Inevitable

Founder and CEO Grant Canary walks me through how DroneSeed (Now Mast Reforestation) works and how he got involved in wildfire restoration. We also discuss the problem we are facing with wildfires across the western U.S., the main problems with forest restoration as it stands now, the market, and where carbon credits are heading in the future in respect to reforestation. To learn more about DroneS...

Back by popular demand, today's guest is Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder and Executive Director of the Environmental Voter Project, a non-profit that aims to significantly increase voter demand for environmental leadership by identifying inactive environmentalists and then turning them into consistent activists and voters. Nathaniel explains the Environmental Voter Project's work, how they identify en...

Founder, Matanya Horowitz, and I discuss his background and how AMP Robotics started. We dive into the controversies of recycling, the inefficiencies that AMP is solving and where the future of recycling is going. I really enjoyed talking with Matanya and learning about the problem AMP Robotics is trying to solve, their momentum and progress, and future plans. To learn more about AMP Robotics, vis...

Today's guest is Amy Francetic, Managing Director of Buoyant Ventures. Buoyant Ventures is an early stage fund investing in digital solutions to climate risk based in Chicago, IL.    Amy and I have a lively discussion where she tells me about her origin story and how she first got involved in the climate fight. We talk about how climate has evolved since she started working in this space and the f...

Today's guest is Dr. Melissa Lott, Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Melissa and I have a great discussion, in which we dive into her background and origin story, what brought her to working in energy, how she sees the energy transition playing out, how we can successfully decarbonize power, and how energy and environmental justice can’t be decou...

Today's guests are Jon Goldberg, Founder & CEO of Carbon Direct and Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct. I learned a lot in the episode. Jon and Julio are the first pair to come onto the podcast and it led to a fascinating discussion. We dive into Carbon Direct, their place in the market, and how Carbon Direct is changing the game. We also discuss the areas Jon and Julio are most exc...

Today's guest is David Hardy, CEO of Offshore NA at Ørsted, a Danish energy company. We talked about a lot in this episode. David walked me through his path to Ørsted and where he sees the company going. We chatted about how the renewables landscape has changed since he first started working in this area, and the path forwards. Then, we had a great discussion about offshore wind, its penetration t...

Today's guest is Rodrigo Prudencio, who works in Worldwide Corporate Development at Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. We discuss a lot in this episode, including what got Rodrigo initially passionate about climate change, the lessons he learned from the last cleantech wave, what led him back into cleantech and his role at Amazon, and a deep dive into the Climate Pledge Fund, its areas of focus, and ho...

Today's guest is Adam Browning, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Vote Solar.  We cover a lot in this episode from Adam’s beginnings to the future of solar in the U.S. We also dive into how solar works and the potential drawbacks of it. Finally, Adam talks in depth about policy advocacy on the local level and how Prop B came to fruition.  In today’s episode, we cover: What is Vote Solar and its...

In today’s episode, we cover: What is Aspiration? Cherny's background & experiences that led him to the idea of Aspiration Cherny's time working for Al Gore How banks operate? Aspiration's model of success  Challenges Aspiration is faced with Cherny's perspective on fossil fuels & how it applies to banking Discussion on "do no harm" Collectivism versus individualism Divestment versus advocating wi...

Today's guest is Daniel Kammen, Professor of Energy at the University of California, Berkeley. We have a long form discussion in this episode about Dan's background, how his perspective on the problem of climate change has evolved over the years and how he thinks about the problem today. Dan's perspective is particularly unique given the diverse background that he brings, which I find super intere...

In today’s episode, we cover: Skelly’s background and journey as a renewable energy entrepreneur. His formative experience in canopy tourism. The reasons and motives that drove Skelly to get into wind energy. His reflection on the Industrial Revolution. What has changed in renewable energy since he first began working in it. Texas’ experience with renewable energy. Skelly’s thoughts on existing nu...

Today's guest is Nicolas Pinkowski, Co-Founder of Nitricity. We cover a lot in this episode, including how Nitricity came to be, the impetus for its founding, progress made to date, and some of the twists and turns along the way. We also discuss the company’s longterm vision and what's coming next. We also touch upon the experience of starting a company within an academic environment and the pros...

In today’s episode, we cover: Jason’s work at SIPA and Center of Global Energy Policy. Jason’s time in policy in the Clinton and Obama Administrations and Brookings Institute. SIPA’s mission and how it serves as a resource for decision-makers in the energy industry. How the challenge among energy and climate policymakers is making research useful and actionable for industry. How Jason found his wa...

Today's guest is Tim Latimer, Co-Founder and CEO of Fervo Energy. This is the first episode that I've done putting geothermal front and center, and Tim does a great job in this discussion of providing an overview of geothermal technology. I learn why it matters, where it is in its evolution, where it needs to get to and the barriers holding it back. We also talk a bunch about Tim's journey from st...

Today's guest is Bryce Smith, Founder & CEO at LevelTen Energy.  We have a great discussion in this episode about Bryce's career and experience, what brought him into the energy world, and what led him to founding LevelTen. We talk about the vision of LevelTen, the company’s origin story, the products they've had to date, and what types of things are coming next. And we have a great discussion abo...

Today's guests are Nan Ransohoff & Ryan Orbuch, members of Stripe’s Climate team.  Nan and Ryan work on the Climate team at Stripe, and I was very excited for the opportunity to interview them. While it’s not a climate company, Stripe recognizes that climate change poses a long term risk to its mission of growing the GDP of the Internet. As a result, Stripe is doing a number of things that I think...

In today’s episode, we cover: Sean’s experience as an entrepreneur. Sean’s background in science and his interest in climate change. How business revealed to him the regulatory and legislative barriers related to climate development. How his father and his work in cogeneration plants influenced his interest in biofuels and climate. The challenges faced by mission-driven energy companies. Why he fe...

Today's guest is Andrew Salzberg, Loeb Fellow at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. I was excited for this one, because transportation is such a key lever in decarbonization and one that we haven't yet spent enough time talking about here on the pod. We cover a lot in this episode, including an overview of the transportation ecosystem, where we are today, where we need to go and what ar...

In today’s debate, we cover: What is hydrogen? How is it used and why is it important? Jigar’s and Gene’s respective background as it relates to hydrogen The applications and costs associated with hydrogen What competes with hydrogen in the energy market The necessity of a price on carbon as it relates to hydrogen What the natural gas boom says about hydrogen’s future Initiatives Jigar and Gene wo...

Today's guest is Philip Behn, CEO of Imperfect Foods.  In today’s episode, we cover: What is Imperfect Foods and its mission Imperfect Foods’ achievements in terms of customers-served and food waste recovered The company’s origin story Philip’s journey in food and how he joined Imperfect Foods What he learned during his stints at McKinsey and Walmart Imperfect Foods’ value proposition The landscap...

Today's guest is May Boeve, Executive Director & Co-Founder of 350.org. We have a great discussion in this episode about May's roots in activism and in fighting to combat global warming, where that came from, how it came about, and how her thinking on these topics has evolved over the past decade. We also talk about the current state of affairs in the climate movement and in the world, where we ne...

Today's guest is Phil Bredesen, Former Governor of Tennessee. This is a fascinating discussion because I haven't come across many people who have made the transition from entrepreneurship to politics back to entrepreneurship. But Governor Bredesen has danced back and forth in both of these areas quite successfully over a long illustrious career. We also have a great discussion about climate change...

In today’s episode, we cover: The benefits of partnering with MIT in founding The Engine The mission and vision of The Engine The Engine’s focus on “tough tech” and the role it plays as a backer of it How The Engine compares with a typical VC firm and important differences that makes it unique How Katie landed at The Engine after a long career in technology and investing The role MIT plays at The...

Today's guest is Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University. We also talk a lot about climate change, how to think about the problem, the path forward, and most importantly how Rebecca came to be doing this work to begin with. She has a fascinating journey, and I know it was helpful for me as I'm navigating my own journey. I hope you find it helpful too....