#229: Dr. Liz Dennett, CEO of Endolith – Sustainable Mining with Microbial Power. Copper Extraction from Low-Grade Ores. Critical Metals. Biotech. PhD in Astrobiology. BHP and Rio Tinto Partnerships.

The Climate Finance Fund is a philanthropic platform that helps to mobilize capital for climate solutions. Supported by the Hewlett Foundation and hosted by the European Climate Foundation, they’re focused on China, the European Union, and the United States.–Previously, Marilyn led energy and cleantech investments at Village Capital, managed nuclear and renewable energy projects at AREVA (now Orano), and served as a Senior Research Fellow at Project Drawdown, where she led a team to analyze, model, and forecast energy solutions to climate change. Marilyn also worked at the intersection of science and policy at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and in economic development at the United Nations in Madagascar. She is a multilingual speaker and author of Sustainability at Work: Careers that Make a Difference.–In this podcast, we talked about the $450T of global capital relative to the $4T needed each year to mitigate the worst economic and public health effects of climate change, her blended finance work with BlackRock, why each dollar can accomplish more climate mitigation inthe Global South, what a hummingbird in Jamaica might have foretold about her work at the Global Climate Finance Forum, and how to find a job in this field in her book, Sustainability at Work.–🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKSMarilyn Waite - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynwaiteClimate Finance Fund - https://climatefinance.fund–🙏 SHOUT-OUTS:Please give Marilyn and Climate Finance Fund a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people. –📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re an invite-only community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠–📣 GET EFI'S NEWSLETTER:We share 4 insights in 4 minutes from working with 400 climate CEOs and investors. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠–✍🏼 LEAVE A REVIEW:To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, our guests really appreciate your reviews!Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠–🤔 PODCAST HOST:Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Daily LinkedIn posts on climate tech startups, CEOs, and finance here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Rusheen Capital Management is a Santa Monica, CA-based private equity firm that invests in growth-stage companies in the carbon capture and utilization, low-carbon energy, and water sustainability sectors.–Prior to co-founding Rusheen, Jim started, invested in and run numerous companies. These include: US Renewables Group (Founder & Managing Partner), Stamps.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:STMP – Founder), Spoke Software, Inc. (Founder & CEO), Archive, Inc. (Founder & CEO – sold to Cyclone Commerce), NanoH2O, Inc. (Founder & Board Member – sold to LG Chemical), SolarReserve (Founder & Board Member), Fulcrum Bioenergy, Inc. (Founder & Board Member), Common Assets (Founder & Board Member – sold to NASDAQ:SCTY), SET Technology (Board Member) and OH Energy, Inc. (Founder & Board Member).–In this podcast, we talked about why investors should remain optimistic about investing in climate, how reliability trumps novelty in the energy sector every time, the need for geoengineering as today’s Tylenol, how tithing and the Giving Pledge can catalyze funding from 650,000 ultra high net worth families to address climate’s toughest challenges, why we need new financial structures to match the 10-20 year nature of hard tech climate solutions, and why he likes to walk in the dark in Southern California canyons to hear whispers of insights about business and life.–🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKSJim McDermott - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesacmcdermottRusheen Capital Management - https://www.rusheen.com–🙏 SHOUT-OUTS:Please give Jim and Rusheen a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people. –📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re an invite-only community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠–📣 GET EFI'S NEWSLETTER:We share 4 insights in 4 minutes from working with 400 climate CEOs and investors. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠–✍🏼 LEAVE A REVIEW:To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, our guests really appreciate your reviews!Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠–🤔 PODCAST HOST:Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Daily LinkedIn posts on climate tech startups, CEOs, and finance here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Endolith is a Denver-based biotech startup revolutionizing mining by leveraging microbes to sustainably extract copper and lithium from low-grade ores. Founded in 2023, the company employs custom-engineered microbial communities, adaptive biohatcheries, and real-time cloud-based monitoring to enhance mineral recovery while minimizing environmental impact. Endolith's innovations have demonstrated significant improvements in copper extraction, attracting partnerships with industry leaders like BHP and Rio Tinto. Their approach not only boosts efficiency but also reduces reliance on harmful chemicals, aligning mining practices with clean energy goals.–Dr. Liz Dennett is a technologist and entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience in biotech and energy industries.Previously, she was the CTO of Cemvita, developing nature-inspired biosolutions for a carbon-neutral future.  Liz has held senior roles at Wood Mackenzie, AWS, Biota Technology, Hess Corporation, and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. She is also an advisory board member for the UW-Madison Dept. of Geoscience.  Liz holds a MS and PhD in geoscience and astrobiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison–We talked about reasons for her purple hair, copper demand expected to double by 2050, specially evolved microbial communities combined with cloud computing to enhance copper recovery, relying on internal validation over external approval, and bad mining puns.--🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKSLiz Dennett - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizpdEndolith - https://www.endolithmining.com/--🙏 SHOUT-OUTS:Please give Liz and Endolith a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or X by sharing this podcast with your people. --📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re an invite-only community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--📣 GET EFI'S NEWSLETTER:We share 4 insights in 4 minutes from working with 400 climate CEOs and investors. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--✍🏼 LEAVE A REVIEW:To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, our guests really appreciate your reviews!Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--🤔 PODCAST HOST:Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Daily LinkedIn posts on climate tech startups, CEOs, and finance here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding