178 episodes
Entrepreneurs for Impact Dr. Chris Wedding
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- Business
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5.0 • 44 Ratings
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Interviews with climate tech CEOs and investors: Business strategy, capital raising, investment criteria, lessons learned, book recommendations, productivity habits, and career advice. Hosted by Dr. Chris Wedding: serial founder, investor, professor, and occasional monk. www.entrepreneursforimpact.com (Nothing herein is investment advice.)
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#177: Joshua Goldberg, Cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Credit — Solar Finance for Commercial and Industrial. $1B in Loan Applications. Activity in 30 States with 400+ Partners. Fintech Serial Founder.
⭐ My guest today is Joshua Goldberg, cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Credit.
Sunstone Credit provides flexible financing solutions for commercial solar loans with activity in 30 states and 400+ solar partners.
Joshua is also a former cofounder and executive at Sunlight Financial, Astrum Solar, and Legends of Learning.
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🌐 LINKS:
Sunstone Credit - https://www.sunstonecredit.com/
Joshua - https://www.sunstonecredit.com
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
Their $1B in loan applications. $21M in corporate capital raised. Why solar leases are stupid. How solar is sold at the kitchen table. Their activity in the $40k to $5M solar size range. The speed of their loan process averaging just 1-4 weeks.
And lots more!
Please give Joshua and Sunstone Credit a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people.
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🙏 QUICK FAVOR:
Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player.
It means a lot, and I read every one.
This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here.
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🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/entrepreneurs-for-impact/message -
#176: Tim Boeltken, Managing Director of INERATEC — Global Leader in E-Fuels. $129M Series B. What Makes German Engineers Cry. $14T Total Addressable Market in Shipping, Aviation, Transportation..
⭐ My guest today is Tim Boeltken, Founder and Managing Director of INERATEC.
INERATEC is an e-Fuel company based in Germany that recently raised $129M to transform 1 GW of renewable energy into 125 million gallons of sustainable e-Fuel by 2030.
Tim brings a PhD in chemical engineering and nine years of dedication to building INERATEC.
Hope you enjoy it!
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🌐 LINKS:
INERATEC:
https://www.ineratec.de/en
Tim:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-boeltken/?locale=en_US
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
How their total addressable market is $14T (with a “T”) with use cases in aviation, shipping, and heavy-duty transport. Their BOO model to build, own, and operate e-Fuel plants. The science of making e-Fuels. Why he’s not in the 5 AM club. Their global expansion plans. How his founding team has stayed together for so many years. What makes German engineers cry.
And lots more!
Please give Tim and INERATEC a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.
---
🙏 QUICK FAVOR:
Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player.
It means a lot, and I read every one.
This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here.
---
🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/entrepreneurs-for-impact/message -
#175: Bill Liao, General Partner at SOSV and Chairman at Ki Tua Fund — $1B+ Under Management. Top 100 Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology. His Mantra for Startups: Don’t Die. Don’t Quit. Don’t Suck.
⭐ My guest today is Bill Liao, General Partner at SOSV and Chairman at Ki Tua Fund.
Bill is a rare kind of guy, in the best way. He’s a thoughtful and prolific investor, recognized as one of the Top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology by the Financial Times, as well as the kind of person who refused to fly in an airplane until his nonprofit, WeForest, planted 100 million trees.
SOSV is a venture capital firm that provides pre-seed, seed, venture, and growth stage funding to 1,000s of startups in the technology sector, with a focus on deep tech for human and planetary health.
Ki Tua Fund is a growth-stage corporate VC firm focused on food and medicine.
Hope you enjoy it!
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🌐 LINKS:
Bill:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billliao/?originalSubdomain=ie
SOSV:
https://sosv.com/
Ki Tua Fund:
https://www.kituafund.com/global/en.html
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
What the Founder Pledge is, and why he signed it. Insights from two startups he cofounded with billion-dollar IPOs. Why good advice is based on expensive experiences that didn’t go as planned. How doubt is a powerful driver for the scientific method. The power of humility. A coaching session for me on purpose. The business benefits of neural diversity. Why a one-person cap table is a red flag. Philosophy books that shaped his thinking. And lots more!
Please give Bill, SOSV, and Ki Tua Fund a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.
---
🙏 QUICK FAVOR:
Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player.
It means a lot, and I read every one.
This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here.
---
🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/entrepreneurs-for-impact/message -
#174: Alex Rappaport, CEO of ZwitterCo — Biggest Series A VC Investment in Water Tech. Industrial Water Efficiency. Water Shortages for 75% of the World. Climate Resilience. Near-death Experiences.
⭐ My guest today is Alex Rappaport, CEO and Cofounder of ZwitterCo.
ZwitterCo is a VC-backed water tech company that uses zwitterionic chemistry (yes, that’s a real term) and extremely fouling-resistant membranes to reduce industrial water use, save energy, and reduce chemical inputs.
Alex turned a startup bootcamp during his M.S. at Tufts University into an award-winning business and the largest Series A investment in water tech to date.
Hope you enjoy it!
Share this podcast with your people to give Duncan and Highland a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter.
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🌐 LINKS:
ZwitterCo:
https://zwitterco.com/
Alex:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-rappaport/
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
How ⅔ of the world is projected to be experiencing water shortages by 2025. Why water costs are rising faster than we think. His near-death experiences with water. How their filters don’t clog even in very dirty industrial environments. Tips on telling your company store more effectively. The link between water security and climate resilience.
And lots more!
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🙏 QUICK FAVOR:
Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player.
It means a lot, and I read every one.
This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here.
---
🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): https://t.ly/V6xcB
DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): https://t.ly/QCcl5
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/entrepreneurs-for-impact/message -
#173: Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland — $250M in Private Equity Funding for Electric School Busses. Selling Prior Business for $100M. Expect Tough Times. Garden Work in Cold Dark Mornings.
⭐ My guest today is Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland.
Highland brings a turnkey solution to make EV fleet adoption simple, reliable, and cost-effective for school buses and other fleets.
Duncan sold his previous company in energy and emissions management for $100M.
Hope you enjoy it!
Share this podcast with your people to give Duncan and Highland a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter.
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🌐 LINKS:
Highland –
https://highlandfleets.com/
Duncan –
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dumcintyre/
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
How to convert CapEx to OpEx to make it easier for customers to say yes. What it takes to raise $250M in private equity funding from smart investor friends of mine like Vision Ridge. The value of performance guarantees to reduce customer risks. How they reduce life cycle costs for city fleets. Why it’s good to expect tough times. His routine of organic farming even in cold New England mornings before the sun comes up.
And lots more!
---
🙏 QUICK FAVOR:
Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player.
It means a lot, and I read every one.
This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here.
---
🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): https://t.ly/V6xcB
DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): https://t.ly/QCcl5
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/entrepreneurs-for-impact/message -
#172: Rohan Puri, CEO of Stable — Dynamic Pricing for EV Charging. More Profit with AI-Based Siting Location. Don't Sell Software to Software Companies. Relentless Focus. MIT, Harvard, and TechStars.
⭐ My guest today is Rohan Puri, CEO of Stable.
Stable maximizes EV charging station ROI with strategic placement and pricing solutions.
Rohan brings experience from MIT, Harvard, and TechStars. Hope you enjoy it!
And give Rohan and Stable a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.
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🌐 LINKS:
Stable –
https://stable.auto/
Rohan –
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohanspuri/
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
How 70% of EV fast chargers are underperforming financially. Why static pricing at EV charging stations makes no sense. How 15% vs. 5% should inform ideal charging goals for chargers. Their AI tool for optimizing charger location for quicker paybacks to investors. Deliberately keeping their team small. Why you shouldn’t sell software to software companies. Relentless focus.
And lots more!
---
🙏 QUICK FAVOR:
Please leave a review or rating on your podcast player.
It really means a lot, and I read every one.
This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here.
---
🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): https://t.ly/V6xcB
DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): https://t.ly/QCcl5
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/entrepreneurs-for-impact/message
Customer Reviews
Found a tribe for impact
I happened to come across this podcast when I saw a LinkedIn post featuring Amit Gupta, a colleague I met when I worked in corporate. I oversaw an Aeroseal project many years ago and wanted to hear about the progress of his company.
His insights was very comforting to learn that regardless of what stage we’re at in business the pattern is similar. As entrepreneurs who are out to make an impact we just have to keep focusing on and remembering WHY we set out to do what we do.
Great show for impact ents.
Really great show - Dr. Chris Wedding has amazing insight from his experience.
Really enjoy the show.
Cleantech - It’s all in the details!
Great, experienced perspective. Love getting his hot takes and benefitting from the network he taps to bring on the show!