My Climate Journey

Erica Nemser is CEO at Ardent, a Series A stage startup that's aiming to help drive industrial decarbonization by developing and selling membranes to perform point source carbon capture. Point source capture differs from direct air capture in that it's focused on concentrated greenhouse gas emissions coming right out of the flue of an industrial system, as opposed to direct air capture (DAC), which attempts to capture emissions from ambient air. Ardent, formerly Compact Membrane Systems, has been operating for 30 years, but its pivot to carbon capture and tech startup status is recent. In this episode, we discuss how Ardent’s technology stands out in the point source capture field, the industry's varied approaches to decarbonization, and how Erica’s leadership has guided the company's transformation.In this episode, we cover: [2:11] Rebranding from Compact Membrane Systems to Ardent[3:53] Ardent's membrane-based carbon capture solution and how it differs from other technologies [6:29] Erica's background and how it has informed her leadership at Ardent[7:37] Ardent's go-to-market strategy of partnering for scale[12:15] The company's hypothesis around facilitated transport membranes [13:05] An overview of Ardent's approach to industrial carbon capture [18:01]: Ardent’s low-energy membrane systems for carbon capture[19:50]: Overview of Ardent’s membrane system setup[23:03]: Addressing concerns about prolonging fossil fuel use with carbon capture[25:11]: Erica’s perspective on diverse solutions for industrial heat[32:06]: “Carbon Capture as a Service” explained[37:20]: Agricultural sector's interest in carbon capture[45:51]: Ardent’s global presence and talent searchEpisode recorded on Aug 1, 2024 (Published on Oct 17, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Molly Yang is CEO and co-founder of Hgen, a company that develops clean hydrogen to decarbonize heavy industry. Specifically, they are working on alkaline electrolyzer technology to make it have higher efficiency and higher power density, which they claim will allow them to produce hydrogen with a smaller footprint and lower cost, using a modular, mass-manufacturable design.Based in Los Angeles, Hgen has raised capital from Founders Fund, Fontinalis Partners, and Seven Seven Six among others. Prior to starting Hgen, Molly was on the Product team at Tesla, where she led initiatives across Tesla's industrial and residential energy products. Her co-founder and childhood friend, Colin Ho led actuation & power system for Starship and propulsion components for Crew Dragon at SpaceX.In this episode, Molly and Cody talk all about Hgen's origin story, technology and market. Toward the end of the conversation, she offers her thoughts to other climate tech startup founders and climate tech investors about how to approach a market.In this episode, we cover:[3:13] Molly’s background at Tesla and her motivation for starting Hgen[6:09] Exploring different solutions for hard-to-abate sectors[8:30] Hgen’s focus on distributed hydrogen production through alkaline electrolysis[9:24] Comparing alkaline vs. PEM electrolyzers[14:16] The challenges and advantages of alkaline electrolyzers[16:10] Targeting markets that use hydrogen today and displacing gray hydrogen[22:10] Various use cases for hydrogen[25:06] Hgen’s progress and business model[27:49] Hgen is hiring![28:08] How different investors view hydrogen[34:25] Molly's advice for entrepreneursEpisode recorded on July 11, 2024 (Published on Oct 10, 2024)  Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Russell Kenneth DeGraff spent 18 years as a staffer on Capitol Hill, including 12 years as the Chief Climate and Technology Advisor to Nancy Pelosi, notably during her second term as Speaker of the House. He was, as they say in the room where it happened when negotiating the landmark climate legislation of the last few years, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. This is a special conversation going deep into the backstory of how things work in Washington and how these once-in-a-generation climate policies came to be realized. In this episode, we cover: Russell's background and path to Capitol HillHis roles in congressional offices, including work with Congressman Mike Doyle and Speaker Nancy PelosiThe challenges of passing legislation in a closely divided SenateNegotiating and passing major climate policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, and the role of the House Select Committee on the Climate CrisisA case study on negotiating solar canalsDynamics of working with key senators, such as Joe ManchinRussell's current work with Stanford and HarvardReflections on January 6, the political climate, and the 2024 presidential electionAdvice for getting involved in electoral efforts to support climate actionRisks of losing recently passed climate policies if Democrats lose control of CongressWhy climate change is inherently a political issueEpisode recorded on Aug 6, 2024 (Published on Oct 7, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

This My Climate Journey podcast episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Ion during Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week. Zach Dell is the Co-founder and CEO of Base Power Company. Base aspires to build a reliable and affordable home energy service powered by distributed batteries. Their technology supports the grid during times of peak need and protects customers during outages. They claim to do this at a fraction of the cost of other solutions. Base is serving live customers in Texas and claims to be the only electricity provider to offer a home battery, monthly energy service, and installation, all in one with no requirement of rooftop solar.MCJ is a proud investor in Base via our venture capital fund. The company recently raised a $68 million Series A round via Valor Equity Partners, Thrive Capital, and others in which we participated. In this episode, we dig into Zach's journey, the origins of Base, and what he sees as the path ahead for distributed storage and home energy as he builds a vertically integrated business in this enormous space.In this episode, we cover: [2:47] Zach's background and journey into entrepreneurship, with a focus on solving energy and climate problems[7:57] How he landed on batteries and met his co-founder, Justin Lopas[14:05] Base's residential approach in Texas [22:00] The company's business model and role in the energy market [25:03] Base's ideal customer [27:30] The battery's current and future manufacturing strategy [31:00] Zach's key learnings from starting a business[32:18] Base's company culture and who they're looking to hire[36:46] How Base could grow into other energy sectors [40:00] Zach's vision for the futureEpisode recorded on Sept 10, 2024 (Published on Oct 3, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

*This My Climate Journey podcast episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Ion during Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week. Our guest is, Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum (Oxy), a century-old oil and gas company employing over 12,000 people globally with a market cap near $50 billion. Recently the company has made significant investments into what they refer to as “carbon management” technologies including the acquisition of Carbon Engineering, a Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, in 2023 for $1.1 billion. Oxy is commercializing Carbon Engineering’s technology through its 1PointFive initiative and aims to deploy 70 DAC facilities by 2035. These efforts include recently receiving draft permits from the EPA for Class VI Injection wells, enabling the permanent geologic sequestration of CO₂, an advance market commitment from Microsoft to purchase 500,000 metric tons of carbon removal, and an award from the US Department of Energy for up to $500M to build a 1M ton per year facility.The conversation covers a lot of territory. Vicki acknowledges climate change and its effects on extreme weather and natural ecosystems, while also stating that Oxy does not view the energy transition as a shift away from oil and gas. Instead, she describes a future where oil and gas exploration could become carbon-negative through advancements in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a technology that uses CO₂ to extract fossil fuels from otherwise depleted wells.This is a notable interview for MCJ as Vicki is the first oil and gas CEO we’ve had on the show. We believe it’s important to understand how a company like Oxy, which has a very large greenhouse gas emissions footprint, thinks about its future plans. We also know that many who listen to this show are interested in Oxy’s DAC efforts and their perspective on the future of the technologies and markets around it. Vicki became CEO in 2016, the first woman to lead a major American oil company. We are grateful to Katie Mehnert of ALLY Energy for connecting us with her for this conversation.In this episode, we cover: [03:28] Navigating the trust gap between O&G companies and the public[06:42] Vicki's early career path[08:32] The O&G boom in the Permian Basin in the mid-2000s[11:18] Vicki's path to becoming the first female CEO at Oxy[17:15] Changing dynamics and priorities while running a complex company like Oxy[18:00] How Vicki pitched Warren Buffet to invest in Oxy and navigated the impacts[21:11] How Oxy attracts and retains talent, plus generational differences[26:36] Challenges and opportunities Oxy sees in the energy transition[30:45] Navigating urgency relative to long-term planning[34:01] How the transition of innovation and legacy businesses could play out[44:36] Oxy's focus on carbon management, including direct air capture[49:55] Challenges in scaling DAC, including partnerships and funding[53:46] Vicki's thoughts on achieving a net-zero carbon barrel of oil[59:44] Her perspectives on the future of the oil and gas industry and its evolutionEpisode recorded on Sept 11, 2024 (Published on Oct 1, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

The election cycle can feel overwhelming for the average person who is climate-concerned, but not deeply political enough to understand where and how to plug in. If you have money to give, where should it go? If you have time to contribute, what should you do? We could think of no better group than the experts we have here to help walk us through it. Tiernan Sittenfeld is the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at LCV or the League of Conservation Voters, among many other things. LCV assigns every member of the U.S. Congress with a national environmental Scorecard, which is a handy tool for tracking their voter record on issues related to climate change. Caroline Spears is the Executive Director at Climate Cabinet, which she describes as Moneyball meets climate policy. Climate Cabinet analyzes local climate and governance data to uncover high-leverage races and candidates across thousands of local offices. Caroline joined us previously on the pod a few years ago for a deep dive about her journey and her work. Eliza Nemser is the Co-founder and Executive Director at Climate Changemakers, a modern climate advocacy network built for busy, productive people. They help individuals take productive climate action through action playbooks, issue briefings and hour-of-action co-working sessions. Eliza is also a repeat guest on the show.A few disclaimers: One, this episode tends to be pretty pro-Democrat. Some of that comes from top-of-the-ticket sentiment such as former President Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. Some of it comes from the most recent experience in Congress where the Inflation Reduction Act faced a 51 to 50 vote in the Senate that was evenly split down party lines with Vice President Harris breaking the tie. This is not to say that all Democrats are strong on climate. The Inflation Reduction Act nearly died many times inside the Democratic Party before it passed. And if you look up and down Congress and even farther into state and local politics, there are a wide range of LCV scores for Democratic candidates and there are some Republicans who are strong on climate issues as well. The second disclaimer is that climate is a huge topic. We didn't take time in the episode to talk about what it means to be a "climate voter."We've learned one thing over the years, that you should never assume that climate-concerned people always agree on solutions. We intentionally didn't spend time going deep into the pros and cons of different policy platforms. And yes, there is an argument to be made that natural gas is a bridge fuel and that replacing coal aggressively with gas will help our emissions problem. But this episode is meant for people who already know they want to see progress around clean energy deployment across our economy and want some ideas on how to get involved in the election cycle. *Watch the MCJ Collective member hub for a special Ask-Me-Anything session with Climate Changemakers.  In this episode, we cover: [5:00] Intro to Tiernan and LCV[6:16] Intro to Caroline and Climate Cabinet[7:30] Intro to Eliza and Climate Changemakers[9:02] Climate stakes in this election[15:30] House and Senate race importance[21:30] Climate's political divide[28:45] House stakes this cycle[34:30] Texas election outlook[39:20] Key states to watch[42:17] Climate champion governors[44:13] LCV candidate scoring[47:15] Supporting candidates financially[57:22] How to participate and engage[1:08:21] Improving accessibility and outcomesEpisode recorded on Aug 30, 2024 (Published on Sept 16, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Doug Bernauer is the CEO and Co-founder of Radiant. Radiant is developing a portable nuclear micro-reactor to replace diesel generators. They raised a $40 million Series B in 2023 led by a16z, after previously raising capital from investors including USV, Founders Fund, and DCVC. They're targeting the development of a portable, mostly self-contained, one-megawatt nuclear reactor that is roughly the size of a shipping container.We've been focusing more on nuclear energy lately, exploring whether the US could reclaim its position as a global leader. With bipartisan support reflected in recent legislation like the ADVANCE Act signed into law by President Biden, there are signs of progress, but significant challenges remain.In this episode, Doug discusses these challenges and delves into Radiant’s technology, use cases, fuel, and more.In this episode, we cover: [02:28]: Radiant's micro-reactor technology and applications [04:21]: Use cases for one-megawatt reactors, including disaster relief [06:36]: Description of Radiant’s reactor[10:26]: Cooling technologies used by Radiant[12:20]: Radiant's connection with Idaho National Lab's Pele design [13:40]: DOE and DoD funding for Radiant's nuclear technology[17:02]: Customer models and sales strategies for nuclear reactors [20:43]: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval processes for operating reactors [21:57]: Doug’s hopes for future regulatory parity with diesel generators [24:18]: Supply chain for High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel [28:38]: Challenges of NRC processes for micro-reactors [32:24]: Demand signals from remote and military applications for micro-reactors [35:31]: Current financing status and future fundraising plansEpisode recorded on Aug 8, 2024 (Published on Sep 12, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Jeff Chapin is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Haven Energy. Haven aims to make it easier for homeowners to install home battery systems, including choosing the right battery, permitting and installation, tax credits, and virtual power plant setup. Haven recently began offering bundled installation of solar and batteries. Jeff has seen scale before as he and his co-founder, Philip Krim, previously co-founded and grew the one-time darling, direct-to-consumer mattress company, Casper. Jeff has a long-time background in design at IDEO and credits this experience with training him for the context switching that's allowed him to move across very different industries, sectors, and technologies.In this episode, we talk about consumer demand for batteries, how Haven works, the wonky and esoteric net metering regulations in California where Haven is prioritizing their go-to-market, and why Haven added solar to their offering recently. In this episode, we cover: [02:08]: Jeff's design-driven journey from IDEO to Casper[06:18]: Applying design thinking to home energy[08:45]: Retrofitting batteries to existing solar systems[11:30]: Challenges in the battery installation market[15:28]: Customizing battery options and customer incentives[21:35]: Installation process and energy management[26:03]: Financial benefits and tax credits[28:15]: Changes in net metering for rooftop solar[34:46]: Growing demand for solar and battery setups[41:06]: Series A funding and growth strategy for HavenEpisode recorded on Jul 23, 2024 (Published on Aug 29, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Matt Soule is the CEO and Co-founder of Parallel Systems. Parallel Systems is re-imagining how goods can be transported via rail by building automated battery-electric freight rail vehicles. These vehicles resemble box cars that can drive independently and form on-the-fly connections with each other to create mini trains. According to Matt, the goal is not to upend existing rail freight use cases but to rethink what’s possible on current rail infrastructure to address use cases traditionally managed by trucking. Before founding Parallel Systems, Matt spent 13 years at SpaceX as an engineering leader in avionics. Parallel Systems has raised around $50 million from investors, including Anthos Capital and Congruent Capital. The conversation begins with a 101 primer on railways, a topic not previously covered on the show.In this episode, we cover: [2:31] Matt's background in rocket engineering[6:14] Energy efficiency: rail vs. trucks[7:31] History of US rail transportation[9:22] Rail industry ownership and subsidies[11:21] Rail transportation's environmental impact[14:44] Rail's challenges, especially for short trips[17:23] Industries using rail transport[18:53] Rail for non-critical and luxury use cases[23:05] Overview of Parallel Systems' self-assembling trains[28:37] Benefits of battery electrification in rail[31:21] Cost comparison: Parallel Systems vs. traditional rail and trucking[34:14] Current pilots and safety considerations[39:08] Expansion plans for new geographies[40:29] Business model: selling vehicles to railroads[44:08] Future of locomotives in the rail industryEpisode recorded on July 30, 2024 (Published on Aug 22, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Katie Siegel is CEO and Co-founder at Flipturn. Flipturn is an EV charging management platform for fleets and we're diving into the electrification of trucking.At the beginning of 2024, the Advanced Clean Fleets law came into effect in California creating a number of mandates for zero emissions vehicle adoption in the trucking space. And the law impacts any fleet doing business in California, so there are nationwide implications.Cody and Katie dig into this as well as the impacts on various types of trucks and routes. As fleet managers begin to anticipate compliance, they're realizing that understanding and managing charging will need to become a core competency for them. All of a sudden, things like power procurement and efficient energy usage will become a huge part of the equation for running a business that moves goods around. Flipturn raised a seed round in 2023 from Accel and Katie brings hands-on experience into the company after having previously grown her career through IPO at Samsara, a leader in telematics and Internet of Things, connectivity services for trucking and logistics. In this episode, we cover: [01:48]: Flipturn’s mission to electrify trucking and enhance fleet management[02:28]: Katie's journey from Samsara to founding Flipturn[03:39]: From telematics to EV infrastructure innovation[05:14]: Transportation's role in pollution and the shift to electrification[07:19]: Focus on electrifying last mile delivery and drayage[10:25]: Differences in EV charging needs for delivery vans vs. drayage trucks[17:23]: Flipturn’s software for efficient fleet charging[19:00]: Strategies for setting up fleet charging stations[22:21]: Challenges and solutions in vehicle electrification[27:32]: Integrating truck OEMs with charging networks[30:06]: How fleets choose charging software[33:23]: Hydrogen vehicles in new zero-emissions law[35:12]: Evolving challenges in the trucking industryEpisode recorded on Jun 27, 2024 (Published on Aug 15, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Cody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.