Paul Needham

Carbin Minerals is now Arca! We remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere, and transform it into rocks – naturally storing it for millennia. Our mission is to help stop - and reverse - climate change by returning gigatonnes of CO₂ into the ground. We partner with mines that are producing the critical metals needed for the clean energy transition and we transform the mine waste into a massive carbon sink. The result: carbon-negative critical metals. XPRIZE award winner for carbon dioxide removal technology.

The D-REC Initiative is creating a new global mechanism for the certification of distributed renewable energy (DRE) The D-REC Initiative is a not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder, industry-led initiative to create a global market for distributed renewable energy. We are designing, delivering and demonstrating new ways to certify and value distributed renewable electricity attributes through the creation of a new, internationally recognized market instrument called the D-REC (Distributed Renewable Energy Certificate).

VentureBuilder is pioneering an innovative model to scale African-owned and managed off-grid solar companies.

Powertrust, a Techstars company, helps global corporations maximize the climate and social impact of their renewable energy procurement. With one simple contract (the Powertrust Purchase Agreement), buyers can access the world's largest aggregation of high-impact distributed renewable energy projects on the planet. Transformative energy projects deliver 3-6x the climate impact of a traditional corporate PPA while accelerating the energy transition in developing and emerging markets.

entrepreneurship@UBC’s Climate Venture Studio supports UBC entrepreneurs that are developing solutions to the climate emergency with specialized programming, executive mentorship and community engagement to help them build breakthrough climate solutions.

Spark connects millions of people in emerging markets to solar power.

TCR is a global firm that leverages a network of current and former CEOs to advise companies and investors on climate risk, sustainability, energy, and innovation. The firm manages several projects around the world to help companies, investors, and financial institutions build their strategies, connect with new partners, and raise capital. TCR's partners are current and former CEOs of multinational organizations, funds, and companies who believe that climate change represents the most significant risk to our institutions and society. and sustainable innovation is the key to long term growth. TCR provides real-world C-level expertise to organizations that seek to enhance the state of the world.

Supporting social entrepreneurs as they seek to refine their business models, innovate last mile distribution channels, communicate their message and attract resources to finance their growth.

Simpa Energy India (Simpa Networks) provides rooftop solar solutions to farmers, families and small businesses in rural India. I cofounded and led the company from zero to: * 50,000+ customers, providing clean solar electricity to 250,000 people * 850 FT employees, mostly recruited from rural villages, trained to be solar technicians and sales people. * 2500 PT sales and marketing agents * Built a distribution channel reaching into 2000+ villages in 21 rural districts across 3 states.

Co-founded and led Simpa Networks and Simpa Energy India. Simpa is the largest rooftop solar leasing company serving rural India. Led the company from inception, through rapid growth, and ultimate sale to Engie, the global energy services giant. Simpa has a bold mission: to make modern energy simple, affordable, and accessible to everyone. Simpa sells solar-as-a-service to energy-poor households and micro-enterprises in rural India. Simpa customers make a small down payment for the solar PV system, then pay for energy on a pay-as-you-go basis using a mobile phone. Each payment for energy also adds towards the total purchase price, and once fully paid, the system unlocks, providing energy free and clear. Simpa invented SmartSolar technology, integrating IoT, paygo and remote monitoring capabilities directly into high-performance solar panels.

Camfed is an international organization dedicated to eradicating poverty in Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women. Worked with fellow directors and senior leadership to define and create a new strategy and program for membership engagement using online tools.

Worked on collective action problems in the domain of environmental preservation in developing markets. Left the PhD program to launch an internet company, BidClix.