Welcome to the newsletter from Entrepreneurs for Impact.
First, some housekeeping. This newsletter was originally called ZERO.*
I thought it was pretty clever. As if I were entering the realm of one-word names like Prince or Beyoncé.
Admittedly, I lack their flair, among other skills.
So, I’m going back to the basics:
Our climate CEO peer groups happen at Entrepreneurs for Impact.
Ditto for our podcast interviewing climate CEOs and investors.
And now the same for this weekly newsletter.
Simple is better.
What do we cover in this newsletter?
Climate finance & startups — e.g., venture capital, impact investing
Conscious leadership — e.g., social equity, visionary thinking
Personal development & productivity — e.g., better habits, get more done
Humor (no guarantees) — life’s too important to be serious all the time
If that sounds like a lot of topics, I hear you.
But we’re complicated creatures.
I believe that it takes all of these components to tackle climate change, create a more just world, get more of the right stuff done, live a life with more meaning, and not be too grim along the way.
Hi, I’m Chris Wedding, your guide for this ride.
I’m the founder of Entrepreneurs for Impact — “The only mastermind peer group for growth-stage CEOs, founders, and investors fighting climate change.”
Here’s our focus.
And here are some other perspectives I bring to this newsletter.
(Wait, did my mom write this thing?!)
Former private equity investor at a $2B firm — 500+ investments in green real estate and solar projects
Expert in making mistakes — Too many to keep to myself
Professor, Duke and UNC — Courses taught in energy finance, ESG investing, green real estate, management consulting, climate tech startups and investors, social entrepreneurship
“Monk” — Experience in various Buddhist and Catholic monasteries around the world, and a 25-year meditation practice (far from perfect, constantly failing, always learning)
Global citizen — Experience in 20+ countries and (rapidly declining) language abilities in Spanish, Japanese, and Cape Verdean Creole
Former rainforest researcher — Jungles of Costa Rica and Panama
Long-haired dude — 12 years of Catholic schooling can change a guy (forever)
Family man — Husband and father of three obsessed with teaching our kids to put this into practice: “To those to whom much is given, much is expected in return”
So what now?
I hope you’ll join me on this path. Eight billion people and nine million species need all the help we can give.
And as an added bonus, there are billions of dollars to be earned as we transition to this low carbon economy.
Onward and upward,
Chris
—
* If you still have some coffee left in the mug, you can take a gander at my prior thinking behind the name ZERO.
Why the name ZERO?
Because in this weekly newsletter, I curate trends and tools to help catalyze…
ZERO greenhouse gas emissions
ZERO species extinction
ZERO pollution
ZERO distractions from what’s most important
ZERO inefficiency
ZERO racial and gender inequity
ZERO apathy and inaction
Are these goals realistic?
Probably not.
Are they worth striving for?
Yep.
—
Dr. Chris Wedding
Founder and Chief Catalyst, Entrepreneurs for Impact
The only mastermind peer group for growth-stage CEOs, founders, and investors fighting climate change