Stanford Ecopreneurship’s impact extends far beyond campus. Through open-access insights, public events, and global collaborations, we share the ideas, research, and experiences that advance sustainability innovation worldwide.
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Together, these offerings connect ecopreneurs, investors, educators, and innovators committed to building a more sustainable future.
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Explore white papers that distill insights from Stanford’s research, programs, and partnerships to advance the field of ecopreneurship. These publications translate lessons from academia and practice into actionable frameworks for scaling sustainability innovation and guiding impact-driven ventures around the world.
This guide supports academic innovators (e.g., research faculty, postdocs, and PhD students) who want to translate their innovations into impact, but are uncertain about the path. This guide discusses the benefits and drawbacks of five (5) translation pathways (namely, traditional for-profit
Stanford’s inaugural conference, “Scaling Sustainability Innovation,” held in May 2024, brought together diverse perspectives to identify challenges in scaling and propose solutions to address them. Featuring 75 speakers and nearly 400 attendees, the event was organized in partnership with the
Explore how innovators tackle sustainability challenges through real-world ecopreneurship case studies developed by Stanford faculty and staff.
Authors: Madison Freeman, Constance Mietkowski, Jonathan Garkinkel
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/tpg-rise-climates-investment-twelve-first-kind-climate-finance
This case study explores the innovative financing partnership between Twelve, a pioneering carbon transformation startup, and TPG Rise Climate, a leading climate-focused investment fund. Twelve has developed a groundbreaking solution to convert captured…
Authors: Nate Schlein, Kunal Doshi
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/greentech-capital-advisors-banking-green-future
This case examines the founding of Greentech Capital Advisors in 2009, presenting the critical dilemma faced by investment banking veteran Jeff McDermott: how aggressively should he pursue a promising but undeveloped market opportunity in sustainable…
Authors: Nate Schlein, Kunal Doshi
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/ecoplanet-family-office-constructing-impact-investment-portfolio
This case explores Rachel Carlan’s challenge as the newly appointed Chief Investment Officer of EcoPlanet Asset Management (EPAM), a multi-billion dollar portfolio within Luke Walter’s family office. Walter wants his largest pool of assets to directly…
Author: Jaclyn C. Foroughi
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/nuveen-amazon-reforestation-bond-outcome-bond-scaling-impact
Fresh off of a second consecutive year of winning Environmental Finance’s award for Impact Investment Team of the Year, the global fixed income team at Nuveen was riding high. Led by Stephen Liberatore, CFA, lead portfolio manager for and head of Nuveen’s…
Authors: Kim Latypov, George Foster
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/zum-reinventing-student-transportation
This case study follows Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO of Zum, as she redefines student transportation by applying a technology-driven approach to an industry that had seen little modernization. Zum evolved from a consumer-facing rideshare marketplace…
Authors: Adam Markovitz, Monisha Perkash
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/guidewheel-finding-product-market-fit-factory-floor
When Lauren Dunford cofounded the start-up that would become Guidewheel, she initially wanted to make an impact on energy sustainability in Kenya. But when her company’s power-monitoring technology struggled to find product-market fit in factories…
Authors: Jack Fuchs, Jose Ignacio Garcia Suarez
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/goodleap
GoodLeap, spearheaded by Hayes Barnard, emerges as a pioneering financing platform offering comprehensive solutions for sustainable living, including solar loans, home purchasing, refinancing, and improvement loans. Barnard, with a robust background at…
Authors: Stefanos Zenios, Dominic Mirabile, Jose Ignacio Garcia Suarez
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/clearmetal
ClearMetal, a supply chain software-as-a-service startup, exemplifies the challenges of innovating in the global container shipping industry. Under CEO Adam Compain, the company developed a solution to reduce the costly repositioning of empty shipping…
Author: Jaclyn Foroughi
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/nuveen-galapagos-marine-bond-evaluating-public-fixed-income-impact
In late 2022, Stephen Liberatore, CFA, lead portfolio manager for and head of Nuveen’s impact fixed income strategies, picked up a phone call from colleagues at investment bank Credit Suisse regarding a marine conservation-linked bond tied to a debt-for…
Authors: Julie Makinen, Russell Siegelman
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/fram-energy
This case study explores the journey of Charlotte Meerstadt, a climate-focused entrepreneur, and the development of her startup, Fram Energy. Inspired by a personal challenge with solar panels on her rental property, Meerstadt identified a critical market…
Authors: Jack Fuchs, Jose Ignacio Garcia Suarez
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/scifi-foods-real-beef-reinvented
The case “SCiFi Foods: Real Beef, Reinvented” explores the journey of SCiFi Foods, a startup aiming to revolutionize the meat industry by developing lab-grown beef. Founded by serial entrepreneur Josh March and biotech expert Kasia Gora, SCiFi Foods…
Authors: Rezvan Derayati, Margot Sutherland, Stefan Reichelstein
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/enowa-powering-entire-region-100-renewables
In August 2023, Jens Madrian considered the final question arising from his presentation to researchers at Stanford on designing a 100 percent renewable energy system for an ambitious development initiative named NEOM, signifying new future, in Saudi…
Authors: William P. Barnett, Ingrid Ackermann
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/intersections-paradise-economics-sustainability-palau-2024
Palau’s complex environmental and economic situation is explored. The nation has a growing economy and is a hotspot of marine biodiversity. Palau is taking steps to develop financial independence and continually maintain its environment, a complex…
Authors: Stefan J Reichelstein, Teresa J Landaverde Lorenzo, Patrick Liebmann, Rebecca Meier, Margot K Sutherland
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/heidelberg-materials-assessing-product-carbon-footprints
In January 2023, Carolyn Lukaso, CO2 strategist at Heidelberg Materials (HM), formerly HeidelbergCement, considered the challenge of delivering on the emissions target set by the management board: the reduction of CO2 emissions to 400 kg CO2/ton of…
Authors: Jaclyn Foroughi, Aurora Beauclair
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/nuveen-ecozen-solutions-valuing-private-equity-impact-investment
In December 2021, Rekha Unnithan, CFA, received a cold outreach from Devendra Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Ecozen Solutions (“Ecozen”), an agriculture-focused cleantech business based in Pune, a major technology and manufacturing hub in India. Founded in…
Authors: Jack Fuchs, Simon Bumm, Jose Ignacio Garcia Suarez
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/apa-technologies
APA Technologies, a startup in the trucking industry, faced a significant challenge with its innovative product, the Tyro—an automatic tire inflation device. Founders Brad Miller and Jeffrey Howell, Stanford mechanical engineering students, developed…
Authors: Haim Mendelson, Erica Plambeck, Stefanos Zenios, Dominic Mirabile, Jose Ignacio Garcia Suarez
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/tesla-business-operating-model-evolution-abridged
This case study traces Tesla’s ascent from an ambitious startup to the world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, highlighting its innovative evolution in business and operating models. Guided by Elon Musk’s strategic vision, Tesla began with…
Authors: Jaclyn Foroughi, Maureen McNichols
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/los-angeles-cleantech-incubator-laci-launching-cleantech-debt-fund
After completing a successful two-year pilot, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) was ready to launch its inaugural Debt Fund. The goal was to capitalize companies solving the greatest challenges related to climate change across three priority…
Authors: Jaclyn Foroughi, Maureen McNichols
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/nuveen-seychelles-blue-bond-analyzing-public-fixed-income-impact
In 2016, Stephen M. Liberatore, CFA, lead portfolio manager for and head of Nuveen’s impact fixed income strategies, received a phone call from the World Bank. The call was not unusual; in fact, Nuveen had collaborated with the World Bank in the past as…
Authors: Jaclyn Foroughi, Maureen McNichols
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/forestry-timberland-impact-investment-analysis
Much like the famous philosophical thought experiment, impact investing raises questions about perception, observation, and reality. What is our sense that an investment results in social, environmental, and financial return? What changes can we observe…
Authors: Patricia Nakache, Gelila Bekele
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/bevi-unbottling-future
Bevi was founded to enable a permanent transition away from single-use bottles and cans in order to make an environmental impact. The company built and sold thousands of IoT-enabled smart water dispensers that offered filtered, sparkling and flavored…
Authors: Haim Mendelson, Erica Plambeck, Stefanos Zenios, Dominic Mirabile
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/tesla-business-operating-model-evolution
Tesla was founded in 2003 on the mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport through the production and sale of electric vehicles. The scope of this mission required staged business model development, beginning with low-volume…
Authors: George Foster, Sheila Melvin
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/afresh-technologies-building-blue-ocean-opportunity-fresh-food-supply
When Afresh CEO and cofounder Matt Schwartz enrolled at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business (GSB) in 2015, he had a singular obsession—healthy food, to benefit both individuals and the planet—and an ironclad determination: to found a…
Authors: William Barnett, Pamela Matson, Julia Novy-Hildesley, Julia G. Mason, Alana F. Springer
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/global-fisheries-emergence-sustainable-seafood-movement
Faced with declining fisheries and ineffective government solutions, environmental organizations turned to market solutions in the mid-1990s to promote sustainable seafood. Broad-reaching, innovative leaders used a combination of consumer education…
Authors: Magali Delmas, Erica Plambeck, Monifa Porter
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/environmental-product-differentiation-hayward-lumber-company
The case traces the greening of Hayward Lumber Company, a family-owned company based in California. As an initial step toward serving an environmentally focused market niche, the firm began selling Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Lumber to meet…
Authors: George Foster, Sheila Melvin
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/plenty-transforming-food-future-planet
Matt Barnard, CEO of the indoor vertical farming company Plenty, analyzed the agricultural supply chain in the United States and determined it had a four-pronged problem that people would pay to have solved: flavor, waste, environmental footprint, and…
Authors: Stefan Reichelstein, Donna Bebb
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/sustainable-investing-generation-investment-management
In 2015, Generation Investment Management celebrated the successful 10-year track record of its flagship Global Equity Fund, which outperformed its benchmark index by over 500 basis points per year. A mainstream investment firm whose founders included…
Authors: Gina Jorasch, Michael Kennedy, Jesper Sorensen
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/dlight-selling-solar-poor
D.light is one of the leading manufacturers of solar powered lighting technology specifically designed for use by the world’s poorest, bottom of the pyramid customers. Having sold over 7 million lights since 2007, the company has been relatively…
Authors: Victoria Chang, Jesper Sorensen
Link: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/green-it-gets
As Green As It Gets was a nonprofit “economic development organization supporting small, independent producers in disadvantaged Guatemalan communities.” The founder was an American named Franklin Voorhes. As Green As It Gets sponsored a collective of 18…
Engage with thought leaders, investors, and innovators driving sustainability innovation. The Scaling Sustainability Innovation Conference and TreeHacks Hackathon bring together the global ecopreneurial community to share ideas, build networks, and accelerate impact.
Stanford Ecopreneurship is a proud sponsor of TreeHacks, Stanford’s premier hackathon. Students from around the globe convene on Stanford’s campus to build solutions to the world’s largest challenges for 36 hours.
More information about the event on the 2026 TreeHacks event website.
The Scaling Sustainability Innovation conference supports the ecopreneurial ecosystem at Stanford and beyond by educating attendees on the challenges and successful strategies for scaling eco-ventures, providing thought leadership, and facilitating catalytic connections between ecopreneurs, investors, industry professionals, and faculty.
Learn more about the 2025 event.
Watch the recordings from the 2025 conference.
Stanford Ecopreneurship is a proud sponsor of TreeHacks, Stanford’s premier hackathon. Students from around the globe convene on Stanford’s campus to build solutions to the world’s largest challenges for 36 hours.
More information about the event on the 2025 TreeHacks event website.
Stanford Ecopreneurship is a proud sponsor of TreeHacks, Stanford’s premier hackathon. Students from around the globe convene on Stanford’s campus to build solutions to the world’s largest challenges for 36 hours.
More information about the event on the 2024 TreeHacks event website.
The Scaling Sustainability Innovation conference supports the ecopreneurial ecosystem at Stanford and beyond by educating attendees on the challenges and successful strategies for scaling eco-ventures, providing thought leadership, and facilitating catalytic connections between ecopreneurs, investors, industry professionals, and faculty.
Learn more about the 2024 event.
Watch the recordings from the 2024 conference.
