Why “holistic innovation” should be a mainstay of climate tech leadership
- Scaling new technologies requires diverse skill sets beyond just technical expertise.
- A web of interconnected technologies is the only realistic solution to the climate crisis.
- Lawrence blends his “servant leadership” approach with a high degree of “founder empathy.”
Cameron “Cam” Lawrence is a connector, in the broadest and most demanding sense of the word. As CEO of Newlab — a deep tech venture platform with a global network of climate-themed innovation hubs — Lawrence oversees a battalion of game-changing inventors and investors: around 250 visionary enterprises all told. The company was founded in the rubble of America’s first industrial revolution — a spectacularly repurposed wing of the Brooklyn Navy Yard (est. 1801) — before expanding to Detroit and Latin America (Newlab Uruguay).
The depth and range of his background served as a minimum qualification for leadership at Newlab. Executive experience at GNC, PNI Digital Media (acquired by Staples in 2014), and Ondine Biomedical Inc. produced the degree of strategic intelligence and entrepreneurial guile essential for an undertaking as complex as it is monumental.
The task of wrangling so many moving parts in service of “the world’s most pressing challenges in energy, mobility, and materials” requires a rare skill set — which is precisely why Big Think Business tracked Lawrence down to discuss servant leadership, founder empathy, the false promise of cure-all moonshots, and much more.
Big Think: What attracts you to the confluence of business and deep tech/climate tech?
Lawrence: The attraction lies in the potential for impact. While there’s been a wave of technical talent moving into the climate tech space, scaling and commercializing new technologies require diverse skill sets beyond just technical expertise. My operations expertise enables me to bring complex technologies to commercialization. The recent influx of VC and government funding has created an unprecedented opportunity, and it’s inspiring to see how different sectors can converge to drive climate solutions.
Big Think: The overarching goal of Newlab is grand and ambitious: tackle climate change. How do you manage the sheer scale of that task?
Lawrence: A web of interconnected technologies that create incremental decarbonization is the only realistic solution to the climate crisis. While some business principles are universally applicable, climate tech requires a tailored approach — scaling these technologies requires a massive influx of funding, partnerships, and facilitators. We recognize that “tackling climate change” is a massive undertaking. To make our goal more accessible, we choose to focus on critical challenges in three areas; energy, mobility, and materials.
In leading this effort, I see myself as a servant leader. My primary focus is on the growth and well-being of my team. I help the team establish clear goals and support them by removing obstacles, enabling their success and ensuring we effectively tackle the climate crisis through a collaborative and supportive approach.
Big Think: What is unique about Newlab’s “secret sauce”?
Lawrence: Scaling and commercializing climate tech requires a reimagining of the traditional VC model to recognize the unique challenges these startups face — new investment approaches and startup support systems are crucial to realize deep tech solutions that meaningfully address the climate crisis.
The “Newlab method” is our holistic approach to innovation. We offer a comprehensive ecosystem that supports startups from ideation to commercialization through access to capital, regulatory pathways, and industry partnerships. We act as a force multiplier, strategically connecting startups, policymakers, and industry players to break down barriers, enabling startups to focus on what they do best — innovating. Our unique blend of resources, community, and strategic guidance sets us apart and accelerates the path to market for deep tech solutions.
Big Think: Newlab is a global community in physical space: How does this human IRL element feed into the task of leadership?
Lawrence: At Newlab, we’re focused on place-based innovation. The physical presence of our global community is vital to our approach, especially as many cities and states launch economic imperatives to transform legacy industries to new, climate-forward economies. Place-based innovation is emerging as a critical path forward for these regions, as the approach doesn’t sacrifice economic leadership for innovation.
We use several factors to determine our locations — historical infrastructure, an economic imperative for industry transition, sufficient risk capital, access to talent and supply chains, and regulatory rights of way. These elements are imperative for the place-based innovation model to succeed. Additionally, being in the same geography fosters organic collaboration and idea exchange, creating a vibrant ecosystem where members can test, iterate, and scale their solutions in real-time. It also allows for more meaningful relationships and a stronger sense of belonging, which is essential for sustained collaboration and support.
Big Think: What do people get wrong about climate tech?
Lawrence: It’s appealing to believe that a single breakthrough technology can solve the climate crisis. But expensive, time-consuming and risky moonshots are actually a dangerous distraction from what tackling this crisis requires — efficiently scaling an interconnected system of many different technologies. A recent study concluded that 50% of the technologies we need to solve the climate crisis either haven’t been invented yet, or aren’t operating at the scale necessary to have a meaningful impact on the climate crisis. With this in mind, Newlab aims to mobilize an army of climate and deep tech startups rather than focus on one large moonshot. Each of our member startups makes their own incremental impact on the climate crisis, but together, the Newlab platform at scale can make the moonshot level impact we hope for.
Big Think: How would you translate the Newlab slogan — “You build, we unblock” — into a roadmap for leadership?
Lawrence: I find that it’s very similar to my servant leadership style. At Newlab, we pride ourselves on a high degree of founder empathy — which we define as a deep understanding of the challenges our founders face. This insight guides our strategies to support our members effectively within the Newlab ecosystem. Similarly, I prioritize understanding and addressing my team’s challenges to provide the best support possible.
Big Think: Could you highlight one to two resident Newlab projects that embody your business philosophy to a heightened degree?
Lawrence: Two pilot programs stand out to me: InvestPR (Invest Puerto Rico) and our collaboration with NYC DOT, “Charge safe, ride safe.” Both programs highlight our philosophy of enabling practical, impactful solutions that address real-world problems and build local economies and infrastructure.
In partnership with InvestPR, Newlab selected five startups — CarbonCycle, SOS Carbon, Sway, Thalasso Ocean, and PANGAIA — to pilot solutions for converting unmanaged and landfilled items like tires, plastic waste, and sargassum seaweed into new value-added products. This approach also supports the island’s circular economy, where waste can be reused to generate a new product of value. For instance, CarbonCycle is working on converting used tires into fuels, while Sway is developing seaweed-based, compostable replacements for plastics. This project tackles environmental issues and supports local economies by creating sustainable supply chains.
In collaboration with NYC DOT (Department of Transport) and NYCEDC (NYC Economic Development Corporation), Newlab is leading the city’s first public e-bike charging stations. The “Charge Safe, Ride Safe” pilot involves three startups — Swobbee, Popwheels, and Swiftmile — testing their technologies at five locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. This project promotes safe, accessible charging solutions for the city’s 60,000-strong delivery workforce, supporting green transportation and sustainability goals. Newlab chose to address this challenge to better understand how early-stage startups and innovators are already tackling these issues, and to leverage real-world pilot learnings to inform the City’s strategy. By conducting an analysis of the problem, Newlab uncovered optimal guidelines for solutions tailored to NYC’s unique needs. Working closely with DOT and EDC, Newlab developed solution parameters to recruit startups globally, ensuring the pilot aligns with the city’s green transportation and sustainability goals.
