John-Paul (JP) Maxfield

JP Maxfield joins Breakthrough Energy’s Business Fellows program from Denver, Colorado. For JP, the Breakthrough Energy Fellowship program is about building a community dedicated to addressing climate change. As a Business Fellow, he will collaborate with other entrepreneurs and innovators to grow the capabilities of investors, companies, and entrepreneurs and magnify their collective impact.

JP has spent his career at the intersection of climate and business. He is the founder of Waste Farmers, a sustainable agriculture company that became the largest compost collection service in Denver, Colorado. Previously, he served as an associate for a private equity group, focusing on planning, forecasting, budgeting, and performance evaluation in small-to mid-cap service companies. He has a deep understanding of the challenges presented by climate change and a passion for identifying opportunities, plotting a course of action, and executing with flexibility and agility. He understands the full lifecycle of a startup and its needs during each unique phase.

In his free time, JP enjoys reading, writing, playing music with his band Coal Town Reunion, and being outside with family and friends. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He also launched “The Inspired Economist,” a blog focused on covering the people, places, ideas, and technologies that are inspiring positive change and redefining capitalism.

Q&A

What’s a fun fact about yourself?
I narrowly escaped being trampled by elephants more than once, which may say more about me than the elephants.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A tiger and then a doctor.

What is your favorite word and why?
Grok, because it evokes an image of understanding that is alive.