001 The Collider – A collision of climate experts, education, and collaboration in Asheville, NC
Show Notes
This week on The Supportedly Podcast, I sat down with Josh Dorfman, CEO of The Collider and James McMahon, CEO of The Climate Service. They help me better understand the programs available to support entrepreneurs at The Collider. Not only did I find out more about the programs, I also discovered a passion for helping startups with new ideas centered around climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. The Collider provides advice and mentoring, knowledge and skills, and space and tools for climate entrepreneurs. I find out the best ways to take advantage of the programs offered at the Collider. We also take time to discuss how Collider members gain access to a global community of climate solution providers.
The Details
1:00 – A bit about Josh. Josh tells the story of his journey to The Collider
3:00 – The Collider – Why is The Collider in Asheville? The Collider, NOAA and data analysis
5:33 – What programs does The Collider offer to entrepreneurs? Josh explains The Collider’s playbook for engaging with entrepreneurs. Hint – it starts with market validation and big data experts from NOAA.
7:48 – The Collider is rolling out a mentorship network! Josh walks us through the mentor network including both climate scientists and mentors with perspectives on starting and growing businesses.
8:50 – Additionally, twice weekly workshops that provide practical modeling and education for business owners.
9:30 – A new kind of angel network – Investor Operator Angel Network. Josh gives us a sneak peek of a program coming in 2019 that he and his team at The Collider are super excited about.
11:47 – Get involved in the programs offered by The Collider – Josh tells us how.
13:58 – Entrepreneur Insights – James McMahon joins me for a conversation about his company, The Climate Service and how The Collider is helping him build a company focused on climate risk assessment.
17:04 – This week, The Supportedly Podcast is brought to you by WeDo and of course I’m a huge fan of WeDo and am super glad they’re supporting The Supportedly Podcast!
18:04 – Finally, we get final words of advice from Josh.
The Facts
Find out more about The Collider’s programs and connect directly with them at Supportedly.com . [need to add link]
Keep in touch with The Collider! sign up for their newsletters.
Check out more about The Climate Service and get in touch with James McMahon here.
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Host: Stephanie Kissel
I utilize my background and expertise in project leadership to find creative operational solutions every day. I’m passionate about great ideas and inspired by the entrepreneurs who bring them to life (ever seen someone cry happy tears over your prototype?). I'm fortunate to work with people who share my passions and inspire me every day. Together, we're working non-stop to create cool things that empower entrepreneurs and business owners, like Supportedly.com, the place to find entrepreneurial support programs, events, and actionable content like The Supportedly Podcast. To all the providers and entrepreneurs they support, thanks for letting me tell your stories, and if you’re reading this, I hope we’ve helped make your entrepreneurial journey just a little be easier and maybe even more exciting!
Josh Dorfman
Josh Dorfman is an environmental entrepreneur who has built his career at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and media. He is CEO of The Collider, a global innovation center for climate data entrepreneurs scaling solutions that enable communities and economies to become resilient to a changing climate.
Previously, Josh launched and led Vine.com, an Amazon e-commerce business unit specializing in natural, organic, and sustainable products. He was Vice President of Marketing for GoodGuide, a “Fast Company 50” startup providing data-driven shopping tools to inform green, healthy, and ethical purchases. Josh was also founder & CEO of Vivavi, a pioneering retailer of modern, sustainable furniture, named to Inc. Magazine’s “Green 50” as an innovator accelerating the green economy.
Earlier in his career, Josh was Creator, Author, and Host of The Lazy Environmentalist, an award-winning reality TV show on Sundance Channel, radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio, book series, and blog to help people discover easy and delightful ways to green their lives. He and his ventures have been widely profiled including in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Fortune, and on Morning Joe, Fox & Friends, and The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch. He is also the only guest to have ridden a bicycle onto the set of The Martha Stewart Show.
Before joining The Collider, Josh led Venture Asheville, a public-private initiative to grow Asheville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He co-founded and was Managing Director of Asheville Angels, an early-stage angel investor group with portfolio investments in cleantech, EV infrastructure, and numerous other industries.
Josh holds an MBA from Thunderbird, The School of Global Management, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
James McMahon
James McMahon founded The Climate Service with the vision that every financial decision on Earth should incorporate climate change. The company’s risk analytics software as a service gives investors and corporate managers the financial information they need to incorporate climate-related risk into their decisions.
McMahon began his career in global change by studying physics at Harvard University, and atmospheric chemistry at MIT under the guidance of Nobel Laureate Mario Molina.
McMahon went on to accumulate 10 years experience inside a multinational corporation, including managing Coca-Cola’s consumer marketing technology group. He then led three small technology firms as COO and CEO. He served for 6 years as Senior Advisor to the Director of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. He was CEO of The Collider – a groundbreaking nonprofit innovation center for climate solutions. He is President of the Harvard Club of Western North Carolina and serves as a startup business mentor in Asheville, NC.
