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Devin: What is your superpower?
Will: I can teach myself anything.
In today’s episode of Superpowers for Good, I had the pleasure of speaking with Will Wiseman, CEO and Co-Founder of Climatize. Will's journey from witnessing the 2019 climate strikes in Barcelona to founding a groundbreaking crowdfunding platform for renewable energy is nothing short of inspiring.
During our conversation, Will shared a pivotal moment from the climate strikes that sparked his realization. "Seeing over 100,000 people protesting for climate action, I was struck by the sad realization that traditional activism lacked the tangible change necessary to solve this macro problem," he said. This insight led him to create Climatize, a platform enabling anyone to invest in renewable energy projects with as little as $5.
Climatize’s mission is clear: to make impact investing accessible to everyone. “Climate change is an all-hands-on-deck problem,” Will emphasized. “We need everybody at any capacity to become a participant.” By allowing investments to start at just $5, Climatize ensures that virtually anyone can contribute to combating climate change and be part of the energy transition.
The success of Climatize speaks volumes. Since its launch in May 2023, the platform has catalyzed nearly $3.5 million of investments into 11 solar and storage projects across seven states. These projects are projected to avoid emissions equivalent to 65 million vehicle miles. Investors are not only contributing to environmental solutions but also seeing tangible impacts of their investments.
One of the standout features of Climatize is the transparency it offers. Investors can see the direct impact of their contributions, from project development to installation. This level of engagement fosters trust and encourages more people to participate. “Knowing that your money went and helped this family as well as created environmental impact is what we've found to be very catalytic,” Will explained.
Will’s dedication and innovative approach have turned Climatize into a beacon for those wanting to make a real difference. As he said, “This is one of the largest wealth creation opportunities of our lifetime, and it’s incredibly important that everybody has the potential to participate as an active stakeholder in the energy transition.”
In this episode, we delved into how Climatize is reshaping the landscape of renewable energy investments, proving that with the right platform, small contributions can lead to significant change.
AI Episode Summary
1. Will Wiseman is the CEO of Climatize, involved in Crowdfunding for climate solutions.
2. Will was inspired to start Climatize after witnessing the 2019 climate strikes in Barcelona and realizing traditional activism was insufficient.
3. Climatize is an SEC-registered funding portal enabling anyone to invest in renewable energy projects with as little as $5.
4. Since launching in May 2023, Climatize has catalyzed nearly $3.5 million in investments into 11 projects across seven states.
5. These projects are projected to avoid emissions equivalent to 65 million vehicle miles.
6. Crowdfunding allows investors to see the tangible impact of their money, different from traditional ESG investments.
7. Climatize has a strong trust factor with investors, resulting in an average check size of $6,000, compared to the industry average of $2,000.
8. Projects on Climatize are often funded quickly, some in as little as two hours.
9. Will attributes his success to aligning his skills with his passions and his ability to self-teach.
10. To encourage investment, new users can receive a $10 credit on Climatize, enabling them to start investing right away.
How to Develop Passionate Self-Teaching As a Superpower
Summary of Will's Superpower:
Will's superpower is his ability to align his passions with his skills, driven by a deep curiosity that fuels his continuous self-education. This combination allows him to tackle challenges and acquire new knowledge effectively.
Illustrative Story:
In the interview, Will shared how he delved into the renewable energy tax credit space following the Inflation Reduction Act. This new area allowed tax credits from renewable projects to be transferred. Despite the market existing for only about nine months, it scaled rapidly to $9 billion. Will taught himself the intricacies of this emerging field by voraciously consuming information from podcasts, readings, and thought leaders. This self-directed learning enabled him to incorporate tax credit transactions into Climatize’s offerings, demonstrating his superpower in action.
Tips for Developing This Superpower:
1. Follow Your Curiosity: Engage with topics that naturally interest you to maintain motivation and drive.
2. Consume Relevant Content: Listen to industry-specific podcasts and read extensively to build fluency and stay informed.
3. Identify Knowledge Gaps: Seek out and master areas where your understanding is lacking.
4. Incremental Learning: Tackle complexities step by step, continually pushing your understanding.
5. Emulate Industry Leaders: Use thought leaders as benchmarks and learn from their insights and strategies.
6. Maintain Consistent Effort: Treat learning like training for a sport, with structured and regular efforts to improve.
Conclusion:
By following Will Wiseman’s example and advice, you can make passionate self-teaching a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Will Wiseman (he/him):
CEP & Co-Founder, Climatize
About Climatize: Climatize enables you to invest in sustainability and reduce your tax liability in one platform. It is an SEC-registered Funding Portal that allows it to issue debt securities and leverage tax credit transferability. This creates a comprehensive platform where renewable energy developers can receive full-capital stack finance for their projects.
Website: www.climatize.earth
X/Twitter Handle: @Climatize_earth
Company Facebook Page: fb.com/climatize.earth/
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/climatize-earth/
Other URL: Your App Store
Biographical Information: Will has a 10-year track record in renewable energy, particularly solar, with experience in every role, including finance, engineering, project management, and construction, where he has built 15 solar farms. His company, Climatize, makes it incredibly simple to invest in renewable energy projects across the US with as little as $10 while earning up to 10% annually. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Climatize, Will has built a community of over 780 investors who have invested over $3,400,000 in 11 community solar projects in 7 states.
He holds a Double MSc in Renewable Energy Engineering from KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology.
Will was among the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees in the Social Impact category & selected among the Young Global Changers by the World Policy Forum in 2022.
Will's goal is to fund $1 billion per year of renewable energy projects within 5 years. Together with the team at Climatize, he's building the financial network for climate action that enables anyone to invest in any renewable energy project from anywhere in the world.
X/Twitter Handle: @MrWwwiseman
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-wiseman/
Instagram Handle: @climatize.earth
Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar
If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.
Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on May 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, you must first become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.
SuperCrowdHour, June 19, 2024, at 1:00 Eastern. Each month, we host a value-laden webinar for aspiring impact investors or social entrepreneurs. At this month’s webinar, Angela Barbash of Revalue will share insights about moving money from Wall Street to Main Street. Register here.
SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. This in-person event at Columbia College Chicago features some of Chicago’s prominent citizens and community leaders, along with crowdfunding experts. Use the discount code “SuperCrowd” to save 30 percent!
Recently, we created an AI GPT to help you learn more about The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, and our upcoming events. Click here to try it.
SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar
KingsCrowd's upcoming Demo Day, (Today!) Thursday, May 16th at 12:00 am ET/9:00 am PT
Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar, May 29, 2:00 PM ET
The Reg A & Crowdfunding Conference, June 20, Westchester Country Club (Save 20% with the code Super20)
Crowdfunding Professional Association, Summit in DC, October 22-23
If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,500+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here.
We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.
Crowdfunding Climate Solutions: Empowering Individuals to Invest in Renewable Energy