Where is climate investment going—and why?

Kookai Chaimahawong leads the Centre for Climate and Business Solutions at UBC Sauder, where she works across climate, business, and finance to turn sustainability commitments into real-world action. Her career spans venture capital and private equity, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) partnerships at the United Nations, and scaling a successful startup. She bridges capital, business, and climate action, bringing a practical approach to how business can drive meaningful progress. She also serves as a moderator for the Creative Destruction Lab Climate stream and is a board member and past Chair of the Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum.

Nelson Switzer is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Climate Innovation Capital, where he helps investors deploy capital toward the decarbonization of the global economy. He invests in climate technologies that solve critical economic challenges while delivering large-scale carbon reduction and resilience. Known as “The Gigacorn Hunter,” he champions climate-tech businesses capable of removing over a billion tons of carbon while achieving billion-dollar valuations. Over his 25-year career, he has served as Chief Sustainability Officer at Nestlé and held senior sustainability leadership roles at PwC, Centrica, and RBC. He is the bestselling author of The Gigacorn Hunter and a global speaker who reframes climate investing as opportunity, not obligation.

Sarah Goodman brings rare breadth to Canada’s climate economy—spanning policy, industry, finance, and technology. At NorthX, she leads the mission to scale breakthrough climate technologies and build lasting prosperity for Canada. Before joining NorthX, she served as the Prime Minister’s Senior Advisor on Climate Action, where she shaped national climate plans and mobilized over $100B in federal investments. She also advised on climate solutions and green industrial policy as a Partner at Boston Consulting Group. Her career also includes executive roles at Teck Resources and Weyerhaeuser, founding a climate advisory firm, and senior leadership roles in philanthropy.

Wal van Lierop, one of Canada’s most respected voices in cleantech and industrial innovation, founded Chrysalix in 2001. Under his leadership, it has grown into a globally recognized venture capital firm, raising more than $350M and participating in over $3.5B in total funding. With a career spanning investing, corporate leadership, international consulting, and academia, he brings rare depth to the relationship between capital and climate. He currently serves on the boards of Axine, General Fusion, and Svante, and advises the Vancouver Airport Authority on energy and cleantech.