In case you missed it, last week was NY Climate Week. There were well over 1,000 events — from summits with CEO and heads of state, to film screenings, concerts, parties, boat cruises, pitch sessions, hackathons and much more. I tried to sum up my experience at New York climate week in a special episode two years ago. This year, of course, the context was different with a US administration no longer interested in climate, and a lot of green hushing, hand wringing and new language that aims to be less politicizing.

To me, one of the most interesting things about NY Climate Week is that it's not the only one. Climate weeks are spreading. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Diego, Shanghai, Bangkok, Panama City all have climate weeks. There might be dozens more in the works. No city on the planet is immune from the impact of climate, and most cities have thriving ecosystems of organizations, innovators, investors, policymakers, researchers and more working to advance climate solutions and adapt to a changing planet.

In this conversation I’m joined by Nishant Mani and Dan Thorman, co-founders of the LA Climate Week. Nishant and Dan saw a need to bring together their community. They volunteered to lead and have built LA Climate Week into a successful example that people anywhere can follow to create their own week of solidarity, learning and action. We talk about their backgrounds, the founding story of LA Climate Week, the impact of the LA wildfires on last year’s event, lessons they’ve learned and much more. So whether or not you were in New York last week, I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation and consider how you can help your local climate community wherever you are.

• 1:22 – Recap of New York Climate Week & Spread of Climate Weeks
• 3:43 – Nishant’s Personal & Professional Background
• 6:19 – Dan’s Personal & Professional Background
• 10:16 – The Origin Story of LA Climate Week
• 14:40 – The Role of Entertainment & Culture in LA Climate Week
• 17:08 – Entertainment Industry’s Role in Climate Movement
• 18:33 – Impact of Wildfires on LA Climate Week
• 24:47 – The Broader Role of Climate Weeks & Local Collaboration
• 27:51 – Lessons Learned from Organizing LA Climate Week
• 32:20 – Evolving the Structure and Infrastructure Involvement
• 33:02 – Measuring Success and Growth of LA Climate Week
• 36:44 – Community Engagement & Accessibility
• 39:32 – Aspirations for the Future: Magic Wand Scenario
• 42:21 – Future Planning and Event Announcement
• 44:14 – Closing Remarks and Call to Action

• LA Climate Week
• Climate Capital
• Terra.do
• Reunion
• Collidescope Foundation
• Jane Goodall Institute

• Nishant Mani
• Dan Thorman
• Jason Rissman

Climate tech companies face a range of structural challenges to securing the mid stage investment needed to scale their solutions. The lack of capital at this stage prevents many viable, potentially transformative technologies from going mainstream and eliminating gigatons of emissions. That’s why we’ve been running a series of episodes on the Missing Middle in Climate Tech in partnership with Spring Lane Capital.

If you haven’t heard our previous three episodes in this series, check them out at investedinclimate.com, and if you have ideas of other topics that warrant a Deep Dive series please reach out through the contact form on our website.

For the fourth episode in our series, I’m joined by Spring Lane Capital Co-Founder and Partner Rob Day who guest hosts the conversation with Blackhorn Ventures Managing Partner Melissa Cheong.

• 2:23 – Introducing Blackhorn Ventures & Melissa Chong
• 3:31 – Melissa’s Path to Venture Capital & Impact Investing
• 8:44 – Surprises & Learnings in Venture Capital
• 10:13 – Overview of Blackhorn Ventures’ Investment Focus & Strategy
• 13:55 – Addressing the Missing Middle: Digital vs. Hardware Solutions
• 17:18 – Leveraging Accepted Hardware & Digital Solutions
• 19:09 – The Role of Vertical Data Pools in Construction and Energy
• 21:03 – AI, Utilities, and the Urgency for Digital Solutions
• 25:10 – Building Resilience & Anti-Fragile Mindsets in Climate Tech
• 28:14 – Exploring New Financing Instruments & Insurance
• 32:21 – Portfolio Example: Formic – Robotics as a Service
• 36:37 – Portfolio Example: King Energy – Solar for Multi-Tenant Properties
• 38:55 – Lessons from Community Solar & Smart Billing
• 40:00 – Takeaways: The Evolving Role of Venture Capital in Climate Impact
• 43:24 – Closing Remarks

• Spring Lane Capital
• Blackhorn Ventures
• Formic
• King Energy

• Rob Day
• Melissa Cheong
• Jason Rissman

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I’ll admit it’s not often these days that I’m talking to climate leaders, particularly those working on policy, who say it’s an exciting time. This conversation was like a breath of fresh air. It’s not getting the headlines it deserves, but innovation is literally electrifying our country. Sector by sector, state by state, our economy is being transformed by electric technology replacing outdated fossil fuel applications.

To elevate and accelerate this wave of innovation, Hawaii State Senator Chris Lee and California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild have teamed up to launch the Electric Innovation Initiative. The Initiative is starting with an awards event during NY Climate Week, recognizing breakthrough electrification projects with $10,000 cash awards. But beyond this event, the Initiative is a 10-year campaign to showcase innovation, advance learning and shape policy.

In this conversation, we go deep into the context of why the Electric Innovation Initiative is needed, what sort of progress is happening at the state level, how states are learning from one another, the many benefits of electrification and much more. I learned a lot in this episode and was thrilled to hear there’s much to celebrate in a still growing electrification movement.

• [03:27] David Hochschild & His Role at the California Energy Commission
• 04:09] Chris Lee & His Energy work as a Hawaii State Senator
• [05:05] Details of the Electric Innovation Initiative
• [07:07] State Legislators Collaboration: Sharing best practices and policy replication
• [09:09] Why electrification progress needs more attention
• [10:52] State and local responses to federal rollbacks
• [13:18] Policy Options for States: Connecting policymakers with electrification leaders
• [15:44] Fast-Tracking Projects: Permitting and financing challenges
• [17:01] California’s Permitting Reforms: Fast-track permitting for clean energy
• [18:49] California’s approach to stable, long-term programs
• [21:01[ Hawai'i’s 100% Renewable Mandate
• [23:05] Lessons from Hawaii and California: State leadership and policy replication
• [25:24] Legislator Network: Supporting new lawmakers and advancing innovation
• [28:54] State and local opportunities despite federal gridlock
• [32:57] Equity in Electrification: Directing investments to underserved communities
• [35:27] Vision for 2035: What a fully electrified future could look like
• [37:27] How listeners can support electrification
• [39:45] Optimism for the future and bipartisan collaboration

• Electric Innovation Initiative
• California Energy Commission
• Hawai'i State Legislature
• Climate Week NYC
• National Caucus of Environmental Legislators

• Hawaii Senator Chris Lee
• California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild
• Jason Rissman