BIPOC Founders in Climate Tech: Capital, Credibility, and Community
A candid conversation with BIPOC founders and CEOs building climate companies in sectors where access, trust, and networks still shape outcomes.
This is not a “diversity panel.”
This discussion is for founders navigating the realities of scaling in climate tech while often operating without the same inherited networks, pattern-matching advantages, or institutional access as their peers.
Panelists include:
Phil Croskey - CEO, MD Energy Advisors
Doug Speight - CEO, AxNano
Randy Allen - CEO, Still Bright
We’ll talk openly about:
Raising capital when investors still pattern-match around familiar backgrounds and networks
Building credibility in industries where relationships and reputation compound slowly
Navigating boardrooms, customers, and partnerships as an underrepresented founder
Recruiting and retaining strong talent while scaling under pressure
Managing the tension between mission, resilience, and personal sustainability
Finding the right rooms, peers, and mentors as you grow
It’s a practical discussion about company building, decision-making, leadership, and access to opportunity inside one of the most capital-intensive sectors in the economy.
You’ll hear directly from founders and investors who have raised capital, built teams, navigated setbacks, and scaled through difficult markets.
Ideal for:
Climate tech founders and executives
Emerging BIPOC operators and investors
Builders in energy, industrials, mobility, carbon, software, infrastructure, and hardtech
People looking for more honest conversations about leadership and growth in climate
Host:
Entrepreneurs for Impact (EFI) helps grow the climate tech ecosystem through (1) a confidential peer-group community for VC- and private equity-backed climate CEOs and (2) the Climate CEOs podcast and newsletter.