Impact Interview: Chante Harris

Name: Chante Harris

Role/Function: Director, Climate Investment & Partnerships at SecondMuse and Co-Founder, Women of Color Collective in Sustainability (WOC/CS)

What She’s Currently Working On: 

I currently lead climate investment and partnerships for Venture for ClimateTech (V4C) at SecondMuse, a global venture studio and accelerator hybrid model sourcing the best climate tech solutions across the world.

I am currently running a design lab called Future Economy Lab to reimagine how can we imagine a new, more sustainable and inclusive way of financing early stage climate technologies. Additionally, I am the co-creator of Women of Color Collective in Sustainability, the only digital collective and community that is 100% dedicated to advancing women of color working across the sustainability industry.

1. What was the “aha” moment that sparked your interest in social impact? 

There isn't one specific moment I can point to. Social impact has always been core to how I view my work and life.

I had a strong blueprint laid for me and learned from the best of the best through my family. My grandmother was a civil rights activist and nurse, my mother was a medical assistant and my father was a firefighter. I grew up viewing a career as an opportunity to serve others and create impact. Over the past several years, my work has included scaling nationwide campaigns, technologies and ideas for everyone from the Obama Administration, Fortune 500 companies and more recently, early- and growth-stage startups.

2. How did you break into the social impact space? 

I lived in Washington D.C. during the Obama administration. From energy efficiency to tech for good and economic development, it felt like such a magical time to think through solutions to big challenges. I remember doubling-down on my interest in cross-sector collaboration and removing silos to encourage partnership. As a champion of climate and urban innovation, I have turned my fascination for collaboration into expertise in scaling innovative companies, products and solutions across some of the fastest-growing industries including energy, AI, agriculture, cannabis and the built environment.

While I didn’t realize it during my wonky days living in Washington D.C., my path today reflects a passion for and expertise in bringing together all of the appropriate resources and tools to build towards a goal. Whether it’s through technology deployment or campaign launches, I believe there is so much value in understanding and reaching a key target audience.

The reality is that no one sector is going to solve the climate crisis or any other major issue we all aim to address in our lifetimes. It will take each and every one of us working in our various capacities and with our talents to bring together the right strategies and people to implement solutions as quickly as we can.

What I found to be most valuable in my career journey is the value of networking across meaning – looking at other people with a similar number of years of experience or even shared expertise and connecting with them. I think oftentimes we overemphasize the role of people who are the CEO or senior leadership. Yes, they are part of the decision-making process, but any great leader has surrounded themselves with smart, trustworthy people they can rely on. When you're looking for a new opportunity, you should take advantage of that trust and the agency others have in their role at a company or organization you may be interested in. I also live by the idea that you should add value before you ask for it. We all want reciprocity in our relationships.

3. What most excites you about the social impact space right now?

People across various institutions are looking at the periphery and talking to each other. It also feels more inclusive in ways that it hasn't which speaks to why I launched WOC/CS alongside Jordana Vasquez, whom I met at a Climate Week event years ago.

We created the collective that we wish we had had at that time. The community was born out of the idea that access to opportunity is crucial for the professional success and advancement of every woman.

Since its launch in the summer of 2019, we have brought together over 5,000 women of color through virtual and in-person events, social media channels, a digital community and an online publication.

Additionally, all the founders I support through our venture studio and accelerator hybrid model energize me each and every day. They are brave enough to take risks and build something new. They serve as a reminder to imagine, dream and implement.

Also, because I spend a lot of time with existing and new climate investors, I'm excited by the new models and thinking that’s emerging around how to design and deploy capital into technologies and solutions that need them to scale and have a real impact to protect people and preserve the planet. Capital markets must innovate alongside the companies and solutions that exist within them. A good example of this is Sequoia's recent announcement focused on leaning into a model for patient capital that acknowledges that innovations in investment haven't kept up with the companies they’re meant to serve.

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