Green Success Stories sat down with Ben Candea, CEO of LAC Consulting and Fractional Chief of Staff for Early- and Growth-stage Companies. Ben describes his shift from media/entertainment to more meaningful climate work, and the way his fractional Chief of Staff services enable early-stage founders and CEOs to dedicate their time and brainpower to their most important decisions, supporting their growth and success. Ben describes how he often thinks about his two year old son one day asking what he did to preserve the planet for him and his generation (and all those after), and how he needs to say – I did everything I could.
Tell us a bit about your sustainability journey.
Various events of 2020 (COVID, George Floyd’s death, U.S. election) led me to consider how I made money and whether that aligned well enough with my values. It didn’t, and in 2022, I shifted my career from media/entertainment to climate. Since then, I started my own business, working as a fractional chief of staff, and focusing on early-stage climate tech companies. I have a 2-year-old son and often think about him asking me what I did during this time to preserve the planet for him and his generation (and all those after). I need to say I did everything I could.
Tell us a bit about the product or solution you offer.
I’m a fractional chief of staff, expert generalist, and consultant who frees up early-stage founders and CEOs so they can dedicate their time and brainpower to their most important decisions. I help early-stage leaders drowning in never-ending to-dos shed operational responsibilities, creating leverage and enabling them to prioritize their time for growing their businesses. What that means depends on the clients — each one differs and has different needs, and I adjust how I work and what I do to best support them while bringing best practices to each. I’m a strong believer that CEOs can maximize their impact with the right CoS, whether full-time or fractional.
Share a green success story with us – how have you helped customers or other businesses in the fight against climate change?
When I joined a client, they were kicking off the application process for a state innovation program and the CEO asked that I lead it. I partnered with him on multiple rounds of applications while writing and editing content, managing external stakeholders, overseeing contributing consultants, and project managing the process. The company won a project, which, at the time, was its most valuable booking by 9x.
What do you envision your industry looking like in ten years?
Unfortunately, I think climate tech broadly will shift toward adaptation, as we aren’t currently moving fast enough to mitigate the worst effects of a warming planet. I’m hopeful about how quickly renewables are being deployed globally and the many people dedicating their energy to solving these complex problems. Every degree matters, and I’ve met lots of people focused on preventing a worse crisis.
What would you like readers to take away from this article?
Not everyone needs a chief of staff — some leaders may need a COO or executive assistant instead. But, the right chief of staff can be a force multiplier on many levels, and experienced professionals working fractionally mean you can tap into their expertise with less cost.
How should readers get in touch with you and/or your organization?
They can email me at ben@lacconsulting.co.
Kudos
Many thanks to Ben Candea and LAC Consulting . Green Success Stories is happy to support and highlight your efforts! We invite you the reader to do the same.
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