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Two DOE-funded tech-to-market projects led by Reshma Singh, a Harvard-trained architect now at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, are helping female and diverse entrepreneurs and innovators dramatically reduce the time it takes to bring science-based climate technology to market. The projects are called IMPEL and Cradle to Commerce.

While leading these projects, Reshma has identified a trend: women are developing some of the most exciting and promising building decarbonization technologies out there. In some cases, it can take decades for a climate technology to become commercially viable. Through IMPEL and Cradle to Commerce (C2C), Reshma and her team are working to accelerate the process.

We at CleanTechnica were delighted when Reshma and her team reached out to us to share updates on IMPEL and Cradle to Commerce.

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What are IMPEL and Cradle to Commerce doing differently to help diverse entrepreneurs and innovators shorten the time it takes to bring science-based climate technology to market?

As a woman of color focused on addressing the climate crisis, I am proud that every aspect of IMPEL and C2C helps women and diverse entrepreneurs succeed in climate tech.

First, there’s our leadership. Women of color lead the IMPEL and C2C programs, and more than half of the mentors, advisors, and experts involved in these programs are women and people of color. Our mentors have firsthand experience with the unique challenges women and people of color face in securing funding and even in the day-to-day operations of their climate technology projects.

I’ve experienced this throughout my career. Years ago, I ran an edutech startup. During pitch meetings, the audience would only ask my male partner the hard technical questions, even though that was my area of ​​expertise and his focus was on other areas of the business. I still face discrimination to this day. Last week, as I was leaving my hotel room to give a speech at a high-profile conference, the gentleman staying next to me assumed I was a housekeeper and said his room was ready for me to clean!

In the U.S. energy sector, women hold only 26% of jobs (even lower in management positions) and earn 20% less than their male counterparts. We need diverse perspectives and talents to achieve innovative solutions for the global clean energy transition. I am committed to helping other women and people of color participate in and lead this historic transition.

Then there’s our application process. We’ve purposefully recruited women entrepreneurs, people of color, and people from different regions of the country — including 36 states so far — for our IMPEL and C2C programs.

Finally, there’s our programming itself. We provide our innovators with the scientific expertise, business coaching, and financial connections they need to commercialize their projects faster than they would have without this support. According to Pitchbook data, women-founded startups will receive 2% or less of venture capital (VC) funding in the United States in 2023. We help our female entrepreneurs overcome this challenge.

For example, C2C offers several innovators and entrepreneurs exclusive access to top national lab IP. The innovators are matched with top scientists, business experts and investors who can help them bring the IP to market. The goal: to accelerate honest climate tech entrepreneurs and commercialize scientifically verified climate tech solutions from national labs to achieve rapid reductions in climate emissions.

Why are women so enthusiastic about the IMPEL and Cradle to Commerce initiatives?

Our female entrepreneurs especially agree with our focus on climate equity because they have experienced climate injustice themselves or understand that women are disproportionately affected by climate change. Kristeen Reynolds, CEO of GROWTH Development, lost her family home to Hurricane Harvey. GROWTH Development builds hurricane-resistant homes so other families won’t have to deal with such a devastating loss.

What attractive aspects of venture capital can support climate technology financing for a variety of entrepreneurs?

We need more VC firms that share the values ​​of IMPEL and C2C to support women and diverse entrepreneurs. According to the World Economic Forum, gender bias and a lack of female investors are said to hinder VC investments in women-owned businesses, which could be overcome by partnering with female investors and providing mutual exposure. In addition, we need these VC firms to partner with programs like ours to maximize impact. Our partnership with Joe Garcia of Rethink Capital, an investment firm focused on supporting diverse entrepreneurs, is a great start.

It’s also important to note that supporting women and diverse entrepreneurs isn’t just a feel-good business. There’s a strong business case. Benefits include stronger decision-making and innovation, stronger corporate brands, and a greater ability to attract and retain top talent — all of which benefits the company’s bottom line.

Why is it important to focus on building and energy technologies to promote climate technology?

This is important for two reasons:

1. Buildings are responsible for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
2. We need better, more sustainable buildings to keep communities safe during extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. While the need to decarbonise the built environment is urgent, hard tech often takes years to develop from concept to market.

Alexa Bednarz, CEO and founder of Eco-Shelter, is leading exciting work in this space. Eco-Shelter is developing ultra-low-carbon, cost-competitive roofing and building projects made from bamboo, which is a more sustainable alternative to traditional wood materials and cement.

Helene Cornell, co-founder of ARIS Hydronics, has developed a clean, high-performance HVAC and hot water system that produces zero climate emissions and delivers significant energy savings compared to traditional HVAC and hot water systems.

What is the intersection between sustainable building technologies and environmental justice?

The most basic intersection has to do with building materials, like wood. Deforestation is a problem. When we cut down forests, we leave communities vulnerable to climate impacts like severe storms, heavy rains, and flooding. PVC, which is used to make siding, pipes, flooring, and window treatments, is also a problem. PVC factories emit a toxic gas called vinyl chloride. These facilities are heavily concentrated in the underserved Louisiana community known as “Cancer Alley” because of the high cancer rates among its residents. Jhana Porter, CEO of frakktal, is working on a solution that uses agricultural processing waste to make alternatives to toxic PVC.

To what extent is female-led climate technology a niche sector, one that appeals to a market that is predominantly female?

I am excited to share that women entrepreneurs are particularly focused on IMPEL’s three core issues: regenerative circularity, sustainable prosperity, and integrating traditional wisdom with artificial intelligence (AI), and the four domain areas of C2C: buildings, grid modernization and energy storage, nuclear, and renewable energy. Women-led climate technology is not just about supporting women. It is about supporting women in developing solutions that benefit society as a whole.

For example, regenerative circularity means making products from clean, reusable materials. PHYTOSTONE, a women-led company founded by Emily Majewski, uses “cast carbon”—which combines biochar (pyrolyzed biomass) with natural clay, fibers, and binding minerals—as a clean, biodegradable alternative to regular Portland cement. Cast carbon contains no petrochemicals, glues, asbestos, resins, or crystalline silica.

Sustainable prosperity is a form of economic development that benefits all people and the planet. Radiant Exchange, led by recent University of Pennsylvania graduate Rowan Bortz, uses radiant cooling to keep outdoor spaces cool during periods of extreme heat. Radiant surfaces absorb heat directly from your body, unlike air conditioners that rely on cooling the air around you. Radiant Exchange allows us to spend more time outdoors during warm weather. We’ll spend less time cooling our buildings and save money on our energy bills while tackling climate change.

Integrating traditional wisdom and AI is the practice of using AI to improve systems that promote health and wellness. Aimee Bailey’s company Rock Rabbit uses AI technology to give consumers fast, easy, and reliable access to incentives for green home upgrades. These upgrades save consumers money, reduce indoor air pollution, and improve thermal comfort – all supporting our overall health and wellness.

Half of the first batch of C2C startups (four out of eight) selected to proceed have a female entrepreneur as a partner: Helene Cornell at Aris Hydronics, Vivian Tran at Galvanized Energy, Kanthi Latha Bhamidipati at AmDryve and Pauliina Meskanen at Calectra.

What is the long-term potential for women-led climate technology?

The potential is limitless, especially if we create an international community of women entrepreneurs working together to solve the climate crisis. This is the focus of another program I help lead: the Climate Smart Women Energy Leader’s (CS-WEL) program. Through this program, I mentored an inspiring woman from Nigeria, Peace Nnabugwu, who grew up in a home with a traditional wood-burning stove. These stoves are common in low-resource households across Nigeria that do not have electricity. Unfortunately, they produce unsafe levels of pollution that harm families and also contribute to climate change. Today, Peace is focused on phasing out these stoves and replacing them with clean stoves that are better for public health and the environment.

Another key element in this effort: ensuring that girls everywhere receive an education. Educating girls and women could result in 50 gigatons of avoided greenhouse gas emissions while addressing nine of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.