“The future of climate is being written now. It's Pascal's wager, right? You have to act like you believe in God, even if you don't. And we have to act like there's a solution. We have to do everything we can.” – Avra van der Zee

Welcome to Cause and Purpose, the podcast that dives into the stories of people who lead the way in tackling the world's most pressing social challenges. 

Today, we're exploring the intersection of environmental innovation and venture capital with Avra van der Zee, the chief operating officer at Elemental Excelerator, to understand how nonprofits can leverage investment to amplify their impact.

Elemental isn't your typical non-profit. It stands out with its groundbreaking approach, operating as a venture capital firm with a dedicated mission to finance and scale environmental technology companies poised to make a significant impact. As COO, Avra sits at the heart of this innovative fusion of philanthropy and venture, driving the organization's efforts to identify and scale high-impact climate solutions. 

In these show notes, we'll explore how Avra's personal journey built the foundation for her professional mission and unpack her views on topics like why impact-driven companies need a local focus and how storytelling is essential to impact measurement.

There’s a lot to cover in this one, so let’s get started. 

Who Is Avra van der Zee?

Avra’s story begins with diverse influences and a deep-rooted passion for innovation and hard work. Raised in upstate New York, Avra learned from the examples set by her parents. Her father was a doctor and inventor with a knack for testing his new inventions at home, while her mother pursued a compassionate career as a social worker.

“I think my dad, being a doctor, [and] my mom, being a social worker… [had] careers that really are about the human condition and doing something meaningful with work. So that was always there. It was adding to that, this idea of invention and creativity and problem solving via building new things that imprinted over these moments seeing my dad being excited about the possibility and the potential of new inventions and new technology.”  - Avra van der Zee

This unique blend of backgrounds built a foundation for Avra’s commitment to making a meaningful difference. It also fostered a keen sense of ingenuity and a strong work ethic, traits that have guided her through an impressive career trajectory. 

“I have a fear that if I stop working, [it’s like] how sharks [will drown] if they stop swimming. I think I have that mentality ingrained in my mind. Work is a pathway to independence. Work is a pathway to adding value and being a productive citizen.” – Avra van der Zee

Avra has drawn from her roots throughout her career to inspire innovation and drive change. From practicing law to achieve climate justice to her role as Elemental Excelerator’s COO, she’s driven by the ultimate goal of building a more sustainable future.

Avra's Journey from Law to Positive Climate Impact

While she was drawn to law because of her love for reading and desire for change, Avra soon realized that her true calling was more entrepreneurial. This ultimately led her to pivot from law to work on environmentally-focused startups.

Her first experience with social entrepreneurship came when she accepted an in-house role at Trespa and Green Street Holdings, where visionary mentors inspired her to shift her focus from litigation to supporting growth in companies committed to sustainable practices. This decision was more than a career change – it was a step towards fulfilling her more profound purpose in environmental stewardship.

“I went to Trespa and left the law firm quite early in 2008. I was working on [the] Lehman Brothers financial crisis, and [Trespa was] a client. I realized that by going in-house, I had the potential to shift from litigation to building, to supporting a company that was poised for growth, that had this potential for a sustainable building design and rethinking how buildings are made.” – Avra van der Zee

After working for Trespa, Avra shifted her attention from building materials to environmentally focused transportation at Jump, an e-bike sharing service. This choice came out of left field for many of the people she knew but ultimately reinforced her belief in fostering sustainability through groundbreaking tech.

Avra helped Jump scale until Uber acquired the company in 2018, and she realized that she loved working with entrepreneurs during her time there. This passion is what encouraged her to join Elemental Excelerator as its Resident Entrepreneur. 

Leaning on the knowledge she gained from her legal and the environmental tech industry, Avra began to champion entrepreneurs poised to make real-world ecological impacts.

What Is Elemental Excelerator?

Elemental Excelerator blends innovation with a solid commitment to communities by financing promising environmental impact companies that focus on making a difference at a local level. The nonprofit also goes beyond initial funding to support its portfolio with additional funding and guidance that helps them make a positive change in their communities.

Elemental runs on the belief that real change starts at the grassroots level. Introducing groundbreaking technology isn’t enough – what truly matters is how it serves and uplifts the community. 

“Elemental Excelerator is a nonprofit investor. We're focused on scaling climate solutions with deep community impact. We invest across sectors like transportation, energy, building, water, food, ag, circular economy, [and] nature-based solutions. And we have a track record of investing and supporting climate companies that are bringing community impact [and] incorporating community feedback into the process of where climate projects are deployed.” – Avra van der Zee

The nonprofit investment group champions this cause by actively involving community voices and collaborating with local groups, ensuring every project aligns with the community's needs and goals.

“We're looking for companies that have out-of-the-lab technologies in the world with some customer traction. And we look to help those organizations scale [through] funding from philanthropy and from government funding sources, high-friction capital. We have a rigorous investing philosophy and compliance infrastructure that enables us to then invest that capital in ways that we think are low-friction.” – Avra van der Zee

With an impressive roster of over 150 companies in its portfolio, Elemental Excelerator catalyzes growth in the climate tech sector with over eight billion dollars in funding raised. Both their portfolio size and funding achievements highlight how Elemental's model, where investment goes hand in hand with community betterment and environmental stewardship, makes a major impact.

Measuring Impact at Elemental Excelerator

The team at Elemental looks beyond conventional metrics to understand how their companies influence lives and ecosystems. They embrace a holistic view of impact that includes economic boosts like job creation – a valuable metric that most climate organizations overlook. 

Elemental’s evaluators understand that each company fund is unique and tailor metrics to each company's distinctive contribution, whether that's conserving water, cutting energy costs, or other significant impacts. 

One great example is Source, a company that harnesses sunlight and air to provide clean drinking water. Elemental's evaluation for Source goes beyond the numbers to measure the total impact it makes on communities like the one they helped in an incorporated area in Texas with contaminated wells.

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“We worked with them and a few community stakeholders to install hydro panels in 21 residences, and they're using that as a template that's replicable. They're now planning for a community garden. Clean water can be used to grow crops for the residents,[and] we could measure the number of plastic bottles they've eliminated. We could measure what these off-the-grid panels reduce in terms of not having to have electrical input – the CO2 reduction. But the sort of real-life impact on these 21 residences is [more] profound.” – Avra van der Zee

Much of this evaluation comes from telling the story of how Elemental’s portfolio improves the quality of life for the impacted communities. By sharing how Source's technology changes everyday lives, Elemental takes a more comprehensive view of the company’s contributions that go beyond the data.

Elemental's vision focuses on the long-term advantages of ecological innovation. It sees a future where products like Source's hydropanels meet immediate needs and grow community resilience and sustainability.

Philanthropy’s Role in Elemental Excelerator's Funding Strategy

According to Avra, philanthropy goes beyond generosity  – it's a strategic engine driving environmental innovation. Elemental Excelerator partners with philanthropists who share a vision for a sustainable future, emphasizing how their support fills in financial gaps and promotes growth in climate tech.

But philanthropic dollars at Elemental do a lot more than fill financial voids. They spark a chain reaction of innovation that helps projects evolve from developing ideas to real-world applications. This philanthropic approach boosts progress on early-stage innovations, making it easier for climate tech to reach more people.

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“Philanthropy enables us to move quickly to push into areas that allow companies to scale that bridge more quickly. It allows us to be innovative and create new financial tools that reduce transaction costs [and] reduce friction. That enables access to funding in catalytic ways to get to the next stage and invest in the highest impact projects.” – Avra van der Zee

These funds also serve as a magnet, drawing in more private capital that multiplies the effects of philanthropic donations. This combination of philanthropy and venture capital allows investors to quickly see how their contributions can create a ripple effect of growth.

In essence, Elemental uses philanthropy as a bridge that connects donors with groundbreaking innovations and paves the way for private investments. The end result is the rapid scaling of environmental innovations that transform communities. 

How Elemental Excelerator’s OKRs Drive Culture

At Elemental Excelerator, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a pillar of the corporate culture. Avra believes these OKRs influence everything at Elemental Excelerator by syncing daily tasks with the organization’s vision and fostering the growth mindset that is key to finding and funding new projects.

“We think of our OKR process as the roadmap to achieving [our five-year strategy]. So, we've developed various metrics to make sure that we're all moving in the right direction and aligned on where we're going. That alignment is top to bottom throughout the organization and infused across the different teams because we do a lot of different things to try to achieve the objectives of our five-year strategy.” – Avra van der Zee

This collective involvement gives every team member ownership of the company’s mission and helps them see how they contribute to achieving more significant goals. Regular touchpoints for reviewing and refining OKRs also keep the team in sync and ready to adapt and evolve in response to new discoveries or industry shifts.

Avra van der Zee's Optimism About the Future of Climate Solutions

Avra is optimistic about the positive change we can make to the environment as humans, but she believes we must believe that the change is possible. Right now is a pivotal moment for our planet’s future, and we can work hard to overcome significant environmental issues.

“We have to act like there's a solution. We have to do everything we can. I'm an inherent optimist. I can't not take the Pascal's wager approach and act like we can't try our hardest in every way possible. I think the solutions are there. I think a lot of things can and should and will come together to get us there.” – Avra van der Zee

Her optimism is fueled by her work at Environmental Excelerator and unprecedented funding in the climate sector that has promoted significant job growth in environmental work. These actions point to a thriving future where environmental initiatives drive economic prosperity.

She sees a world where even the smallest green initiatives create ripple effects, and the drive for profits can align with a greener future. Ultimately, this blend of sustainability initiatives and eco-minded capitalism can make a world focused on regenerative practices.

How to Get Involved With Environmental Excelerator

Avra’s advice is to start on the local level if you want to get involved with environmental change. Find local groups that make a direct impact on the environment around you. Working collectively on small ecological issues is the key to pushing the needle forward on positive global impact.

Another great way to cause ecological change is to vote. Sometimes it’s hard to see the effect your ballot has on governmental outcomes. However, voting on issues like climate today will dictate governmental policy on future events.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to give it a positive review on your favorite listening platform. It would be great to hear your feedback. Also, be sure to follow Cause and Purpose to learn more about the people working to drive impact in our world. 

And if you’re a funder looking to make an impact with your gifts, check out altruous.org to learn how you can help us fund the highest-impact programs available.

Tune in to These Timestamps for More of My Discussion With Avra

[00:05:44] Meet Avra’s Noni

[00:07:21] Learn About Avra’s Father’s Medical Inventions

[00:14:18] Avra’s Move to Trespa

[00:16:08] Avra’s Decision to “Jump” into Transportation

[00:21:47] Learn More About Elemental Excelerator’s Investment Strategy

[00:26:03] Elemental Excelerator’s Evaluation Process

[00:31:58] How Elemental Excelerator Measures Impact

[00:36:19] Foreign Mobility, One of Avra’s Favorite Companies in the EE Portfolio

[00:42:19] How Elemental Works With Government Grants at Scale

[00:46:20] Where Philanthropy Fits into Elemental Excelerator

[00:49:44] The Importance of Storytelling at Elemental

[00:54:00] How the OKR Process Impacts Elemental Excelerator

[01:08:50] What Avra Is Excited About at This Point in Her Career

[01:11:15] Avra’s Take on the Planet’s Ecological Future

[01:16:30] Avra’s Favorite Board Member Moment With Made of Air

Special Thanks:

This episode would not have been possible without the amazing team at Bryson Gillette. Bryson Gillette is a California and Washington, D.C.-based, minority-owned, intentionally diverse strategic communications and public affairs firm dedicated to serving the needs of its clients and delivering results. We are a mission-driven organization that partners with organizations, companies, candidates, and individuals fighting to make the world more just, safe, healthy, and prosperous for all. Click here to learn more.

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