Small Scale, Big Vision: Forager Fuels and the Future of Forest Waste Solutions
Ever wonder what happens to all the wood that gets cleared from California's forests to prevent wildfires?
Turns out most of it ... burns. Left in slash piles or burned in the open, forest bio waste is one of the overlooked sources of emissions in wildfire management — and almost nobody's building a business around fixing that.
John Azevedo decided that was unacceptable. ☕
Join CleanStart for a conversation with the founder turning forest waste into fuel — literally.
John is the Founder & CEO of Forager Fuels, a cleantech startup tackling one of the region's most stubborn environmental problems: what to do with the mountains of biomass left behind by forest management. With a family legacy in forestry running through everything he builds, John is proving that small-scale, community-rooted solutions can add up to serious environmental impact — and a serious business.
🎙 Meet the founder:
John Azevedo — Founder & CEO, Forager Fuels
💡 What we'll dig into:
Why forest bio waste is a bigger climate problem than most people realize
Building a cleantech company on a family legacy in forestry
Navigating non-dilutive grants as early-stage capital
What's next as Forager Fuels heads into its seed round
Turning an overlooked waste stream into fuel — and a local economic engine
This is for you if you're: an early-stage founder, a climate tech investor, anyone who cares about wildfire resilience and forest management, or just someone who loves seeing "waste problem" turn into "business opportunity."
CleanStart Events are supported by SMUD, Chico Start, E2, and the Carlsen Center for Entrepreneurship at Sac State.