Bridging Policy and Action: Ben Soltoff’s Vision for Climate Entrepreneurship

Interview Article prepared by Lauren Zhuang, SOM '26

The Yale Clean Energy Forum had the opportunity to speak with Ben Soltoff, the Ecosystem Builder and Entrepreneur in Residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Ben used to work at Yale as an Environmental Innovation Manager at CBEY and Environmental Innovation Fellow at Tsai CITY. He is also a Yale alum who graduated from the Yale School of Management and Yale School of Environment in 2019. He has spent his career at the intersection of climate, innovation, and entrepreneurship, building ecosystems, mentoring startups, and advancing climate tech solutions from classrooms to boardrooms. Ben will be giving a book talk on his soon to be published work, Disciplined Entrepreneurship for Climate and Energy Ventures, at the upcoming Yale Clean Energy Conference.

 

What first inspired you to work at the intersection of climate, innovation, and entrepreneurship?

 

I actually came into this work through climate and ecology, not entrepreneurship. My early career was rooted in ecological research. I spent time measuring trees, studying forest dynamics, and exploring how ecosystems respond to stressors like climate change. The more I learned, the more I realized there was a huge gap between understanding what’s happening in ecosystems and taking meaningful action to address it. That curiosity pulled me toward climate work, especially questions about how humans are affected when their ecosystems change. One of my formative experiences was in rural Rajasthan, India, where I worked with communities on the front lines of climate change. Shifts in rainfall and temperature directly impacted people’s livelihoods. Seeing that human dimension made the problem tangible. From there, I moved to Washington, D.C., and joined the World Resources Institute, where I worked on climate resilience and adaptation policy. I loved engaging with international partners, but I also saw a disconnect: while world leaders debated policy frameworks at places like the UN or COP meetings, local communities were still waiting for real solutions. That realization pushed me toward entrepreneurship. It’s where the rubber hits the road—where ideas turn into action. Entrepreneurs are the ones who see the gaps between where we are and where we need to be and then build the bridges to get there.

 

You’ve worked across global organizations, from World Resources Institute (WRI) to Yale to MIT. How has your perspective on climate solutions evolved over time?

 

When I started, I thought the most effective change came from centralized systems—governments, big institutions, and nonprofits. I now see that while those actors are essential, the most dynamic progress often happens at the edges, driven by decentralized efforts and private sector innovation. At the World Resources Institute, I had the privilege of being part of international policy discussions and watching the Paris Agreement come together. It was inspiring but also humbling. There’s a big gap between global policy commitments and tangible outcomes. Over time, I’ve come to believe that we can’t wait for government action. It’s wonderful when policy aligns with progress, but it can’t be a prerequisite. Entrepreneurs, private sector leaders, and communities have the capacity to move forward even when political momentum stalls. The solutions we need will come from many directions, not just from the top down.

 

What drew you to focus specifically on climate tech entrepreneurship as a lever for change?

 

Entrepreneurship is all about taking action, and in the climate space, that’s everything. Climate tech entrepreneurs are building the solutions that move us from aspiration to implementation. What excites me most is that climate entrepreneurship isn’t just about invention; it’s about deployment and scaling. Many of the technologies we need already exist. The challenge is creating new business models, financing structures, and delivery systems that make those technologies accessible and affordable. I’m drawn to the early stages of building, going from zero to one, or one to one hundred. Watching an idea evolve into a real-world solution is deeply rewarding. And being surrounded by entrepreneurs who are motivated by impact, who wake up every day asking, “What can I build to make this better?”, that’s incredibly energizing.

 

Where do you see the most promising opportunities in climate and clean energy innovation right now?

 

We’ll only succeed if climate solutions are better, cheaper, and cleaner than the status quo. The most exciting opportunities are in areas that combine strong economics with strong climate impact. We need innovation in clean firm power, grid modernization, and energy storage, areas that will enable us to electrify everything from homes to industries. But we also need to focus on industrial decarbonization, especially around process heat, materials separation, and production efficiency. There’s a lot of untapped potential there. Another key area is deployment innovation. How do we get clean energy technologies into use faster? That could mean new financing mechanisms, novel ownership models, or ways to integrate renewables into high-demand systems like data centers. The solutions that succeed will be those that improve people’s lives in tangible ways: cleaner air, lower costs, greater reliability, while reducing emissions.

 

How do you see the role of universities and accelerators evolving in advancing the clean energy transition?

 

Universities have always been engines of discovery, but they’re increasingly becoming launchpads for innovation. MIT, for example, embraces a “third leg of the stool,” entrepreneurship, alongside research and teaching. That’s a model I’d love to see more institutions adopt. At the Martin Trust Center, I’m one of the directors of the “delta v accelerator,” MIT’s capstone entrepreneurial experience. It’s an incredible environment where students take ideas from concept to company, supported by mentorship, resources, and community. Universities are uniquely positioned to translate ideas into impact, but that requires rethinking incentives. We need to value faculty and students not just for publishing or teaching, but also for creating real-world solutions—whether through startups, policy advocacy, or technology transfer. The ultimate goal is to make sure the breakthroughs developed in labs reach the people who can use them.

 

What’s been one of the most rewarding moments of your work in climate entrepreneurship?

 

I recently co-authored Disciplined Entrepreneurship for Climate and Energy Ventures, the first comprehensive guidebook for building ventures in this space (https://de4cev.com/). It walks readers through everything from identifying customers to navigating finance and policy, with insights from dozens of climate entrepreneurs. The book will debut at the Yale Clean Energy Conference, and I’m thrilled to share it with the world. It’s meant to be both a textbook and a playbook, a resource for anyone teaching, learning, or building in climate tech. Seeing the collective wisdom of this community captured in one place has been incredibly rewarding.

 

What advice would you give to students and emerging innovators hoping to make a difference in climate and clean energy?

 

Go in with open eyes and a resilient mindset. Building in this space is hard; it takes time, capital, and persistence. Climate and energy ventures often require years of development before reaching scale. But the good news is that these solutions are essential. You’re not trying to convince people to download a new app; you’re working to deliver things the world already needs—energy, materials, clean water, et cetera. So, focus on solving real problems. Identify where the gaps are, what the market needs, and how you can make it better for both people and the planet. Even small wins matter when the problems are this big.

 

If you could fast-forward ten years, what change in the climate innovation ecosystem would you most hope to see?

 

I’d love to see consistent, long-term support from government, policies that accelerate innovation rather than just subsidize it. Ideally, clean technologies should stand on their own as the best and most economical options, but they often need some help to reach that point. I also hope to see a more seamless funding ecosystem, bridging early-stage innovation with large-scale deployment. Entrepreneurs often get stuck in the “messy middle,” where pilots exist but scaling is tough. With better coordination among investors, lenders, and policymakers, we could see many more ventures grow into globally transformative companies (especially the ones I’ve coached at Yale and MIT).

 

Closing Thoughts

 

From measuring trees in Duke’s forests to mentoring founders at MIT, Ben Soltoff has built a career defined by action, collaboration, and impact. His journey reflects the evolution of climate innovation itself, moving from research and policy toward entrepreneurship as a tool for transformation.

 

Disclosure: This piece is based on a live interview with Ben Soltoff. Portions of the conversation were summarized and refined using AI tools for clarity and brevity, while all ideas and perspectives reflect Ben’s original responses.