The S2G Podcast

When voters went to the polls last week, one issue rose above the rest: the cost of keeping the lights on. Candidates promising lower energy bills swept key races, signaling that affordability has become a defining political and economic concern. But throughout his career spanning entrepreneurship, policy, and finance, Jigar Shah has consistently argued that affordability and efficiency must be at...

What if the future of water efficiency depended on something you can’t even see? In this “The Pitch” style episode, Chuck Templeton sits down with Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer, to unpack how nanobubbles, gas particles a thousand times smaller than a human hair, are quietly changing the way industries use and think about water. From fish farms to greenhouses and even chemical-free spas, Moleaer’s tec...

In this episode, we sit down with our Managing Partner, Aaron Rudberg, to dig into his journey and the lessons that have shaped S2G’s growth. Aaron walks us through his path from venture associate to entrepreneur to limited partner to managing partner, and how those experiences influence the way he leads, builds culture, and approaches investing today. He discusses how purpose-driven investing has...

In this episode, Dimitris Valatsas, Founding Partner at Aurora Macro Strategies, makes the case that you shouldn’t be sleeping on macroeconomics. In the Age of Adaptation, macroeconomics is a powerful force shaping business and investment outcomes, driving the cost of capital, the flow of money, and how sectors respond to shocks. Sanjeev Krishnan sits down with Dimitris to unpack three key macro t...

From crop yields to power grids to shipping routes, weather is no longer background noise. It’s reshaping how companies manage risk, plan operations, and capture opportunity. In this episode, Sanjeev Krishnan talks with Cristina Rohr, Bala Nagarajan, and Kate Danaher about how shifting weather patterns are impacting food supply, energy markets, and global trade and how we’re moving from a reactive...

In this episode, Parag Khanna, founder and CEO of AlphaGeo and a leading geopolitical thinker, joins S2G managing partner Sanjeev Krishnan for an expansive conversation about the structural forces reshaping our world. Drawing on decades of research and first-hand experience, Parag explores how geopolitics is not an aberrational disruption but a constant, foundational reality shaping markets, suppl...

When it comes to the future of protein, the stakes are pretty high. Protein sits at the center of the global food challenge, and innovating how we produce it is the key to sustainably feeding a growing population. Protein is also a massive, fast-evolving market where innovation and adaptation will drive the next wave of value creation. In our first “the seams” style episode of this season, S2G man...

In this “The Experts” episode, Sanjeev Krishnan sits down with Damien Ma, founder of MacroPolo, to explore how China’s evolution from a manufacturing hub to a tech and industrial powerhouse may reshape global markets. They trace the arc from pre-Olympic optimism to today’s era of strategic competition, unpacking how China leveraged industrial policy, second mover advantage, and massive infrastruct...

In this “The Pitch” style episode we dive into how Urbint is transforming utility resilience with AI-powered solutions for storm response, damage prevention, and worker safety. Founder and CEO Corey Capasso joins S2G’s Chuck Templeton and Bala Nagarajan to discuss why utilities, which are facing numerous challenges from aging infrastructure to extreme weather and workforce turnover, need smarter,...

In this episode of the S2G Podcast, Sanjeev Krishnan, Managing Partner at S2G, chats with Tonya Bakritzes, CMO at S2G, about why we’ve entered the Age of Adaptation —an era defined by volatility and disruption as well as immense opportunity.  From climate change and AI to geopolitical shifts and rising capital costs, Sanjeev breaks down the four forces reshaping markets and what it will take to bu...

In this episode, Dan Ripma, Vice President on the food and agriculture team at S2G, sits down with Dr. Jeff Bland, biochemist, entrepreneur, and educator who is also widely regarded as the “father of functional medicine,” to explore the past, present, and future of the medical industry. Jeff shares his five-decade journey, from pioneering vitamin E research and leading Metagenics to launching the...

If you are a business leader trying to get past AI chatter and buzzwords, this episode will help you cut through the noise. Chuck Templeton sits down with longtime friend and generative AI strategist Justin Massa for one of our most actionable conversations to date. Whether you’re trying to figure out what AI means for your business or frustrated by AI tools that don’t deliver, Justin offers clari...

In this “The Experts” episode, Chuck Templeton sits down with Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, policy expert, author, and climate visionary. They discuss Ayana’s most recent book What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures , which uses a blend of interviews, essays, and art to imagine a world where climate solutions lead to healthier ecosystems and thriving communities. In this e...

In this episode of the S2G podcast, Chuck Templeton sits down with Jordan Schenck, the newly appointed CEO of Flashfood, to discuss the company’s triple-bottom-line solution to a massive problem: food waste. Flashfood is flipping the script on grocery store surplus by turning what would have been fodder for landfills into affordable, high-quality meals for customers–all while boosting retailer foo...

Over the last three decades in the natural foods business, Seth Goldman has launched category-defining brands, navigated major acquisitions, scaled mission-driven supply chains, and brewed a whole lot of tea. In this “The Experts” episode, Chuck sits down with the founder of Honest Tea, PLNT Burger, Eat the Change, and Just Ice Tea to discuss what it takes to build a values-driven company in a cro...

To kick off Season Two and introduce one of our new formats—The Pitch—Chuck Templeton sat down with Coulter Lewis, founder and CEO of Sunday, just in time for spring. Sunday is on a mission to help yard owners around the country reconnect with their little patch of earth through smarter, safer lawn care. If you’ve ever stood paralyzed in the garden aisle, unsure of what to buy or how to apply thos...

Welcome back to the S2G Podcast! The podcast will still feature in-depth insights into the food and agriculture, oceans, and energy sectors but with a fresh twist.  This season, we're serving up three different formats: The Pitch, The Experts, and The Seams.  In “The Pitch,” we'll interview company leaders, focusing on their pitch to customers. You’ll get insights into how these guests h...

If you are a retailer, CPG company, entrepreneur, investor, or just interested in the natural food space, we have a sugar-free, plant-based, adaptogen-rich, protein-packed treat for you. For our final episode of the season, we're excited to bring you a panel discussion from a webinar put on by Naturally Chicago, an organization doing amazing work to bring together the natural products sector...

How to describe Sam Kass? He’s a Michelin-star restaurant-trained chef, a White House Senior Policy Advisor, an investor, an author, and that’s just the shortlist. We are always talking about bringing industry-spanning stakeholders together, and when it comes to the food system, Sam has sat at so many of those tables. He brings this holistic perspective grounded in pragmatism and cautious optimism...

When the world seems so deeply divided, how can we step across barriers and preconceived notions to build avenues for conversation and collaboration? In this episode, Kaitlin Yarnall, Chief Storytelling Officer at National Geographic, argues that storytelling could hold the key.  National Geographic has become synonymous with eye-opening, awe-inspiring, perspective-shifting storytelling. They have...

What do bioactives, aquaculture operations, and warehouses have in common? They can all be powered by AI. In honor of spooky season, we’re taking you on a cross-sector journey to explore a topic that can sometimes get a scary rep. We recently released a report that identifies use cases for AI across our focus sectors and evaluates the challenges and opportunities to see where AI can drive signific...

In this episode, we’re digging into successful strategies for corporate innovation with Audre Kapacinskas, Principal of Corporate Development at S2G, and Ryan Smith, Chief Growth Officer and Executive Vice President at Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition, a multinational food and biotechnology company focused on seasonings. Audre shares five takeaways from over 600 conversations with corporates about d...

Many cities, such as San Francisco and New York, are passing policies to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. However, one of the biggest challenges to the adoption of EVs is the lack of fast charging stations. Revel, a company formally known for its fleet of rentable electric mopeds, is currently focused on transforming the EV charging landscape in urban areas. In this episode, Chuck T...

This week we launched a report called The Climate Finance Relay Race. It explores how asset owners are navigating climate investment and their rationale for their approach. We believe the most impactful and perhaps swiftest approach to designing a fit-for-purpose capital market system is partnership with asset owners. The idea of the “climate finance relay race,” is that the handoff of risk and re...

What if we can have it all? According to Katlin Smith, Founder and CEO of Simple Mills, eating in a way that’s healthy for our bodies and the planet shouldn’t be about compromise. In this episode, Katlin takes us through her journey of building a good-for-you food brand that would not only compete in flavor with other health companies but with the status quo. Katlin was pretty green when she start...