Favorite Parts Of Being A Climate Venture Fellow At An An Early Stage Venture Capital Firm
Nick, a Climate Venture Fellow, thrives on the unpredictable nature of early-stage investing, describing the work as having "a constantly changing set of priorities" that keeps each day exciting and impactful. This dynamic environment, coupled with a strong sense of ownership and the knowledge that their presence directly affects the team, provides a deeply fulfilling experience.
Fast-Paced Environment, Adaptability, Problem-Solving, Sense of Ownership, Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nick Rojas
Climate Venture Fellow
Early stage VC
UCLA
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business MBA, School for the Environment and Sustainability MS Sustainable Systems
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. No two days are alike; the work is dynamic and requires adaptability.
2. The role offers a sense of ownership and purpose; the employee's presence and work directly impact the team and its goals.
3. The work involves exposure to a wide range of situations, from responding to unexpected emails and policy changes to rapidly evolving investment opportunities, requiring constant learning and problem-solving.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
Within early-stage investing, no day is ever the same. You might have a set schedule and think you know what's about to happen, but a lot of it really is staying nimble.
With that, just not knowing what might happen, there might be an unexpected email that arrives. Now you have a new meeting that you have to prepare for, but you get to have a really exciting conversation.
Maybe a new policy directive just changed, and the math you were putting together around investing in a certain state no longer made sense, but now it does. Or perhaps a founder who was struggling to close out a round of funding suddenly secured two huge partners. Now you have to scramble and decide if you want to be part of this round.
There's a constantly changing set of priorities, which for many can be very stressful, and I recognize that. For me, I really love that it doesn't feel monotonous or the same day in and day out. My showing up to work matters.
If I'm not at work, whether I took the day off or am not mentally present, it affects my team. Knowing that I have that deep sense of ownership and purpose within the work I do is very fulfilling.