How can we fight climate change by focusing underground?

It turns out one of the biggest untapped climate solutions isn’t in the air—or in the trees, it’s in the soil beneath our feet. Today’s guest has developed a game-changing way to measure and protect soil organic carbon, helping farmers, agribusinesses, and carbon markets work together for climate impact and economic resilience.

Our guest is Chris Tolles, Founder & CEO of Yard Stick PBC.

Some quotes to hook you:

“Soils store way, way more carbon than all the trees and plants and animals combined.”

“If you want to sell soil carbon credits, you’ve got to measure soil carbon—accurately and at scale.”

“Healthy soils aren’t just about climate—they’re about keeping Cheerios on the shelves.”

“Identify the application of your technology that helps someone make money or save money—that’s what all businesses do.”

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Show Notes: Topics

05:50 – What Yardstick does and how the tech works

08:07 – Why soil organic carbon matters for climate and food security

09:31 – Is higher soil carbon concentration always better?

09:31 – Yardstick’s two main revenue streams

14:02 – Climate product or economic solution?

17:21 – How big companies will make the change

30:12 – Is framing as a “climate solution” a dead end?

36:45 – Balancing production and soil health

42:16 – Revisiting emissions per calorie in agriculture

49:10 – Messaging Yardstick to different audiences

Links- Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas- Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn- This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

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Ever wonder how we are going to decarbonize heavy industry? Well, you won't have to wonder much longer. Today's guest has an incredible solution that is 1) drop in, 2) cost parity (or better), 3) has an existing supply chain, 4) overcomes any scarcity concerns, and 5) prevents users from changing anything they do.

Our guest is Peter Godart, the Co-Founder of Found Energy.

Some quotes to hook you:

- "We've developed what we call the world's first rechargeable fuel."

- "There's really no other technology that can store energy for this long and then be dispatched as easily."

- "Aluminum is just one of the best materials we have available to actually burn something."

- "If you don't have a green grid, actually exacerbates the issue. At least in the short term, makes things worse."

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ErthTech Talent: Expert, Affordable CleanTech Search Firm

Get the best CleanTech talent without paying absurdly high prices.

Affordable: Our search fee is 12-15% of first-year base salary (most charge 25-30%).
Specialized: We ONLY work with CleanTech startups.
Proven: 70+ placements since 2020 (Aypa Power, ChargeScape, QCells, & more).
Save time and money when you work with ErthTech Talent.

Plus, Silas runs it, so you already know him. — Reach out and tell him you saw this ad.


📝 Show Notes:
Topics

1:04 Core technology & how it works?

4:58 Why is a new fuel source needed for industrial decarb?

13:00 What is "rechargeable fuel"?

19:08 Path to cost parity w/ fossil fuels

20:56 You can use aluminum waste!?

26:24 Targe industries & markets

34:36 How to handle the supply chain?

40:37 Energy density comparison to traditional fuels

50:51 Next milestones for scaling the technology

1:01:50 Timeline for commercial deployment

Links
- Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas
- Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
- This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

CleanTech founder Conor Madigan (Aether Fuels) reveals sustainable fuel tech breakthroughs, smart hiring, & building resilient climate startups.

Join us as Conor Madigan, Founder and CEO of Aether Fuels, shares how their innovative tech is set to decarbonize aviation and shipping by drastically cutting costs and boosting fuel yield from waste streams. A second-time founder, Conor also unpacks his proven strategies for building high-talent, low-ego teams and fostering constructive tension for optimal results.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts

Memorable Quotes:

• "The overall result of that is to cut the capex of a plant by about 50%." — Conor Madigan
  
  
• "Until you've built a big network of your own... it's pretty invaluable to have a top-notch recruiter." — Conor Madigan
  
  
• "If you compare an electrified system versus a fired system, you can boost the output by about 20%." — Conor Madigan
  
  
• "I… try to create a constructive sort of tension inside of an organization by pairing together certain personality traits." — Conor Madigan

In this episode, we discuss:

• 00:53 - Introduction to Conor Madigan and Aether Fuels
• 03:55 - Aether Fuels' core technology and market
• 05:27 - The innovation: cutting CAPEX and boosting yield
• 28:00 - The year-long "funnel" to choose the right climate problem
• 30:59 - Conor's philosophy on team building: high talent, low ego
• 32:00 - Creating constructive tension in R&D vs. Engineering
• 38:35 - Why senior hires need to be "player-coaches" at startups
• 40:30 - Transparent communication during challenging times
• 46:00 - Policy trends and market drivers for SAF
• 49:50 - Cost parity expectations for Aether Fuels' product

Links

• Conor Madigan | Aether Fuels
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com