Insights from Climate Entrepreneur Shared with Cornell Innovators

The research of climate technology presents a substantial opportunity to influence the environment in a meaningful way. One particularly potent tool for innovators in this sector is entrepreneurship, as it can advance climate solutions while also stimulating the economy and creating job opportunities. A recent event co-hosted by W.E. Cornell and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability offered valuable insights into this emerging industry through a fireside chat featuring Madison Savilow, Chief of Staff at Carbon Upcycling, and Andrea Ippolito ’06, M.Eng. ’07, Director of W.E. Cornell and founder of SimpliFed.

Drawing from her extensive experience, Savilow offered valuable advice for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs. One key piece of advice is to anchor your business in solving a problem. This approach involves understanding the needs of potential clients and tailoring your technology to provide a viable solution.

Another important point is to be resourceful and adaptive. According to Savilow, the ability to be open-minded, seek new skills, and embrace new opportunities is a crucial attribute for success in this industry.

In addition, she emphasized the significance of taking advantage of non-dilutive grant funding. Savilow mentioned that grant funding played a pivotal role in the success of Carbon Upcycling, allowing them to achieve a 10 million times scale up in production capacity over eight years.

Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of ensuring mission alignment with investors. It’s crucial for entrepreneurs to carefully choose investors who genuinely believe in their mission and are not just seeking to invest for the sake of their image or optics. Savilow stressed the importance of negotiating to ensure alignment with investors before proceeding with any investment.

Moreover, Savilow advised entrepreneurs to focus their value proposition on product quality rather than sustainability alone. She shared that for Carbon Upcycling, the priority is on solving the business problems for companies, with carbon utilization serving as the mechanism to produce high-performing products.

For those interested in learning more about these valuable insights, the full story can be found in the Entrepreneurship at Cornell newsfeed.

This event provided a valuable opportunity for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs to gain insights from a seasoned professional in the industry. By heeding the advice of experienced figures such as Madison Savilow, innovators can be better equipped to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities in this ever-growing field.