Dave Folk brings deep expertise in building climate technology companies from concept to market. As an operator who's been in the trenches of early-stage startups, he understands the challenges founders face when transforming ambitious ideas into viable businesses.
Experience that matters
Dave's spent his career launching climate tech companies, and supporting founders. As a startup co-founder himself at Cloverly and Mangrove, he's taken concepts from initial idea through customer discovery, business model development, fundraising, and go-to-market execution—securing funding and driving significant early revenue growth.
He's worked across the carbon markets ecosystem at Toucan, managing supply-side strategy, building relationships with registries and standards bodies, and developing technical frameworks for evaluating environmental projects. His experience spans carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon removal credits.
Beyond climate tech startups, Dave has led new product development at established energy companies, launching consumer programs and digital platforms that achieved substantial growth. His work consistently bridges technical complexity with commercial viability, whether designing emissions calculation algorithms or building B2B platforms that process hundreds of thousands of transactions.
What he brings to the table
Dave specializes in the critical early-stage work that determines whether startups succeed or struggle:
Customer Discovery & Value Proposition Design – He's conducted hundreds of discovery conversations across climate tech, concrete/cement, automotive, and energy sectors, translating insights into product-market fit.
Business Model Development & Financial Modeling – From carbon markets to consumer energy products, he builds business models that attract investment and generate revenue.
Go-to-Market Strategy – Dave designs and executes launch strategies that connect products with customers, whether that's B2B API platforms or consumer applications.
Carbon Markets & Climate Tech – With deep knowledge of carbon offsets, RECs, emissions accounting, and environmental attribute certificates, he navigates the complex landscape of climate technologies and regulations.
Technical Product Development – He works directly with engineering teams on product design, algorithm development, and technical requirements—from emissions calculations to AI-powered diligence frameworks.
Background
Dave holds an MBA with a focus on Management of Technology from Georgia Tech and a bachelor's in Communication Studies from the University of Alabama. He's based in West Chester, Pennsylvania with his wife and two boys.