Casey O'Brien | Strategic Positioning for Climate Solutions

Mission

I grow my clients' impact by operating at the intersection of business development, marketing, communications, and fundraising. I help climate tech founders and nonprofit leaders figure out who to reach and how to reach them — validating sales strategies, identifying target funders, translating technical work into investor-ready narratives, and positioning complex solutions for the specific rooms where decisions get made.

You've built something the world needs. I help you get it in front of the people who can fund it, buy it, and scale it.

Climate Tech Founders

You've built something. You have traction. Now you need deals to close — and that requires getting clear on who you're selling to and how to talk to them. That's where I come in.

I help you:

Validate your sales strategy and identify the right customer segments
Develop product positioning and messaging that connects with buyers
Prepare for investor conversations with narratives that close rounds
Navigate non-dilutive funding: grants, accelerators, and programs that fit your stage
Translate complex climate solutions into language that makes people act
Develop an events strategy that builds pipeline — identifying the right events, preparing your messaging, and making sure you show up knowing who to talk to and what to say
Build thought leadership content that drives leads and grows brand awareness
Craft a pitch that works across investors, customers, partners, and media — and prepare you to deliver it with confidence
Execute marketing and communications projects end to end — events, campaigns, content — so you get senior-level support without building an in-house department

You've built something valuable. I make sure the right people understand it.

Clients include:

Nonprofit Leaders

You're doing climate work that sits at the intersection of social impact and science. You need funding, but most development consultants don't understand what you're building well enough to position it effectively for funders.

I help you:

Develop grant strategy and identify the right funding opportunities
Write compelling proposals that translate technical and scientific work for grant committees
Build narratives that connect your mission to funder priorities
Position climate innovation work for philanthropic audiences
Navigate development timelines and steward funder relationships
Develop an events strategy that builds community and donor relationships — identifying the rooms you need to be in, preparing your messaging, and making sure you show up knowing who to engage and what to say

I bring development expertise with a science and climate tech background — I understand what you're building and know how to make funders see its value.

Clients include:

About

I'm a strategic positioning consultant for climate tech startups and nonprofits, based in San Francisco. I have ten years of experience in climate. I started my career as a reporter covering climate stories before leading marketing at climate tech companies like Exodigo (through their $105M Series A) and One Concern. I now consult both independently and with the energy marketing consultancy Iron Core Marketing on select projects.

I have worked across climate risk analytics, subsurface infrastructure mapping, renewable energy, and climate advocacy. A ClimateBase Cohort 7 Fellow, I remain deeply connected to the community and the founders and organizations building within it. I'm obsessed with making complex climate work legible and compelling to the people who need to understand it. As a lifelong traveler, I'm passionate about working globally and have led country launches and expansions into the UK, Europe, the U.S., and LATAM.

When I'm not working, I'm usually hiking with my dog, camping somewhere in California, or reading my way through yet another stack of books. I am deeply rooted in the Bay Area climate ecosystem and love making my home in San Francisco — but always looking for my next road trip.

FAQ

Do you work on retainer or hourly?

Both. For retainer clients, we structure ongoing partnerships around your needs. For hourly work, I bill fixed hours per month so you have predictable costs and consistent access.

What do people actually hire you to do?

Founders hire me to validate their sales strategy, identify target customers, develop positioning and messaging, or prepare for investor conversations. Nonprofits hire me to develop grant strategy, write proposals, or build narratives for specific funding opportunities. Sometimes it's a one-time project (pitch deck, grant application). Sometimes it's ongoing strategic partnership.

Do you work remotely?

Yes — I work with founders and organizations across every timezone. But I'm deeply rooted in the Bay Area climate ecosystem, and that local network is key to how I do my work. You get both: global reach and Bay Area climate tech fluency.

Can't founders just do this themselves?

Sure — if you have time to learn funder landscapes, study how different industries evaluate climate solutions, and build positioning frameworks from scratch while also running your company. Most founders I work with are brilliant at what they do. They hire me because I've spent a decade learning how to translate climate innovation for the specific audiences they need to reach, and it's faster to bring me in than to figure it out themselves.

How did you get into this work?

I started my career as a reporter covering climate tech startups. After watching too many of them fail — not because the technology didn't work, but because they couldn't communicate what they were building — I decided to move into communications and marketing inside the industry. From there, the path wound through in-house startup roles, consulting, and nonprofit development work. But the through-line is simple: turning climate problems into climate solutions with storytelling. My breadth of experience in the space — journalism, startups, nonprofits — is what lets me operate across contexts most consultants can't. I've seen how each world works and how to translate between them.

Strategic Positioning for Climate Solutions

Mission

Climate Tech Founders

I help you:

Clients include:

Nonprofit Leaders

I help you:

Clients include:

About

FAQ

Do you work on retainer or hourly?

What do people actually hire you to do?

Do you work remotely?

Can't founders just do this themselves?

How did you get into this work?

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