CLIMATE SCALE-UP’S

Chief Sustainability Officer at Google

Kate Brandt is Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer and former U.S. Federal Chief Sustainability Officer, with a background in the Department of Energy, White House, and Navy, earning notable awards and recognition.

VP M&A and Head of XCarb Innovation Fund at ArcelorMittal

Senior leader driving sustainability, decarbonization, and industry transformation through strategic leadership and collaboration.

Co-founder at Ethic & Nature2, Climate & Nature Investing

Ethic is an asset manager overseeing $6 billion in sustainable investments. Nature2 is an initiative aimed at closing the $1 trillion nature finance gap by encouraging institutional investors to allocate 2% of their portfolios to nature-positive solutions.

Executive Director at XPRIZE Carbon Removal

Nikki Batchelor leads the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, driving one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to scale gigaton-level climate solutions.

Executive Director, Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS)

Maria Netto, Executive Director of Instituto Clima e Sociedade, has held key roles at IDB, New Development Bank, UNDP, and UNFCCC, focusing on financing for low-carbon projects and climate change investments.

Partner, Khosla Ventures

Investing in deep-tech climate innovations, supporting entrepreneurs in fusion, geothermal, steel, H2, carbon capture, storage, sustainable plastics and more for societal impact.

Office of Eric Schmidt, Founder Intrigue Media

Helen Zhang, Deputy Chief of Staff for Eric Schmidt, co-founded Intrigue Media and is a Fulbright Scholar and Harvard MPA specializing in geo-tech policies.

Unicorn Founder, Clean Energy & Infrastructure Pioneer

Alysia Helming, a renewable energy pioneer and CFO, drives global sustainability, clean tech innovation, and advocates for SDGs and women’s empowerment.

Cybersecurity Woman of the World 2024, Top 3 European Cyber Women 2023

Dr. Bianca Lins, LL.M., is a passionate legal expert, educator, and advocate shaping the future of space and cybersecurity at Liechtenstein's.

Professor at Harvard Kennedy School, Director of Harvard's Growth Lab

Ricardo Hausmann is the founder and Director of Harvard’s Growth Lab and the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School.

Partner, Climate Change & Sustainability Services at EY

Heather Taylor, EY Partner and former Toronto CFO, is a WXN Top 100 awardee and advocate for women’s leadership.

Climate Investment and Decarbonization Strategist at TPG

With 15+ years in sustainable finance, Filipe leads at Rubicon Carbon, advises TPG Rise Climate, and drives global climate initiatives like the G20 and Africa Carbon Markets.

Climate & Energy AI, MIT, Entrepreneur, Investor, Author

Jennifer Turliuk works on, researches and instructs AI for climate and energy solutions at MIT. MIT Sloan Fellow, investor, entrepreneur, author, speaker.

Executive Director at the TransCap Initiative, Board Member at Expedition Zukunft

Dominic Hofstetter is the Space Building Lead of the TransCap Initiative. He was also the Director of Capital and Investments at EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s largest climate innovation initiative.

Founder Converge Capital, Co-Founder ATO

Marina Cançado mobilizes capital and drive innovation to advance climate solutions, sustainable investments, and Brazil’s leadership in sustainability.

Co-Founder Brazil Climate Institute (BCI) and Director at Maraé Investments

Jorge, Director at Maraé Investimentos, specializes in public policy and sustainability, with prior roles at BCG, Brazil’s Ministry of Economy, and IPEA, holding degrees from UNICAMP and the University of Freiburg.

Government Relations & Public-Private Partnerships | MC/MPA Mason Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School

Ujjwal Kumar leverages AI, finance, and sustainability to drive innovation, transform industries, and promote low-carbon, equitable growth.

Breakthrough Energy Business Fellow, Climate and AI

Oliver brings 11 years of VC experience in AI-driven climate tech startups and has developed best-practice workshops at MIT Sloan on fundraising, go-to-market, and market segmentation

Co-founder of Capital for Climate

With 27 years of experience in renewables and sustainable investments, managing over $2B, specializing in low-carbon infrastructure, renewable power, nature-based solutions, and emerging markets financial services.

Director General at Arapyaú Institute

Renata leads efforts for transformative solutions, co-facilitates the Brazil Climate Coalition, co-founded the Amazon Concertation initiative, and serves on the Presidency’s Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development.

Co-Founder Oneshot.Earth

Thomas, founder of Oneshot.earth and co-founder of Thasos Group and Quantified Labs, is an angel investor with Aude Ventures, active in PYMWYMIC, and passionate about innovation, nature, and design.

Head of Business Development - Green Hydrogen, DEME Group

Jean-Baptiste De Cuyper will highlight how mass balancing restrictions hinder green hydrogen production and shipping, delaying decarbonization targets.

Founder of Gruenig & Partners

Professional Certified Coach for billionaire and ultra high net worth families. Coach at Katapult Foundation. Formerly Head of Wealth Owner Programs at CSP.

Co-Founder & Managing Director, Superorganism

With over 15 years of venture and angel investing in marketplaces, climate, and biodiversity, Kevin has worked with startups from idea through IPO.

EarthGrid, Founder and CEO

Troy Helming founded 2 of the most successful renewable energy companies in the USA: Tradewind Energy (largest wind developer in USA in 2017) & Pristine Sun (leading developer of community utility-scale solar farms in USA). He sits on the board of numerous solar and clean energy companies, and has been an advisor, investor, executive director of over a dozen successful companies. He's the author of The Clean Power Revolution (2004) and creator of The Freedom Plan (2005): a blueprint to convert North American to 100% clean renewable energy.

TURN2X, Founder and CEO

Philip, the CEO of TURN2X, is a seasoned entrepreneur who previously founded and successfully exited an AI company. Now leading TURN2X, he is driving innovation in the energy sector with technology that produces CO2-neutral electric natural gas from green hydrogen and biogenic CO2.

Upwell Materials, Founder and CEO

Daniella Zakon is the Founder and CEO of Upwell Materials, a biomaterials company based in Woods Hole, MA. Daniella earned her B.S degree in marine ecology after studying the impacts of rising CO2 on coral reefs in Thailand and Malaysia. She went on to receive her master's degree in environmental studies and business management while living and working in the Middle East. She has worked in green tech, sustainable fashion, clean cosmetics, micro-algae and more.

Upwell Materials, Co-Founder and CMO

Alexandra Dowling Lari is Co-Founder and CMO of Upwell Materials, a biomaterial company based in Woods Hole, MA. Alexandra holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University in English Literature and a graduate degree from Parsons School of Design in Marketing and Brand Management.  She has worked in sales, marketing, luxury fashion and beauty for over twenty years for companies including LVMH, Moda Operandi and Captain Blankenship.

NatureX RMS, Co-Founder and CEO

Raviv Turner is the Co-Founder & CEO of NatureX RMS, a climate and nature risk management platform using AI co-pilots for earth observation. Raviv is also a Founding Member of the Nature Tech Collective, a non-profit member organization that helps financial institutions, insurance companies, and corporations manage their climate and nature risks. Raviv is a TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) nature data working group member. He speaks on the topics of climate and nature risks, nature insurance, GeoAI, spatial finance, and digital MRV.

Re.Green, Partner and CEO

Thiago Picolo is CEO of Re.green, Brazil’s leading ecological restoration company, and has led multiple private-equity backed companies in Brazil. Previously served as CEO of Hortifruti Natural da Terra, Brazil´s largest fresh food retailer. Thiago started his carreer in finance, at Morgan Stanley and GP Investimentos, and holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and OPM from Harvard Business School. Thiago is a board member at Zamp and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.

ArtifexAI, Founder and CEO

Russ Wilcox, CEO of ArtifexAI, pioneers the application of artificial intelligence in urban transformation, leveraging historical city data to create more sustainable metropolitan environments. A thought leader at the intersection of AI and public policy, he brings over 16 years of expertise in machine learning and data science to address global urban and sustainability challenges.

Hertha Metals, Founder and CEO

Dr. Laureen Meroueh, Founder and CEO of Hertha Metals, is leading this venture-backed startup with groundbreaking technology designed to revolutionize steelmaking and significantly reduce emissions. Hertha Metals is on a trajectory to become the global catalyst for decarbonizing the steel industry, leveraging the unique and cost-effective technology that utilizes any grade of iron ore, including waste oxides, to produce pure iron and steel, while dramatically reducing CO₂ emissions. With an unparalleled ability to execute at unprecedented speeds, Hertha Metals is reshaping the future of sustainable steel production.

Airhive, Co-Founder and CEO

Rory Brown, Co-Founder and CEO, leads Airhive in scaling their DAC technology, backed by partners like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. The company is launching a 1,000-tonne facility to drive impactful climate action. Airhive is advancing Direct Air Capture (DAC) with modular, cost-effective systems that remove CO₂ directly from the atmosphere.

WeForest, Co-Founder and CEO

Marie Noëlle is the co-founder and CEO of WeForest, a non-profit organization dedicated to tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges: global warming, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and poverty. Leading a team of 90 professionals -primarily based in Africa - she has overseen the restoration of more than 71,000 hectares (an area comparable to Singapore) with nearly 100 million trees, transforming the lives of half a million people, creating habitats for endangered species, and positively impacting adjacent landscapes 40 times larger (an area roughly equivalent to Yosemite National Park or 3 million hectares).

Heirloom Carbon, Founder and CEO

Shashank Samala, Co-Founder and CEO, leads Heirloom in pioneering scalable, cost-effective carbon removal solutions. Under his leadership, Heirloom has secured significant investments, including a recent $150 million Series B round, to scale their technology. Heirloom accelerates natural carbon mineralization, using limestone to capture CO₂ from the air, aiming to remove 1 billion tons by 2035.

S3 Markets, Co-Founder and CEO

Saman is the Co-Founder and CEO of S3 Markets, driving the adoption of low-carbon commodities in hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel, and ammonia through a book-and-claim system, helping organizations credibly reduce Scope 3 emissions and advancing progress towards global net zero. Saman is passionate about leveraging his background in climate and finance to unlock financial support for radically decarbonized commodity producers in an effort to tip commodity markets towards low carbon modes of production.

Seafields, Founder and CEO

John Auckland has founded Seafields to pioneer a new approach to fighting climate change by introducing aquaculture to the open ocean using a little-known wonder crop, the brown seaweed, Sargassum.

He also founded TribeFirst, the leading global equity crowdfunding marketing agency that's helped more than 120 companies launch their brands and raise their money at the same time. Co-Founded GreenTribe, a pre-seed and seed stage impact investment fund. Also Co-Founder of JustCarbon, which is using Web3 technology to improve the carbon credit certification industry.

Phlair, Founder and CEO

Phlair (formerly Carbon Atlantis) is redefining Direct Air Capture (DAC) with a scalable, cost-effective technology that removes CO2 from ambient air for permanent storage or reuse in CO2-negative chemicals. Their innovative hydrolyzer for acid/base regeneration enables efficient and affordable DAC processes, addressing critical challenges in industries like aviation and aluminum production. Led by Malte Feucht, Founder and CEO, Phlair helps leading customers such as Shopify and Stripe achieve their net-zero goals.

Applied Carbon, Co-Founder and CEO

Jason Aramburu, Founder and CEO, is a seasoned entrepreneur recognized by MIT Technology Review and the World Economic Forum for his groundbreaking work in climate tech. He looks forward to collaborating with the cohort to advance scalable carbon removal solutions. Applied Carbon is transforming agriculture and industry with innovative biochar technology that sequesters carbon, improves soil health, and reduces methane emissions.