Less Talk, More Action

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Leo Young, founder of Cornell Communities, to explore how manufactured housing can meaningfully address America’s affordable housing crisis while still delivering solid returns for investors. They dig into how mobile home parks work as an asset class, why few new communities are being built, and the tension between raising ren...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen dive into the real-world state of clean energy, starting with how the expiring ITC and recent Republican policy moves have unintentionally created a huge tailwind for solar, especially in multifamily housing. They discuss surging electricity prices, Maryland’s aggressive building performance standards, and whether these policies are actuall...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with Maze Works Founder and CEO Milene Pardo Figueroa about shifting sustainability from theory and reporting to real, project-based action. They start by critiquing Anthropic’s big carbon removal investment as greenwashing compared to funding energy efficiency and affordability near data centers. Milene then shares her journey from th...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with 24-year-old HVAC engineer and founder Austin Riesenberger about Swerv, his window-mounted energy recovery ventilator designed to improve indoor air quality without wasting energy. They explore how current climate solutions like “electrify everything,” ductless mini-splits, and LED lighting can unintentionally harm comfort, health,...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with Passive House expert and Wythe Windows co-founder Darren Macri about why windows and airtight building envelopes are critical to cutting building energy use and improving comfort. Darren explains why standard American double-hung windows perform so poorly, and how European-style tilt-turn, triple-pane windows dramatically improve...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with economist and founder Ashley Sarauer about why traditional sustainability and carbon markets are failing to drive real-world decarbonization, and how her company, Ontoly, aims to fix that. They critique the sustainability “industry” for over-regulating and over-reporting while underbuilding, especially around AI, data centers, and...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with Neuralwatt Co-Founder and CEO Chad Gibson about how AI can scale without blowing up the grid or the climate. Chad explains how modern GPUs are massively power-hungry and often underutilized, and how Neuralwatt’s software acts like a “dimmer switch” to squeeze more compute out of the same power envelope instead of building endless...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with Merino Energy CEO Mary-Ann Rau about her journey from writing firmware at Tesla and shipping hundreds of millions of AirPods at Apple to founding a climate tech company focused on home electrification. Mary-Ann explains how getting a $40,000 quote to install heat pumps in her own San Francisco home led her to discover that install...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with Coral CEO Samir Pendse about why seemingly no-brainer energy efficiency and electrification projects (like heat pumps) are still so hard to get done. They dig into the core problem of financing and broken rebate systems, how bureaucracy and utility incentive design stall projects, and why focusing on dollars and ROI beats leading...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Joel welcomes back entrepreneur and Sustained Futures Founder Katie Neck as guest co-host to explore the intersection of climate, future skills, and AI. Katie shares her journey from Formula 1 and building McLaren’s first sustainability function to launching Sustained Futures, which has already upskilled over 5,000 people globally in green and f...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and guest co-host Sherrell Dorsey, a journalist and entrepreneur, explore what a meaningful impact looks like in a world facing overlapping crises: climate change, economic insecurity, and fraying cities. They reflect on identity and purpose after “success,” the limits and delusions of today’s climate movement and climate weeks, and the tension betw...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with sustainable real estate leader and podcaster Alex Edds about why the industry is stuck in reporting and compliance instead of real decarbonization projects. They dig into whether AI and software can actually drive emissions reductions or if they just make data collection cheaper, debate a real-world test comparing Cambio’s AI outp...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with Pål Hauff Hvattum, CEO and Co-Founder of CQuel, a platform that turns dusty Net Zero and ESG plans into real decarbonization projects for commercial real estate. They dig into the limits of AI in the current market, why reports and SaaS alone rarely lead to implementation, and how CQuel uses AI plus human expertise to create high-...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Kevin Whilden, Co-Founder of Seatrees, to explore whether the ocean can truly help pull us out of the climate crisis. They dig into blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves, kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows, and debate the merits and failures of carbon offsets, RECs, and emerging biodiversity credits. The conversat...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Vince Romanin, Co-Founder and CTO of Gradient, to explore how next-generation window-mounted heat pumps can transform heating and cooling in multifamily buildings. They discuss why HVAC emissions and refrigerant leakage are such an overlooked climate problem, how Gradient’s modular, factory-sealed design cuts installation time...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Luke Winston-Almanzar, Co-Founder and CEO of Reservoir, to explore why hot water is one of the biggest, most overlooked energy hogs in the home and how next-generation heat pump water heaters can dramatically cut energy use while improving comfort. They discuss Google's new Michigan data center and its focus on energy affordab...

Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Previewing Today’s Episode with Bob Clark (0:56) Owen Takes on the Trump Administration’s Voluntary Data Center Pledge (3:02)   Why Non-Binding Net Zero and AI Commitments Keep Failing (4:39)   The White House “Ratepayer Protection” Pledge and Its Limits (5:49)   Chamath’s Idea: Free Solar and Batteries for Homeowners (8:17)   Transition from Polic...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Cooper Marcus, CEO and “Chief Quitter” of QuitCarbon, to explore why home electrification is so confusing, expensive, and hard to execute, and how his company acts like a free “owner’s rep” for homeowners. They discuss the gap between cutting-edge climate tech and what typical contractors recommend, the tension between net zer...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel Cesare explores the idea of the “libertarian environmentalist,” arguing that in 2026 government regulation is often slowing down, not accelerating, building decarbonization. Drawing on stories from his work on a billion-dollar Bay Area transit project (escalators with energy-saving controls) and the net-zero Santa Monica City Hall extension (composti...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with David Stover, Co-Founder and CEO of Bureo, a company that transforms discarded fishing nets into high-performance materials for brands like Patagonia, Outerknown, Nike, and Costa. The conversation traces David’s journey from corporate finance to mission-driven entrepreneurship, the early days of collecting nets and making skat...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen talk with John Reister, Founder and CEO of GoPowerEV, about why EV charging in multifamily buildings is so challenging and how his company is addressing it. They cover the complexity of utilities, permitting, electrical capacity upgrades, and tenant conflict, and explain how personal space chargers, smart energy management, and a turnkey mo...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen welcome Ryan Yetzer, founder of Full Scope Asset Optimization, to talk about decarbonizing real estate without the ESG fluff. They debrief the IAM ESG & Decarbonizing Real Estate Forum, and debate whether AI will actually move the needle on decarbonization or just speed up “the 2% of bullshit at the beginning.” Ryan shares why he left a 17‑...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Nate Adams, the “House Whisperer,” to discuss the realities of home decarbonization, electrification, and energy efficiency. Covering personal stories, contractor challenges, the importance of insulation and air sealing, hybrid HVAC solutions, and consumer education, the conversation gives practical insight into making real pr...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action , Joel and Owen sit down with Deyl Kearin of DLP Capital to discuss how real estate can become a force for good through Purpose Driven Investments and community-focused action. They explore industry trends, the challenges of authenticity versus “talk” in sustainability, and the benefits of focusing on attainable housing and long-term stewardship. Key takea...

In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen welcome Katie Neck, founder of Sustained Futures, as she shares lessons from Formula 1, explains the urgent need to close the global “green skills gap,” and discusses effective ways to upskill both corporate teams and young people for climate action. The conversation covers the evolution of sustainability in business, the pitfalls of overrel...