From Uber Exec + Taylor Swift Collab to Solar CEO: Laura Zapata’s Journey with Clearloop

Learn how Clearloop’s CEO Laura Zapata blends policy, pop culture, and utility-scale solar to decarbonize the U.S. grid and expand clean energy access.⭐ My guest today is Laura Zapata, Cofounder and CEO of Clearloop.Clearloop creates carbon solutions for organizations of all sizes, from global corporations to small businesses and educational institutions, to decarbonize the economy, expand access to clean energy, and accelerate the development of new solar projects in American communities where the greatest economic and environmental benefits can be achieved.Clearloops works in partnership with utility-scale solar developer Silicon Ranch, which acquired Clearloop in 2021.In addition, Laura is the former Head of Global Communications for Uber Eats, Press Secretary for Hillary Clinton’s Presidential race in Ohio, and communications lead for other Congressional offices.---🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:How to get Taylor Swift to partner with Clearloop (half serious). What she learned by working at Uber in a “move fast and break things” mentality. Having the former Governor of Tennessee as a cofounder (a first for our podcast). How to move from being an intrapreneur with Uber Eats to an entrepreneur. The importance of being optimistic. What we all need to do to improve climate tech’s communication strategy to broaden the tent (btw, pop quiz: how many degrees Fahrenheit is 1.5 degrees Celsius?). Why working with renewables in the South can have more impact given the carbon intensity of the power grid. How Clearloop’s model of carbon offsets for corporates changes how renewable energy power plants are financed. The need to build a life, not just a career (and the joy of farmer’s markets). And lots more!---👍 Quick favor: Please leave a review or 5-star rating on your podcast player. This helps more listeners discover the climate CEOs and investors I interview here. 🙏---🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 80,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠