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Meet John

John Keith is a banker and early stage growth investor that recently graduated from the Climate Tech Fellowship.‍

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What is The Fellowship to you?

I applied for the fellowship to learn deeply about climate tech from the view of founders, investors, subject matter experts and from fellow students. I lacked foundation knowledge and any sense of how to consider ideas and opportunities. Past experience of extensive learning, thinking and doing within other Startmate programmes excited me ahead of this fellowship. It was an immersive learning in how climate tech is changing the world in ways beyond those that you can imagine and an exciting response and sense of possibility in what sustainable growth looks like

The value was in participating within an extraordinary cohort and joining deliveries from founders, practitioners, investors and more.

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What lessons did you learn from The Fellowship?

The sheer breadth of solutions, sharing purpose and commitments to delivering actionable initiatives. An unexpected takeaway was the discipline of delivering actionable propositions - scoping, evolving and delivering pitches.

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What area of climate tech are you most interested in?

Capturing and recycling concrete into new builds replacing new concrete not adding to landfill or the 8% that ends up under new roads. Concrete buildings through their average lifetime (50yrs) can absorb 30% of emissions released on production. The University of Western Sydney is trialling means to recycle concrete through adding CO2 at pressure. So recycled concrete during production takes carbon out of the atmosphere and through the life time of building materials not the building!

China used more concrete in two years than the US in 100 years. Less than 10% of concrete is recycled and what is, is down scaled. Here’s a chance to change absolutely the supply chain.

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Reflection of the Fellowship?

I would strong recommend the fellowship to practitioners, those wanting to move into climate start ups, and investors.

My next steps are a work in progress.

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Psst. Apply for Cohort 3 of the Climate Tech Fellowship