About SCV

SCV’s goal is to provide the Network and Toolkit to Discover high-impact Climate problems

Venn Diagram of High Impact Climate Challenges

Fall Quarter Weekly Seminar

ENERGY 203A: "Big Ideas and Open Opportunities in Climate-Tech Entrepreneurship" is a 1-unit seminar that introduces ten key sectors of the economy that contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. Each week's speaker will cover promising solutions and persistent challenges to decarbonizing each sector. Students interested in joining or leading an ENERGY 203 team in the winter or spring quarter are especially encouraged to enroll in this fall speaker series to find inspiration for project topics and meet like-minded students from all 7 schools across campus (GSB, SOE, SLS, etc.) who may become future project teammates.

Winter and Spring Quarter: Stanford Climate Ventures

Winter and spring quarters are focused on supporting and stimulating interdisciplinary teams that research, analyze, and develop detailed launch plans for high-impact opportunities using the new climate venture development framework offered in this course (ENERGY 203: Stanford Climate Ventures). Throughout the 10-week quarter, teams will complete 70+ interviews with customers, sector experts, and other partners in the emerging "climatetech" ecosystem, with introductions facilitated by the teaching team's unique networks in this emerging space. Teams typically enroll for just 1 quarter, although winter quarter teams interested in returning for the spring quarter are welcome to express their interest in this option to the teaching team by week 8 of the quarter.

Students are not required to enroll in ENERGY 203(A) for all three quarters. Enrollment in only the fall quarter speaker series or only winter/only spring is welcome.

What Alumni Are Saying

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Alumni

Tim Latimer, CEO/Founder, Fervo Energy (MBA/E-IPER 2018)

Alumni

I took Stanford Climate Ventures twice to explore and refine the concept for Fervo. It was a critical factor in defining our problem statement, pressure testing our hypothesis in the real world, and getting ready to launch and raise funds. The entire teaching team has continued to play a role in Fervo's company-building journey ever since.

Alumni

Lauren Dunford, CEO/Founder, Guidewheel (MBA 2017)

Alumni

Stanford Climate Ventures is not to be missed if you're an entrepreneur in the energy space! I owe so much to this community. I come back to guest lecture every year because getting students to work on climate and be able to sell their solutions is one of the most important things I can do for the world.

Alumni

Nico Pinkowski, CEO/Co-Founder, Nitricity (Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering 2020)

Alumni

This class is empowering and teaches critical non-typical classroom skills involved in energy technology.

Alumni

Austin Sendek, CEO/Founder, AIONICS (Ph.D. Applied Physics 2018)

Alumni

It's not an exaggeration to say Stanford Climate Ventures changed the course of my career for the better. As an energy-focused entrepreneur, there is no better resource at Stanford than Stanford Climate Ventures.

Alumni