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About Third Derivative

Global ecosystem, curated connections, built for impact.

We connect climate tech innovators with a deep network of experts and investors to achieve a brighter, more equitable climate future.

Why do climate tech entrepreneurs in some parts of the world get the funding, access, and resources it takes to bring great ideas to market, while others get neither the help nor the recognition they deserve?

Because funding and access are based on who you know, and what they know. 

At Third Derivative (D3), we know we can only achieve the rapid, massive tech scaling needed to address climate change by giving more breakthrough thinkers a chance to participate and prosper. 

By guiding and supporting climate tech entrepreneurs bringing new ideas and innovation to market, we are accelerating the clean future worldwide. Through a vast global network of deep experts, corporate partners, and investors, we help startups go to market faster with their world-changing ideas, create real impact, and transform markets.

Our Vision

A sustainable, prosperous, equitable climate future.

Our Mission

To build an inclusive, global ecosystem that rapidly finds, funds, and scales climate tech innovation and transforms markets.

 

Committed partners championing the world’s most promising climate tech startups.

Founded by RMI and New Energy Nexus, Third Derivative (D3) is accelerating the rate of climate innovation through our inclusive ecosystem approach, which rapidly finds, funds, and scales climate tech globally. We launched in December 2020 with 46 companies, the largest cohort of climate tech companies in the world.

By uniting and aligning committed investors, large corporates, and market and policy experts with the world’s most promising climate tech startups, D3 bridges finance and resource gaps to increase speed to market. Our flexible and highly curated accelerator program enables startups to focus on their unique needs and opportunities.

Today D3’s collaborative ecosystem includes $4T market cap of corporate partners, $8B AUM of investor partners (across five continents), and over 100 startups addressing climate challenges across all major emissions sectors. Together, we are moving markets to achieve a brighter, more equitable climate future.

Meet Our Team

Entrepreneurial trailblazers. Cleantech pioneers. Ecosystem builders.

Our dedicated climate tech ecosystem leaders each bring distinctive expertise to the table—yet all share the conviction that we must bring together innovation, expertise, and an inclusive ecosystem approach to solve the climate crisis.

We embrace complexity—including hard science and hard tech—and undertaking deep diligence on tough-to-understand, under-hyped solutions often overlooked by many investors and accelerators.

With a growing global team spread across three continents, D3 experts work collaboratively with teams concentrated in Colorado, California, and New York, and other core members stationed in India and Europe. 

 

Team

Silvan Aeschlimann

Direct Air Capture Advisor

Emily Brzozowski

Data & Tools Specialist

Pilar Carvajo Lucena

Investments & Fund Partnerships Principal

Carie Davis

Partnerships Principal

Maddy Dinsdale

Startup Portfolio Senior Associate

Juan Estalella

Partnerships Senior Associate

Jamie Hankins

Startup Portfolio Manager

Alexander Hogeveen Rutter

Research Manager

Jamie Holmstrom

Special Projects Associate

David Hynek

Research & Diligence Associate

Lisa Jensen

Partnerships Senior Associate

Alex Khripko

Ecosystem Partnerships Manager

Chetan Krishna

Head of Research & Diligence

Isha Kulkarni

Research & Diligence Manager

Ryan Kushner

Head of Philanthropic Partnerships

Ryan Laemel

Special Projects Principal

Stella Liu

Investments & Fund Partnerships Senior Associate

Emma Loewen

Special Projects Manager

Ana Sophia Mifsud

Special Projects Manager

Rushad Nanavatty

Managing Director

Mosi Odom

Executive Assistant

Lindsay Rasmussen

Research & Diligence Manager

Emily Rogers

First Gigaton Captured Manager

Claude Rosen

Head of Operations

Ali Rotatori

Startup Portfolio Manager

Raivat Singhania

Research and Diligence Senior Associate

Roy Torbert

Head of Programs

Ella Warshauer

Business Development Senior Associate

Cheryl Webster

Programming Associate

Christi Widmar

Program Operations Lead

Caroline Winslow

Special Projects Manager

Guy Wohl

First Gigaton Captured Associate

Amy Yanow Fairbanks

Strategic Communications Manager

Amos Zerah

Startup Portfolio Senior Associate

 

Advisors

Howard Branz, PhD

Dan Brett, PhD

Jon Creyts

Stephen Doig, PhD

Scott Forbes, PhD

Prof. Chris Howard

Danny Kennedy

Clea Kolster, PhD

Pulakesh Mukherjee

Amory Lovins, PhD

Mike Roeth

Jay Stein

Yuxing Wang, PhD

Hayes Zirnhelt