Green.org sat down with Mike Winterfield, to learn how his company, Active Impact Investments, is a venture fund investing exclusively in climate tech.
Who is Mike Winterfield?
Mike is the Founder and Managing Partner of Active Impact Investments, Canada’s largest climate tech seed fund. Mike founded Active Impact to harness his 20+ years in executive roles in software, sales and professional recruitment in service of companies that are accelerating the transition from finite to infinite resources and solving the most urgent environmental problems. Before Active Impact, Mike was the COO at Traction on Demand and President of Traction Rec. Prior to that he was President of Randstad Professionals, running $300M in revenue and placing thousands of people in key roles. He lives on the north shore of Vancouver with his partner, Erica and their three young kids.
Mike, thanks for joining us. What would you do with $1 Billion dollars?
That’s easy. Exactly what my team and I are already doing at Active Impact … just a lot more of it. We are a seed stage venture fund investing exclusively in climate tech. True to our name, we are very active investors. We help our companies with sales, talent and fundraising. So far, we’ve made 28 portfolio investments and all companies are growing. In 2023 our goal is to mitigate 1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. We presently have $70 million under management — think of what we could do with a BILLION!
Why do you think sustainability is such an important topic today?
Sustainability, and more specifically climate change, is the MOST important topic today. Reversing climate change is both the most urgent emergency and the single biggest opportunity humanity has ever faced. 70% of the planet’s biodiversity has been wiped out and current trajectories of warming will completely reshape civilized society. But the technology to overcome the crisis exists and is ready to scale. Making human society sustainable will bring radical social inclusion, economic prosperity AND return balance to the living world. Ending the era of fossil fuels is in the interest of every living being on earth.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
The next ten years will prove that companies that deliver real solutions — clean energy and transportation, circular economy, sustainable food and water, and pervasive smart infrastructure — will be the economic winners over the destructive legacy industries that created the climate crisis. From government to insurance to investorment, we’re already seeing the shift happen. And it’s not just the dollars. We see a huge migration of talent from the C Suite to new graduates who want to put climate at the center of their career. ‘Green’ industries will be the single largest source of new, good jobs in the next decade. And the companies that attract the most capital and the best talent are the ones that win.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
Consumer power is hugely important. What people choose to spend their money on gets noticed, which is why the market has so many more sustainable, ethical choices than it ever has before. But while it would be great for every average person to have solar power, take convenient transit, eat less meat and buy second-hand clothing, the most critical changes needed are systemic. Government policy, city planning and how capital is allocated are some of the most effective levers. Vote based on climate policy … and as much as possible invest with, borrow from and work for companies/institutions that put the planet first.
