Climate CEOs

Recent Episodes

1. 15 Rules for Building Billion-Dollar Projects On Time, On Budget

   Sep 18, 2026

   In this solo episode, Chris Wedding, a CEO coach and investor, translates research from "How Big Things Get Done" based on analysis of 16,000+ mega projects across 25 years and 136 countries. He presents 15 rules for building billion-dollar projects on time and on budget, identifying six cognitive biases that derail projects and nine practical strategies for success, with emphasis on reference class forecasting, modular design, hiring experienced builders, and aligning contractor incentives.

2. Can Microbes Replace $100B of Fertilizer? | Switch Bioworks

   Sep 15, 2026

   Tim Schnabel, founder and CEO of Switch Bioworks, discusses how engineered microbes can replace industrial nitrogen fertilizer by colonizing plant roots and producing ammonia biologically. The company has raised $24M in venture capital and $5M in grants, targeting the $100B+ fertilizer market by initially focusing on U.S. corn production. Schnabel explains the science behind genetic switches that enable microbes to grow first, then produce ammonia, and outlines a path to $1/acre production costs at scale.

3. The 40-Year VC Lesson: Relationships Beat Transactions | Brad Feld

   Sep 9, 2026

   Brad Feld, legendary venture capitalist and co-founder of Foundry Group and Techstars, discusses how founders can leverage resilience, mentorship, and long-term non-transactional relationships to build stronger startups—especially in climate tech and turbulent markets. Drawing from four decades of experience advising 4,000+ founders, Feld explores the philosophy of 'Give First,' distinguishes between mentors, advisors, coaches, and investors, and explains how healthy boundaries and a focus on long-term karma enable sustainable impact and genuine peer relationships that outlast market cycles.

4. The Climate Tech Map: Where Capital and Innovation Are Still Missing | Speed & Scale, Doerr Capital

   Sep 1, 2026

   Ryan Panchadsaram (co-author of Speed & Scale, investor at Doerr Capital) and Quinn Marvin (Director of Research at Speed & Scale, investor at Doerr Capital) discuss the Speed & Scale climate action initiative and its newly launched Climate Tech Map. They address critical gaps in climate technology deployment across industrial decarbonization, carbon removal, and energy storage, and explain why deep tech founders must demonstrate clear pathways to profitability and cost reduction, not just cost parity, to attract capital.

5. The CEO Vulnerability Paradox | Strong ≠ Invincible

   Aug 28, 2026

   Chris Wedding, CEO coach, investor, and founder, discusses the "vulnerability paradox" in climate tech leadership—why projecting invincibility can undermine trust with investors, employees, and customers. The episode explores how selective candor and acknowledging shared struggle build credibility more effectively than perfect confidence, using real examples from climate CEO founders navigating capital raises, layoffs, and missed milestones.

6. How to Get 30% More Power From Existing Nuclear Plants | Alva Energy

   Aug 25, 2026

   James Krellenstein, co-founder and CEO of Alva Energy, discusses how existing nuclear power plants can be upgraded to produce 20–30% more electricity without building new reactors. Alva's approach combines proven nuclear steam system upgrades with a novel second turbine generator design that can be built while plants operate, adding 200–300 MW per reactor for approximately $1 billion—less than one-fifth the cost of new nuclear construction—in 3–5 years.

7. The Climate CEO’s Method for Hiring A-Players

   Aug 21, 2026

   Chris Wedding, a CEO coach, investor, founder and professor, delivers a masterclass on executive hiring through the topgrading methodology. The episode explores how climate tech CEOs can avoid hiring mistakes by systematically evaluating candidates' entire career histories job-by-job, using structured questions and reference checks to uncover performance patterns rather than relying on interview polish. Wedding outlines a four-stage topgrading process including pre-interview preparation, structured interview questions, reference checks, and scoring calibration.

8. How to Buy Clean Energy on 1,000 Buildings, Easily | VECKTA Energy

   Aug 19, 2026

   Gareth Evans, founder and CEO of VECKTA Energy, discusses how his platform simplifies the design, procurement, financing, and operation of on-site energy systems (solar, batteries, generators) for large commercial real estate portfolios. Starting from his background as an environmental scientist who worked on oil and gas projects in Iraq, Evans explains how VECKTA's technology analyzes thousands of data points across property portfolios, connects buyers with a vetted network of 4,000+ suppliers and financiers, and can reduce clean energy project costs by up to 45% while enabling new revenue streams from distributed data centers and energy sales.

9. Why Good Acquisitions Go Bad

   Aug 14, 2026

   Chris Wedding, CEO coach, investor, and founder, delivers a minisode on why climate tech M&A deals fail during integration despite sound deal theses. The episode explores 14 common failure modes—from culture clash and executive flight to customer attrition and decision-rights confusion—and presents four critical pre-closing questions CEOs should ask: which customers might leave, which key talent might leave, which value sources have identified owners and accountability, and which parts should not be integrated. Wedding emphasizes that most acquisitions fail not because the spreadsheet was wrong, but because integration destroys the capabilities that made the target valuable in the first place.

10. Why This Electric Truck Is Half the Size and Just as Useful | TELO Trucks

    Aug 11, 2026

    Jason Marks, co-founder and CEO of Tello Trucks, discusses how electrification enables a complete rethinking of vehicle design rather than simply swapping powertrains. Tello is building a mini truck that delivers full-size truck utility in a footprint smaller than a Mini Cooper, engineered for dense urban environments. With 15,000 pre-orders and $30M raised, Marks shares lessons on capital efficiency, supply chain complexity, and technical founder development.