We are climate optimists who see the climate crisis not as a mere problem to be solved, but as the defining and enduring challenge of the next century and beyond. We are experienced founders, designers, engineers, and operators. We know the climate crisis is happening now and great consequences are unavoidable, but we share a deeply held belief that we have the power to help secure a future where humans - especially communities that have suffered the most due to pollution and climate change - can live full, meaningful, and healthful lives on earth.
Act and learn.
When faced with uncertainty, we encourage taking the best next step, even if that means presenting rough drafts or imperfect ideas. We stay adaptable and ready to pivot as we gain new information, emphasizing learning and growth.
Take ownership.
We work best when everyone at Eli takes initiative, contributes ideas, and embraces ownership over their work and Eli’s success. We proactively spot and address variables in flux to minimize unnecessary confusion. We don’t just identify problems, we take steps towards solving them.
Champion transparency.
We value clear, direct communication, and we are candid internally about what we are working on and why to ensure that we are focused on the right priorities. We are honest with ourselves about areas for improvement and take action accordingly. We coordinate and carry out our work as openly with each other as feasible.
Bias towards simplicity.
Being realistic about the complexity of our space enables us to understand and simplify this complexity in a way that our customers and partners trust. We know that there’s some complexity that can’t be simplified away, so we bias towards simplifying where appropriate to help us solve the right problem for the right audience at the right time.
Collaborate.
We value teamwork and mutual respect – both within Eli and with customers, partners, and other stakeholders across our ecosystem. Collaboration helps us build the best solutions for a diverse set of stakeholders by leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise.
We care about the mission.
We are building products that will accelerate decarbonization and make our homes and communities healthier, safer, and more resilient. We still have other motivations, needs, and desires - we’re human - but we have learned that we do our best work when we care about the people we serve and the problems we hope to solve. We don’t need to build a team of climate experts or activists, but we do need people who are motivated by the problems we are solving.
We enjoy working together.
Eli is not a family, and we don’t ever want it to be one. To be blunt, we think companies that seek to blur the lines between personal and professional are problematic. We want to build a diverse team that is connected by shared values, a shared mission, and healthy working relationships, not by a company culture built on shared interests, hobbies, backgrounds, or networks. We come from vastly different backgrounds, but we all make an effort to build meaningful, enjoyable working relationships.
We like our work.
This is not the same as “loving your job” - no sane person really loves their job all the time. Having a job means doing work on days when you’d rather not; it means having to accept other peoples’ priorities whether you agree with them or not. Loving your job is an unrealistic goal most of the time, but liking your work is perfectly attainable. If you are an engineer, you should like coding. If you are an accountant, you should like spreadsheets. We are attempting something hard that requires sustained effort, and we won’t succeed without joy in the work. If we aren’t finding joy in the work, we are proactive in identifying opportunities for growth, change, and/or communication that might help.