From Empowering Baseball Cap Collectors to Innovating in Aquaculture

David Tze has crafted a unique career at the intersection of oceans, food, technology, investment, and climate. As the former CEO of NovoNutrients, he was, essentially, killing three birds with one stone: extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, growing synthetic protein that could feed the world, and finding new and more sustainable ways to harvest fish. This multi-pronged mission emerged out of a professional journey that saw him swing through a variety of crucible moments, including optimizing the online sale of baseball hats and founding an aquaculture investment firm alongside Jared Polis, the current governor of Colorado. Although NovoNutrients has closed up shop since this episode was recorded in March 2025—as all too often happens in the wild world of climate-tech startups—David’s story is a vivid reminder that climate careers can emerge from the most unexpected detours.Notes and resources* David Tze's LinkedIn* News item announcing the closure of NovoNutrients* Climate Swings Substack Get full access to Climate Swings at climateswings.substack.com/subscribe