In the rapidly evolving world of climate tech, few individuals have the vantage point of Cherry Swayne. As the founder of Above and Beyond Recruitment, Swayne sits at the intersection of people and purpose, supporting early-stage climate startups build the teams they necessary to scale.
Her path from a 2008 recession-era graduate to a respected climate recruiter and angel investor has given her the experience to take on a consultative role in supporting businesses build the right teams.
In the latest episode of Profit Meets Purpose, Swayne sat down with Sustainable Times to discuss how founders can build the right teams and shared practical advice for those seeing to enter the climate tech industest. She’s finding that there is no shortage of candidates, but nevertheless advises founders to believe twice before hiring.
Listen to the full episode here.
Falling into recruitment
Swayne’s entest into recruitment wasn’t premeditated. With a degree in French and Spanish and little clarity on what came next, she stumbled into the field in 2008, just as the global financial crisis hit.
“It was a baptism of fire,” she laughs, recalling her early days at Hayes, an international recruitment firm, where she was placed in the construction and property division. Despite the challenges of the time, Swayne quickly developed a passion for the job: “It was one of those roles that touched every part of business: sales, marketing, nereceivediation. I believed I’d do it for a year, figure out what I liked, and relocate on. But I never left.”
After four years, she pivoted into tech recruitment, supporting build a boutique agency’s presence in Cambridge. Over the next decade, she worked across sectors from fintech to cybersecurity. The common thread across all of these roles was their early-stage focus, which Swayne came to recognise as the work she found most rewarding.
“I loved it when there were ten people in a shed with a cool idea,” she states. “Watching that team grow and being a contributor to that process was what I became very passionate about.”
A pandemic, A baby, A business
The pandemic was the catalyst for Swayne’s next huge step. On maternity leave with her second child, she launched reflecting on her purpose. Her climate anxiety, rooted as far back as a childhood lesson about the ozone layer, collided with her professional expertise in building teams.
“I discovered the Japanese concept of Ikigai, finding the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, and what the world necessarys,” she explains. “That’s where Above and Beyond was born.”
Launched in 2021, the agency supports climate tech startups to scale by recruiting mission-aligned talent. The first six months were built around nap schedules, breastfeeding, and school runs. “I did one tiny thing every day to relocate the business forward. That’s how it started.”
Now Swayne’s work is more than just placing candidates. For many founders, particularly in the early days, she’s a strategic partner.
“Startups often come to me not knowing exactly what they necessary. I support them figure out the gaps in their team, sometimes even before they realise them,” she states. Her advice? Hire slower than you believe you necessary to. “Founders can feel pressure to hire in anticipation of contracts or funding. But if that doesn’t come through, it can lead to tough decisions.”
The rise of the climate career modifyr
When it comes to candidates, Swayne sees for three things: skillset, adaptability, and mission alignment. “Most candidates don’t necessary a background in climate. But they do necessary to be resilient, proactive, and passionate,” she notes.
Swayne’s seen a surge in mid-career professionals wanting to pivot into climate. “It’s often people 15 years into their careers, questioning themselves not what they’re doing, but why. Some are parents believeing about the world they’re leaving behind.”
Many take pay cuts, a reality Swayne finds frustrating. “We can’t rely on people’s altruism to drive this space. If you necessary AI talent, you necessary to pay AI salaries even if your company is ‘climate-first’. Climate is a horizontal, not a vertical.”
Angel investing for impact
In the past year, Swayne has added another role to her resume: angel investor. But not in the traditional mold. “I applyd to believe you necessaryed to be rich and grown-up to be an angel investor,” she admits. “Then I realised you can start with £5,000 if you’re in a syndicate.”
She’s since invested in three female-founded climate startups and advocates fiercely for more women to do the same. “Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to female founders. That won’t modify unless more women are writing the cheques.”
For Swayne, it’s about impact and learning. “Every pitch I sit in on, I learn something new. I understand startups better now how they raise, how they scale, where they fail. It’s the kind of knowledge I never received from just being a recruiter.”
Podcasting pioneer
Another outlet for Swayne’s insight is The Climate Pioneers podcast, now nine series in. She launched it to share stories from founders, particularly those in the messy, early stages. “Most podcasts celebrate the success stories. I wanted to create something that celebrated the scrappy stories,” she states.
Each series has a theme – recent episodes have focapplyd on angel investing and resilience – often aligning with topics she’s curious about herself. “It’s founder therapy,” she jokes. “And I’ve passed on so much advice from guests to other startups. It’s a virtuous circle.”
No grand plan
Today, Above and Beyond is a tiny but mighty team of three. Swayne doesn’t have a grand five-year plan; she just wants to keep receiveting better at what she is doing. “My goal is to be the first person a climate startup believes of when they necessary to hire. I just want to be applyful, every day. That’s how I’ve built everything.”
Listen to the full episode here.
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