Climate Vine

Accelerate your impact
through curated, expert
connections

Apply to our

Third Cohort

starting Q1 2024, applications are rolling

Meet the Vine

Unlock Collective Potential

Climate Vine is a curated membership community that combines elements of a continuous conference and an action-oriented lab. Our experts have diverse backgrounds, ranging from policy, investment, corporate, non-profit, entrepreneurship, and tech & science. Members spend about 1-3 hours a week in curated small groups, socials and off-the-record conversations with climate leaders.

Connect with diverse, interdisciplinary  experts

We assemble each onboarding cohort via a competitive application process to create a diverse collective.

Enjoy off the record conversations and meetups

Share knowledge with your peers, build a supportive community across silos, and exchange ideas with the best in climate.

Explore your next steps with intention

Our Members find new roles, fresh ideas and mission-aligned collaborators thanks to the connections they make.

Cohort 3 kicks off in Q1 2024

Meet our Members

Together, we can accelerate climate progress and connect the dots for a sustainable future for years to come.

Below are some of the Members in our previous cohort
Sedale Turbovsky

Founder of Opengrants
Megan Wenrich
Global Director, Philanthropy Effectiveness at The Nature Conservancy
Evan Korth
Professor of Computer Science & Founder of Computing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program, NYU
Christina Reynolds
Carbon Capture Expert & Mobile CC Pioneer
Monali Mujumdar, PhD
Startup Engagement Lead, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Chloe Harford
Founding team of Zillow, Climate Tech Advisor
Frances Wang
Associate Director, ClimateWorks Foundation
Aina Abiodun
Former CEO, 8Fit
Paul Manwell
Former CoS to Sundar Pichai (Alphabet CEO)
Archer Christian
Climate Policy Advisor, COP Negotiations Analyst
Reginald Parker, PhD
Climate Tech Founder in Solar Energy
Micah Kotch
Partner, Blackhorn Ventures
Tim Trefen
Cofounder and CTO of Mixpanel
Founder of New Renewables Company
Ahmad Butt
Founder and CEO of Jetstone Asset Management
Jamil Wyne
UNICEF Advisor and Co-Lead, Oxford Climate Tech Initiative
Folasade Ayoola
Founder of ElectricFish
Cara Maesano, PhD
Physics and CDR research scientist at RMI
Dimitry Gershenson

Founder of Enduring Planet
Lynn Booth
Climate Policy and Finance Expert
Zeev Krieger
Third Sphere, Partner
Joel Armin-Hoiland
Founder, Climate Finance Solutions
Erin Lindgren
Activate, Strategic Partnerships
Rachel Halfaker
Associate Director, Milken Institute
Mitko Simeonov
Founder, Pioneer
Emiola Banwo
Founder, CEO - Monuments
Chante Harris
ClimateTech Strategist, Schmidt Futures
Pooja Tilvawala
Founder at Youth Climate Collaborative
Nicole Kelner
Climate Artist
Some of the speakers from our first cohort
Sarah Kearney
Founder & Executive Director, Prime Coalition
Shayle Kann
Partner, Energy Impact Partners
Alicia Seiger
Sustainable Finance, Stanford University
Tom Kalil
Chief Innovation Officer, Schmidt Futures
Micah Kotch
Partner, Blackhorn Ventures
Apply to the Vine

The Programming

Step 1.
Kickoff & orientation

You’ll meet the Climate Vine team, your fellow Members, and get to know the tools used throughout your membership.

Step 2.
Intros and engagement

We'll show you how to actively engage in our Slack community and pro-actively reach out to other Members.

Step 3.
Goal setting workshop + accountability buddy system

You'll refine the primary outcome that would make this membership a success. Accountability buddies help to keep you on track.

Step 4.
Brain trust set up

We curate small groups by stage, industry interest, and location across the globe. Weekly brain trusts are fully opt-in and were often a highlight of our past communities’ members.

Step 5.
Weekly deep-dive sessions

Join the world's best climate entrepreneurs, policy experts, investors and scientists, both in and outside of the community, in off-the-record conversations.

Step 6.
Weekly socials, networking and curated matches

Build your dream climate network by joining our weekly socials, engaging with the curated matches we’ve sent your way or scheduling 1-on-1 connections with other Members.

Step 7.
Build for Climate Showcase

Optional showcase of what you grew on the Vine. Example outcomes might be a research or grant proposal, pitch deck, or prototype of soft or hardware based on new collaborations.

Step 8.
Continued community access

You will have access to the community, curated resources, and expert sessions for a year, with the option to continue engagement beyond.

Your Connection Network

Climate Vine Members come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from academia and research to policy, foundations, corporations, activism, tech, and entrepreneurship

Frontline communities and workforce
Soft and hardware technology
Policy, law and government
Private investors, business people and entrepreneurs
Science, academia, and research

The Vine Method

Step 1.
Kickoff & orientation

You’ll meet the Climate Vine team, your fellow Members, and get to know the tools and resources used throughout your membership.

Step 3.
Goal setting workshop + accountability buddy system

You'll refine the primary outcome that would make this membership a success. Accountability buddies help to keep you on track.

Step 5.
Weekly deep-dive sessions

Join the world's best climate entrepreneurs, policy experts, investors and scientists, both in and outside of the community, in off-the-record conversations.

Step 7.
Build for Climate Showcase

Optional showcase of what you grew on the Vine. Example outcomes might be a research or grant proposal, pitch deck, and prototype of software or hardware based on new collaborations.

Step 2.
Intros and engagement

We'll show you how to actively engage in our virtual platforms and pro-actively reach out to other Members.

Step 4.
Brain trust set up

We curate small groups, often called masterminds, by stage, industry interest, and location across the globe. Bi-weekly brain trusts are fully opt-in and are often a highlight of our Members.

Step 6.
Weekly socials, networking and curated matches

Build your dream climate network by joining our weekly socials, engaging with the curated matches we’ve sent your way or scheduling 1-on-1 connections with other Members.

Step 8.
Continued expert access

You will have the option to renew your access to the community, curated resources, and expert sessions for years to come.

Testimonials

A circular headshot of Louise Parlons Bentata. She has long dark blonde hair and is wearing a pale pink button down. She stands in front of a grey background.
Louise Parlons Bentata
CEO and Founder of Bluemethane

"I received more than I thought was possible in Candice's communities, including Climate Vine. I didn’t expect to meet a cofounder, advisors and investors in our start-up who continue to support us two years later. The global community- that's the magic. I and everyone in Climate Vine has personally and collectively benefited from Candice’s ability to bring together key players across the climate space."

Circular headshot of Siddarth Ram Arthreya, PhD. She has brown skin and is wearing a collared grey stripped shirt.
Siddharth Ram Athreya, PhD
Director at Inhance Technologies

"Candice's community was an awesome experience and was filled with people with great experience and drive. Candice personally helped facilitate connections for me within the cohort as well as also outside. The breadth of the experience of the other participants and willingness to help makes me recommend Climate Vine to anyone who wants to go deep."

Circular headshot of Cara Maesano, PhD. She has long brown hair with bangs. She is sitting in front of a mustard yellow background.
Julia Sunderland
Climate Business Advisor

"Climate Vine was a real accelerator for my transition into climate. I quickly felt the support of a top notch, curated and connected community. The program fueled a clarity of focus, entrepreneurial passion and personal accountability."

Circular headshot of Cara Maesano, PhD. She has long brown hair with bangs. She is sitting in front of a mustard yellow background.
Cara Maesano, PhD
Physics and CDR research scientist at RMI

"Candice’s community was one I didn't know I needed until I joined, and it proved to be beyond valuable in so many ways. I was switching from academic science to the wider, outside world and I wasn't sure where someone with my background could fit in. During the program I made connections close enough to people who helped me find someplace to land. My first thought as an academic was that I would have to go back to school to get plugged into a new field, but this program did the job in far less time."

Circular headshot of Aaron Bell, white skinned with curly brown hair and gray beard
Aaron Bell
AI & Research at Google

"As I was transitioning my engineering leadership skills to climate, there were scant resources to help in the process. I was drawn to Candice’s program as a way to help others and accelerate the movement. I was blown away by the depth of the community (eg, speaker series) and level of collaboration and knowledge share (eg, very vibrant Slack, meetups, etc). An impressive number of members of the cohort successfully found partners, launched projects, and began careers in climate in earnest. Excited to see Candice build on this work with Climate Vine."

Circular headshot of Sam Porter, white skinned with graying hair
Sam Porter
Co-Founder and CEO at NeuPorter

"I loved working with Candice. She wove a fabulous group of individuals — each with very different perspectives, personalities and expertise — into a cohesive unit. Whether you have found your climate theme but need to ideate, or you have your specific idea but need climate collaborators, being a member of the community that Candice is creating will be mutually beneficial to you and to the community. And to the climate!"

A circular headshot of Louise Parlons Bentata. She has long dark blonde hair and is wearing a pale pink button down. She stands in front of a grey background.
Louise Parlons Bentata
CEO and Founder of Bluemethane

"I loved the community ethos of giving twice as much help as we hoped to receive in Candice’s previous cohort, and I received more than I thought was possible. I didn’t expect to meet a cofounder, advisors and investors in our start-up who continue to support us two years later. The global community- that's the magic. Everyone in Climate Vine will personally and collectively benefit from Candice’s ability to bring together key players across the climate space, given her enviable network."

Circular photo of Emiola Banwo. He has dark brown skin and is wearing a black, short sleeved shirt. He is holding his hands in front of him and is standing in front of a green tree.
Emiola Banwo
Founder, CEO - Monuments

"I loved ODCT's cohort diversity! Backgrounds from tech operators to climate experts. Climate interests from adaptation to mitigation. And solutions from productivity tools to nuclear. Candice was such a pleasure to work with at ODCT, and I'm both excited and confident about the impact that Climate Vine will have!"

Circular headshot of Cara Maesano, PhD. She has long brown hair with bangs. She is sitting in front of a mustard yellow background.
Cara Maesano, PhD
Physics and CDR research scientist at RMI

"Candice’s old community was one I didn't know I needed until I joined, and proved to be beyond valuable in so many ways. The one I'll highlight here is that I was switching from academic science to the wider, outside world and I wasn't sure where someone with my background could fit in. During the program I was able to make connections close enough to people who were helpful to me in finding someplace to land. I still talk to several of them in the context of work, and some just for fun. My first thought as an academic was that I would have to go back to school to get plugged into a new field, but this program did the job in far less time."

Circular headshot of Sruthi Davuluri. She has long wavy brown hair and is wearing dangling earrings and a big smile.
Sruthi Davuluri
Manager at AutoGrid

"ODCT was an influential journey in both my climate career and in helping me build my climate community. Not only did I learn about specific topics from industry's experts, but it also helped me build a community of fellow climate warriors locally and around the world"

Circular headshot of Siddarth Ram Arthreya, PhD. She has brown skin and is wearing a collared grey stripped shirt.
Siddharth Ram Athreya, PhD
Director at Inhance Technologies

"I enrolled in Candice’s previous climate program to explore sectors and technologies that were new to me. It was an awesome experience and was filled with people with great experience and drive. Candice personally helped facilitate connections for me within the cohort as well as also outside. The breadth of the experience of the other participants and willingness to help and share even after the main 3 month program helped me shortlist sectors of interest and also develop several new friendships to this day. I highly recommend Climate Vine to anyone who wants to go deep."

Circular headshot of Frances Wang. She has white skin and a medium length dark brown bob hairstyle.
Frances Wang
Associate Director at ClimateWorks Foundation

"I have met so many people through ODCT who became good collaborators, thought partners, and friends. Investing in people and connections is investing in climate - glad to see Climate Vine is tackling this important but underserved space!"

Individual Annual Membership: $2,990


Government, Academia, and Non-Profit: $1,490

*Payment plans and need-based scholarships available

Apply Now

FAQ

What is the expected time commitment of a Climate Vine Cohort?

Members report getting out of our community as much as they put in. We expect you to engage with the community for ~3 hours a week during the 1-month onboarding. In that time, you can choose to engage in weekly small group masterminds, join social events, have curated 1-on-1 calls with other Members, and/or participate in expert talks.

Once you are onboarded, you will be able to optimize the time-to-value in Climate Vine through a minimum of a ~1 hour a week commitment.

Our team will help you navigate it all through our tools, resources, and curated suggestions.

What differentiates Climate Vine from conferences or accelerators?

● Through our competitive application and interview process, we curate a diverse, global community of experts selected to complement each other.

● Members foster deep connections curated and facilitated by the Climate Vine team, that are often not possible during shorter conferences.

● If you are an entrepreneur, we don't take equity in your company. We are here to support you in your journey, no matter where that journey takes you.

● We catalyze unconventional mixing and matching of otherwise disconnected experts, similar to MIT’s Media Lab. This action-oriented and time-bound Membership creates a space for impactful collaborations, the best of which could not have been planned or imagined.

Climate Vine Members receive the networking benefits of a rolling conference and the collaborative benefits of a lab. We also work closely with other ecosystem builders and often invite them into the Climate Vine community.

What is the breakdown of remote versus IRL programming? Can I  participate from anywhere in the world?

Climate Vine is a remote-first community with informal local chapters and the potential for annual retreats outside of the core cohort. This unlocks diversity that is not often possible in local members’ communities. Climate Vine’s team brings years of experience to this space, having built successful remote-first climate communities since 2020 and worked with other ecosystem builders on the best tools and processes for online collaboration.

Climate change is a global issue with solutions needed at every level. As such, we encourage and accept Members from around the world. Given the global nature of this community, managing virtual events can be tricky. The majority of live remote sessions will be in the GMT-5 time zone, but recordings will be available to Members at any time.

We are also building out more robust in person offerings, focusing on niche, small group gatherings.

What are Climate Vine’s Community Values?

These are the core values we practice and actively look for throughout the application process:

1. Giving Back
Climate Vine thrives because we believe in giving 2x more than we hope to receive. We’ve seen that when everyone does that, magic happens.
   
2. Celebrating and respecting our individuality in the community
Climate Vine Members welcome, sticking together and respecting one another regardless of cultural background, personal identifications, generational differences, and field of expertise.
   
3. Default to Permission
While we publish resources that can be helpful to the larger climate community’s benefit, many of the expert conversations and interactions amongst Members are off-the-record. For this reason, please honor that everything you hear from others in Climate Vine is confidential by default, unless you have explicit permission to share.
   
4. Building together
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Our team actively builds this community with our Members, listening to your requests and iterating quickly to make the membership more impactful for all. Help us help you build together.
   
5. Stubborn Optimism & Gratitude
We are working to accelerate climate impact together with a group of fascinating people. Use the cohort to bolster your stubborn optimism and gratitude that we can drive solutions, as a community, for a just and sustainable economy.

What outcome can I expect during Climate Vine?

Our goal setting workshop will help you refine the climate impact goal that you believe can be best accelerated through collaborations. Example goals:

● Build relationships with potential co-founders, partners, customers, advisors and/or collaborators

● Inform, elevate and broaden your climate organizing, activism and network

● Take the next step to commercialize a scientific innovation, find a new climate job or scale your business

● Raise investment funds or discover new investment opportunities, including grants or non-dilutive financing

● Deepen your understanding of the climate solution landscape and where you fit in

Many of our Members’ proudest outcomes come from collaborations they could not have predicted coming into the cohort. Regardless of your individual goal, you can be sure to leave with a personalized network of similarly driven and accomplished leaders and a keener grasp of how to maximize your impact.

How do you select Climate Vine Members?

The selection process consists of a written application and an interview, during which we look for three things:

1. Depth of experience
We look for candidates with world-class experience and expertise, favoring depth over breadth.

2. Timing
We prioritize people with a bias for action. Those ready to commit to and work toward their goals gain the most value from the cohort.

We are stage agnostic. For example, if you are entrepreneurial, you may come into the cohort exploring your own or others’ ideas, working on a specific idea or prototype, or building, fundraising for, or hyper-scaling your company.

3. Give-first mentality
Community is core to Climate Vine. We look for individuals who show a "give-first” mentality and are excited to contribute to the success of other Climate Vine Members.

What is the price and scholarship process for the annual membership?

The annual Climate Vine Membership is $2,990 (or four installments of $750) for most members and $1,490 for those in academia, policy, and non-profits. When relevant, we help our accepted applicants work with employers to cover some or all of this membership fee.

We encourage you to apply, regardless of financial need. To ensure that ability to pay is never a barrier to entry, we extend offers before asking about scholarship needs. We are able to provide need-based scholarships thanks to Members and organizations, often funds, foundations and corporations, who generously contribute more than our listed price. They are recognized in our community and help us welcome exceptional Members who make the experience and outcomes better for everyone.

Who is a good fit for Climate Vine cohorts?

Climate Vine brings public and private forces together with the following types of experts:

Scientists with ready-to-commercialize scientific innovations

Policy and government actors looking to connect with more innovation communities

Entrepreneurs and corporate leaders

Private Investors in venture capital, private equity, and project finance

Frontline community advocates at the forefront of community development who understand the requirement and need for community involvement

And interdisciplinary strategic advisors who bring a breadth of knowledge and experience across these categories

As long as you have clear expertise or a unique perspective in climate, we encourage you to apply to be considered, regardless of your background!

When do I have to apply?

Applications are rolling and you can apply in 5 minutes with the Apply Now button at the top right of this page! 

What happens after the year ends?

After the conclusion of the cohort, you can choose to renew your membership to stay connected, engage with future cohorts, join IRL events and more.

We are committed to creating value for you longterm so we hope you will remain a Member of this community for years to come!

Core Team

Candice Ammori
Founder
Candice Ammori

was the founding Director of the trailblazing On Deck Climate Tech Fellowship which brought together 650+ people across the climate ecosystem in multiple cohorts. Fellows raised over $350M+ in venture funding, more than two dozen companies emerged, and hundreds of emerging contributors transitioned to the climate innovation space. Climate Vine's methodology brings together her 10 years of experience and learnings in community strategy building. She maintains deep vertical knowledge as an active investor and advisor to emerging climate tech companies. Candice holds degrees in environmental policy and business and an MS in biostatistics, focused on the ethics of AI, from the University of Michigan. She has lived and worked globally in microfinance, business and tech in places ranging from Cambodia to Singapore and London.

Liv Varghese
Operations
Liv Varghese

has devoted their career to empowering the next wave of social innovators with the resources, programming, and network necessary to achieve excellence. During their tenure at MassChallenge, Liv designed tools and systems to seamlessly transition the U.S. Early Stage Program to a virtual platform. In tandem, they directed DEI initiatives on a global scale, resulting in the most diverse U.S. Early Stage cohort to date. While in undergrad, Liv founded the Social Innovation Conference, served as Campus Director for the Hult Prize, and earned fellowships with Impact Finance Center and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Liv continues to stay deeply involved in the larger innovation ecosystem, serving as a Startup Mentor for Goodie Nation and organizing founder focused events as part of the Leadership Team for Out in Tech NYC.

Caleigh Bachop
Community
Caleigh Bachop

is a passionate community builder and expert dot-connector. She began her career at Entrepreneur First in London where she connected and coached ambitious entrepreneurs founding world-changing companies across tech, climate and healthcare industries, and supported them to raise pre-seed funding.She’s since led marketing and community initiatives at Girlboss and Omnipresent, where she helped define the strategy and implementation to scale paid channels and engage new customer segments. She loves the startup space and is always excited to collaborate and brainstorm across disciplines. Caleigh was a Morehead-Cain scholar at the University of North Carolina and holds a degree in medical anthropology and certificate in impact investing. 

Einsper Lee
Freelance Operations
Einsper Lee


is a seasoned operations expert with years of experience in both operations and project management. She plays a pivotal role in orchestrating seamless operations and attention to detail for Climate Vine's back-end operations.

Climate Vine

Join a 3-month virtual climate Fellowship

with experts from diverse industries to unlock ideas, talent, and capital in just 2-4 hours a week

Applications for our

April Cohort

Public Policy close on March 3rd. If you’re interested in joining, apply here

Cohort 1:

Public Finance & Climate Innovation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of my expectations and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a similar item."

Fellow Cohort Members
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Speaker Experts
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
Lonnie Sauer
Management Consultant
$2,500
Apply Now
*applications must be submitted by March 3rd

Lorem Ipsum applications must be submitted by March 3rd Lorem Ipsum applications must be submitted by March 3rd Lorem Ipsum applications must be submitted by March 3rd Lorem Ipsum applications must be submitted by March 3rd

Cohort 2:

Battery Innovation

Coming in

Q2 2023

Get notified when applications open
Cohort 3:

Battery Innovation

Coming in

Q2 2023

Get notified when applications open
Cohort 4:

Battery Innovation

Coming in

Q2 2023

Get notified when applications open

The Programming

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

Step 1.
Kickoff & Orientation

"I was truly impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface, it exceeded all of

The Community

Ms. Lonnie Sauer
Strategic Learning & Talent Management Consultant

"I was truly  from its sleek design to its user-friendly interface impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface from its sleek design to its user-friendly interface impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface”

Ms. Lonnie Sauer
Strategic Learning & Talent Management Consultant

"I was truly  from its sleek design to its user-friendly interface impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface from its sleek design to its user-friendly interface impressed with the quality and functionality of this product. From its sleek design to its user-friendly interface”

The Team

Lonnie Sauer
Talent Management Consultant

Candice Ammori was the founding Director of the trailblazing On Deck Climate Tech Fellowship which brought together 650+ people across the climate ecosystem in multiple cohorts. More than two dozen companies emerged, Fellows raised a combined $250M+ in venture funding and hundreds of emerging contributors transitioned to the climate innovation space. Candice's new methodology for Climate Vine brings together her 10 years of experience and learnings in program and community strategy building. She maintains a hands-on approach and deep vertical knowledge as an active investor and advisor to emerging climate tech companies. Candice holds degrees in environmental policy and business and an MS in biostatistics, focused on the ethics of AI, from the University of Michigan. She has lived and worked globally in microfinance, business and tech in places ranging from Cambodia to Singapore and London.

Lonnie Sauer
Talent Management Consultant

Candice Ammori was the founding Director of the trailblazing On Deck Climate Tech Fellowship which brought together 650+ people across the climate ecosystem in multiple cohorts. More than two dozen companies emerged, Fellows raised a combined $250M+ in venture funding and hundreds of emerging contributors transitioned to the climate innovation space. Candice's new methodology for Climate Vine brings together her 10 years of experience and learnings in program and community strategy building. She maintains a hands-on approach and deep vertical knowledge as an active investor and advisor to emerging climate tech companies. Candice holds degrees in environmental policy and business and an MS in biostatistics, focused on the ethics of AI, from the University of Michigan. She has lived and worked globally in microfinance, business and tech in places ranging from Cambodia to Singapore and London.