Everybody in the Pool

This week, we are leaning into a powerful tool in the fight against climate change: storytelling. Molly talks with Greg Jacobs, co-director of The Here Now Project, about the innovative documentary, which presents climate change through the eyes of ordinary people worldwide. The film aims to evoke a sense of urgency and community around climate action, By demonstrating a series of climate shocks o...

In this conversation, GL Genco, founder of Generation Conscious, talks about how his company has created vending machines for dehydrated laundry detergent sheets. The goal is to promote sustainability and reduce waste, yes, but also to change the way we think about how we shop for hygiene products overall. He shares his personal journey, the environmental impact of traditional packaging, and the i...

In this episode of Everybody in the Pool, host Molly Wood explores an overlooked climate solution hiding in plain sight: leaky air ducts and building envelopes. She speaks with Amit Gupta, CEO of Aeroseal, about an innovative technology that uses "pixie dust" physics to seal energy-wasting leaks in buildings. Learn how up to 40% of your heating and cooling could be escaping through poorly sealed d...

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we are re-visiting a favorite episode from season 1, and maybe it’ll inspire you and your friends and family toward a fun holiday activity! Obviously, global warming and the climate crisis are intimidating topics. But this week’s guest has built an entire career out of play. Jenny Gottstein is a game-maker, previously of Go Games and IDEO, and a few years ago, s...

In this conversation, Chris Dickerson, co-founder of Players for the Planet, discusses his journey from being a professional athlete to becoming an advocate for environmental awareness in sports. He shares insights on the impact of sports on the environment, the importance of community engagement, and the need for systemic change in how sports organizations handle waste and sustainability. The con...

Usually on the show we talk about carbon-emitting sectors, but today we’re talking about one of the planet’s most precious resources: water. Specifically, industrial water, which is used in staggering amounts, horribly contaminated, and sometimes just put right back into the environment. Anurag Bajpayee, CEO of Gradiant, discusses the company's technology-driven end-to-end water solutions and thei...

Installing climate-friendly home upgrades is expensive—lots of new tax rebates and incentives can help make it cheaper, but only if you can actually get them. Sealed is a company that focuses on residential energy efficiency and electrification and recently pivoted to helping contractors find new customers and take advantage of those all-important subsidies. LINKS: Sealed: https://www.sealed.com/...

GoodLeap is a technology-first company that aims to be a premier marketplace for all things sustainability in the home. They provide tools and resources for both homeowners and contractors to make sustainable home improvements easier and more accessible. GoodLeap offers a platform for homeowners to explore different sustainability options, connect with vetted contractors, and access financing opti...

Etosha Cave, co-founder of 12, a carbon transformation company, discusses the origin story of the company and its focus on creating jet fuel from CO2 and water. The company's technology mimics the process of trees, taking in CO2 and water and using electricity to break them down into smaller atomic bits and reforming them into new molecules. The main motivation behind the company's work is the des...

This week on the show, Molly talks with Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, at an event that was held during New York Climate Week. Fusion energy is one of the most promising and biggest swings we can take toward solving the climate crisis and potentially reversing some of the damage we’ve already done. Fusion energy is the same type of energy that powers the sun; if we can generate...

Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura, discusses carbon capture and removal, highlighting the importance of these processes in achieving climate goals. He explains that carbon capture aims to turn off the 'taps' of CO2 emissions, while carbon removal directly removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Captura focuses on utilizing the ocean's natural ability to capture CO2 through a process called electrodialysis. Ol...

Nicole LeBlanc, a partner with Woven Capital, discusses the $800 million growth venture capital fund for Toyota and its investments in sectors that support the growth and future of Toyota. The fund focuses on three core pillars: electrification, intelligence (software), and diversification. LeBlanc highlights two investments: Corvus Energy, a company that provides batteries and hydrogen for zero-e...

This week, we’re talking about renewable fuels — specifically cleaner propane. Propane, as it turns out, is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions that not a lot of people are tackling. Dr. Rebecca Boudreaux, President and CEO of Oberon Fuels, talks about the company's work in decarbonizing the global propane sector. Oberon Fuels produces molecules out of bio-waste that can be blended into cle...

We need battery materials, but we also need to reduce mining and critical minerals extraction and centralizing production outside our borders. So, this week, we’re talking about making batteries from old batteries. Mike O'Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements, discusses the mission of his company to make batteries more sustainable by producing high-performance cathode materials from recycled batteries....

We talk to a lot of startups, but this week’s guest is a platform for inspiring and supporting a whole bunch of startups! Alysia Garmulewicz, co-founder and co-CEO of Materiom, discusses the importance of developing regenerative biomaterials as alternatives to petroleum plastics. Materiom offers an open database of biomaterial recipes, providing entrepreneurs and innovators with the information th...

Every thriving ecosystem needs connectors, support systems—pollinators, in fact. This week, Molly is joined by Jon Bonanno, the managing partner of Factor, to talk about building great climate companies with a combination of human skills, networking and introductions, and smarter ways to raise money. Jon pivoted into climate tech after the attacks of 9/11 left him deeply shaken. He emphasizes the...

Agriculture contributes to climate change, sure, but climate change also makes agriculture a whole lot harder. This week, Poornima Parameswaran, co-founder and CEO of Trace Genomics, discusses the company's mission to unlock the hidden potential of soil and empower farmers to make data-driven decisions. By analyzing DNA mapping, data science, and machine learning, Trace Genomics provides farmers w...

Dana R. Fisher, author of “Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action,” discusses the importance of activism in addressing the climate crisis. She explains that while the state and the market have not been able to solve the crisis, civil society has a crucial role to play. Fisher highlights the role of the radical flank, which engages in attention-getting actions to raise awareness an...

In this episode, we take you on an exciting journey to the ARPA-E Innovation Summit in Dallas, Texas. ARPA-E is a division of the government’s advanced research and projects agency, tasked with finding and funding the latest and greatest technology innovations to transform America’s energy production and use. Join Molly Wood on a walking tour of the summit’s expo hall, where she dives into the wor...

Coffee, chocolate, oranges, berries, and a lot more foods are at risk of becoming harder to grow and even outright scarce as climate change worsens—oh and existing agriculture has lots of negative climate impacts. What if we could make high-quality, sustainable food accessible to everyone? In this episode of Everybody in the Pool , Molly Wood speaks with Gilwoo Lee, founder and CEO of Zordi. Zordi...

We all know we need companies to lead the climate transition, so which companies are doing the work? In this episode of Everybody in the Pool , Molly Wood speaks with Megan Lorenzen, Director of Climate and Energy at Salesforce, about the company's groundbreaking efforts in sustainability. Salesforce has achieved a rare milestone: powering its operations with 100% renewable energy. It’s also pushi...

For Everybody In the Pool's first anniversary, Molly Wood looks back at one innovative company that made a huge impression last year. We re-air a fascinating episode featuring Manuela Zoninstein, CEO and founder of Kadeya. Kadeya is revolutionizing the beverage industry by eliminating single-use containers. Their unique system dispenses reusable stainless steel bottles filled with filtered local t...

It may be the last week of Bike Month, but it’s never too late to talk about bikes—and all kinds of micro-mobility, in fact. Molly Wood welcomes Chinmay Malaviya, co-founder and CEO of RidePanda. He shares his vision of decarbonizing daily commutes by providing employees with easy access to e-bikes, pedal bikes, and scooters. RidePanda partners with employers to offer these eco-friendly vehicles a...

This week on Everybody in the Pool, discover how advanced electrochemistry can clean up the chemical industry. Our guest, Jeff Erhardt, CEO of Mattiq, has pioneered a groundbreaking approach to decarbonize chemical production. Mattiq is using new electrochemical technology to make important chemicals with much lower carbon emissions. This could help lead to a cleaner and more sustainable chemical...

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re talking about hydroelectric power, without the dams and major infrastructure and a little less worry about drought, to boot. Molly Wood talks with Emily Morris, founder and CEO of Emrgy, about how distributed hydroelectric systems are becoming a key player in the renewable energy mix. We talk about the historical and modern significance of hydropower, its...