My climate journey started in 2008 when I could not breathe the chemicals from the cleaning products I was using.
I was raising a young family and wanted to keep them safe. After a lot of research, I found cleaning products that were safe for my family and the environment, and I have since become a distributor. Through this process, I realized that everybody’s climate journey is very personal. Everybody has their own perception of climate change, but we all know that our planet needs attention.
On this Earth Day, we are highlighting the work of four startup founders in the Boston area who may not be in the limelight (yet) but are making a huge impact on the climate crisis. Meet David Hagan of QuantAQ, Wenbo Shi of Singularity Energy, Jane Chen of Stepwise and Nick Sisler of Ekotrope.
Learn about four startups in our community tackling climate change, the stories of their founders, and how you can get involved.
Climate Solution: The first “all-in-one” air quality platform.
More than 7 million people die prematurely due to air pollution, yet it gets a fraction of the attention of other climate-related issues. I learned through my conversation with David that air pollution is actually worse in New Delhi in the winter - a surprise given smoky wildfire summers here in Boston! When David was studying chemical physics in college, he decided to find research that allowed him to make a positive impact on an issue with an immediate timeline. When his undergrad professor was looking for help, he jumped at the opportunity. QuantAQ was an idea is 10 years in the making. The infrastructure used to monitor air quality is "stuck in the 70’s", and there are just about 2000 permanent monitoring stations in the US and only 5 in Massachusetts. The company is a team of scientists and engineers working together to make the air we breathe safer.
How to get involved: Check them out and follow their work. If you are interested in opportunities, submit your application of interest to join@quant-aq.com
Company Name: Singularity Energy Founder: Wenbo Shi Climate Solution: Provide high-quality, time and location-based grid emissions data.
The CEO of Singularity, Wenbo’s passion started in Smart Grid technologies. He spent time at UCLA and Harvard University where he published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers which received over 1,800 citations. When he started Singularity, the idea was to create smart grid solutions using his vast knowledge and experience. However, when he started talking to early prospects, the question that he was asked time and again was, “what is my carbon footprint from electricity consumption?” This changed the direction of the company to focus on carbon. Today, his company builds data-driven tools to help grid operators, utilities, and end users not only better understand their carbon footprints, but also help them make data driven decisions to drive grid decarbonization.
Company Name:Stepwise Founder: Jane Chen Climate Solution: Transition to clean energy by modernizing our electrical infrastructure, reducing electrification costs and more.
A firm believer in impact, Jane Chen’s career started in healthcare. When she saw the interconnection between individual health and planet health combined with her love for the environment, she made the pivot to climate. When she experienced first hand the problems associated with electric vehicle (EV) charging, that led to the founding of Stepwise. Stepwise makes electrification affordable and accessible for everyone by eliminating expensive and cumbersome electric upgrades. They do this with their regulatory approved technology that helps to optimize energy usage in an electric panel. Their trademark Energy Management System, EV Tap, is ready to help homeowners with EV charger installations in their homes.
How to get involved: If you are in MA or RI and planning on buying an EV now or in the next 6 months, reach out to them. Fill out this form to stay on their radar for job opportunities.
Company Name: Ekotrope Cofounder: Nick Sisler Climate Solution: Software and data products to empower raters, utilities, building product manufacturers and lenders in the construction of energy efficient homes.
Growing up in Vermont, Nick Sisler always had an appreciation for nature and enjoyed the outdoors. He wanted to pursue a career where he could contribute to the planet. Drawing inspiration from his father’s business as a home builder, he joined a team put together by one of his MIT professors to use technology to help people make better decisions when building energy efficient homes. Ekotrope has developed the leading HERS rating software in the country, used on 1 in 4 of all new homes. In addition they are developing a suite of innovative software and data products for home energy raters, utilities, building product manufacturers, builders, and lenders that are all aimed at empowering the construction of sustainable homes.
How to get involved: Check our their jobs and apply.
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About the Author Aruna: Aruna Mandulapalli is a seasoned recruiter who has worked across industries and has recruited for several reputable companies in the US. She founded her own recruiting company HireSimplified with a mission to bring her expertise to scaling startups. Her passion lies not only in headhunting but in coaching founders about best practices and guiding them to be intentional in their hiring.