🌎 Top 100 CDR startups & 26 Climate Communities

+ Jim Collins & Climate Change. Searching Within. (vol 151)

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Today’s topics.

1. Stockdale Paradox: Jim Collins & Climate Change

2. 26 Climate Communities to Join

3. Top 100 CDR Companies (Carbon Removal)

4. Searching Inside vs. Outside

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1.

Stockdale Paradox: Jim Collins & Climate Change

First, who is Jim Collins?

He’s a former Stanford professor and the godfather of business book writing. His books, built on 25 years of research, have sold 10 million copies. His most popular books are Good to Great and Built to Last.

Second, what is the Stockdale Paradox that he popularized?

Productive change begins when you confront the brutal facts. Every good-to-great company embraces it: You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

Third, how is it relevant to climate tech?

We’re building new companies or commercializing new tech.

That’s hard and needed.

Jim might suggest the balance to aim for is:

#1 — No sugar coating and excess optimism.

• Is the path to profitability broken? (Pivot.)

• Are exit timelines mismatched with VC expectations? (Diversify your investors.)

• Does your team have the “right butts in the right seats?” (Refine your org chart.)

#2 — But no doomsday negativity either.

• Emissions growth can be daunting. (Are you going to give up and cry in a corner?)

• Building new companies is hard. (Remember JFK’s 1962 speech: Do hard things.)

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Thanks to EFI Climate CEO Fellow Nicole Poindexter, CEO of Energicity (solar microgrids in West Africa), for bringing this paradox to my attention.

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2.

26 Climate Communities to Join

Are you feeling like you’re the only one who cares about tackling climate change through business and finance?

Find your fellow climate peeps in these 20+ online communities. (Below are examples.)

But when you join, don’t just be a wallflower.

Remember the 90-9-1 rule.

• 90% of community members only read or observe but don't contribute

• 9% respond to content but don't create their own posts

• 1% post new content

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3.

Top 100 CDR companies (carbon removal)

After three years of research and competitions via the XPRIZE, here are the 100 most promising carbon removal innovators.

As we at Terraset move millions of philanthropic dollars to purchase carbon dioxide removals, this list is like climate catnip. (¡Que delicioso!)

Here’s a teaser:

Background:

XPRIZE will be selecting 20 Finalists from the Top 100 to test their solutions to remove 1,000 tonnes of CO2 from the air or oceans. In April 2025, they will award $50M to a Grand Prize Winner, and the remaining $30M will be distributed among runners-up. They previously awarded $5M to 23 Student Teams in 2021 and $15M to 15 Milestone Winners in 2022.

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4.

Searching Inside vs. Outside

We’re all chasing something.

Sometimes it’s good to stop and ask “what” and “why.”

To that end, consider this quote below from Mooji — a Jamaican-born street artist, Christian mystic, and chai shop owner who became a teacher of the wisdom of India’s sages. (such an obvious career path)

And when someone looks as chill as this guy does, I want to listen closely.

“The place you are looking for is the place from which you are looking.”

(The writing of this post is hereby certified as Free of Plant Medicine Influence, despite how it may read.)

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Apply to be an EFI Climate CEO Fellow.

If you’re a growth-stage climate tech CEO who wants to join a community of 75+ CEO Fellows, Alumni Advisors, and Mentors (investors) representing over $20B of market value or AUM for climate solutions…

And you’re obsessed with constant improvement, helping others succeed, being a mindful leader, and tackling climate change through entrepreneurship…

Apply to join us here.

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That’s all, y’all.

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

Dr. Chris Wedding: Founder of Entrepreneurs for Impact

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P.S. This VC-backed CEO wants to combine spirituality with business.

P.S.S. Want to do executive coaching with me?

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