The Climate Gap

What does it take to scale a smart building platform from 200,000 instances to 1.4 million? In this episode of The Down Low with Joe , we sit down with Stephen Holicky, Chief Product Officer at Tridium, to unpack the long game behind one of climate tech’s most important (but quietly dominant) platforms: the Niagara Framework. Stephen shares how Tridium’s open architecture and channel-first approac...

Buildings are under pressure – not just to decarbonize, but to collaborate with the grid in ways they never have before. In this special solo-hosted episode, Joe Aamidor welcomes Jake Elder, research lead at Energy Impact Partners (EIP), for a deep dive into the “Electric Utility Gauntlet.” As grid operators face mounting stress from AI-driven data centers, manufacturing growth, and electrificatio...

Access control used to be simple: keep the wrong people out. Now it’s at the center of digital transformation in smart buildings. In this episode of The Down Low with Joe , we sit down with Lee Odess – CEO of the Access Control Collective and a leading voice in security innovation – to unpack how access control is evolving and why it’s critical to the future of real estate. Hosted by Joe Aamidor a...

Most smart buildings still aren’t that smart - and the real reason goes deeper than technology. In this episode of The Down Low with Joe , we sit down with Brian Turner, CEO of OTI and longtime smart building expert, to unpack what Master Systems Integrators (MSIs) actually do - and why every building project needs one. Hosted by Joe Aamidor and Lewis Martin, this conversation dives into: Why the...

Welcome to The Down Low with Joe | Episode 25 | 11/04/2025 Smart buildings aren’t about dashboards and sensors – they’re about people. In this episode, we go deep with Emmanuel Daniel , former Microsoft leader and now founder of Alosener , to discuss the future of buildings, cities, and data. 🎯 Key takeaways: ↳ Why energy efficiency was only step one ↳ The new focus on comfort, productivity, and...

The Down Low with Joe | Episode 24 | 26/03/25 Demand flexibility is no longer optional - and most buildings still aren’t ready. This week, we’re joined by Rachel Permut , Chief Business Development Officer at Enersponse , to break down how commercial buildings can evolve into smart grid participants. 🔍 Inside the episode: ↳ Why CRE remains a white space for virtual power ↳ How automation is solvi...

Welcome to The Down Low with Joe | Episode 23 | 18/03/25 The HVAC industry is at a crossroads - labor shortages, inefficiencies, and a slow adoption of new technology. Can AI and a smarter acquisition strategy change the game? In this episode, we sit down with Marty Ogram & Maya Aharon , co-founders of Easton Edge , to discuss: ↳ Why HVAC services are still stuck in the past - and how AI can d...

Welcome to The Down Low with Joe | Episode 22 | 11/03/25 Scaling a PropTech Giant: Inside the $320M Exit of Building Engines What does it take to build a market-dominating PropTech platform? In this episode, Scott Sidman shares the inside story of how Building Engines grew from a bootstrapped startup into a global commercial real estate powerhouse - eventually selling to JLL for $320M. 🎯 Key Topi...

Welcome to The Down Low with Joe | Episode 21 | 18/02/25 The Climate Gap is growing—can AI help close it? Commercial buildings are one of the biggest contributors to energy waste and carbon emissions, yet change has been slow. 20-30% of building energy is wasted, with HVAC being the biggest culprit. In this episode of The Down Low with Joe, we sit down with Sam Ramadori, former CEO of BrainBox AI...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech talent specialist passionate about building industry-defining teams across niche and global enterprises. In this episode, Lewis speaks to Ben Tacka from Phaidra , a pioneering company deploying AI virtual plant operators to transform industrial facilities. They explore how AI is revolutionizing industrial efficiency,...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech talent specialist passionate about building industry-defining teams across niche and global enterprises. In this episode, Lewis speaks to Eric Lee , Senior Vice President at Aligned Climate Capital , about investing in the clean energy transition. They talk about Eric's background in sustainability and impact investin...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech talent specialist passionate about building industry-defining teams across niche and global enterprises. In this episode, Lewis speaks to Bas Van Den Brande , Country Manager Germany at Carbon Equity , an investment firm looking to create serious sustainable and environmental impact with their funding. They discuss th...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech talent specialist passionate about building industry-defining teams across niche and global enterprises. In this episode, Lewis speaks to Mike Wallace , Chief Decarbonization Officer at Persefoni AI , about the importance of transparency in climate action and carbon accounting. Persefoni is changing the game for carbo...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech & talent specialist building industry-defining teams and solutions across niche and global enterprises. In this conversation, Lewis speaks with Maria Atkinson and Nikhil Choudhary from Nirman Ventures , about just why the VC landscape in Climate Tech is thriving right now and their investment strategy, which focus...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech & talent specialist building industry-defining teams and solutions across a range of niche and global enterprises. In this conversation, Lewis speaks with Josh Hacker , a climate scientist with an extensive background in research and science management. His experience spans from laboratory to university, but most...

Welcome back to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 A podcast highlighting the leaders and topics fuelling the future for our climate tech industry. Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech & talent specialist responsible for building industry-defining teams and solutions across a range of niche and global enterprises. In this conversation, Lewis speaks with Paul Maximuk , a senior leader and consultant i...

Welcome to Climate Tech Spotlight 💡 A podcast highlighting the leaders and topics fuelling the future for our climate tech industry. Hosted by Lewis Martin, a climate tech & talent specialist responsible for building industry-defining teams and solutions across a range of niche and global enterprises. In this conversation, Lewis speaks with Ted Atwood , Co-Founder of Carbon Connector with ove...