Age of Adoption

What if the biggest barrier to the energy transition isn't generation or demand — but the invisible infrastructure layer connecting them? Lisa Magnuson has spent two decades at the intersection of utilities and technology, focused on one core challenge: how to turn complex infrastructure into real-world adoption. From her early years as the first marketing hire at Silver Spring Networks — helping...

The data says we're making real progress on climate. So why does the conversation still feel like we're losing, and what does it mean to finally separate the signal from the noise? Joe Speicher didn't arrive at Autodesk's Chief Sustainability Officer role through a conventional channel. Deutsche Bank, the Peace Corps in the Philippines, impact investing — each stop informed how he thinks about dep...

What would it take to fit a geothermal system into a 125-year-old Manhattan co-op — and what happens when you actually do it? Mike Richter spent two decades as one of the NHL's elite goaltenders, winning a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers. Now, as President of Brightcore Energy, he's applying the same discipline and focus to decarbonizing commercial buildings. On this episode of Age of Adopti...

Why are Fortune 500 companies still investing billions in climate resilience while staying publicly silent about it? Emilie Mazzacurati, Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, didn't start in venture capital—she began in European public policy before pivoting to carbon markets and eventually climate adaptation. After selling her climate risk company 427 to Moody's in 2019, she recognized a critical...

Did you know the U.S. has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials every year? Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, challenges everything you thought you knew about recycling economics. With backing from Walmart, Unilever, Coke, and Pepsi, Ron reveals how America has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while thr...

Can a coffee roaster that pays for itself in three months really transform a $200 billion industry? Jonathan Bass, EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, brings decades of cleantech experience to the conversation about sustainable coffee. After nine years at SolarCity (through its Tesla acquisition), he learned a crucial lesson: lead with value, not virtue. At Bellwether, he's app...

Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Marissa Brydle, Sustainability Director at KeyBank, did not study sustainability in school. After 13 years at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn and a stint at steel producer Cleveland Cliffs, she landed at one of America's oldest banks. KeyBank remains the #2 renewables financier and #2 affordable housin...

Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Rob Creighton, Founder and CEO of Windlift, brings an unconventional background to clean energy innovation. After mapping the human genome as a lab technician, his concerns about peak oil led him to Miles Lloyd's revolutionary 1980 paper on airborne wind energy. "Cut off the tip of a wind turbine blade, attac...

Is restarting Three Mile Island the ultimate redemption story—or the industry's biggest PR gamble? Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, runs communications for the nation's largest clean energy producer. Operating 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of U.S. nuclear capacity, Constellation has transformed nuclear's narrati...

Can major corporations truly do well by doing good?   Alexander Habib, VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, reveals how the €43.5 billion beauty giant has embedded environmental considerations into every aspect of operations over 25 years. Chair of the Personal Care Products Council's sustainability committee, Habib explains why L'Oréal discontinued their seemingly perfect Maybelline Gr...

John Beaver, CFO of Highland Materials, brings a unique perspective to solar manufacturing after living through two distinct cleantech eras. Following 25 years in the chemical industry, Beaver first entered solar in 2009 as CFO of Silicor Materials, scaling from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving metallurgical-grade silicon could produce high-quality solar cells. "We ended up making 20...

"If you work a full-time minimum wage job in America, there is not a single county in which you can afford to rent an apartment (2 bedroom) with a child." - Jonathan F.P. Rose Jonathan F.P. Rose has been revolutionizing affordable housing and sustainable development for over 35 years, long before ESG became mainstream. Rose discusses the stark reality of America's housing crisis, revealing that fu...

How does an engineering company balance profit with purpose while transforming the food system? Jill Meiburg, Head of Group Communications and Brand at GEA Group, shares how the 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader is tackling humanity's greatest challenge: feeding 10 billion people by 2050 while achieving net zero by 2040. With 25 years in corporate communications across Deutsche Telec...

What if injecting CO2 into concrete could actually make it stronger while fighting climate change? Kristal Kaye, interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, discusses her transition from traditional energy finance to leading a company revolutionizing concrete production. With over 30 years in finance across energy, mining, and retail, Kaye now heads a firm that injects captured CO2 directly into concr...

Could retrofitting existing diesel fleets be faster than waiting for electric alternatives? Paul Gross, CEO and co-founder of Remora, joins the podcast to discuss his company's revolutionary approach to mobile carbon capture technology. At just 28, Gross has raised $60 million to retrofit semi-trucks and locomotives with systems that capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. Unlike traditional electrifi...

How is a 26-year-old entrepreneur convincing risk-averse investors to build with trees instead of steel? At 26, Nate Helbach has already founded Neutral, one of America's most innovative real estate development companies. Growing up between Wisconsin and California's redwood forests sparked his environmental passion, leading him to pioneer mass timber construction that reduces building emissions b...

What happens when grid power can't keep up with AI's appetite for energy, and how are construction leaders innovating around this crisis? As Vice President of Sustainability at Clayco, Alana Spencer oversaw decarbonization across 100+ projects annually, including 57 active data centers totaling three gigawatts of capacity, focusing on the intersection of AI infrastructure growth and climate goals....

What if I told you that photons raining down from the sun provide 10,000 times more energy than humanity could ever use? Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, bringing over 30 years of experience from recruiting Silicon Valley talent to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs. His journey from forest ecology graduate student to clean en...

What if data centers could actually help solve the climate crisis instead of just consuming massive amounts of energy? Chris Pennington is Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, leading the charge toward 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2040. How did a college student looking for part-time work become a global energy strategy pioneer? His story perfectly illustrates the ev...

Could populist sentiment actually accelerate clean energy adoption by fueling energy independence desires? Jigar Shah, widely considered a pioneer of the modern clean energy revolution, joins the Age of Adoption podcast to share his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to industry transformer. As the former Director of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, Shah expanded loan authority from $40 bi...

In our post-truth era, how does an 85-year-old publication maintain trust while testing tomorrow's technology today? Phil Radford, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, brings a unique perspective to consumer advocacy, combining decades of environmental activism with rigorous product testing. From his early days fighting waste incinerators in Chicago to leading Greenpeace and increasing their rev...

Ever wonder what happens when a PR matchmaker draws a hard line against fossil fuel clients? Meet Steven Shimek. In this eye-opening conversation, Keith Zakheim welcomes the owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic—an influential voice who helps determine which agencies win multi-million dollar RFPs. Steven pulls back the curtain on agency practices most clients never see. "What I try to do is educate ou...

If buildings contribute 40% of global carbon emissions, what's stopping us from transforming the built environment? In this episode of Age of Adoption, recorded on Earth Day 2025, host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breana Wheeler, Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, about the critical role of certification in decarbonizing the built environment. Wheeler shares how BREEAM, the world's first science-...

"It's important that we share the knowledge that we create. We won't get where we need to go unless all ships rise." - Anica Landreneau As Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, Anica leads the firm that designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium—the NFL's first LEED Platinum-certified venue. From a Texas architecture student told she'd "never find a job" in sustainability to becoming one of the industry's...

In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, an organization challenging PR and advertising agencies to reject fossil fuel clients. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications, Duncan has pioneered a global movement to eliminate ties between creative agencies and fossil fuel companies. The conversati...