How to launch a successful climate and energy venture: Expert at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship offers 24 steps to success

Join us for a talk by Ben Soltoff of MIT’s Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship!

Ben will provide an overview of his bestselling book Disciplined Entrepreneurship for Climate and Energy Ventures, which is the first how-to book specifically on climate and energy entrepreneurship. It offers a hands-on guide to building impactful solutions for people and the planet, developed from the two-decade track record of MIT’s Climate & Energy Ventures course, which has spun out over 65 ventures that have raised $2.3 billion in funding and created over 2500 jobs. The book, co-authored with Bill Aulet, Tod Hynes, Irish investor and engineer Francis O’Sullivan, and Libby Wayman, launched in November 2025, and you can learn more about it here. Ben will delve into the unique challenges and opportunities that climate and energy entrepreneurs face, highlighting why a specialised framework is essential for success in this field. He will also share case studies of companies that have navigated this unique journey. In particular, he will discuss how the book integrates lessons learned from these ventures, such as developing robust financial strategies, navigating complex policy landscapes, and measuring planetary impact. This will be a highly practical and actionable session for anyone starting a venture, aspiring to start a venture, or generally supporting entrepreneurs in climate and energy.

Hosted by the PorterShed as part of their 10 Years 10 Events series, sponsored by TechInnovate / AgInnovate, School of Engineering and the Galway University Foundation at the University of Galway, and supported by the ADT4Blue and ENEPORTS Interreg Atlantic Area projects co-funded by the European Union.

Speaker Bio

Ben Soltoff is the lead author of the bestselling book Disciplined Entrepreneurship for Climate and Energy Ventures, a comprehensive how-to guide on building solutions for people and the planet. The book is based on proven frameworks from MIT, as well as Ben’s extensive experience coaching and mentoring climate and energy startups. Ben currently works as the Ecosystem-Builder and Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, where he wears many hats. He’s the point person for all things climate tech; he collaborates with universities around the world to teach climate and energy entrepreneurship, especially in places at the forefront of the energy transition, like Houston, Texas; and he leads the delta v accelerator, the capstone entrepreneurial experience for MIT students. Prior to joining MIT, Ben was the Environmental Innovation Fellow at Yale University, where he helped students to design, build, and launch environmental solutions. He has also been part of several sustainability startups, and he has managed climate resilience projects around the world, including rural India. Ben holds dual master’s degrees from the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of the Environment, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University. He lives in Newton, MA with his family. He enjoys making good food, animal sculptures, and dad jokes.