Conversations in Cleantech offers insight into the opportunities, challenges and rewards of working in the cleantech space from the investors, leaders, entrepreneurs, accelerators & technologists within it. We talk all things cleantech, sustainability, renewables, agritech, solar, wind, e-mobilty, hydrogen & energy storage. The time for cleantech is now – join the revolution and live your purpose. Conversations in Cleantech is bought to you by Brightsmith, the cleantech search specialists.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Welcome to Season Seven of Conversations in Cleantech!
From inspiring stories and words of wisdom, to financial foresight and investment insights: in this season, you can expect to learn all about the people and companies who are propelling us towards a greener tomorrow, with a spotlight on investing in a cleaner planet.
Join Nick McCullough for an enlightening conversation with Ken Scott, Managing Director at Tevva! Tevva are leading the charge with their electric trucks, aiming to make EVs the unarguable choice.
From projects with UPS to rare earth-free motors, Ken shares the remarkable journey and fascinating technology that is enabling the team at Tevva to sustainably scale up their truck tech.
In this episode, Ken highlights some of the challenges scaling cleantech companies like Tevva face, such as attracting talent, and balancing payload/range/cost. Ken also shares insights on securing investment - something which has become more difficult industry-wide, Ken tells his investment story, and also provides his advice for people and organisation who are currently seeking investment in cleantech.
Ken’s motivation to decarbonise transportation is truly inspiring, with his thoughts on the opportunities in the growing electric vehicle market and the benefits of Tevva establishing themselves as an early mover in the market sure to inspire and engage cleantech novices and experts alike!
01:16 - Introduction to Ken
02:30 - Can you share more about your role and Tevva and what you’re working on?
05:59 - What would you say have been the biggest achievements so far?
08:09 - What are some of the challenges you’ve had to deal with?
10:33 - How do you keep motivated in the face of challenges?
11:57 - What originally inspired your move into the decarbonisation side of the industry?
12:38 - What lessons could you share with those also shaping their journeys in the sector?
15:05 - What are your thoughts on the trends and observations you've made when it comes to investment in the sector?
18:30 - How do you see investment situation changing in the coming years?
20:53 - How has your personal experience been when it comes to seeking investment within Tevva?
23:48 - What advice can you give to the people and companies who are searching for investment at the moment?
25:07 - When it comes to the EV market in general, what's your take on the state of the market?
29:01 - What advice can you give to others for success in the rapidly evolving field of cleantech?
Connect with your host Nick McCullough on LinkedIn.
Find your guest Ken Scott on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
Welcome to Season Seven of Conversations in Cleantech!
From inspiring stories and words of wisdom, to financial foresight and investment insights: in this season, you can expect to learn all about the people and companies who are propelling us towards a greener tomorrow, with a spotlight on investing in a cleaner planet.
Join Hetty Lowther and Jenny Gladman for an inspiring and informative conversation with Edyta Rynkowska, a Chief Material Scientist at H-TEC! Edyta shares her remarkable journey, from her passion being ignited by her chemistry teacher in Poland to pursuing a double PhD and leading the charge in the evolving hydrogen industry.
In this episode, you can expect to uncover informative insights thanks to Edyta’s experiences; from the rewarding yet challenging transition from academia to industry, her start-up journey at H-TEC and the important work they’re doing within the hydrogen space, plus how education and mentorship can unlock a more diverse talent pool within the hydrogen industry.
Hetty, Jenny and Edyta also explore what it takes to thrive in the Hydrogen Sector, including the essential skills you need to succeed, the importance of combining technical expertise with soft skills and how fostering relationships and connections can help gain unique perspectives and unlock opportunities.
Finally, in line with our season seven theme, Edyta shares her thoughts on investing in the future of hydrogen, the investment trends she’s seen, and what she believes needs to happen within the sector.
Don't miss this insightful episode as Edyta sheds light on the exciting future of hydrogen and the crucial role we can all play in making it a reality!
01:33 - Introduction to Edyta
04:52 - Can you share your story of your teachers with us?
08:03 - Since you've come out of academia and into the world of industry, what role have role models and mentors played to you?
09:20 - What advice would you give others who are potentially just getting into Chemistry?
10:22 - How did you find the shift from academia to industry?
12:39 - What was it about hydrogen specifically, that appealed to you?
14:22 - How have you found the startup life?
15:52 - Can you share more about H-TEC and the work you’re doing?
16:53 - What are your thoughts on the German Market and their position in the global hydrogen landscape?
19:01 - What trends have you seen when it comes to investment in the space, and what do you think needs to happen moving forward?
20:34 - How do you think people keep the moment up in the hydrogen market?
23:47 - What skills and knowledge gaps do you think people entering the market should work on?
Connect with your hosts Hetty Lowther and Jenny Gladman on LinkedIn.
Find your guest Edyta Rynkowska on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Jan 30, 2024
Tuesday Jan 30, 2024
Welcome to Season Seven of Conversations in Cleantech!
From inspiring stories and words of wisdom, to financial foresight and investment insights: in this season, you can expect to learn all about the people and companies who are propelling us towards a greener tomorrow, with a spotlight on investing in a cleaner planet.
In this podcast episode hosted by Alexa Mangeant, Senior Consultant at Brightsmith, we are delighted to be kicking off season seven with Travis Caddy, Business Development Director at Evident.
At the time of recording, Travis had just returned from COP28, which shapes much of the dialogue and discussion in the episode - from Travis’ motivations for attending COP28, to the hopes (such as the Carbon Removal Challenge) and the limitations (such as not driving enough global emissions reductions) seen at COP28.
You can also expect to glean insights into the carbon removal market, including a conversation around who the bill for carbon removal sits with, why investment should be a bigger priority, who benefits the most business-wise as well as diving into some of the biggest industry challenges and opportunities.
Finally, Travis also shares his journey into cleantech, the extraordinary trajectory Evident has been on to go from a small team of 6 people to nearly 100 and the importance of pursuing emerging areas for growth and revenue opportunities.
Safe to say, this episode is a sensational start to season seven!
01:16 - Introduction to Travis
03:58 - Would you be able just to shed a little bit of light on why you attended COP28?
08:18 - Can you share your insights on the panel you moderated at COP about the role the UAE can play in scaling, durable forms of carbon removal?
12:11 - Can you share some more on who should be paying for carbon removals?
15:04 - What were some of the symbols of hope from COP?
17:18 - What were some of the limitations from COP?
19:21 - Do you think that certain countries have more of a responsibility to transition quicker than others?
21:36 - Will you be attending COP next year?
Connect with your host Alexa Mangeant on LinkedIn.
Find your guest Travis Caddy on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Dec 05, 2023
Tuesday Dec 05, 2023
Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering cleantech companies and the leaders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
In this podcast episode co-hosted by Brightsmith Founder and Director, Jenny Gladman, we are thrilled to be joined by Gérard Gatt, Founder and President of Sakowin Green Energy.
Sakowin is an eco-conscious deeptech company founded in 2017, who have developed a non-thermal plasma process to efficiently break down methane and produce decarbonised hydrogen.
Gérard’s diverse career journey makes him perfectly placed to talk about both the “clean” and “tech” sides of cleantech.
From co-founding Citrix to now leading Sakowin Green Energy; how his team are key to accelerating progress in a challenging area with unknown scientific frontiers; to his passion for contributing solutions to the energy transition; Gerard shares details and insights into how he is pioneering a different way of producing hydrogen.
01:26 - Introduction to Gerard
05:18 - What inspires you and makes you tick?
06:41 - What do you do to relax and enjoy yourself?
09:50 - What would you hope for the industry in the next seven or eight years?
15:22 - What types of people do you think that we need to be solving the energy transition and taking those leaps forward?
Connect with your host Jenny Gladman on LinkedIn.
Find your guest Gérard Gatt on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering cleantech companies and the leaders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
In this podcast episode co-hosted by Brightsmith Founder and Director, Jenny Gladman, we are thrilled to be joined by Emily Olinger, Chief People Officer, and Rob Hanson, CEO of Monolith Materials.
Monolith is working on clean commercial-scale green hydrogen production through a process called methane pyrolysis. While Emily and Rob work for the same business and share the same mission, they have vastly different roles within Monolith and face very different challenges on a day-to-day basis.
In this insightful conversation, we’ll explore several topics gaining insights from the perspectives of Emily and Rob - from Rob’s story that led him to found Monolith 10 years ago and Emily’s unconventional route into cleantech to the challenges of scaling production, building the right culture and ensuring long term viability of Monolith.
01:26 - Introduction to Emily and Rob
05:01 - Rob, what was the inspiration behind Monolith, and how did you get started?
09:45 - Emily, how has your journey at Monolith been so far?
11:57 - Emily, how do you go about finding mission-driven, purpose-driven individuals?
14:03 - Rob, how have you built such a great yet diverse executive team?
16:16 - Rob, how do you go about facing the challenges that come with scaling a startup quickly alongside the gigantic task of the operations of Monolith? And how do you keep yourself sane in the process?
19:00 - Rob, how has it been going from an early-stage startup to being extremely competitive in this space?
20:52 - Do you see the globe coming together to solve climate issues and trying to find the right solutions? If so, how do you see this working at Monolith?
26:12 - Emily, do you think your career will remain in this sector from now on?
27:11 - Are there any hot tips you've got for building a culture that aligns with what you're trying to achieve?
30:14 - What does the short and medium-term future for Monolith look like? How do you see the business needing to adapt to industry changes and demands?
Connect with your host Jenny Gladman on LinkedIn.
Find your guests, Emily Olinger and Rob Hanson on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
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Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering cleantech companies and the leaders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow. Parallel Carbon are a UK-based business that is on a mission to reverse climate change by building technology that removes carbon dioxide from the air while producing hydrogen to eliminate emissions. In this insightful conversation, Aranzazu discusses the journey she has been on, from PhD in Electrochemistry to co-founding and growing Parallel Carbon since 2021. In addition to her groundbreaking work, she is a passionate advocate for women's rights and fighting gender bias. In this episode, Aranzazu also shares how she’s approached the adventure of “founding a business while founding a family” shedding insights into how she balances both worlds. 01:09 - Introduction to Aranzazu 02:12 - Aranzazu’s background and career journey 04:01 - What inspired you to start Parallel Carbon, and where do you see the business going? 06:05 - How has it been founding a business while also founding your family? 11:46 - How has the relationship with your co-founder contributed to the business’ success? 14:39 - What would your advice be to other women who may be looking to move into the cleantech space in a leadership role, but then are also looking to start a family? 20:05 - Are there any specific strategies or practices that allow you to balance work and life? 22:59 - Can you share any highlights of the positive impact that you're seeing with Parallel Carbon?
Find your guest, Aranzazu Carmona Orbezo on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production. |
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering cleantech companies and the leaders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
In this podcast episode co-hosted by Jenny & Ben, we are delighted to be joined by Adam Knudsen, CEO of Dynapower.
Dynapower is a leading energy storage and power conversion manufacturer based out of Vermont, USA - their products energise and strengthen vital industries, all while helping to shape a shared vision of a clean energy future.
In this inspiring conversation, Adam discusses Dynapower's history and evolution over the past 60+ years, and how they have adapted to remain relevant in the changing cleantech market.
He explores the importance of people and culture within the cleantech sector, and his focus on integrity, customer collaboration, and positive leadership.
A must-listen for anyone within cleantech, especially those who are managing teams and looking to cultivate a positive culture!
0:49 - Introduction to Adam Knutson
2:00 - Career journey and business evolution at Dynapower
5:28 - Powering a cleaner planet through technology and innovation
9:47 - Energy storage solutions and the company's unique approach
16:39 - Customer-led innovation in cleantech industry
19:58 - Leadership, culture, and talent acquisition in a business
23:44 - Retaining and recruiting talent in the clean energy industry
30:12 - Maintaining positivity in an industry with ups and downs
33:18 - Balancing business values and environmental mission
36:21 - Cleantech trends and market relevance
Connect with your hosts Jenny Gladman and Ben Sparks on LinkedIn.
Find your guest, Adam Knudsen on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering cleantech companies and the leaders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
In this podcast episode, we’re thrilled to be joined by one of Brightsmith’s trusted partners, Connected Kerb.
Connected Kerb are on a mission to create an EV charging network for everyone, with true innovation and problem-solving at their forefront.
An environmentalist with a PhD in biology, in this episode Chris shares his story of being a leader within the cleantech space.
From the lessons learnt as a first time CEO to addressing the industry skeptics: in this episode, you can expect to discover all of the fascinating details behind Chris, Connected Kerb and start-up culture.
With insights such as how collaboration is crucial to progress, why local authorities hold the key to to wider electrification, maintaining a positive mindset when things get tough, plus team management and how a culture of accountability drives internal innovation: there is a cleantech pearl of wisdom for every person in this episode!
1:33 - Introduction to Chris Pateman-Jones
3:00 - How do you go about shaping a culture of accountability and shared decision making with your team?
5:45 - Who are Connected Curb, and where do they fit into the charging infrastructure space?
11:16 - How would you address some of the recent scepticism in the EV charging space?
14:33 - What else can the industry do to make the transition more appealing?
19:34 - What is your view on the capacity of the grid when thinking about the long game?
23:44 - I know you're a big believer that local authorities certainly hold the key to broader nationwide electrification; can you explain to our listeners why that is?
28:19 - As a first time CEO, what would you say is the biggest lesson you've learned so far?
33:26 - How do you go about maintaining positivity when things are tough?
35:07 - What would your advice to any person be in terms of how could they navigate a route into this industry?
Connect with your host Jenny Gladman on LinkedIn.
Find your guest, Chris Pateman-Jones on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering cleantech companies and the leaders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
In this podcast episode, we’re delighted to be joined by Maria Fennis, the CEO of HyET Hydrogen.
HyET Hydrogen is a leading SME in the field of electrochemical hydrogen compression, founded in 2008 and headquartered in the Netherlands.
Maria is somewhat of a cleantech veteran, having worked in renewable technology her whole career - from hands-on product development within solar right through to now, heading up a hydrogen company in a gripping growth phase.
In this episode, Maria shares her incredible journey from Chemistry graduate to CEO with inspiring lessons along the way.
From taking to the helm of HyET hydrogen for the last four years and how coaching helped her to build her own leadership character, to why team spirit drives HyET forward and words of wisdom which could be the catalyst to your own career in cleantech - this episode is certainly not one to be missed!
Timestamped Agenda:
00:49 - Introduction to Maria
04:16 - Can you share the vision for HyET Hydrogen?
07:34 - How has your journey from solar to hydrogen CEO been?
11:10 - The hydrogen industry is at a tipping point right now - sitting right at the heart of the industry, what does the next year or two look like for the hydrogen space?
14:13 - Who in the sector have you really admired and think is doing some amazing work?
16:40 - How have you found the learning curve of people?
18:53 - What lessons have you learned since you've been CEO and taken on that responsibility?
20:31 - How has having a coach benefitted you?
22:18 - How do you go about keeping a positive mindset and getting a bit of downtime?
22:23 - If someone's assessing their career and how they could be a part of tackling climate change, what would you say to them?
Connect with your host Jenny Gladman on LinkedIn.
Find your guest, Maria Fennis on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Welcome to Season Six of Conversations in Cleantech! From inspiring stories and words of wisdom to future foresight and the tech from the bleeding edge of cleantech, during this season you can expect to learn all about how pioneering start-ups and the founders at their helm are propelling us towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
In this podcast episode, we’re delighted to be joined by William Bergh, the founder of Swedish cleantech company Cling Systems.
William’s passion for climate change, love of technology and commitment to being part of the solution led him to found Cling Systems, a company that is on a mission to close the loop of electric vehicle batteries, ensuring they are reused, repurposed and recycled.
Including his background growing up in Sweden and studying in Hawaii - which sparked his passion for nature and the environment - this podcast covers William's intriguing and unique journey so far.
From playing Soccer and studying Environmental Science to meditation, motivation, how circularity works and why it’s so important - William and your host, Jen, also dive into the rewards and challenges of being a founder within the cleantech space.
Take a listen today to get your cleantech fix!
Timestamped Agenda:
00:49 - Introduction to William
04:16 - What was your reason for studying in Hawaii?
07:29 - What brought you back to Sweden?
08:14 - The Scandinavian education system is just incredible compared to almost every other country in the world, how do you feel that benefits the people there?
12:30 - Can you tell us the story of how Cling was born, from the motivation to the idea to the infancy of the business?
23:47 - Outside of people, what are the biggest challenges that you faced as a founder?
30:47 - Is there anything really important to you, to help keep that positive mindset and also to have a dual focus in life, so it's not all about work?
34:46 - Can you leave our listeners on a note about resilience and not giving up the fight for change, but also having some sense of acceptance on how we live with it?
Find out more about Cling Systems here: clingsystems.com
Connect with your host Jenny Gladman on LinkedIn.
Find your guest, William Bergh on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.