role the federal government should play, what role the states should play, what some blockers are to getting things done, and how they can move faster. We also have a great discussion about how the private sector fits in, and the roles of technology and innovation.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 (me), @mcjpod (podcast), or @mcjcollective (company) and via email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded March 29, 2022
To learn more about the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, visit: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/About/About-Us
To learn more about this episode, visit: https://mcjcollective.com/my-climate-journey-podcast/katie-dykes
For insights on marketing climate solutions like heat pumps, Katie credits #energytwitter members like Nate Adams (@energysmartwv); and for more state-level climate leadership, check out the US Climate Alliance (@USClimate)!
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
03/18/24 • 55 min
Brandon Hurlbut, our guest on this episode, wears multiple hats. He's co-founder at Boundary Stone Partners, a climate change focused government affairs firm created in 2013 that operates at the intersection of technology, finance, and policy.
He's also co-founder of Overture, an early stage climate tech venture capital firm that recently announced a $60 million debut fund, and he is an operating partner at NGP, a private equity fund focused on energy with billions of dollars under management. Among other activities, Brandon also serves on the board of directors of the Sunrise Movement, The Solutions Project, co-founded by Mark Ruffalo, and Clean Energy for America.
Before this, Brandon served in the Obama administration as US Department of Energy Chief of Staff, and in the White House as the president's liaison to the energy and environment cabinet agencies. At the DOE, Brandon oversaw day-to-day operations of a federal agency with a $29 billion budget and a 115,000 person workforce. He also served on the investment committee for its $38 billion Clean Energy Fund.
Cody and Brandon discuss the intersection of policy and innovation, including what his work at Boundary Stone entails and the types of problems they help companies navigate. They also delve into the 2024 US election, including what's at stake from a climate change perspective in the presidential, House, and Senate elections.
In this episode, we cover:
- [03:10]: Brandon's unified approach to merging technology, finance, and policy to combat climate change
- [05:22]: Involvement with the Sunrise Movement and The Solutions Project
- [09:52]: Transition from the Obama campaign to significant roles in energy and environment
- [14:08]: The genesis and evolution of Boundary Stone
- [21:14]: The varied advocacy work Boundary Stone undertakes to connect startups with government opportunities
- [30:31]: The high stakes of the 2024 US election for climate policy and innovation
- [34:42]: Potential climate policy directions and challenges in a post-2024 election landscape
- [40:27]: Ramifications of a potential 2024 Trump win on climate initiatives
- [43:53]: The role of Senate and House elections in shaping climate policy and legislation
- [46:13]: The bipartisan appeal of hydrogen, geothermal, and permitting reform in energy policy
- [50:38]: Brandon’s advice for getting involved ahead of the 2024 elections and beyond, including Climate Cabinet and Climate Power
Episode recorded on Mar 1, 2024 (Published on Mar 18, 2024)
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
Startup Series: Prime Roots
Inevitable
02/03/22 • 51 min
Today's guest is Kimberlie Le, CEO & Co-Founder of Prime Roots.
Kimberlie a scientist-entrepreneur-foodie and life-long learner determined to make positive changes in our global food system. Kim has been working in management within the food industry (retail, food service, investing) for over ten years and is determined to bring delicious, sustainable, and nutritious foods to the masses and increase accessibility and equity in our food system. She's a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.
Prime Roots is a plant-based meat and seafood company creating better products for you and better for the world. Headquartered in Berkeley, California, Prime Roots is committed to positively influencing our food culture and reducing the hefty environmental impact of meat. Their delicious plant-based meat and seafood products are made using proprietary methods that combine cutting-edge technology with ancient techniques - resulting in better tasting and naturally textured market alternatives that avoid using hyper-processing techniques used by other meat alternative companies.
In this episode, Kim and I explore her path from her PhD to founding a startup, key priorities for Prime Roots over the next 12 months, and the barriers to creating and marketing a product heavily influenced by taste. We also discuss the various alternative meat bases, advice Kim has for founders and entrepreneurs looking to follow a similar path in sustainable food, and the startup's sources of capital to date. Kim is a great guest.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded January 24th, 2022
To learn more about Prime Roots, visit: https://www.primeroots.com/
To learn more about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/ctss-episodes/prime-roots
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
01/31/22 • 48 min
Today's guest is Phil Graves, Former Head of Tinshed Ventures at Patagonia.
Phil is an executive and board member with over 15 years of experience in M&A, corporate finance, private equity, and venture capital. He has served as the President of The Johnny Morris Foundation & Chief Sustainability Officer at Bass Pro Shops. Before that, he served as Vice President of Corporate Development at Patagonia. At Patagonia, Phil launched and oversaw Tin Shed Ventures, a $79 million investment fund, Worn Wear, a multi-million dollar eCommerce business, Innovation Works, a breakthrough R&D team, and Regenerative Organic Certification, a holistic standard for food and fiber. Prior to joining the company in 2014, Phil spent a decade at Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In addition, he provided financial advisory and investment-related services to clients such as KKR & Co, TPG Capital, Lone Star Investment Advisors, Nike, Walmart, Southwest Airlines, and SunPower.
Phil's perch in the climate industry is unique, and I was looking forward to sitting down with him this week. Phil walks me through his career path, his most recent role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Bass Pro Shops, and his time at Tinshed Ventures. We also discuss the breaking unsustainable consumer patterns, the dirty underbelly of the apparel industry, and the role of policy in a clean future. Phil is a great guest, and this is a must-listen episode for those interested in the intersection of climate and apparel.
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded live January 13th, 2022
For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/phil-graves
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
06/21/23 • 43 min
This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress.
Melissa Cheong is the managing partner of Blackhorn Ventures.
Blackhorn Ventures funds companies that are using technology to create unprecedented resource productivity in areas like construction, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, water, and energy.
In this episode, Melissa discusses her journey from being an LP in a private family office to a general partner in a venture firm. We also talk about her sustainability journey, how, and why, and when she came to care about this problem, and when that intersected with her professional pursuits.
In this episode, we cover:
- [01:49]: Origins and overview of Blackhorn Ventures
- [08:31]: How Melissa thinks about climate and climate equity
- [12:58]: Joining Blackhorn as a GP after being an LP
- [18:29]: How Blackhorn evaluates opportunities: IMP Framework, ESG and DEI policies
- [21:12]: How the LP base has diversified over time
- [26:15]: Blackhorn's four primary verticals: transportation, built environment, energy, and supply chain logistics
- [28:36]: Considering impact in parallel to the commercial thesis
- [30:40]: Frustration with the market and institutional capital allocation
- [32:09]: Optimism about new market entrants, particularly from Europe and Asia
- [33:28]: How traditional investors evaluate climate opportunities
- [36:14]: Melissa's views on, and experience with, placement agents
- [39:27]: AI and other areas Melissa is particularly excited about right now
- [41:14]: Melissa's parting advice to LPs and companies
Get connected:
Jason Jacobs
Melissa Cheong LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on June 5, 2023
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does Inevitable have?
Inevitable currently has 560 episodes available.
What topics does Inevitable cover?
The podcast is about Tech, Venture Capital, Climate, Energy, Startups, Climate Change, Podcasts, Technology, Entrepreneurs, Business and Industry.
What is the most popular episode on Inevitable?
The episode title 'Startup Series: Open Forest Protocol' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Inevitable?
The average episode length on Inevitable is 51 minutes.
How often are episodes of Inevitable released?
Episodes of Inevitable are typically released every 3 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of Inevitable?
The first episode of Inevitable was released on May 7, 2019.
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@mikealcazaren
Apr 12
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