It is an honor to join the Lichen team as a venture partner, providing strategic marketing expertise for the portfolio. I spent the last twenty-plus years leading research-driven marketing strategies for clients in the energy, cleantech and climate industries. What makes this venture particularly thrilling is working with Justin. His values align with mine, and his strategic vision to work with partners as specialties, like marketing, creates an equation for success. 

Marketing plays a critical role in venture capital by serving as a voice for the consumer, a catalyst for growth, and a strategic advantage for both startups and investors. It surfaces customer insights that inform product development, ensuring that companies build solutions the market actually wants. 

Strong marketing accelerates commercialization by driving awareness, adoption, and trust—key ingredients for scaling. It also builds brand equity, which attracts talent, capital, and partnerships, supporting companies punch above their weight. For founders, marketing offers strategic support beyond capital. We are shaping go-to-market plans, messaging, and investor narratives. And for Lichen itself, it’s not just about writing checks; marketing amplifies their visibility and thought leadership, allowing them to stand out in a competitive funding landscape and attract top-tier deal flow.

As the CEO of Alder & Co., a global clean energy and climate tech marketing agency, and founder of Tofu, a climate tech marketing community, this is also a dream come true for me. My vision has always been to accelerate the adoption of climate technologies until they become universal. Now with a venture component added, this completes my vision. Justin, thank you for the opportunity. Let’s do this!