Inevitable

In today’s episode, we cover:What is ShopifyWhat are its valuesTobi’s thoughts on consumerismTobi’s view that companies need to think of the world holisticallyShopify’s journey and what it discovered purchasing carbon creditsThe misaligned incentives caused by poor quality carbon creditsTobi’s personal journey in learning about climate change and taking action on itThe need to reform capitalism and the mechanisms to do soWhere Shopify is currently on its climate journeyTobi’s reasons for optimism and what he sees as the key solutionsThe need to reframe solutions beyond carbon sequestration and offsetsWhy companies need to take responsibility for climate externalitiesLinks to topics discussed in this episode:“We Need To Talk About Carbon”: https://tobi.lutke.com/blogs/news/we-need-to-talk-about-carbonThe Shopify Sustainability Website: https://www.shopify.com/about/environmentShopify’s 2019 Sustainability Report: https://cdn.shopify.com/static/sustainability-report/2019%20Shopify%20Sustainability%20Report.pdfCarbonCure: https://www.carboncure.com/Externality: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externality Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Sonia Aggarwal, Vice President at Energy Innovation.I was excited for this episode because so many guests on My Climate Journey have said that policy is the biggest lever we've got, but we haven’t really double clicked on that and dug into what that means and how to bring it about. It just so happens that filling in those gaps and educating lawmakers on what needs to happen is what Sonya does for a living! We cover a lot in this episode, including a deep dive into the clean energy policy landscape, what the different levers are, and for whom. We also discuss the role of federal vs state governments here in the US, and the impact a price on carbon may have. I learned a lot in this one, and I bet you will too. Enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Topics discussed:What is Energy Innovation (EI) and what it doesGenesis of EIHow Sonia’s love of nature influenced her journey into energy policyThe multidisciplinary talent of experts comprising EI’s teamHow EI launched a opensource energy diagnostic model for policymakers globallyEI’s broad work in energy systems from utility regulations to work in carbon pricing in ChinaEI’s role as a resource for policymakers and regulatory decision-makersHow tonnage of GHG removal is EI’s success metricGamut of services EI offers its clientsHow a range of societal benefits are also success metrics for EIThe role of carbon pricing and some of the perceived shortcomingsHow policies that focus on power plants, factories, buildings and cars represent the lion share of impactHow EI weighs environmental impact vs. what’s politically feasibleHow opportunities of bipartisanship on the state-level compare with those on the federal-levelHow jobs, economic development and public health are important considerations in EI’s workHow EI projects that renewables can get the world to 90% carbon reduction, while keeping the costs stableHow leadership on the federal-level is critically needed in order to address climate changeCorrection: Energy Innovation started at the end of 2011 - beginning of 2012, not in 2013 - 2014. Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Davida Herzl, Co-Founder & CEO of Aclima Inc.This is the first episode that we're putting pollution front and center. It's an important topic and Aclima is one of the leaders in helping provide more visibility. Through Aclima’s data and reporting, we can better understand, measure and become more aware of the harm that pollution is having in our local communities and the world at large. Enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.In today’s episode, we cover:What is Aclima and its missionDavida’s journey to working on pollutionThe notion of “ubiquitous measurement” as a way to assess the impact of climate changeHow climate change and pollution are interconnected and impact human healthThe lack of discussion of climate change being a public health challengeDavida’s search for experts in the field of pollution and climate changeDavida’s early-focus on making traditional measurement technology cheaper and scalableAclima’s focus on empowering officials in government, regulators, and big companies with credible dataAclima’s technology and deployment to measure hyper-local pollutionThe hyperlocal variability of pollution in a communityWho are Aclima’s customers and the applications of its dataPartnership with Google Street ViewThe type of pollutants Aclima is measuringHow data extrapolations enable Aclima to “fingerprint” the source of a pollutantHow regulation can aid action to curb pollutionHow pollution represents a global health issue and the leading cause of deathHow climate change is fundamentally an economic problemHow the transportation and energy used by it represents a major opportunity to address climate change Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Varun’s wide-ranging background in academia, startups and public policyHis career as a technologist beginning with Cleantech 1.0How he moved from science to public policyHow cooperation across sectors is critical to solve climate change.The need for aggressive increases in federal funding for energy innovationThe lessons of Cleantech 1.0How the missteps of VC cleantech investing offers insight into future funding models for climate companiesHow the complexities of climate change make it different from the Manhattan Project and the Apollo ProgramVarun’s three-prong prescription for addressing climate changeHow climate change in the U.S. should be couched and framed in terms of global competitivenessHow funding needs to be robust enough to demonstrate new technologiesHow coordination between R&D and deployment needs to be the cornerstone of energy innovation policyVarun’s view that VC is not the right model for the new wave of climate innovation technologiesHow climate change priorities and challenges are distributed and regionalHow the influx of Silicon Valley talent into climate tech can be challenged by lack of domain knowledgeHow a “sector-switching” fellowship could help cross-pollinate talent across industries to address climate changeThe importance of India’s energy transitionLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Bio at Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/dr-varun-sivaram“Taming The Sun”: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/taming-sunNano Solar: http://www.nanosolar.com/Perovskite Solar Cells: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perovskite_solar_cellAAAS Fellowship: https://www.aaas.org/fellowships Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:The focus and work of BNP Paribas Asset ManagementMark’s role in sustainability researchSectors of focus for Mark’s teamHow ESG is used as a lens to analyze different sectorsBNP Paribas Asset Management’s track record of Social Responsibility InvestingAsset management industry’s shifting focus into more SRI and ESG investmentsThe thesis that ESG investing will yield a greater return over the long termHow his firm has applied ESG into how the firm and fund managers operateHis firm’s ESG asset rating assigned to companiesHow his firm balances return objectives, values, and sustainability considerationsThe stigma around ESGReasons why ESG leads to better performing companiesMark’s journey to sustainability-focused asset managementHow clients are a major driver behind sustainability investingMark’s view on engaging with non-sustainable companies vs. divestingComparing the global economic toll brought on by COVID-19 with climate change threatsThe need to make the world more resilient and adaptable to climate changeThe opportunity around energy storageHow individuals should think of their own habits and behavior as it relates to climate changeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:BNP Paribas Sustainable Development: https://cib.bnpparibas.com/topics/sustainable+developmentESG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social_and_corporate_governanceSRI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socially_responsible_investingSustainalytics: https://www.sustainalytics.com/MSCI: https://www.msci.com/True Cost Initiative: https://truecostsinitiative.org/Wells, Wires and Wheels: https://docfinder.bnpparibas-am.com/api/files/1094E5B9-2FAA-47A3-805D-EF65EAD09A7F Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Origins of Scale Microgrid Solutions (SMS)What’s a “microgrid?”“Front of the meter” vs. “Behind the meter” microgridsThe way utilities are setup in the U.S.How Tim found his way into the energy sectorThe value proposition of the microgridHow the company’s management software controls the grid componentsSMS’ modular solutionSMS’ Energy-as-a-Service modelThe motives for customer adoptionMicrogrid’s role in contributing to a resilient energy infrastructureThe barriers inherent in the U.S. regulatory systemSimilarities and differences between COVID-19 and the climate crisisWhy one should join the climate fightLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Scale Microgrid Solutions: https://scalemicrogridsolutions.com/Microgrid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microgrid Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Early learnings and thoughts on COVID-19 pandemic and parallels with climate changeAlex’s role at BCG and his work in the energy industryHis work with oil and gas companies in responding to climate changeHow oil and gas companies’ climate change strategies have evolvedOil and gas companies’ attitudinal change to accepting climate change as an existential issueImpact of the IPCC report on the oil and gas industryHow stakeholders are demanding action on climate changeReconciling the fossil fuel industry’s legacy of climate denialWho should be accountable for the fossil fuel industry’s contribution to the climate crisis?The argument that fossil fuel companies have assets needed to address climate changeWhy should the public trust the fossil fuel industry?Carbon pricing as a policy toolApplying targeted regulation to ensure best behavior by the industryShift in lobbying focus from denying the science to focusing on the socio-economic considerationsImpact of divestment vs. ESG investingReasons why oil and gas industry has lagged in “total shareholder return” over the past decadeThe increasing cost of capital for the industry and reasons for itBCG’s ethical policies as it relates to climate change“Deep de-carbonization technologies”Links to topics discussed in this episode:Alex’s work at BCG: https://www.bcg.com/en-us/about/people/experts/alex-dewar.aspx“Social license to operate”: https://learningforsustainability.net/social-license/ESG Investing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social_and_corporate_governanceLetter from BlackRock CEO, Larry Fink: https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/larry-fink-ceo-letter Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Carbon Lighthouse, its business, vision and clienteleThe genesis of the companyThe opportunity of improving energy efficiencyThe early challenges of driving salesCarbon Lighthouse’s non-profit armThe substantial role commercial buildings play in emitting GHGMisaligned incentives of the many stakeholders involvedFactors that led to a tipping point in the sales challengeWhat is HVAC optimizationHow Carbon Lighthouse uses software to optimize commercial HVAC systemsValue and savings delivered to commercial buildingsCarbon Lighthouse’s customer profileHow landlord adoption is a continuing obstacleCarbon Lighthouse’s financing, operational expenses and costsBrenden’s views on utility-level policies to reduce emissionsBrenden’s thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it relates to climate changeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Carbon Lighthouse: https://www.carbonlighthouse.com/Carbon Lighthouse Association (non-profit arm): https://www.carbonlighthouse.org/“Spaghetti diagram” of energy use: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/index.htmlGreen Building Initiative: https://thegbi.org/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is Kula Bio, its mission, and what it has developedThe importance of nitrogen as an ingredient in fertilizer and agricultureThe drawbacks and consequences of the Haber-Bosch processKula Bio’s unique fertilizer and how it addresses carbon emissionsThe microbial process of developing the proprietary fertilizerProfile of customers, to which Kula Bio is cateringKula Bio’s value proposition to farmersBenefits of organic nitrogen-based fertilizer vs. syntheticOrigins of Kula Bio’s technology in the Harvard LabsKula Bio’s commercial traction and milestonesThe adjacent opportunities and long-term vision of the companyBill’s perspective on scaling and financing Kula BioInsights and learnings derived from speaking with hundreds of farmersThe impact on climate change of Kula Bio’s technologyBill’s reflection on his long-career as an entrepreneur and operatorBill’s view on making impact vs. profitsHow the economic viability of a climate solution is criticalWhy impact is an important motivation for entrepreneursBill’s retrospective on “Cleantech 1.0” and where it stumbledThe role of family offices as a source of long-term financing for clean tech venturesHow investor attention now focuses on specific milestones and pragmatic considerationsThe importance of education and the need to improve STEM as a solution to address climate changeBill’s perspective on nuclear as an important solution that should be scaledBill’s recommendation on finding purpose-driven opportunities, regardless of your background or stage of lifeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Kula Bio: https://www.kulabio.com/Haber-Bosch Process: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haber_processCarbon sequestration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sequestrationProf. Dan Nocera of Harvard: https://chemistry.harvard.edu/people/daniel-g-noceraSamuel Bodman, CEO of Cabot Corporation and former Energy Secretary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Bodman Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is CalPERS, its origins and its mission?How its priorities and concerns about climate change is rooted in its fiduciary responsibility to pensioners current and futureAnne’s career at CalPERS and early work focusing on corporate governanceWhat CalPERS learned from the 2008 financial crisis and how it informs its perspective and priorities regarding climate changeCalPERS’ ten “Pension Beliefs” that define its investment strategyHow being a longterm investor is both an advantage and a responsibilityAvoiding the curse of short-termism and how simply following the money isn’t sufficientHow CalPERS views types of capital beyond the financialHow Anne developed a strategy for sustainable investmentCalPERS’ top three sustainability factors (diversity & inclusion, demographics and climate change)The role CalPERS plays as a climate change advocateHow it leverages its shareholder position to influence companies to be in accord with The Paris AgreementResearch done to better understand the portfolio’s contributions to emissionsWork performed to assess climate-risk among CalPERS’ assetsThe fund’s emissions commitments over the next thirty yearsThe double-edged sword of divesting from companies not meeting climate goalsLinks to topics discussed in this episode:CalPERS: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/CalPERS Pension Beliefs: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/board-agendas/201702/pension/item7-01.pdfClimate Action 100+: http://www.climateaction100.org/The Investor Agenda: https://theinvestoragenda.org/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Ken’s journey from making money on Wall Street to making meaning as a scientistThe perceived “information deficit” problem in public policyHow Ken distinguishes his role as a concerned citizen from his work as a scientistHow getting past social identities is a major challenge to effecting changeBill Gates’ support and patronage of Ken’s workThe various climate change research, pursued by Ken’s post-doc graduate studentsThe prospect and viability of a 100% renewable energy modelBill Gates’ notion of a “green premium”Carbon pricing solutionsThe problem of split-incentivesThe viability of geoengineering as a solutionThe need to reframe the problem and solutions to make it palatable for social acceptanceLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Caldeira Lab at the Carnegie Institution: https://carnegieenergyinnovation.org/Steve Schneider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_SchneiderThe Charney Report (1979): https://www.bnl.gov/envsci/schwartz/charney_report1979.pdfManoela Romano De Orte: https://dge.carnegiescience.edu/people/mromanoDavid Koweek: https://dge.carnegiescience.edu/people/dkoweekYixuan Zheng: https://dge.carnegiescience.edu/people/yxzhengEnrico Antonini: https://dge.carnegiescience.edu/people/eantoniniCandise Henry: https://dge.carnegiescience.edu/people/chenryRebecca Peer: https://dge.carnegiescience.edu/people/rpeerVariable renewable energy source (“Intermittency”): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_renewable_energyProf. Mark Jacobson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Z._JacobsonAdvanced Research Projects Agency: https://arpa-e.energy.gov/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:KoBold’s team and its businessWhy cobalt is known as the “goblin metal”The collaboration of software engineering, data science and mineral exploration at KoBoldKoBold’s “machine prospector”Kurt’s journey to taking action on climate changeWhy cobalt makes for a good ingredient in batteriesWhy cobalt is known as the “blood diamond of metals”KoBold’s technology and the “messy data problem”KoBold’s business modelInvestment from Equinor and reconciling working with an oil and gas companyLinks to topics discussed in this episode:KoBold Metals: https://www.koboldmetals.com/Connie Chan’s announcement of Andreessen Horowitz’ investment: https://a16z.com/2019/03/04/kobold-metals/Equinor: https://www.equinor.com/en.html Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is Deep Isolation and how it’s addressing the issue of nuclear waste disposalThe half-a-century history of nuclear wasteGenesis of Deep Isolation and Elizabeth’s earlier work founding Berkeley EarthDirectional drilling as a solution for long-term storage of nuclear wastePartnerships with communitiesPollution studies performed by Berkeley EarthThe opportunity of using impermeable rockThe importance of being able to retrieve waste stored in drill-holesHow the issue of consent by a community underpins the solutionThe pros and cons of Yucca Mountain as a long-term storage planPartnership with BechtelHow it serves governments and utilities differentlyThe gamut of storage solutions used globallyStages of going to marketDeep Isolation’s funding to date and sources of capitalWhere it sees opportunities in terms of future financial partnersStakeholders in the nuclear waste spaceEngagement with environmental groupsLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Deep Isolation: https://www.deepisolation.com/Berkeley Earth: http://berkeleyearth.org/Directional drilling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_drillingBorehole disposal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_borehole_disposalYucca Mountain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain_nuclear_waste_repositoryBechtel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechtel Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:The NAACP, its history and missionWhy climate is integral to promoting civil justice and equityClimate change’s disproportionate impact on communities of colorExamples of how the NAACP is taking action from a climate perspectiveJacqueline’s journey that led her to climate justiceHer role at the NAACP in addressing climate issues that affect vulnerable groupsThe intersectionality of the issues posed by climate changeNAACP’s climate prioritiesLinks to topics discussed in this episode:NAACP’s Environmental & Climate Justice Program: https://www.naacp.org/issues/environmental-justice/“Waxman Markey Bill”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Clean_Energy_and_Security_ActCancer Alley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_AlleyDemocracy Initiative: http://www.democracyinitiative.org/Democracy Collaborative: https://democracycollaborative.org/Move To Amend: http://www.movetoamend.org/Citizens United: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is Blueprint Power and how its unique business model worksWho’s its customers and what is their needHow her early-career at Google was a springboard into a career in energyThe genesis and inspiration behind Blueprint PowerThe current state of the renewable energy sectorThe role of the energy grid and its stakeholdersHow Robyn initially validated market demand for Blueprint PowerBlueprint’s current geographic footprint and market focusHow recent regulatory developments have served as a tailwind for the businessThe perspective of executives at commercial property firms with respect to renewable energyThe current role of incumbent utility companiesBlueprint’s customer traction to dateThe contributions Blueprint is making in combatting climate changeThe challenges and evolution of raising venture capital as an energy startupSquaring both impact and profit motivesAspects of Blueprint’s business that appealed to traditional VCsHow Robyn sees a significant opportunity in clean waterHow regulatory speed remains one of the biggest bottlenecksRobyn’s thoughts on those seeking to transition their career to the climate space Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Her journey from Geologist to Historian of ScienceThe genesis of her climate change awakeningWhat led to her seminal book on climate change, “Merchants of Doubt”How the science showing fossil fuels impact on climate change go way backHer work inspiring the movie, "An Inconvenient Truth"The foundational work of Prof. Ben Santer, proving climate changeHow the fossil fuel industry led a disinformation campaign, intent on discrediting climate scientistsHer views on how the fossil fuel industry is not a reliable partner in combatting climate change in this dayWhy science should be trusted by the publicThe significance of consensus in scienceRemaining topics of climate change debate within the scientific communityHow public policy changes is not in the domain of scienceHow the challenges with climate change are not within the science or technology but within policy and politicsWhy nuclear is not a viable solution to climate changeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:“Merchants of Doubt”: https://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/“Why Trust Science”: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691179001/why-trust-scienceRoger Revelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_RevelleCharles David Keeling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_David_KeelingProf. Ben Santer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_D._SanterJames Hansen's 1988 Congressional Testimony on Climate Change: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen#US_Senate_committee_testimony Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is Elemental ExceleratorDawn’s journey to climate changeHawaii Clean Energy InitiativeApplying the startup accelerator model to energy and clean techInvesting focus and criteriaHolistic support for portfolio companiesGeographic focus for its projectsSources of funding for Elemental ExceleratorPurpose of pilotsCoaching supportLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Elemental Excelerator: https://elementalexcelerator.com/Emerson Collective: https://www.emersoncollective.com/Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative: http://www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org/CarbonCure Technologies: https://www.carboncure.com/Zero Mass Water: https://www.zeromasswater.com/Cyclotron Road: https://www.cyclotronroad.org/Trove (f.k.a. Yerdle): https://www.trove.co/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is Carbon Tracker and what’s it role in the financial markets?How fossil fuels and carbon emissions play into the valuation of stocks, etc.How Carbon Tracker influence investors and their strategiesThe investment risk associated with not factoring in climate changeThe meaning and examples of a “stranded asset”How the energy transition to cleaner technologies can disrupt incumbent industries to the detriment of investorsHow inertia continues to drive the construction of fossil fuel infrastructureAsset reallocation as the primary lever in Carbon Tracker’s strategiesKingsmill’s prognosis of the fossil fuel industryAllocating out of the “losers” than allocating into the “winners”Kingsmill’s journey to working on energy-transition financial strategyFossil fuel incumbents, friend or foe to the climate change movement?Links to topics discussed in this episode:Carbon Tracker: https://www.carbontracker.org/Carbon bubble: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_bubbleUnburnable carbon: https://www.carbontracker.org/terms/unburnable-carbon/Stranded assets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranded_asset Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Jupiter and its missionRich’s journey from data analytics to climate changeParallels between the opportunity around cybersecurity and climate changeThe importance of physical climate riskHow Jupiter initially narrowed its focus on flood riskHow Jupiter develops a “peril model” to assess the risk of flooding and firesProfile of Jupiter’s customersHow critical infrastructure companies represent a major customerWhy insurers are not the ones who bear the financial risk of worsening climate disastersCorporate indictments as a symptom of unaddressed climate riskThe U.S.’ “armed lifeboat diplomacy”Jupiter’s nonprofit workResilience planning in the face of climate-related catastrophesThe need to restrict land use in at-risk areasLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Jupiter Intelligence: https://jupiterintel.com/PG&E bankruptcy: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/business/energy-environment/pge-bankruptcy-newsom.html Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:What is CGC and its mission as a nonprofit?Why “green bank” is somewhat of a misnomerThe history of green banks in the U.S. both on the federal and state levelWhere the CGC adds value in the clean tech financing ecosystemCustomers served by green banksThe role green banks have played in jump starting new markets for clean techComparing green banks with for-profit investment firms (e.g. Ultra Capital, Generate Capital)Sources of funding for CGCOpportunities in the U.S. for green banksHow the U.S. Department of Energy loan program aids companies in getting through the commercialization gapJeffrey’s perspective on putting a price on carbonViews on the impact of the 2020 presidential elections and the various positions of candidatesLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Coalition for green Capital: http://coalitionforgreencapital.com/NY green bank: https://greenbank.ny.gov/Generate Capital: https://generatecapital.com/Ultra Capital: https://www.ultracapital.com/Prime Coalition: https://primecoalition.org/National Climate Bank Act: https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-van-hollen-introduce-legislation-to-create-a-national-climate-bank Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Role, function and mission of IIASAThe context around SR15UN Sustainable Development GoalsDr. Huppmann’s work on the message integrated assessment model for environmental scenario planningSignificance of selecting a decade as the timeframe for actionUnpacking the meaning of publicly stated thresholdsImplications of Dr. Huppmann’s modeling on humanityHow new research affects older predictive modelsDr. Huppmann’s view on carbon storageDelivering sustainability via initiatives that improve quality of lifeThe important role of carbon taxesOpen-source climate change data movementLinks to topics discussed in this episode:IIASA:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Institute_for_Applied_Systems_AnalysisSR15:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Report_on_Global_Warming_of_1.5_%C2%B0CMessage IX: https://message.iiasa.ac.at/en/stable/UN Sustainable Development Goals: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300European Green Deal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_enFridays For Future: https://fridaysforfuture.org/Young Summer Scientists Program: https://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/yssp/Young_Scientists_Summer_Program.htmlYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:Her journey to elected office and the challenges she faced in her campaignHer inspiration to run for state officeWhat she discovered about the state of Albany politicsHow the campaign for state senator felt like a street fightHer upbringing in a politically-minded familyHow the existential problem of climate change underpins all other issuesWhat other actions concerned citizens can take beyond voting to combat climate changeThe viability of bipartisan collaborationHow she would allocate $100 billion in the fight against climate changeResources for elected officials to remain informed and develop onions about climate changeThe opportunity to introduce CLCPA-inspired bills in states that don’t have climate-focused legislationLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Senator Biaggi: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/alessandra-biaggiClimate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA): https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s6599 Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:How Zahra landed at Buzzfeed covering climateThe Trump Administration and how its policies have affected climateHer audience and readershipThe positioning of her news room and editorsJournalism’s roleHer journey from studying geology at Brown to the world of climate journalismWhat she learned at Inside Climate NewsHow climate change has become increasingly topical and relevantEditorial decisions around what stories to coverDelivering impact vs. ad revenueJournalism’s shifting focusChallenges faced by journalism and the rise of disinformationLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Zahra Hirji at Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrahirjiInside Climate News: https://insideclimatenews.org/George Luber, “How A Bad Boss Remade Himself As a Climate Hero”: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/cdc-whistleblower-george-luber-investigation“New York Loses Climate Change Fraud Case Against Exxon Mobil”:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/climate/exxon-climate-lawsuit-new-york.htmlYale Program on Climate Change Communication: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:David’s influential career in techHis advocacy of various causesDHH’s view that, regardless of one’s background, one should become versed in climate changeHow his attention first peaked with the California droughtHow the fires near Malibu made the crisis feel personal and urgent“The Uninhabitable Earth” by David Wallace Wells helped inform him of the catastrophe brought about by a temperature rise above 2 degrees centigradeHow it’s remarkable to think that, since Seinfeld has aired, we’ve doubled GHGHis family’s carbon budget and how it showed him how much more complicated the problem is His belief that changes in consumer and voting behavior will only happen when people see the existential threat themselves (e.g. fires, floods, etc.)His pessimism that things won’t change until the situation becomes more direDo carbon offsets inhibit decisive action?The longer democracies fail to address climate change, the more society becomes ripe for the rise of dictatorsDHH’s recommended reading: “The Divide” by Jason HickelHis acceptance of the likelihood that he will live on an uninhabitable earth; that we’re not going to stay below 2 degrees CentigradeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:“The Uninhabitable Earth”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/586541/the-uninhabitable-earth-by-david-wallace-wells/“The Divide”: https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divideGreen New Deal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_New_DealYellow vests movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_movement Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:• Shayle’s journey from energy transition in the market intelligence space to climate change venture capital at Energy Impact Partners (EIP)• EIP, a VC with ~$1B in AUM whose LPs are a coalition of utilities• The sectors EIP invests in• Abe’s journey from Rockport Capital Partners, a cleantech private equity firm based, to cofounding Congruent Ventures in 2016• A history of the first cleantech wave• Lessons learned• How the current interest in climate tech compares/contrasts with the first cleantech wave • What types of innovation is needed in climate tech• What types of capital are the best for for which types of innovationLinks to topics discussed in this episode:• Energy Impact Partners: https://www.energyimpactpartners.com/• Congruent Ventures: https://www.congruentvc.com/• Rockport Capital Partners: http://www.rockportcap.com/• Solyndra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solyndra• Thin-film solar cell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_solar_cell• MiaSolé: http://miasole.com/• Alpha: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/alpha.asp• National Renewable Energy Lab: https://www.nrel.gov/• Lawrence Berkeley Lab: https://www.lbl.gov/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In today’s episode, we cover:● The Rebound Effect and the ironic implications of improving energy efficiency● Harry’s journey into Climate Change● How Harry earned the moniker, “The Godfather of Rebound”● Contention around rebound and its Climate implications● Factoring in the welfare of those in developing countries and the plight of “energy poverty”● The integral role of nuclear in any clean energy strategy● Ecomodernism and the focus on GDP-driven solutions to Climate ChangeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:● Decision Processes Incorporated: http://www.decisionprocessesinc.com/● Khazzoom–Brookes postulate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khazzoom%E2%80%93Brookes_postulate● The Rebound Effect: https://blog.ucsusa.org/peter-oconnor/energy-efficiency-what-is-the-rebound-effect-946● Amory Lovins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amory_Lovins● Rocky Mountain Institute: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Institute● Ecomodernist Manifesto: http://www.ecomodernism.org/● Environmental Kuznets Curve: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuznets_curve#Environmental_Kuznets_curve Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Rob Hanson, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Monolith Materials, where he leads the development of next-generation technology for producing low cost, low emission hydrogen and carbon black, an important raw material used in the manufacture of rubber and plastic. Prior to Monolith, Rob served as the global director of product management for AREVA Solar, the solar division of the world’s largest nuclear company. He has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford, and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford, UNL, Foothill College and the University of Saskatchewan on topics ranging from thermodynamics to entrepreneurship. Rob also co-founded uforia studios, a 65-employee health and fitness company with locations in San Francisco and Palo Alto.In today’s episode, we cover:Rob’s journey from solar to the chemical sectorThe dirty process of traditionally producing carbon blackHow a generalist background (e.g. blending science and finance) can be positioned to make a big impact as an entrepreneur in the climate technology spaceScaling the method of cleanly creating carbon black from natural gasThe genesis of MonolithStaggered financing modelMarkets for carbon blackImportance of establishing a market “beachhead” with product-market fitReception of the clean “story” and value proposition among prospective customersOpportunities Rob finds interesting outside Monolith’s focusThe opportunity and importance of education in addressing Climate ChangeLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Monolith Materials: https://monolithmaterials.com/Carbon Black: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_blackAreva: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArevaImperative Science Ventures: https://imperative.vc/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Matt Eggers, Investor & Company Builder at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1.1 billion, patient capital fund dedicated to building companies that will have a massive impact on greenhouse gas mitigation. He also serves on the Board of the Institute for Market Transformation.Matt is a seasoned cleantech leader, investor and advisor with 20 years of experience delivering results in diverse companies. Matt’s recent past experience includes serving as a Vice President with Yardi Energy. He has also been the Vice President of Sales, North America for Tesla and the Vice President of Operations for Sunrun, a national leader in home solar power service operating in 11 states. His earlier experience includes leading the stack operations team and serving as Director of Product Management at the fuel cell company Bloom Energy. In that role he led development of the plan to massively scale manufacturing of Bloom’s core cell technology and developed the features and specifications for the second generation “Bloom Box.” Before Bloom, Matt worked for Genentech where he led the commercial launch of Herceptin Adjuvant, a breast cancer drug with over $1 billion in sales. Matt’s early career experience includes serving as an Associate at Morgan Stanley Venture Partners where he championed investments in biotech and enterprise software companies. Matt has a BS in molecular biology from Duke University and an MBA from Stanford University.In today’s episode, we cover:Mission of Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and its high-network individual investment modelSuccess metrics anchored around half-a-gigaton carbon atmospheric reduction and financial return for investorsBEV’s long investment time horizon (20 years)BEV’s investment criteriaPivot Bio, a portfolio company, addressing carbon emissions found in fertilizer75F, a portfolio company, offering AI-driven software to drive efficiencies with HVAC systemsMatt’s climate journey from a farm in Iowa to BEVMatt’s perspective on the climate problem and its multifaceted solutionsPutting a price on carbon Inadequate funding in the climate spaceDisrupting the dairy industry’s carbon footprint via low-emission Casein The patience required with Climate Change investing (cf. traditional software venture investing)The role of corporate strategic investors and banksPolicy developments at the municipality-level that factor in Climate Change and affect homeownersLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Breakthrough Energy Ventures: https://www.b-t.energy/“Additionality” with respect to carbon markets: https://resource-solutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/RECs-and-Additionality.pdfConceptualizing a gigaton: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/01/meet-the-gigaton-the-huge-unit-that-scientists-use-to-track-planetary-change/Pivot Bio: https://www.pivotbio.com/74F: https://www.75f.io/Genentech: https://www.gene.com/Casein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CaseinYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Phil Duffy, President & Executive Director at Woodwell Climate Research Center.Expertise Climate modeling, extreme weather risk, societal impacts of climate change, domestic climate policy, international climate change negotiations, climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.Dr. Philip Duffy is a physicist who has devoted nearly 30 years to using science to address the societal challenge of climate change. Dr. Duffy frequently engages domestic and international policy- and decision-makers, including delegates at the United Nations climate conferences, and the United States Congress. Dr. Duffy is frequently quoted in major national media outlets such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, Science, the Boston Globe, NPR, CNN, and MSNBC. He serves on committees of the National Academy of Sciences and advises state and local policymakers. Dr. Duffy is particularly interested in working with diverse groups to address climate change, including faith leaders, business leaders, and thought leaders across the political spectrum.Prior to joining WCRC, Dr. Duffy served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and as a Senior Advisor in the White House National Science and Technology Council. In these roles he was involved in international climate negotiations, domestic and international climate policy, and coordination of US global change research. Before joining the White House, Dr. Duffy was Chief Scientist at Climate Central, an organization dedicated to increasing public understanding and awareness of climate change. Dr. Duffy has held senior research positions with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and visiting positions at the Carnegie Institution for Science and the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. He has a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Harvard in astrophysics and a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Woods Hole Research CenterOrigin story & nature of the workRole of natural solutionsPhysical climate riskHow Phil’s views on the nature of the problem have evolved over the yearsWhat are the highest impact solutionsThe role of political willThe future of capitalism and GPD growthCarbon removal and direct air captureSolar geoengineeringNuclearHow Phil would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightPhil’s advice for others looking to find their laneLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Woods Hole Research Center: https://whrc.org/George Woodwell: http://whrc.org/staff/george-woodwell/John Holdren: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/john-holdrenSusan Natali: http://whrc.org/staff/susan-natali/Wellington and Woods Hole: https://whrc.org/wellington-management-and-woods-hole-research-center-announce-initiative/McKinsey and Woods Hole: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-investment-climate/climate-scientists-partner-with-mckinsey-to-push-companies-to-self-regulate-idUSKCN1T52CUNOAA arctic report card: https://arctic.noaa.gov/Report-CardYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is David Keith, Professor at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Kennedy School, and Founder of Carbon Engineering.David has worked near the interface between climate science, energy technology, and public policy for twenty-five years. He took first prize in Canada's national physics prize exam, won MIT's prize for excellence in experimental physics, and was one of TIME magazine's Heroes of the Environment. David is Professor of Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and founder of Carbon Engineering, a company developing technology to capture CO2 from ambient air to make carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels. Best known for his work on the science, technology, and public policy of solar geoengineering, David led the development of Harvard’s Solar Geoengineering Research Program, a Harvard-wide interfaculty research initiative. His work has ranged from the climatic impacts of large-scale wind power to an early critique of the prospects for hydrogen fuel. David’s hardware engineering projects include the first interferometer for atoms, a high-accuracy infrared spectrometer for NASA's ER-2, and currently, the development of pilot plants for Carbon Engineering and the development of a stratospheric propelled balloon experiment for solar geoengineering. David teaches courses on Science and Technology Policy and on Energy and Environmental Systems where he has reached students worldwide with an online edX course. He has writing for the public with A Case for Climate Engineeringfrom MIT Press. Based in Cambridge, David spends about a third of his time in Canmore, Alberta.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of solar geoengineeringHow concentrated an area can it be deployed inSteps that go into testing it'History of solar geoengineeringPotential risks of deployment and potential risks of not doing the testingPotential for unintended consequencesHow hard it is to deployHow much research is needed (and for what) and how much it will costBridge versus longterm solutionWhere it fits into overall climate solutions portfolioWhat fossil fuel companies think of solar geoengineeringDavid’s advice for others looking to help facilitate research in this area and/or learn more about itLinks to topics discussed in this episode:David Keith: https://keith.seas.harvard.edu/people/david-keithGeoengineering: https://geoengineering.environment.harvard.edu/geoengineeringThe Planet Remade: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Remade-Geoengineering-Could-Change-ebook/dp/B011PWUT8YCarnegie Climate Governance Initiative: https://www.c2g2.net/Vaclav Smil: http://vaclavsmil.com/Holly Buck: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/holly-buck/Additional Reading:David Keith, “Let’s Talk About Geoengineering,” Project Syndicate, March 21, 2019.David Keith, “Toward a Responsible Solar Geoengineering Research Program,” Issues in Science and Technology, Spring 2017.James Temple, “What is Geoengineering—And Why Should You Care?” MIT Technology Review, August 9, 2019.Lizzie Burns, David Keith, Peter Irvine, and Joshua Horton, “Belfer Technology Factsheet Series: Solar Geoengineering,” Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Technology and Public Purpose Project, June 2019.Jon Gertner, “Is It O.K. to Tinker With the Environment to Fight Climate Change?,” The New York Times Magazine, April 18, 2017.You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is BJ Fogg, Founder & Director, Behavior Design Lab at Stanford, with an appearance by William Shan, one of his students who is project managing the launch of his new Behavior Design for Climate Action online training program.BJ teaches good people how behavior works so they can create products & services that benefit everyday people around the world. He is a behavior scientist, with deep experience in innovation and teaching. At Stanford University he runs the Behavior Design Lab. He also teaches his models and methods in graduate seminars with students from various majors.On the industry side, BJ trains innovators to use his work so they can create solutions that influence behavior. The focus areas include health, financial wellbeing, learning, productivity, and more.BJ wrote a seminal book, Persuasive Technology, about how computers can be designed to influence attitudes and behaviors. That book, together with his early innovations, inspired an annual global conference on the topic. His Stanford students have gone on to co-found Instagram, as well as launch a global movement focusing on “time well spent” and the Center for Humane Technology. Starting in 2010, BJ’s Stanford lab started shifting focus away from Persuasive Technology toward a new domain they named “Behavior Design,” a set of models and methods about human behavior (with nothing to do with technology.)BJ’s new book Tiny Habits will be published in over 15 languages.Fortune Magazine named BJ a “New Guru You Should Know” for his insights about mobile and social networks.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of BJ’s workHow his work has evolved since he started doing itWho BJ’s work is meant to help, and some details on the framework/process it followsHow (and why) BJ first became interested in helping address climate changeWhat he and Will are going to do about it, and how they plan to helpHow others in similar positions might apply their skills and station to help with the climate fightBJ’s advice for others looking to find their lane.Links to topics discussed in this episode:BJ Fogg: https://www.bjfogg.com/Behavior Design for Climate Action: https://www.behaviordesign.info/climateactionTiny Habits book: https://www.tinyhabits.com/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

This was an experiment using a new app Talkshow, which is a live discussion broadcast via twitter where listeners can text questions as we talk!Today's guest was Clay Dumas from Lowercarbon Capital, to talk about what they are up to with the fund and their newly opened roles! It is also always great to talk shop with Clay on everything climate change.Clay is a partner at Lowercarbon Capital where he invests in startups and research organizations developing technology to reduce emissions, suck carbon out of the air, and cool the planet. He is also a partner at Lowercase Capital. Previously, Clay served as an Executive in Residence at the Pramana Collective, a strategic advisory firm in San Francisco. Before that, he was the Chief of Staff for the White House Office of Digital Strategy, a team tasked by President Obama with connecting people with purpose. In 2017, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. At the start of President Obama’s second term, he served as an aide in the Chief of Staff’s office. Before joining the White House, Clay worked on President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. He graduated from Harvard in 2011.In today’s episode, we cover:Genesis of Lowercarbon from the team behind Lowercase CapitalHow Lowercarbon fit within the vision of Chris and Crystal SaccaClay’s journey from presidential campaigns to venture capital to Climate Change investingMajor insights and takeaways after three-years of working in the spaceAttitudes, motives and incentives across institutional investors backing Climate Change companiesHow the social impact and financial opportunity are immense in the Climate Change spaceLowercarbon’s investment focusHow Lowercarbon differs from other institutional investorsJobs and opportunities at LowercarbonTechnologies in which Clay is interestedLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Lowercarbon Capital: https://lowercarboncapital.com/Lowercase Capital: https://lowercasecapital.com/Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2019 report: https://www.ipcc.ch/2019/09/25/srocc-press-release/Impact Investing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_investingCarbon Engineering:https://carbonengineering.com/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Jigar Shah, President & Co-Founder at Generate Capital.Jigar was the founder and CEO of SunEdison (NASDAQ: SUNE, TERP), where he pioneered “no money down solar” and unlocked a multi-billion-dollar solar market, creating the largest solar services company worldwide. He is the author of Creating Climate Wealth: Unlocking the Impact Economy. After SunEdison, Jigar served as the founding CEO of the Carbon War Room, a global non-profit founded by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite to help entrepreneurs address climate change. Generate Capital, the Carbon War Room and SunEdison all follow from Jigar’s vision that business model innovation will unlock the largest wealth creation opportunity – resource efficiency. Jigar is committed to helping entrepreneurs and large companies alike implement resource efficiency solutions using “pay as you save” project finance models. Jigar holds an MBA from The University of Maryland and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He sits on the boards of sPower and the Rocky Mountain Institute. Jigar lives in New York City and is trying to find the perfect cocktail.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Generate Capital'Generate’s business model and approachIndustries and solution types they are interested inExample projectJigar’s backround and experiences leading up to GenerateHow Generate measures success beyond returnsHow Jigar thinks about the nature of the climate problemThe role of the new blood coming into the spaceCapital types and capital gapsCapitalism, GDP growth, and climate changeWhere economists get it wrongHow optimistic is Jigar for the future?The most effective ways to address this issueHow Jigar would allocate $100B to maximize its impact on the problemHow you and I can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Generate Capital: https://generatecapital.com/McKinsey’s resource revolution paper: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/resource-revolutionScott Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobsscott/Matan Friedman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matanfriedman/WeDriveU: https://www.wedriveu.com/SunEdison: http://www.sunedison.com/NEXTracker: https://www.nextracker.com/Greenpeace: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Breakthrough Energy Ventures: https://www.b-t.energy/ventures/Carbon War Room: https://rmi.org/carbon-war-room/Sunil Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilpaul/International Energy Agency: https://www.iea.org/Craig Venter: https://www.jcvi.org/about/jventerYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Gary Cohen, President & Co-Founder of Health Care Without Harm.Gary has been a pioneer in the environmental health movement for thirty years. Cohen is President and Co-Founder of Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth. He was also instrumental in bringing together the NGOs and hospital systems that formed the Healthier Hospitals Initiative. All three were created to transform the health care sector to be environmentally sustainable and serve as anchor institutions to support environmental health in their communities.Gary was Executive Director of the Environmental Health Fund for many years. He has helped build coalitions and networks globally to address the environmental health impacts related to toxic chemical exposure and climate change. Gary is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal, India, which has been working for over 25 years to heal people affected by the Bhopal gas tragedy and to fight for environmental cleanup in Bhopal. He is also on the Boards of the American Sustainable Business Council, Health Leads and Coming Clean.He has received numerous recognitions for his achievements, including: The MacArthur Foundation’s Fellows Award (2015), the White House’s Champion of Change Award for Public Health and Climate Change (2013), the Huffington Post’s Game Changer Award for Health (2012), the Frank Hatch Award for Enlightened Public Service (2007), and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2006).In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Health Care Without Harm and origin storyGary's background and path leading up to itTheir initial starting point and strategyProgress to-dateTeam compositionHow they measure successHow decarbonization fits inBiggest levers to bring about decarbonization of health careBarriers impeding progressChanges that would be most impactfulHow Gary would allocate $100B to maximize its impact on the problemHow you and I can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Health Care Without Harm: https://noharm.org/Practice Greenhealth: https://practicegreenhealth.org/United Nations Development Programme: https://www.undp.org/International Monetary Fund: https://www.imf.org/external/index.htmHealth care energy impact calculator: http://www.eichealth.org/World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Tim Freundlich, CEO of ImpactAssets.Tim is a long-time innovator in new financial instruments in the social enterprise sector, which he now applies as the head of ImpactAssets, the $1 billion boutique donor advised fund and investment note offerer for impact investments. While previously at Calvert Foundation for 12 years, he conceived of and launched the donor advised fund. He was also instrumental in building the $250mm Community Investment Note with more than $1 billion invested into 300-plus nonprofits and for profits globally.He co-founded and serves as Managing Partner for Good Capital that, in addition to its flagship Social Enterprise Expansion Fund LP, founded the 2,500-person annual Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) conferences in San Francisco and four Impact Hubs in the US; co-working, meeting and community space serving approximately 2,000 social innovators.Tim is a sought-out industry speaker and regularly featured and quoted in media such as ThinkAdvisor and WealthManagement and has appeared on TheStreet and Forbes. He received a BA from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Tim and his wife, Julie, live in San Francisco with their sons, Milo and Gus.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of ImpactAssetsOrigin story and how the model worksHow it is different than a typical institutional asset allocationWho the target customers areTraction and progress to dateSome example success storiesLong visionImpact, if successfulWhat comes nextBarriers holding them backWhat could change to help them move fasterAdvice for people looking to allocate their philanthropic capital to maximize its impactLinks to topics discussed in this episode:ImpactAssets: http://impactassets.org/Tim Freundlich: https://www.impactassets.org/about_us/team/timothy-freundlichUN Sustainable Development Goals: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/Seth Goldman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Goldman_(businessman)Beyond Meat: https://www.beyondmeat.com/MSCI KLD 400 Social Index: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/domini_400.aspCalvert Impact Capital: https://www.calvertimpactcapital.org/What is a donor-advised fund? https://www.nptrust.org/what-is-a-donor-advised-fund/Toniic: https://toniic.com/CREO Syndicate: http://creosyndicate.org/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Akshat Rathi, a London-based reporter, covering science, energy, and environment for Bloomberg News. He has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford, and a BTech in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai.He tells stories of the people and their ideas tackling the biggest problem facing humanity: climate change. And he is currently working on a book about scaling up climate solutions.Previously, Akshat was a senior reporter at Quartz and a science editor at The Conversation. He has also worked for The Economist and the Royal Society of Chemistry. His writings have also been published in Nature, The Hindu, The Guardian, Ars Technica, and Chemistry World, among others.In 2018, Akshat won Journalist of the Year at the Drum’s Online Media Awards ceremony, he was a finalist for the John B. Oakes award for distinguished environmental journalism, and he was shortlisted for British Science Writer of the Year by the Association of British Science Writers. In 2019, he was shortlisted by the British Journalism Awards for the best science journalism category.Akshat has won fellowships from Columbia University and City University of New York to enhance his reporting work. He has also served on the advisory panel of the 2019 Cairncross Review on the sustainability of high-quality journalism in the UK.In today’s episode, we cover:Akshat’s most recent role at QuartzHow and why Akshat came to be a climate journalist, and where his concern about this issue came fromHis transition from PhD to journlismThe importance of rigor in science journalism, and how Akshat defines itThe state of media business models, and the implications for climate coverageSome different paths to introduce more scientific expertise in the newsroomAkshat’s assessment of the problem of climate changeAkshat’s thoughts about market forces vs regulation, a carbon price, US role vs developing countries, carbon removal, fission & fusion, solar geoengineering, and moreRole of the fossil fuel companies in the transitionConsumer and corporate offsetsAdaptation and resiliencyHow Akshat would allocate $100B to maximize its impact towards decarbonizationAkshat’s advice for others looking to figure out how to helpA teaser for Akshat’s upcoming role with Bloomberg News (which he’s since started!)Links to topics discussed in this episode:Quartz: https://qz.com/UN Climate Change Conference - December 2019: https://unfccc.int/cop25The "would you nationalize sausages?" question: https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2019/12/10/would-you-nationalise-sausages-wins-the-weirdest-question-of-the-election-award/Bloomberg News: https://www.bloomberg.com/ProPublica: https://www.propublica.org/Climate Home: https://www.climatechangenews.com/Carbon Brief: https://www.carbonbrief.org/Heated: https://heated.world/Emily Atkin: https://twitter.com/emorweeClimate Feedback: https://climatefeedback.org/NewScientist: https://www.newscientist.com/The Economist: https://www.economist.com/AAAS Fellowship: https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowshipsBreakthrough Energy Ventures: https://www.b-t.energy/ventures/Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Joey Bergstein, CEO of Seventh Generation, recently acquired by Unilever. Seventh Generation’s mission is to inspire a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations. The company is a leader in positive business practices through the use of renewable plant-based products, industry-leading transparency with respect to ingredient disclosures, and recyclable packaging.Joey joined Seventh Generation in 2011 and, together with the Seventh Generation team, has been transforming its business, more than doubling revenue during this time, while fulfilling the company’s mission to incite a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations. Following the sale to Unilever, Joey was appointed CEO. Growth is accelerating, as is the company’s ability to impact millions of people around the world.A graduate of University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business, Bergstein began his career at Procter & Gamble where he held marketing leadership roles over the course of ten years across North America and in Europe. Since then, his career turned to beverages where Joey served as VP Global Business Development and then VP Marketing at Molson and finally at Diageo where as Senior Vice President of Global Rum, Joey led a global team that doubled the rum business to over $1 billion, transforming Captain Morgan into the fastest growing premium spirit brand in the world.In today’s episode, we cover:Seventh Generation overview and origin story'Discussion about it’s unique principles, and when/how those came to beJoey’s career arc, and what led him to Seventh GenerationWhen/how/why he became passionate about helping address climate changeHow he thinks about the problem, and the best ways to solve itSome examples of initiatives within the company to help with this issueHow they prioritize which projects to take on, and how they measure results from an impact standpointDiscussion about B corps, and their role going forward versus changes that need to come with capitalism overallWhat else matters in the climate fight, beyond the work of Seventh GenerationHow Joey would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact on climate changeJoey’s advice for others looking to determine how to best helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Seventh Generation: https://www.seventhgeneration.com/homeB corps: https://bcorporation.net/about-b-corpsGreat Law of Peace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Law_of_PeaceSierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/Generation IM: https://www.generationim.com/Seventh Generation: https://www.seventhgeneration.com/homeAmerican Sustainable Business Council: https://www.asbcouncil.org/Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Senator Stephen Fenberg, a Democrat who serves as state Senator in the 18th District in Colorado where he's served since 2017. He also serves as the Senate Majority Leader.A few years after graduating from CU, Senator Fenberg founded New Era Colorado, a nonprofit organization dedicated engaging, educating, and training young people in the political process. The organization has registered hundreds of thousands of young people to vote in Colorado and successfully passed several pieces of legislation related to election reform, student debt, and climate.He has also served on the Board of Directors for ProgressNow, One Colorado Political Committee, and INVST Community Studies as well as the Boulder Housing Working Group and the city of Boulder Capital Improvement Taskforce. Senator Fenberg now serves as an Advisory Board member for the dZi Foundation, an international nonprofit providing development work in remote areas of Nepal.Senator Fenberg is part-owner of the Bread Bar, a cocktail bar in the historic town of Silver Plume. Bread Bar resides at the site of a historic bakery from the 1800's.In today’s episode, we cover:Senator Fenberg’s history prior to holding officeNew Era Colorado, a nonprofit organization founded by Senator Fenberg, dedicated to engaging, educating, and training young people in the political processHis decision to run for office and whyHis early work in office to gain Democratic majorityHis assessment of the state of the Federal government, and the role of the statesHow he thinks about the climate problemHis assessment of Republicans and the climate change problemImportance of going after coal plantsOne benefit of regulated monopoly utilityHow to not just get policy done, but durable policyWhat the oil and gas industry wantsSenator Fenberg’s advice to those that want to helpHis advice for the future incoming President in 2021How Senator Fenberg is thinking about his futureLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Senator Fenberg: https://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/stephen-fenbergNew Era Colorado: https://neweracolorado.org/Joe Neguse: https://neguse.house.gov/Leslie Herod: https://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/leslie-herodLisa Kaufmann: https://www.denverpost.com/2018/11/09/jared-polis-chief-staff-lisa-kaufmann/Xcel Energy: https://www.xcelenergy.com/Senate bill 181: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/environment_energy_resources/publications/trends/2019-2020/november-december-2019/senate-bill/Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Shreya Dave, co-founder and CEO of Via Separations.Via Separations has pioneered a new membrane based on graphene oxide for fine liquid filtration in harsh environments, with applications in food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and bulk and specialty chemicals. They are scaling up and commercializing the material platform for use in industrial separation processes such as food ingredient production and chemical manufacturing. Shreya graduated from MIT with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Her PhD research focused on the design and manufacture of graphene oxide membranes for water desalination, including fundamental characterization methods of graphene oxide, membrane synthesis, and economic analysis of the role of membranes in cost constraints of desalination plants. She also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT in mechanical engineering and technology & policy.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview and origin story of Via SeparationsDiscussion about industrial processes and their emissions footprintWhy and when sustainability became important to ShreyaHow she came to be doing the PhD research that led to the company formationThe importance of doing customer discovery, and how the I-Corps program helped themComparison between I-Corps and Cyclotron Road / ActivateSimilarities between customer discovery and fundraisingThe key phases of company building so farBusiness modelDiscussion about project finance, and how accessible it is to early stage hard tech companiesDiscussion about project insuranceDiscussion about when and how to engage strategicsDiscussion about where, as a new founder, Shreya turns for help navigating the different phases of growthWhat some of the more impactful things are that could change to accelerate progressRole model companiesAdvice for other PhDs in the lab thinking of following a similar pathLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Shreya Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shdave/Via Separations: https://www.viaseparations.com/Professor Jeffrey Grossman: https://dmse.mit.edu/people/jeffrey-c-grossmanI-Corps: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/Brent Keller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-keller-88430811a/Cyclotron Road: https://www.cyclotronroad.org/The Engine: https://www.engine.xyz/Reid Hoffman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_HoffmanBlitzscaling book: https://www.blitzscaling.com/Chobani: https://www.chobani.com/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is David Perry, President, CEO, and Director of Indigo Ag, Indigo Ag is harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. They improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital technologies. Founded in 2016 Indigo Ag has raised more than $650 million in funding. The recently announced Terraton Initiative is a global effort to remove a trillion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to enrich agricultural soils.David is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and built three innovative companies in the last 20 years, leading the last two through successful IPOs and to multi-billion dollar market capitalizations and raising over $1.2 billion while generating significant returns for investors. He was most recently CEO and Co-Founder of Anacor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANAC), a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel small-molecule therapeutics to treat infectious and inflammatory diseases. The company was acquired by Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) in 2016 for approximately $5.2 billion. David previously co-founded and served as CEO of Chemdex (NASDAQ: CMDX), later creating its parent company Ventro Corporation (NASDAQ: VNTR), a business-to-business marketplace focused on the life sciences industry. At its peak, Ventro was valued at $11 billion and was later sold to Nexprise. David is Founder and Chairman of the San Francisco-based digital health startup Better Therapeutics (f/k/a FareWell) and a Board Director of the human microbiome company Evelo Biosciences.In 2000, David was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Northern California by Ernst and Young. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Tulsa. He also attended the United States Air Force Academy, where he was a National Merit Scholar. In today’s episode, we cover:Overview and origin story of Indigo AgDavid’s career as an entrepreneur, and how he has prioritized what projects to take on along the wayThe most striking problems to David about the food and agriculture systemDavid’s consistent approach to starting from zero as he kicks off a new ventureIndigo’s vision, strategy, and progress to-dateOverview of regenerative farmingValue prop to farmersOverview of Terraton Initiative and other key Indigo projectsHow they fit into the climate fight, and what their impact can be if successfulHow David thinks about climate change in general, and what else can be impactful in the climate fight beyond Indigo’s workHow David would allocate $100B to maximize its impact in the climate fightDavid’s advice for others looking to find their laneLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Indigo Ag website: https://www.indigoag.comFlagship Pioneering: https://www.flagshippioneering.com/Cargill: https://www.cargill.com/ADM: https://www.adm.com/Bunge: https://www.bunge.com/Indigo Carbon: https://www.indigoag.com/for-growers/indigo-carbonTerraton Initiative: https://terraton.indigoag.com/Regenerative farming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_agriculture45Q primer: https://www.betterenergy.org/blog/primer-section-45q-tax-credit-for-carbon-capture-projects/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown. Project Drawdown is a world-class research organization that reviews, analyzes, and identifies the most viable global climate solutions, and shares these findings with the world. Their book, Drawdown, has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and describes the hundred most substantive solutions to global warming. For each one, describes its history, its carbon impact, the relative cost and savings, path to adoption, and how it works.Dr. Foley is a world-renowned environmental scientist, sustainability expert, author, and public speaker. His work is focused on understanding our changing planet, and finding new solutions to sustain the climate, ecosystems, and natural resources we all depend on.Foley’s groundbreaking research and insights have led him to become a trusted advisor to governments, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and business leaders around the world. He and his colleagues have made major contributions to our understanding of global ecosystems, food security and the environment, climate change, and the sustainability of the world’s resources. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including many highly cited works in Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2014, Thomson Reuters named him a Highly Cited Researcher in ecology and environmental science, placing him among the top 1 percent most cited global scientists.A noted science communicator, his presentations have been featured at hundreds of international venues, including the Aspen Institute, the World Bank, the National Geographic Society, the Chautauqua Institution, the Commonwealth Club, the National Science March in Washington, D.C., and TED.com. He has taught at several major universities on topics ranging from climate change, global sustainability solutions, the future of the food system, and addressing the world’s “grand challenges”. He has also written many popular pieces in publications like National Geographic, the New York Times, the Guardian, and Scientific American. He is also frequently interviewed by international media outlets, and has appeared on National Public Radio, the PBS NewsHour, the BBC, CNN, and in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Salon, WIRED, the HBO documentary on climate change “Too Hot Not to Handle”, and the upcoming film series “Let Science Speak”.Foley has won numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, awarded by President Clinton; the J.S. McDonnell Foundation’s 21st Century Science Award; an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship; the Sustainability Science Award from the Ecological Society of America; and the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Award. In 2014, he was also named as the winner of the prestigious Heinz Award for the Environment.Before joining Project Drawdown, Foley led a number of world-leading environmental science and sustainability organizations. From 1993 to 2008, he was based at the University of Wisconsin, where he launched the Climate, People, and Environment Program (CPEP), founded the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), and served as the first Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies. From 2008 and 2014, he was the founding director of the Institute on the Environment(IonE) at the University of Minnesota, where he was also McKnight Presidential Chair of Global Environment and Sustainability. Then, between 2014 and 2018, he served as the Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences, the greenest and more forward-thinking science museum on the planet.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview and origin story of Project DrawdownDr. Foley’s background and experience leading up to his time at DrawdownSome of the challenges that come with being a scientist focused on this areaThe nature of the climate problem, and what the scientists have gotten very rightWhat kind of leadership will be needed to solve itWhat are the biggest levers to solve itWhere Drawdown 2.0 fits in, and how it can helpHow Dr. Foley would allocate a big pot of money, to maximize its impact on decarbonizationHis advice for others looking to find their lane to helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Project Drawdown: https://www.drawdown.org/California Academy of Sciences: https://www.calacademy.org/Merchants of Doubt: https://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/Naomi Oreskes: https://histsci.fas.harvard.edu/people/naomi-oreskesKatharine Hayhoe: http://katharinehayhoe.com/wp2016/Michael Mann: https://www.michaelmann.net/Montreal Protocol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_ProtocolCAFE Standards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economyTED talk by Katharine Wilkinson: https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_wilkinson_how_empowering_women_and_girls_can_help_stop_global_warming?language=enTE

Today’s guest is Barney Schauble, Chairman, Nephila Climate, the world's largest asset manager dedicated to weather and catastrophe insurance risks.Barney joined Nephila Capital in 2004 as a Managing Partner and moved to San Francisco in 2010 to set up Nephila Advisors. Barney is the Chair of the Board of Nephila Climate (NCx), and also a Director of Nephila Capital Ltd. and Nephila Holdings Ltd.Barney is the Head of Nephila Labs, where his primary responsibilities include oversight of research and insurtech; he is also involved in investor relations and business development. Barney began working in re/insurance in New York in 1993 as a broker for Marsh and Guy Carpenter. He joined Goldman, Sachs & Co. in their Risk Markets group in 1996, where he helped to execute the first catastrophe bond and spent six years working on development and distribution of catastrophe andweather-linked products. Barney joined XL Capital in 2003 and was head of marketing for the weather risk management business.Barney attended Harvard College and received his BA in Economics in 1995. He wrote his senior thesis to explore investing in bonds linked to property catastrophe reinsurance risk. He served as a Director of The Climate Corporation (2007-2012), MetroMile (2009-2011), and Advisen (2014-2016). He is Chair of the Board of Ceres (a non-profit devoted to sustainable capitalism) where he has been a Director since 2011. He is also an advisor and/or board member of several insurance-related technology companies.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Nephila, and of reinsurance, in generalHistory of the reinsurance marketFounding story of Nephila, and Barney’s experience leading up to thatThe nature of Nephila’s work and how it has evolved over timeHow Barney thinks about climate change, and his thinking has evolved over timeBarney’s views on climate risk, and short-term/long-term considerations looking into the futureBarney’s views on the best ways to solveBarney’s work at Ceres, and why it is importantIs the reinsurance market a leading or lagging indicator of climate risk?The role of policyHow Barney would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightBarney’s advice for how you and I can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Nephila Climate: https://www.nephilaclimate.com/Swiss Re: https://www.swissre.com/Munich Re: https://www.munichre.com/en.htmlSCOR: https://www.scor.com/enMarsh & McLennan: https://www.mmc.com/World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/Ceres: https://www.ceres.org/Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures: https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Marilyn Waite, Program Officer, Climate & Clean Energy Finance at William & Flora Hewlett Foundation.Marilyn manages the foundation’s grantmaking on climate and clean energy finance with the ambitious goal of addressing climate change by accelerating the transition to a climate-friendly economy. Her grantmaking mobilizes private capital investments in low-carbon and climate-friendly energy infrastructure and systems, seeking to redirect finance from high- to low-carbon activities and encourage wiser energy investments. A key component to this work includes assessing climate finance flows, identifying ways to lower the cost and risk of investment, and supporting innovations in capital markets to address investor requirements for clean energy and climate-aligned projects.Marilyn has worked across four continents in venture investment, startups, and low-carbon energy. She previously led the clean energy practice at Village Capital, where she sourced and performed due diligence for early-stage startups solving energy challenges and built a network of 1,000-plus clean tech entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and government stakeholders. As a senior research fellow at Project Drawdown, she modeled and forecasted energy solutions to climate change. Marilyn led several operational and research and development projects at AREVA in France, including performing technical and economic studies in the energy-water nexus and the nuclear energy cycle.Author of Sustainability at Work, Marilyn serves on the board of directors for the Biomimicry Institute and lectures on sustainable business at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. She is an E2 1 Hotels Fellow, and as such, her work and writing highlights opportunities in women-led, green economy startups throughout the country.She holds a bachelor’s of science degree in civil and environmental engineering, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and a master’s degree with distinction in engineering for sustainable development from the University of Cambridge.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of the Hewlett FoundationMarilyn’s professional history, leading her up to her current roleWhen she started caring about climate change, and whyHer current role, focus areas, how they determine how grants are allocated, and some example projectsHow they measure success, and how this work ties into broader climate fightWhat else can be high impact in climate fightHow Marilyn would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightMarilyn’s advice for you and I for how we can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: https://hewlett.org/New Energy Nexus: https://www.newenergynexus.com/Project Drawdown: https://www.drawdown.org/Village Capital: https://vilcap.com/PCAF: https://carbonaccountingfinancials.com/Multilateral development banks: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41170.pdfClean Energy Federal Credit Union: https://www.cleanenergycu.org/home/homeWinners Take All book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/539747/winners-take-all-by-anand-giridharadas/Just Giving book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-giving-rob-reich/1128553898Decolonizing Wealth book: https://www.amazon.com/Decolonizing-Wealth-Indigenous-Divides-Restore/dp/1523097892Global Alliance for Banking on Values: http://www.gabv.org/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Gene Berdichevsky, Co-Founder & CEO of Sila Nanotechnologies. Prior to co-founding Sila, Gene was the seventh employee at Tesla Motors where he served as Principal Engineer on the Roadster battery, leading the development of the world’s first, safe, mass-produced, automotive lithium-ion battery system.Gene holds two degrees from Stanford University; an MS in Engineering with a focus on energy and materials, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has co-authored 42 patents and 4 academic publications. Gene has been named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, the MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35, and was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Sila NanotechnologiesBattery industry overview, and the role of batteries in the climate fightWhere EVs are in their adoption curve, and how they will connect to the grid in the futureGene’s path to becoming a battery entrepreneur, including joining Tesla as employee #7Gene’s great story about how he got hired at Tesla!Origin story of Sila Nanotechnologies, including how it formed while he was an EIR at Sutter Hill VenturesThe importance of starting in high value markets in tough techGene’s views on the best ways for tough tech companies to get fundedThe importance of focusing on the process, not the resultSila’s progress to-date, and how the company has been capitalized along the wayThe potential impact it can have, if successfulWhat’s coming next, and what barriers and hurdles they face to adoptionThe most impactful things that could change in order to accelerate their pathWhat Gene would do with a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightHis advice for others looking to find their laneLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Sila Nanotechnologies: https://silanano.com/Tesla: https://www.tesla.com/J.B. Straubel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._B._StraubelPat Brown: https://impossiblefoods.com/company/ourteam/patbrown/Mike Speiser: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikespeiser/Sutter Hill Ventures: https://www.shv.com/Gleb Yushin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gleb-yushin-54780618/Cyclotron Road: https://www.cyclotronroad.org/Bessemer Venture Partners: https://www.bvp.com/California Air Resources Board: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/homepagYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Shayle Kann, Managing Director for Energy Impact Partners.EIP is an investment firm that invests in companies shaping the energy landscape of the future. It's backed by a broad coalition of some of the world's largest and most innovative utilities that collectively span the globe, access millions of households, and spend more than 20 billion annually on new technologies and procurement. Shayle leads research & strategy at Energy Impact Partners.Previously, Shayle spent over eight years building and running GTM Research, the market intelligence arm of Greentech Media, where he led a 30-person team tracking and forecasting the evolution of the electricity sector. Shayle oversaw this business through and beyond GTM’s successful 2016 acquisition by Verisk Analytics.Shayle is a renowned expert on the energy transition. He has spoken at conferences around the world, testified in front of U.S. Congress, and is regularly cited in outlets including the New York Times, Wall St. Journal, Washington Post, Economist, and Bloomberg. His writing has been featured in publications such as Foreign Affairs, Nature Energy and Public Utilities Fortnightly.Shayle is also Senior Advisor to Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. Prior to GTM, Shayle was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, researching renewable energy project finance in Australia. He also worked at Conservation Services Group (acquired by ClearResult) and the California Public Utilities Commission. He graduated cum laude, phi beta kappa from Pomona College.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Energy Impact PartnersAreas they invest inShayle’s role with the firmHow the utilities that are LPs engage, and what they are hoping to get out of their involvementShayle’s history, and what led him to EIPWhen and why he started caring about climate changeShayle’s throughs on the nature of the problem and the best ways to solveRole of policy vs innovationFuture of capitalismHow Shayle would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightShayle’s advice for how you and I can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Energy Impact Partners: https://www.energyimpactpartners.com/Greentech Media: https://www.greentechmedia.com/The Interchange: https://www.greentechmedia.com/podcast/the-interchangeXcel Energy: https://www.xcelenergy.com/California Public Utilities Commission: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Lazard’s levelized cost of energy: https://www.lazard.com/perspective/levelized-cost-of-energy-and-levelized-cost-of-storage-2018/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Jason Jacobs, host of this podcast!That's right. Enough people were asking me to do an episode where someone interviews me to summarize where I am on the journey, that I finally but the bullet and did it. And it wasn’t even planned! I was having coffee with an avid MCJ listener, Remy Evard, and he said “you should really do an episode where someone interviews you”, so, with about 5 minutes of prep, we grabbed the microphones and did an episode right on the spot!It is a brief discussion relative to the normal longform episodes, but it won’t be the last time you hear from me in this way (like it or not, haha!).Let me know your feedback, in terms of whether this kind of episode is helpful, and how I can make them more helpful going forward.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Professor Sam Fankhauser, Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and Director of the ESRC-funded Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, both at The London School of Economics and Political Science.He is also an Associate Director at economics consultancy Vivid Economics and a Non-Executive Director of CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution.Previously, Sam worked at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility. From 2008 to 2016 he was a member of the UK Committee on Climate Change.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Grantham Research InstituteNature of the research they do'When and why Sam came to care about the environment'How urgent Sam thinks the problem isHow settled is the science?'Some causes for optimismPublic perception in US vs EuropeCommittee on Climate Change (CCC)'Free markets vs regulation'Should we price carbon?The inequity of climate changeWhere Sam would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightSam’s advice for others looking to find their laneLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Grantham Institute: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/Committee on Climate Change: https://www.theccc.org.uk/Negative emissions technologies: https://qz.com/1416481/the-ultimate-guide-to-negative-emission-technologies/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest Dr. Julio Friedmann, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.Dr. Friedmann recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy where he was responsible for DOE’s R&D program in advanced fossil energy systems, carbon capture, and storage (CCS), CO2 utilization, and clean coal deployment. His expertise includes Large-Scale Carbon Management, CO2 removal, CO2 recycling, Oil and Gas systems, international engagements in clean fossil energy, and inter-agency engagements within the US government. He has also held positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, including Senior Advisor for Energy Innovation and Chief Energy Technologist. He is also the CEO of Carbon Wrangler, LLC, is a Distinguished Associate at the Energy Futures Initiative, and serves as a special advisor to the Global CCS Institute. He was recently named as a Senior Fellow to the Breakthrough Institute and the Climate Leadership Council.Dr. Friedmann is one of the most widely known and authoritative experts in the U.S. on carbon removal (CO2 drawdown from the air and oceans), CO2 conversion and use (carbon-to-value), and carbon capture and sequestration. His expertise includes technology, policy, and operations. In addition to close partnerships with many private companies and NGOs, Julio has worked with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Treasury.Dr. Friedmann received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of Southern California. He worked for five years as a senior research scientist at ExxonMobil, then as a research scientist at the University of Maryland. He serves as a formal and informal advisor to several clean energy and CarbonTech companies.In today’s episode, we cover:Julio’s current work at the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, leading an initiative called the Carbon Mitigation Research Initiative, CAMRI.Julio’s prior work, including at places like Lawrence Livermore National Lab, DOE, and ExxonMobil.When Julio started caring about climate change, how that came about, and how his thinking on the problem has evolved over the years.What culpability the fossil fuel industry has, and their role in the climate fight looking forwards.Julio’s current work in emissions-heavy industries.The role of government.The role of carbon capture, and best ways to accelerate.The importance of prioritization, based on big levers but also on what’s doable.The role of consumers.How Julio would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fightJulio’s advice for the most important things you and I can do to help.Links to topics discussed in this episode:Dr. Julio Friedmann bio: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/dr-julio-friedmannColumbia Center on Global Energy Policy: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/Mr. Peabody and Sherman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Peabody_%26_ShermanLee Raymond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_RaymondStratigraphy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StratigraphyLawrence Livermore National Lab: https://www.llnl.gov/DOE: https://www.energy.gov/Ernie Moniz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_MonizOffice of Fossil Energy: https://www.energy.gov/fe/office-fossil-energyJonathan Pershing: https://hewlett.org/people/jonathan-pershing/Melanie Kenderdine: https://www.energy.gov/policy/contributors/melanie-kenderdineHoward Gruenspecht: https://www.csis.org/people/howard-gruenspechtHu Jintao: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu_JintaoXi Jinping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_JinpingVaclav Smil: http://vaclavsmil.com/Pete Buttigieg: https://peteforamerica.com/meet-pete/Climeworks: https://www.climeworks.com/Geoengineering: http://www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/what-is-geoengineering/what-is-geoengineering/Chemtrails conspiracy theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theoryYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Ilan Gur, the CEO of Activate and the Founder of Cyclotron Road. Cyclotron Road is an entrepreneurial fellowship program that pairs PhD fellows working on promising scientific breakthroughs with grants that pay their salaries. Access to a bunch of expensive equipment and showers them with mentorship to try to bridge the gap between early academic research that shows great promise and actually turning the corner to become a company. Prior to founding Cyclotron Road, Ilan launched two science-based startups including Seeo, an advanced battery company that was acquired by Bosch in 2015. He was also a program director at ARPA-E. He holds a PhD in material science and engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview and origin story of Activate & Cyclotron RoadIlan’s time at ARPA-E and key learningsThe 3 components of Activate’s entrepreneurial fellowship programHow it works, application process, etcRelationships with corporate partners, government agencies, etcHow the organization is fundedKey learnings from initial cohortsExpansion plansWhat is missing that would help accelerate their effortsHow you and I can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Activate website: https://www.activate.org/ARPA-E: https://arpa-e.energy.gov/Berkeley Lab: https://www.lbl.gov/Opus 12: https://www.opus-12.com/DARPA: https://www.darpa.mil/Nicole Systrom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleschuetz/Sanjay Wagle: https://lightsmithgp.com/team/sanjay-wagle/David Danielson: http://www.b-t.energy/ventures/team/dave-danielson/Raymond Weitekamp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondweitekamp/Horst Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/horst-simon-6b3417/Cheryl Martin: https://arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=taxonomy/term/851/allMosaic Materials: https://mosaicmaterials.com/Bill McKibben: http://billmckibben.com/Al Gore: https://www.algore.com/You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Lara Pierpoint, Director of Technical Strategy at Exelon.Exelon is America's leading competitive energy provider with one of the cleanest and lowest cost power generation fleets. Its utility serves millions of electric and gas customers. Lara's team is tasked with enhancing Exelon's ability to capitalize on new technology and respond to disruptive innovations. Her expertise is in systems analysis, modeling and policy. And her knowledge is deep in nuclear, gas and electric interface and energy finance as well as widely across the electricity spectrum.Prior to Exelon, Lara has had a number of different roles. She was Senior Advisor for energy policy and Systems analysis at Department of Energy. She was a AAAS fellow at the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. And she also has her PhD in Engineering Systems from MIT, as well as a Masters in Nuclear Engineering and in Technology and Policy also at MIT, and an undergrad in physics from UCLA. Suffice to say Lara's got a really interesting perspective to talk about everything energy and everything climate change.In today’s episode, we cover:Overview of Exelon and Lara’s role within the companyOverview of the utilities market, and history of deregulationLara’s career history, and what motivates her to do the work she doesDeep dive into the technical strategy team, its history within the company, the work they do, and some example projectsBroader discussion about the optimal energy mix, and the roles of nuclear, renewables, etcSome of the headwinds, and the best ways to accelerate the energy transitionHow you and I can helpLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Exelon: https://www.exeloncorp.com/AAAS fellowship program: https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowshipsUS Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/Volta Energy Technologies: https://plusvolta.com/Constellation Technology Ventures: http://technologyventures.constellation.com/MIT energy club: https://www.mitenergyclub.org/Department of Energy (DOE): https://www.energy.gov/Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): https://www.epri.com/#/?lang=en-USHydrogen electrolyzer: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-electrolysisYou can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Enjoy the show! Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant