MCJ

Today on the MCJ Startup Series, Cody sat down with Erica Nemser, CEO of Ardent. Ardent aims to help drive industrial decarbonization by developing and selling membranes for point source carbon capture. We discuss how Ardent’s technology stands out in the point source capture field, the industry's varied approaches to decarbonization, and how Erica’s leadership has guided the company's transformation. 🤔 What side of the point source capture debate do you fall on? Listen to the full episode: https://mcj.news/ardent

Energy storage is crucial for reaching net-zero goals and ensuring renewable energy reliability. While wind and solar are important, their intermittent nature poses challenges. 🔋 To balance supply and demand, expanding energy storage is key. However, our reliance on lithium-ion batteries brings supply and security concerns. This week, Sidd Mallannagari dives into innovative long-duration storage solutions that go beyond lithium. Read the full article and share your thoughts below.

In the latest My Climate Journey episode, we dive deep into how climate policies are shaped in Washington—and the backstory behind these once-in-a-generation wins. Cody sat down with Russell Kenneth DeGraff, who spent 18 years as a staffer on Capitol Hill, including 12 years as the Chief Climate and Technology Advisor to Nancy Pelosi, notably during her second term as Speaker of the House. Key insights include: 🏛️ The uphill battle of passing major climate legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act in a divided Senate 🤝 Dynamics of negotiating with key senators like Joe Manchin 🗳️ Reflections on January 6, today’s political landscape, and the stakes in the 2024 election Catch the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or at the link below!

Don't miss our Career Advancement event TODAY at 9 am PT co-hosted with Climate People. Our special guest is none other than Trish Kenlon, Founder of Sustainable Career Pathways and writer at Greenbiz Group. Trish will cover: 👨💻 Where most people go wrong when selecting training opportunities 📚 How to evaluate your training needs 👩🏫 The training provider landscape ✅ How to pick a good training experience RSVP here: https://lu.ma/cca

"The cost to create power has gone down pretty dramatically over the last decade... but the cost to move power, the cost of transmission and distribution, has gone up. If you've lived anywhere in the country, your power has gotten more expensive over the last decade." - Zach Dell, CEO of Base Power Company Cody and Zach had a great discussion about distributed battery storage, the aging grid, and backup power in Texas during the Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week. They also covered Base Power Company's product, its residential business model, and Zach's vision for the future. A huge thank you to Ion Houston for hosting us at this inaugural event! 🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://mcj.news/baselive

Last month, we hosted a live conversation at Ion Houston with Vicki Hollub, CEO of Oxy. Oxy, a century-old oil and gas company with over 12,000 employees and a market cap near $50 billion, has emerged as arguably the early market leader in Direct Air Capture (DAC) through its 1PointFive initiative and 2023 acquisition of Carbon Engineering.  Cody and Vicki cover a lot of ground. Vicki acknowledges climate change and its effects on extreme weather and natural ecosystems, while also stating that Oxy does not view the energy transition as a shift away from oil and gas. Instead, she describes a future where oil and gas exploration could become carbon-negative through advancements in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a technology that uses CO₂ to extract fossil fuels from otherwise depleted wells. This is a notable interview for MCJ as Vicki is the first oil and gas CEO we've had on the show. We believe it’s important to understand how a company like Oxy, with its significant greenhouse gas emissions footprint, is planning for the future. Listen to the full conversation at the link below.

During Climate Week NYC, we had an incredible time bringing together founders and senior leadership to connect and celebrate the many milestones achieved across the MCJ portfolio this year. From funding announcements to new job opportunities, partnerships, product launches, and more, there's so much to be proud of. Huge thanks to our hosts at AIR COMPANY’s Corporate HQ for sharing their space in Brooklyn. It was inspiring to reflect on how far we've come—and even more exciting to think about what’s next. Onward! 🚀 S/O to these MCJ portcos for joining us: Carbon Collective, Clean Crop Technologies, Inc., WattBuy, Twelve, Verse, Avalanche Energy, Odyssey Energy Solutions, Yard Stick PBC, Toucan, Arcadia, Phoenix Tailings, Paces, Noya, Mantel, The Nuclear Company, Artyc

Wrapping up an incredible Climate Week NYC! 🗽 A big thank you to Tom Steyer for joining Cody Simms in a live taping of the My Climate Journey podcast at the beautiful Ethic office. We’re also grateful to our cohosts at J.P. Morgan—your support made this all possible. And, of course, a big thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the energy in the room! If you couldn’t make it, no worries—the full conversation will be available on the podcast soon. Stay tuned!

Climate Week NYC 2024 is just around the corner, and we’re beyond excited to take the MCJ podcast on the road again! 🎙️ We’re co-hosting a special live recording with J.P. Morgan at the Ethic office and rooftop, featuring none other than Tom Steyer, founder and co-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions. Cody and Tom will explore Tom's journey from his hedge fund days to his work in climate, his 2020 presidential campaign, his current efforts with Galvanize Solutions, and tons more. The event is fully booked, but don’t worry—you won’t miss out! We’ll be sharing the recorded conversation on the podcast a few weeks later, so stay tuned. 🎧

Every month, the MCJ Bay Area community comes together for a special dinner, thanks to the incredible efforts of our city host, Adriana. 🥂 Last month, we teamed up with Emilia Pasquier and gathered at the stunning offices of Swissnex in San Francisco —a perfect setting for meaningful conversations and connections. 🌉 A huge thank you to our organizers and co-hosts for bringing this community to life, and to all our attendees for keeping the momentum going in the Bay Area.