Builder’s Breakfast: Creating Coalitions to Drive Startup Growth w/ Mark Smith
When your business depends on legislative change—either to exist or to scale—how do you make it happen?
Join us for a breakfast with Mark Smith, founder & CEO of Carbon Country and former Director of Government Affairs for Clorox, to talk about how startup founders, operators, and investors need to think about building coalitions to and investing in relationships with their stakeholders to achieve their goals.
When Mark was launching Carbon Country, a regenerative agriculture and carbon removal startup in Southern Maryland, he discovered that one of his core inputs — wood chips or clean cellulose — was classified as waste by the Maryland Department of Environment despite clear guidance from the EPA to the contrary . That single misclassification meant his facility had to be permitted as a type of landfill. Rather than accept outdated rules, he partnered with state legislators to draft a bill creating the first state-level regulatory framework in the country for carbon removal which will be introduced in the 2026 legislative session. His work shows how founders can turn regulatory friction into collaboration, and how building a company can sometimes mean building the law AND the coalition that make it possible.
Real progress happens where interests overlap, and innovation has always been driven by unlikely partnerships. In the 1930s, farmers and environmental reformers collaborated to create soil conservation policy. In the 1960s, public health advocates and automakers shaped the first safety standards. In the 1980s, technology companies and public school teachers brought computers into classrooms.
The common thread? Public and private actors who learned to build trust, align incentives, and write the next chapter together.
8:30am-9:00am: Breakfast & mingling
9:00am-10:00am: Fireside chat and Q&A w/ Mark Smith
For Levy Insiders
10:15-11:00am: Stick around after the fireside chat for a founding member meet & greet.
We’ll share more about the long-term vision for The Levy Network, and how we can leverage it to help you move faster toward your goals—whether that’s building influence, advancing policy, or scaling a company that depends on systems change.
We’ll also preview a new onboarding experience we’re piloting for members: a three-part sprint designed to help founders, operators, and investors learn how to navigate DC’s unique leverage points—and turn local relationships into national advantage. It’s part community activation, part crash course in how this city actually works, and part launchpad for your next move.
If you’re not yet a Levy Insider, this is your invitation to join. You’ll become part of a growing network of startup founders, operators, and investors who believe in learning how to leverage their home in DC. Apply here to get access to the pilot and upcoming programming.
At Carbon Country, Mark Smith is focused on transforming the economics of small-holder farms to make their future sustainable, through a combination of agrivoltaics, regenerative farming and carbon removal. His first farm is in Southern Maryland.
Big thank you to The Yard for hosting us for the conversation!