The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative hosted an event at the Pillsbury law firm on November 21, 2024, featuring two panels: women who funded sustainable startups and women founders or early employees of sustainable startups. The event also featured a presentation by three partners at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman (contact Women in Energy at womeninenergy@columbia.edu for a copy of this presentation).
This first panel featured Sunaina Ocalan, senior director of corporate strategy and climate change at Hess, and Naomi Zimmermann, venture capital analyst at Creadev. Columbia University graduate student Neeti Sabnani served as the moderator.
Some key takeaways from this panel include the following:
- Startups should frame their pitch in terms of the problem they are trying to solve, how their solution is the best, and why they are best poised to solve the problem.
- Pitches should be short and punchy. Your pitch will likely be reviewed by an analyst first, and it should be as easy as possible for the analyst to explain the elevator-style pitch, especially because sustainable startups can be very technical.
- The CEO or founder plays an outsized role in the success of an organization. Founders who are extremely passionate and obsessed with what they do, with conviction behind their ability to produce value, tend to perform better.
- To maximize investors’ potential investment, startups can communicate extensively with investors to share updates and build relationships. Getting an investor involved in your success beyond financial metrics can help them advocate for you.
- Some untapped opportunities in sustainable startups are cold chain management, food waste, sustainable protein, and the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors.
The second panel featured women who founded or were early employees at sustainable startups. The panelists were Kristy Drutman, co-founder of the Green Jobs Board; Katharine Greco, director of technology at Still Bright; and Alex Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of Bison Fuels. Columbia University PhD candidate Daniela Bushiri served as the moderator.
Some key takeaways from this panel include the following:
- Passion and proof of concept are key to the success of a sustainable startup.
- A well-aligned and highly skilled team can make or break a startup. Bespoke skill sets, especially those related to project management and data analysis, are an asset.
- A clear narrative articulating the startup’s technical aspects while explaining how the project is a great investment is key.
- While policy can be a bonus for a business, it is important not to depend on policy because it often changes with the political winds.
- Focus on pain points in an industry when designing your pitch.
- Adjust your pitch to appeal to different audiences, especially as political and economic climates shift.
- Work to find mission-aligned investors and build trust with your team and the investors.