In many ways, carbon removal is thriving — billions in federal funding, a flourishing landscape of startups, and increased public understanding of its role in addressing climate change. But to get to gigaton scale, key needs must be addressed and massive opportunities leveraged.
Starting something from the ground up is incredibly difficult — we know, we’ve been there. Our Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program pairs our CDR expertise with operational support for the people and ideas that we see as integral to carbon removal’s success. For years, we’ve been able to see where CDR is headed next. We want to do our part to champion others as we collectively build a carbon-removing future.
Back to our roots
When we were founded in 2015, the biggest hurdle for carbon removal was awareness: People needed to know what it was, so we set out to educate on the suite of solutions and help others gain the resources they needed to do the same. But as that awareness grew, we saw more and more needs arise — a good thing, because as carbon removal matured in the public consciousness, so did the opportunities that it offered.
Carbon180 as an organization also evolved, and we dedicated ourselves to policy as a powerful lever for scaling CDR. We’re great at what we do, but we’re not the best fit to solve every problem CDR might face. Instead, we’re investing in the people and ideas we think can help all of us advance our goals.
Of course we think about where we can have the greatest impact — and a central part of that is asking ourselves where someone else can do more.
Erin BurnsExecutive Director
Supporting entrepreneurs as they build something new
We know that carbon removal will benefit when more people have authority to determine its future. This program aims to create inroads into CDR for more people.
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Carbon removal expertise
We have a deep bench of experts at our organization spanning agriculture, tech, environmental justice, and more. EIRs can pick their brains, learn about new research, or ask for feedback on inklings and insights.
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Friends across the field
We’ve been around the CDR block for some time, and can help EIRs understand and navigate the burgeoning carbon removal landscape.
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Access to resources
While every entrepreneur in residence receives customized support, we can help EIRs access fiscal sponsorship, learning and development resources, admin assistance, and whatever else is needed to kickstart their big idea.
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Autonomy and independence
Entrepreneurs in this program maintain full independence from Carbon180 — that’s essential for us. This program supports inspiring thinkers and doers in achieving their ambitions for carbon removal, not ours.
Together, we’re building a future that’s different from our past. Paramount to that goal is guaranteeing diversity, equity, and inclusion are the foundation of new organizations joining the CDR field. Our team and portfolio of work aim to center the wants, needs, and voices of those most impacted by climate change, ensuring they can shape carbon removal to best serve them. It’s crucial for us that organizations coming out of this program do the same.
Program alum are already catalyzing the field
We’re proud to see the impact of this program already shaping the field through the likes of Heirloom co-founder and CEO Shashank Samala, CarbonPlan founder and executive director Jeremy Freeman, and others. We believe not just in ideas but in people, and these people are changing the world.
Read more about program alum or check out our team to see who is currently an EIR.
