Our Investment in Terra.do
A global platform for moving talent into climate work
The impact of climate change has not only highlighted the urgency for effective solutions, but also the need for the necessary talent to bring them to fruition. Whether it be in the areas of energy, transportation, or agriculture or industries like finance, construction, and manufacturing, addressing the climate crisis requires a shift in the workforce to meet the demand for green skills and needs of a sustainable future. While growing numbers of young people are entering climate-related fields, individuals currently working in these various disciplines are arguably stuck in a talent bottleneck. To scale the volume of talent working on climate change solutions, a better system is needed to transition the workforce.
Focused on that goal, Terra.do is helping to train individuals motivated to work on climate change. Offering online courses that span regenerative agriculture, corporate sustainability, climate tech software engineering, design, and venture investing, Terra.do provides a bevy of different tracks to help transition professionals into a career with climate at its focus. The company is pursuing a mission of getting 100 million people to work on solving climate change by 2030. To that end, it partners with companies to place graduates of Terra.do’s courses in climate-focused roles. With droves of Terra.do students in the MCJ Community, we’re excited to announce our investment in Terra.do and back its founders Anshuman Bapna, Kamal Kapadia, and Mayank Jain. We’re also thrilled to share that Terra.do and MCJ Collective are co-hosting a virtual climate job fair on Jun 29, 2022 for those interested in learning about opportunities at innovative climate tech companies.
What is Terra.do?
Terra.do is a global learning platform whose mission is to get 100 million people to work directly on solving climate change by 2030. They have a three-pronged approach to achieving this goal, with education at its core.
Terra.do offers a wide-range of beautifully rendered course curriculum. The platform’s 12-week flagship course, “Climate Change: Learning for Action,” provides a deep dive into the full climate change landscape and is a great survey course for those seeking an introduction to how climate change intersects with other disciplines. Each course is carefully designed to tailor to existing skills, and the cohort-based experience gives participants (known as fellows) individual access to mentors and climate coaches.
Beyond coursework, Terra.do’s platform empowers fellows to build a network of professionals that share a similar interest of working in climate. The company has launched a new app which hosts its global community of current fellows and alumni. Relationships fostered in this environment accelerate the transition to climate-related positions, with approximately 60% of Terra.do’s cohorts finding work within 6 months. Additionally, Terra.do helps fellows find work through job fairs that connect them directly with climate-focused companies. The company charges tuition for its several-month long courses and offers financial aid as needed.
Why Did We Invest?
Compelling Founder-Market Fit
The company’s Founder, Anshuman Bapna, is a serial entrepreneur with deep knowledge of the internet domain, both from a product and business perspective. Anshuman’s familiarity with building massive internet platforms and high-performing teams, coupled with his experience raising capital and successfully exiting, uniquely positions him to realize Terra.do’s mission.
Terra.do’s co-founders, Kamal Kapadia and Mayank Jain, also have impressive backgrounds in education and tech. The former is a two-time Masters and Ph.D. holder from Berkeley and Oxford with experience teaching climate change, and the latter is the former CTO and founder at Righthalf.com.
Complementary Missions
At MCJ Collective, we believe in unleashing climate innovation by breaking down silos and enabling the flow of information, ideas, and capital necessary to accelerate individual climate journeys and advance collaboration. Terra.do’s mission complements this ethos by providing an education platform and alumni network to transition the workforce and address the climate crisis. As more individuals are inspired to focus their careers on climate, we are excited by the prospect of Terra.do being a central resource in enabling that transition.
Additional Resources
MCJ podcast “Climate Careers: Anshuman Bapna, Founder at Terra.do”
If you are an accredited investor and want to learn more about being an investor in our fund (to back more great companies like this one!), reach out here, and include desired quarterly commitment level, accredited investor status, and info on your background and how you could be helpful to the portfolio.