⚡ Why more climate tech experts are NOT the solution (#189)

Welcome to my newsletter from Entrepreneurs for Impact (EFI).

I share lessons learned from working with 400 climate tech CEOs and investors—plus 25 years of meditation practice—to help people fight climate change profitably and maybe even lead a happier life.

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Four topics:

1. The sky is falling. Oh, wait, there’s good news.

2. $110M for non-flammable, non-cobalt, low-cost batteries.

3. We need more non-climate tech experts to help us scale climate tech.

4. Be calm. Be contagious.

1.

The sky is falling. Oh, wait, there’s good news.

It depends on which news you read and what trends you choose to talk about.

Option 1:

“Trump’s tariffs will deliver a big blow to climate tech: Broader economic anxieties and uncertainty over clean-energy subsidies are compounding industry fears”

• “It would be hard for me to think of cleantech or climate tech sectors that aren’t facing huge risks.”

• “We’re a country without a federal climate strategy at this point, with an economy headed in the wrong direction, so I don’t see a lot of reason to be optimistic.”

Option 2:

“Carbon Equity closes climate tech fund after raising €107M in its third fund”

• “…raised €300M from more than 1,250 investors, including high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, directors, family offices, and foundations.”

• “…indirectly invested in more than 200 portfolio companies across Europe and the US through 25 private equity and venture capital funds, which it said makes it one of the world’s most active investors in climate innovation and infrastructure.”

🎯 So what?

When we walk through a garden, we can appreciate the purple wisteria and blooming dogwood trees or the dog poo left by an absent-minded owner stuck in the trance of daily to-do’s.

Which are you going to focus on this week?

2.

$110M for non-flammable, non-cobalt batteries.

Mukesh Chatter, CEO of Alsym Energy, was my recent guest on our Entrepreneurs for Impact (EFI) podcast.

Alsym is developing a new generation of high-performance, low-cost, non-flammable batteries to help enable a zero-carbon electrified future for all.

Mukesh has been named as one of Red Herring Magazine’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs and as Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year.

On the personal side, Chatter was inspired to launch Alsym Energy after his mother’s passing, leading him to focus on solving problems that impact at least a billion people.

He highlighted meditation and intentional pauses between tasks as key strategies for maintaining focus and resilience in high-stress environments.

🎯 So what?

Listen to the podcast and share your thoughts on my LinkedIn post.

3.

We need more non-climate tech experts to help us scale climate tech.

This article in Fast Company triggered me. In the best way.

• “Why the climate tech industry needs outsiders: At this point, it’s not about innovation, it’s about operational know-how.”

🎯 So what?

It’s like Zen master Shunryu Suzuki said:

• “In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.”

Why?

• They question assumptions that others treat as gospel.

• They listen more than talk, so they see what others miss.

• They pivot faster because they’re not married to being right—only to discover what’s true.

• They disrupt markets because they don’t accept the rules as fixed.

Who’s an example?

Consider Shashank Samala, CEO and Co-founder of Heirloom.

He wasn’t a carbon capture expert.

But he became one from scratch, talking to the leading global scientists before it was cool. (Get it?)

Now, Heirloom has raised over $200M in corporate funding and is planning to invest $475M to build the first direct air capture facility in Louisiana.

4.

Be calm. Be contagious.

“When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked, all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive."

- Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Background…

In 1975, it was clear that North Vietnam would defeat South Vietnam.

As Northern forces gained control of the country, they began targeting individuals who were suspected of supporting the South.

Fearing persecution, many fled the country, often risking their lives in overcrowded boats.

🎯 So what?

When $10 trillion of value is erased from global markets, it’s normal to feel like you just drank a glass of cold milk way past its due date.

When important environmental and social goals are in the crosshairs of the flamethrower, it’s easy to think that sound sleep is only a distant memory of the past.

But instead of panic, maybe we should be more like the 300-million-year-old granite rock instead of the inflatable tube man outside a used car dealership.

That’s all, y’all.

Make it a great week. It’s usually a choice.

~ Chris

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