5 Things I Learned During the SF and DC Climate Weeks - Pooja Tilvawala

This Earth Month I had the opportunity to attend both San Francisco Climate Week (SFCW) and  DC Climate Week (DCCW) back to back from April 20th - May 2nd.

The Third Annual SF Climate Week, presented by Climatebase.org featured 600+ events and 30,000+ attendees, spanning topics such as energy, data, storytelling, artificial intelligence, and workforce development. After attending 22 of those events, I left with knowledge about the tech space, new connections, and a sense of peace knowing that hard working people are advancing solutions and improving lives every day.

The first ever DC Climate Week, bridged policy and climate, with a focus on green jobs, finance and economics, urban development and mobility, nature, and innovation and technology. The week brought together policymakers, climate professionals, industry leaders, and community organizers to drive local and global climate action through workshops, panels, exhibitions, and networking events. After hosting two events and attending several, I felt the resilience of changemakers is noteworthy - despite challenges that come our way, we remain true to our values and lean on our communities to continue taking action.

After two incredible weeks, I am excited to share five things I learned:

1. To change the beliefs of an entire community, only 10 percent of the population needs to become convinced of a new or different opinion. At that tipping point, the idea can spread through social networks and change behaviors on a large scale. This was shared during the Project Drawdown event, Storytelling for Solutions: Turning Climate Narratives into Action. You can learn more about this minority rules research at ScienceDaily.
2. When you are in service to something (e.g. a cause, project, community) other than yourself, it is a source of happiness, joy, and feeling human, and even good karma. Research also indicates that giving to others can increase our own well-being. We are each other’s medicine and our own medicine, healing through reciprocity, regeneration, and mutual aid.
3. Solidarity is power. Silence, disconnection, and siloing are common, but what we really need is the opposite - to talk to each other, get to know each other as people, and find collaborators. There is a popular quote that goes, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
4. We need intergenerational solutions. Margot Brown, SVP of Justice and Equity at Environmental Defense Fund said during our Intergenerational Climate Mixer, “youth are none of our past, some of our present, and all of our future.” This acknowledges that while youth don’t directly represent our historical legacy, they are actively involved in shaping current society, and will play a critical role in the long-term, inheriting the challenges and opportunities of the future. Understanding and investing in youth is essential for both the present and the future and by recognizing their potential and empowering them to be active participants in society, we can create a brighter and more sustainable future.
5. Storytelling and imagination are critical tools of the climate movement. They make complex issues relatable, challenge existing narratives of doom and gloom, paint a picture of a better future, create a sense of hope and possibility, promote cultural shifts, facilitate dialogue and understanding, and inspire action. During the Grist and Project Drawdown event, “The Power of Us: Storytelling as a Climate Solution,” we heard unforgettable stories from Bay area climate activists, artists, organizers, and innovators on the frontlines of climate solutions. We also participated in an activity to create a seven word story. This was my story: Close your eyes. Imagine, and it’s possible.  
   
   • The closing story of the night created by the activity lead after a panel with all the storytellers was: Free our future, with seed and soil.

What’s your seven word story?

I also attended a number of startup events, and here is a bulleted list of 25 practical words of advice, including from my former Walking Softer mentor, Peter Nocchiero of Alternate Future, and Hotmail Founder, Sabeer Bhatia.

• Timing is everything, but you can buy time.
• You can’t push your product on the market, you have to let the market pull you. Let the market drive where your product will have a fit, and be adaptable.
• Build relationships with funders even when you are not raising, and send VCs updates of your progress. Have coffee with people 12 months in advance; relationship building takes time.
• Price lower first, and raise the price later.
• Honesty builds trust.
• You can become big, but your ramp/incline may look different than others who have made it big.
• Focus on a durable business with high quality revenue.
• You can “throw spaghetti at the wall” for 6-12 months, but then really need to remember your vision. Ask yourself, “are we building what we set out to build or do we need to pivot?”
• Cold outreach works. There is a 10% success rate for a meeting with you.
• You do not need to win them all. Sometimes it is helpful to learn why the answer was a no, take that feedback and make necessary changes.
• What is a vision? You’re looking out into the future and predicting, and then you conceptualize a product for that future. You’ve seen it and gotta keep pursuing it. Tenacity is huge; you’ve got to keep going every single day.
• Surround yourself with people who challenge you but believe in your vision. Choose team members who are smarter than you, not just people who will obey you.
• Have a board that complements your skills. Be transparent, with your board too. No surprises.
• Seek advice from your investors.
• Pursue things that haven’t been pursued before.
• In uncertainty, you can find some predictability too.
• Chemistry is important in a founding team, and between an investor and founder.
• Get skilled at pitching and pitch to as many VCs as possible.
• PR is important. Build your own following.
• You have to have profit in mind. How are you making money and distributing funds? There should be a link between your impact and return on investment.
• As the founder, be an expert, and also know what you don’t know.
• Luck, timing, and serendipity are also important.
• Be comfortable with deep uncertainty.
• You need to build up your resilience because the journey is long.
• Founders have grit, scrappiness, the ability to listen and adapt based on feedback, and emotional intelligence.

SF Climate Week and DC Climate Week reminded me that the success of our climate movement relies on all of us, and each of us has talent to offer. People are leveraging their skills, ranging from storytelling and podcasting to machine learning and data analysis, and using them as forces for good, accelerating solutions to climate change. It was inspiring to learn from the hundreds of people I met, and these trips have undoubtedly strengthened my belief that a bright future is possible.  

Pooja Tilvawala

Founder/Executive Director, Youth Climate Collaborative

Founder/CEO, Jaali

Walking Softer Young Leader Award Recipient