https://simplecast.com Age of Adoption The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com. 2023 Age of Adoption en Wed, 8 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Wed, 8 Apr 2026 08:00:11 +0000 http://antennagroup.com/ Age of Adoption https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/23617fae-7c8f-45ff-a19d-68e07812cbcf/196259b3-85e1-4f1d-861b-cd9dd7212f65/3000x3000/simplecast-aoa-profile-image-options.jpg?aid=rss_feed http://antennagroup.com/ episodic The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com. Keith Zakheim false https://feeds.simplecast.com/KJ_2_wBn cleantech, b2b, b2b marketing, b2b tech, mobility, emerging technology, sustainability, life sciences, healthcare, climate, marketing Antenna Group marketing@antennagroup.com 9c231994-486e-4619-b964-bdd5463bdac9 The Business Case for Adaptation Why are Fortune 500 companies still investing billions in climate resilience while staying publicly silent about it?

Emilie Mazzacurati, Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, didn't start in venture capital—she began in European public policy before pivoting to carbon markets and eventually climate adaptation. After selling her climate risk company 427 to Moody's in 2019, she recognized a critical gap: the innovation ecosystem wasn't supporting adaptation solutions. Her core thesis? "We don't have time to wait for a full cycle of this tiny company that's going to become very big in 10 years. We need the solutions in three years." Emilie argues that climate resilience has shifted from virtue signaling to business imperative. Corporations are still investing heavily in adaptation, just talking about it differently—focusing on economics, risk mitigation, and operational continuity rather than moral arguments. How is your business preparing for climate impacts that are already locked in?

Emilie Mazzacurati is Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, an investment and innovation platform accelerating climate adaptation and resilience solutions. Trained in political science and public policy, she began her career in European government before pivoting to climate after watching Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" in 2006. She founded 427, one of the first companies translating climate models into business risk signals for corporations managing millions of asset locations. After selling 427 to Moody's in 2019, she helped integrate climate data into global financial analytics before co-founding Tailwind Futures with Katie McDonald. Emilie focuses on fast-tracking adaptation innovation through corporate partnerships, bridging the gap between early-stage climate tech and enterprise adoption.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Emilie's career journey from European policy to climate risk

(10:06) Tailwind Futures and the adaptation investment landscape today

(16:32) How corporations discuss climate investments amid political headwinds

(19:51) Emerging resilience technologies and phase change material innovations

(22:02) Closing remarks 

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Emilie Mazzacurati LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emazzacurati/
Tailwind Futures: https://www.tailwindfutures.com/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Wed, 8 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Why are Fortune 500 companies still investing billions in climate resilience while staying publicly silent about it?

Emilie Mazzacurati, Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, didn't start in venture capital—she began in European public policy before pivoting to carbon markets and eventually climate adaptation. After selling her climate risk company 427 to Moody's in 2019, she recognized a critical gap: the innovation ecosystem wasn't supporting adaptation solutions. Her core thesis? "We don't have time to wait for a full cycle of this tiny company that's going to become very big in 10 years. We need the solutions in three years." Emilie argues that climate resilience has shifted from virtue signaling to business imperative. Corporations are still investing heavily in adaptation, just talking about it differently—focusing on economics, risk mitigation, and operational continuity rather than moral arguments. How is your business preparing for climate impacts that are already locked in?

Emilie Mazzacurati is Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, an investment and innovation platform accelerating climate adaptation and resilience solutions. Trained in political science and public policy, she began her career in European government before pivoting to climate after watching Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" in 2006. She founded 427, one of the first companies translating climate models into business risk signals for corporations managing millions of asset locations. After selling 427 to Moody's in 2019, she helped integrate climate data into global financial analytics before co-founding Tailwind Futures with Katie McDonald. Emilie focuses on fast-tracking adaptation innovation through corporate partnerships, bridging the gap between early-stage climate tech and enterprise adoption.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Emilie's career journey from European policy to climate risk

(10:06) Tailwind Futures and the adaptation investment landscape today

(16:32) How corporations discuss climate investments amid political headwinds

(19:51) Emerging resilience technologies and phase change material innovations

(22:02) Closing remarks 

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Emilie Mazzacurati LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emazzacurati/
Tailwind Futures: https://www.tailwindfutures.com/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> The Business Case for Adaptation Antenna Group 00:23:30 Why are Fortune 500 companies still investing billions in climate resilience while staying publicly silent about it? Emilie Mazzacurati, Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, didn't start in venture capital—she began in European public policy before pivoting to carbon markets and eventually climate adaptation. After selling her climate risk company 427 to Moody's in 2019, she recognized a critical gap: the innovation ecosystem wasn't supporting adaptation solutions. Her core thesis? "We don't have time to wait for a full cycle of this tiny company that's going to become very big in 10 years. We need the solutions in three years." Emilie argues that climate resilience has shifted from virtue signaling to business imperative. Corporations are still investing heavily in adaptation, just talking about it differently—focusing on economics, risk mitigation, and operational continuity rather than moral arguments. How is your business preparing for climate impacts that are already locked in? Why are Fortune 500 companies still investing billions in climate resilience while staying publicly silent about it? Emilie Mazzacurati, Founding Partner at Tailwind Futures, didn't start in venture capital—she began in European public policy before pivoting to carbon markets and eventually climate adaptation. After selling her climate risk company 427 to Moody's in 2019, she recognized a critical gap: the innovation ecosystem wasn't supporting adaptation solutions. Her core thesis? "We don't have time to wait for a full cycle of this tiny company that's going to become very big in 10 years. We need the solutions in three years." Emilie argues that climate resilience has shifted from virtue signaling to business imperative. Corporations are still investing heavily in adaptation, just talking about it differently—focusing on economics, risk mitigation, and operational continuity rather than moral arguments. How is your business preparing for climate impacts that are already locked in? physical climate risk, climate resilience solutions, emilie mazzacurati, tailwind futures, keith zakheim, business case for sustainability, climate change business strategy, climate adaptation investing, climate tech innovation, age of adoption podcast, 427 moody's acquisition, antenna group false full 95 79d39999-5001-4cd0-b52c-3c119279a47c Scaling the Circular Economy Did you know the U.S. has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials every year?

Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, challenges everything you thought you knew about recycling economics. With backing from Walmart, Unilever, Coke, and Pepsi, Ron reveals how America has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials annually. "The landfill industry deserves a PR award of the century," Ron argues, exposing how they convinced us recycling costs money when landfill disposal actually costs more per ton. Can circular economy become the rare bipartisan win in Washington? Ron explains why robotics, material science, and supply chain chaos are finally making his vision scalable.

Ron Gonen is the Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, a venture capital firm investing in circular economy solutions backed by Walmart, Unilever, Coke, Pepsi, and other Fortune 500 companies. His sustainability journey began in 1980s Philadelphia, babysitting for green architect Paul Macht, and continued when he co-founded Recycle Bank in 2003. Ron later served in the Michael Bloomberg administration, where he gained critical insights into municipal waste management. He launched Closed Loop Partners in 2014 to address the growing complexity, cost, and risk of global supply chains. Ron's work focuses on robotics, material science, and infrastructure that makes circular economy economically viable and politically bipartisan.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Ron Gonen's sustainability path begins in his babysitting days

(07:48) Post World War II consumer culture and the Madison Avenue shift

(10:10) Career journey from Recycle Bank through Bloomberg to Closed Loop

(15:43) Landfill industry's PR triumph and the real economics of recycling

(20:13) Age of adoption answer: supply chains, bipartisan support, and robotics

(25:46) Climate community must become more inclusive and less exclusive

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Ron Gonen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-gonen-807a49/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Did you know the U.S. has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials every year?

Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, challenges everything you thought you knew about recycling economics. With backing from Walmart, Unilever, Coke, and Pepsi, Ron reveals how America has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials annually. "The landfill industry deserves a PR award of the century," Ron argues, exposing how they convinced us recycling costs money when landfill disposal actually costs more per ton. Can circular economy become the rare bipartisan win in Washington? Ron explains why robotics, material science, and supply chain chaos are finally making his vision scalable.

Ron Gonen is the Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, a venture capital firm investing in circular economy solutions backed by Walmart, Unilever, Coke, Pepsi, and other Fortune 500 companies. His sustainability journey began in 1980s Philadelphia, babysitting for green architect Paul Macht, and continued when he co-founded Recycle Bank in 2003. Ron later served in the Michael Bloomberg administration, where he gained critical insights into municipal waste management. He launched Closed Loop Partners in 2014 to address the growing complexity, cost, and risk of global supply chains. Ron's work focuses on robotics, material science, and infrastructure that makes circular economy economically viable and politically bipartisan.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Ron Gonen's sustainability path begins in his babysitting days

(07:48) Post World War II consumer culture and the Madison Avenue shift

(10:10) Career journey from Recycle Bank through Bloomberg to Closed Loop

(15:43) Landfill industry's PR triumph and the real economics of recycling

(20:13) Age of adoption answer: supply chains, bipartisan support, and robotics

(25:46) Climate community must become more inclusive and less exclusive

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Ron Gonen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-gonen-807a49/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Scaling the Circular Economy Antenna Group 00:30:30 Did you know the U.S. has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials every year?Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, challenges everything you thought you knew about recycling economics. With backing from Walmart, Unilever, Coke, and Pepsi, Ron reveals how America has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials annually. "The landfill industry deserves a PR award of the century," Ron argues, exposing how they convinced us recycling costs money when landfill disposal actually costs more per ton. Can circular economy become the rare bipartisan win in Washington? Ron explains why robotics, material science, and supply chain chaos are finally making his vision scalable. Did you know the U.S. has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials every year?Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, challenges everything you thought you knew about recycling economics. With backing from Walmart, Unilever, Coke, and Pepsi, Ron reveals how America has only 27 years of median landfill capacity left while throwing away $6.5 billion in reusable materials annually. "The landfill industry deserves a PR award of the century," Ron argues, exposing how they convinced us recycling costs money when landfill disposal actually costs more per ton. Can circular economy become the rare bipartisan win in Washington? Ron explains why robotics, material science, and supply chain chaos are finally making his vision scalable. ron gonen, closed loop partners, material science innovation, sustainable supply chains, bipartisan climate policy, climate storytelling, keith zakheim, recycling economics, circular economy investing, venture capital sustainability, circular economy infrastructure, landfill capacity crisis, age of adoption podcast, apkudo, antenna group false full 94 b8ae8d71-8b3e-4b28-a1cb-63c775e34cb2 Better Coffee, Lower Carbon Can a coffee roaster that pays for itself in three months really transform a $200 billion industry?

Jonathan Bass, EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, brings decades of cleantech experience to the conversation about sustainable coffee. After nine years at SolarCity (through its Tesla acquisition), he learned a crucial lesson: lead with value, not virtue. At Bellwether, he's applying that philosophy to coffee roasting. The company's electric roasters reduce carbon emissions by 87% while cutting costs in half for cafes—the machines pay for themselves in three to six months. But what really drives Jonathan's passion is the farmer equity component. With 80% of coffee farmers living below the poverty line, Bellwether sources directly and pays living wages. "You can almost take greenwashing off the table by focusing on what's important to the customer," Jonathan explains. Can a better product that happens to be sustainable really change an entire industry?

Jonathan Bass is the EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, where he leads efforts to transform the coffee industry through electrification and farmer equity. With over two decades in cleantech communications, Jonathan spent nine years at SolarCity through its Tesla acquisition, learning that sustainable products must lead with value, not virtue. He previously worked at Google Wing on drone delivery, gaining unexpected insights into coffee logistics and quality. His career began in Silicon Valley tech communications after brief stints as a substitute teacher and banker. Throughout his journey, Jonathan has remained committed to building business models around sustainability that create superior products while driving meaningful environmental and social impact. At Bellwether, he champions electric coffee roasting technology that reduces carbon emissions by 87% while ensuring coffee farmers receive living wages.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Jonathan Bass - from SolarCity to Bellwether Coffee

(03:39) How drone-delivered lattes led Jonathan to coffee innovation

(14:53) The dirty truth about traditional coffee roasting processes

(18:43) Bellwether's age of adoption story and economic value proposition

(23:12) Avoiding greenwashing by focusing on customer value over virtue

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Jonathan Bass LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-bass-6b248b/
Bellwether Coffee BellwetherCoffee.com
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 3 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Can a coffee roaster that pays for itself in three months really transform a $200 billion industry?

Jonathan Bass, EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, brings decades of cleantech experience to the conversation about sustainable coffee. After nine years at SolarCity (through its Tesla acquisition), he learned a crucial lesson: lead with value, not virtue. At Bellwether, he's applying that philosophy to coffee roasting. The company's electric roasters reduce carbon emissions by 87% while cutting costs in half for cafes—the machines pay for themselves in three to six months. But what really drives Jonathan's passion is the farmer equity component. With 80% of coffee farmers living below the poverty line, Bellwether sources directly and pays living wages. "You can almost take greenwashing off the table by focusing on what's important to the customer," Jonathan explains. Can a better product that happens to be sustainable really change an entire industry?

Jonathan Bass is the EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, where he leads efforts to transform the coffee industry through electrification and farmer equity. With over two decades in cleantech communications, Jonathan spent nine years at SolarCity through its Tesla acquisition, learning that sustainable products must lead with value, not virtue. He previously worked at Google Wing on drone delivery, gaining unexpected insights into coffee logistics and quality. His career began in Silicon Valley tech communications after brief stints as a substitute teacher and banker. Throughout his journey, Jonathan has remained committed to building business models around sustainability that create superior products while driving meaningful environmental and social impact. At Bellwether, he champions electric coffee roasting technology that reduces carbon emissions by 87% while ensuring coffee farmers receive living wages.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Jonathan Bass - from SolarCity to Bellwether Coffee

(03:39) How drone-delivered lattes led Jonathan to coffee innovation

(14:53) The dirty truth about traditional coffee roasting processes

(18:43) Bellwether's age of adoption story and economic value proposition

(23:12) Avoiding greenwashing by focusing on customer value over virtue

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Jonathan Bass LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-bass-6b248b/
Bellwether Coffee BellwetherCoffee.com
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Better Coffee, Lower Carbon Antenna Group 00:26:23 Can a coffee roaster that pays for itself in three months really transform a $200 billion industry? Jonathan Bass, EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, brings decades of cleantech experience to the conversation about sustainable coffee. After nine years at SolarCity (through its Tesla acquisition), he learned a crucial lesson: lead with value, not virtue. At Bellwether, he's applying that philosophy to coffee roasting. The company's electric roasters reduce carbon emissions by 87% while cutting costs in half for cafes—the machines pay for themselves in three to six months. But what really drives Jonathan's passion is the farmer equity component. With 80% of coffee farmers living below the poverty line, Bellwether sources directly and pays living wages. "You can almost take greenwashing off the table by focusing on what's important to the customer," Jonathan explains. Can a better product that happens to be sustainable really change an entire industry? Can a coffee roaster that pays for itself in three months really transform a $200 billion industry? Jonathan Bass, EVP of Marketing & Communications at Bellwether Coffee, brings decades of cleantech experience to the conversation about sustainable coffee. After nine years at SolarCity (through its Tesla acquisition), he learned a crucial lesson: lead with value, not virtue. At Bellwether, he's applying that philosophy to coffee roasting. The company's electric roasters reduce carbon emissions by 87% while cutting costs in half for cafes—the machines pay for themselves in three to six months. But what really drives Jonathan's passion is the farmer equity component. With 80% of coffee farmers living below the poverty line, Bellwether sources directly and pays living wages. "You can almost take greenwashing off the table by focusing on what's important to the customer," Jonathan explains. Can a better product that happens to be sustainable really change an entire industry? sustainable coffee roasting, carbon footprint reduction, electric coffee roaster, bellwether coffee, keith zakheim, living income pricing, jonathan bass, coffee farmer equity, clean energy business model, climate adoption, age of adoption podcast, antenna group false full 93 37adcc2d-ee62-4e2f-bb08-f84db716416e Where Finance Drives Climate Impact Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines?

Marissa Brydle, Sustainability Director at KeyBank, did not study sustainability in school. After 13 years at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn and a stint at steel producer Cleveland Cliffs, she landed at one of America's oldest banks. KeyBank remains the #2 renewables financier and #2 affordable housing financier in the U.S., deploying $20 billion toward their $38 billion sustainable finance goal. "It doesn't make good business sense to not do these things," Marissa explains. How does a 200-year-old institution navigate political headwinds while maintaining unwavering climate commitments? And what's next for engaging 17,000 employees across 15 states?

Marissa Brydle is Sustainability Director at KeyBank, where she leads climate strategy, disclosure, and sustainable finance initiatives for the 200-year-old institution. She began her career at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn, spending 13 years building expertise across industries before moving to Cleveland Cliffs, a major North American steel producer. There, she discovered steel's critical role in the low-carbon transition. At KeyBank, Marissa oversees the bank's $38 billion sustainable finance commitment, carbon neutrality goals, and climate risk management. She's passionate about engaging KeyBank's 17,000 employees across 15 states to integrate sustainability into daily operations and decision-making.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Marissa's unconventional path from communications to sustainability consulting

(07:30) Transitioning from Cleveland Cliffs steel to KeyBank sustainability role 

(13:40) KeyBank's 200-year history and resilience through market shifts 

(15:41) Sustainable finance commitments despite political headwinds and climate disclosure 

(23:28) Employee engagement and walking the talk on sustainability

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Marissa Brydle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-b-32560a16/
KeyBank: https://www.key.com/personal/index.html
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines?

Marissa Brydle, Sustainability Director at KeyBank, did not study sustainability in school. After 13 years at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn and a stint at steel producer Cleveland Cliffs, she landed at one of America's oldest banks. KeyBank remains the #2 renewables financier and #2 affordable housing financier in the U.S., deploying $20 billion toward their $38 billion sustainable finance goal. "It doesn't make good business sense to not do these things," Marissa explains. How does a 200-year-old institution navigate political headwinds while maintaining unwavering climate commitments? And what's next for engaging 17,000 employees across 15 states?

Marissa Brydle is Sustainability Director at KeyBank, where she leads climate strategy, disclosure, and sustainable finance initiatives for the 200-year-old institution. She began her career at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn, spending 13 years building expertise across industries before moving to Cleveland Cliffs, a major North American steel producer. There, she discovered steel's critical role in the low-carbon transition. At KeyBank, Marissa oversees the bank's $38 billion sustainable finance commitment, carbon neutrality goals, and climate risk management. She's passionate about engaging KeyBank's 17,000 employees across 15 states to integrate sustainability into daily operations and decision-making.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Marissa's unconventional path from communications to sustainability consulting

(07:30) Transitioning from Cleveland Cliffs steel to KeyBank sustainability role 

(13:40) KeyBank's 200-year history and resilience through market shifts 

(15:41) Sustainable finance commitments despite political headwinds and climate disclosure 

(23:28) Employee engagement and walking the talk on sustainability

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Marissa Brydle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-b-32560a16/
KeyBank: https://www.key.com/personal/index.html
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Where Finance Drives Climate Impact Antenna Group 00:25:57 Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Marissa Brydle, Sustainability Director at KeyBank, did not study sustainability in school. After 13 years at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn and a stint at steel producer Cleveland Cliffs, she landed at one of America's oldest banks. KeyBank remains the #2 renewables financier and #2 affordable housing financier in the U.S., deploying $20 billion toward their $38 billion sustainable finance goal. "It doesn't make good business sense to not do these things," Marissa explains. How does a 200-year-old institution navigate political headwinds while maintaining unwavering climate commitments? And what's next for engaging 17,000 employees across 15 states? Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Marissa Brydle, Sustainability Director at KeyBank, did not study sustainability in school. After 13 years at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn and a stint at steel producer Cleveland Cliffs, she landed at one of America's oldest banks. KeyBank remains the #2 renewables financier and #2 affordable housing financier in the U.S., deploying $20 billion toward their $38 billion sustainable finance goal. "It doesn't make good business sense to not do these things," Marissa explains. How does a 200-year-old institution navigate political headwinds while maintaining unwavering climate commitments? And what's next for engaging 17,000 employees across 15 states? sustainable finance, marissa brydle, energy transition, corporate sustainability, carbon neutral banking, keith zakheim, renewable energy financing, cleveland cliffs, keybank sustainability, electric vehicle fleet financing, affordable housing financing, bank sustainability commitments, climate risk management, age of adoption podcast, antenna group false full 92 e5005bb7-6427-4bd2-b6b9-7e2753e020c9 Resilient Energy, Anywhere Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines?

Rob Creighton, Founder and CEO of Windlift, brings an unconventional background to clean energy innovation. After mapping the human genome as a lab technician, his concerns about peak oil led him to Miles Lloyd's revolutionary 1980 paper on airborne wind energy. "Cut off the tip of a wind turbine blade, attach it to a tether and generate the same electricity with 95% less material," Rob explains. Windlift's tethered drones fly at 400 feet, generating power without towers or massive infrastructure. Can this technology scale beyond defense applications? Rob shares why he's willing to risk everything for climate solutions that protect the Minnesota wilderness where his nephew can no longer play pond hockey.

Rob Creighton is the Founder and CEO of Windlift, which he established in 2006 after discovering Miles Lloyd's pioneering research on airborne wind energy. With a BS in Genetics and an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rob worked as a biologist on the Human Genome Project before pivoting to clean energy innovation. Based in Durham, North Carolina, he has secured over $30 million in contracts with the Naval Research Laboratory and Pentagon, developing tethered autonomous drones that generate electricity with 95% less material than traditional turbines, serving both military and commercial applications.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Rob Creighton - from mapping human genome to airborne wind

(02:45) Windlift's technology explained, tethered drones generating power at altitude

(05:28) Peak oil concerns and discovery of Miles Lloyd's groundbreaking paper

(10:07) Challenges of airborne wind energy, learning from Makani's failure

(15:06) Defense market strategy and working with Pentagon operational energy

(19:39) Personal commitment to climate action and wilderness preservation

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Rob Creighton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-creighton-3572702/
Windlift
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines?

Rob Creighton, Founder and CEO of Windlift, brings an unconventional background to clean energy innovation. After mapping the human genome as a lab technician, his concerns about peak oil led him to Miles Lloyd's revolutionary 1980 paper on airborne wind energy. "Cut off the tip of a wind turbine blade, attach it to a tether and generate the same electricity with 95% less material," Rob explains. Windlift's tethered drones fly at 400 feet, generating power without towers or massive infrastructure. Can this technology scale beyond defense applications? Rob shares why he's willing to risk everything for climate solutions that protect the Minnesota wilderness where his nephew can no longer play pond hockey.

Rob Creighton is the Founder and CEO of Windlift, which he established in 2006 after discovering Miles Lloyd's pioneering research on airborne wind energy. With a BS in Genetics and an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rob worked as a biologist on the Human Genome Project before pivoting to clean energy innovation. Based in Durham, North Carolina, he has secured over $30 million in contracts with the Naval Research Laboratory and Pentagon, developing tethered autonomous drones that generate electricity with 95% less material than traditional turbines, serving both military and commercial applications.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Rob Creighton - from mapping human genome to airborne wind

(02:45) Windlift's technology explained, tethered drones generating power at altitude

(05:28) Peak oil concerns and discovery of Miles Lloyd's groundbreaking paper

(10:07) Challenges of airborne wind energy, learning from Makani's failure

(15:06) Defense market strategy and working with Pentagon operational energy

(19:39) Personal commitment to climate action and wilderness preservation

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Rob Creighton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-creighton-3572702/
Windlift
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Resilient Energy, Anywhere Antenna Group 00:23:02 Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Rob Creighton, Founder and CEO of Windlift, brings an unconventional background to clean energy innovation. After mapping the human genome as a lab technician, his concerns about peak oil led him to Miles Lloyd's revolutionary 1980 paper on airborne wind energy. "Cut off the tip of a wind turbine blade, attach it to a tether and generate the same electricity with 95% less material," Rob explains. Windlift's tethered drones fly at 400 feet, generating power without towers or massive infrastructure. Can this technology scale beyond defense applications? Rob shares why he's willing to risk everything for climate solutions that protect the Minnesota wilderness where his nephew can no longer play pond hockey. Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Rob Creighton, Founder and CEO of Windlift, brings an unconventional background to clean energy innovation. After mapping the human genome as a lab technician, his concerns about peak oil led him to Miles Lloyd's revolutionary 1980 paper on airborne wind energy. "Cut off the tip of a wind turbine blade, attach it to a tether and generate the same electricity with 95% less material," Rob explains. Windlift's tethered drones fly at 400 feet, generating power without towers or massive infrastructure. Can this technology scale beyond defense applications? Rob shares why he's willing to risk everything for climate solutions that protect the Minnesota wilderness where his nephew can no longer play pond hockey. climate change solutions, miles lloyd airborne wind, keith zakheim, rob creighton, defense applications clean energy, airborne wind energy, windlift, tethered drone power generation, sustainable energy innovation, renewable energy technology, age of adoption podcast, antenna group false full 91 b451e64a-67e7-42b5-afb6-e3ecbfa56334 Nuclear’s Second Act Is restarting Three Mile Island the ultimate redemption story—or the industry's biggest PR gamble?

Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, runs communications for the nation's largest clean energy producer. Operating 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of U.S. nuclear capacity, Constellation has transformed nuclear's narrative from defensive to proactive. "I want to save nuclear power plants. I think it's important for our climate," Judy told a skeptical colleague before joining the 2022 spinoff. She explains why restarting Three Mile Island was the right call, how eating a banana delivers more radiation than living near a reactor, and what it takes to build new nuclear at scale. Can America compete with China's nuclear buildout?

Judy Rader is Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, the nation's largest producer of clean, carbon-free electricity. With operational oversight of 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of all U.S. nuclear capacity, Judy leads corporate communications and public affairs strategy. Her 20-year energy career began at ComEd in 2005 after agency experience with blue-chip clients including Kraft, Boeing, and Allstate. A passionate advocate for nuclear energy's climate benefits, Judy joined Constellation's 2022 spinoff from Exelon to advance the industry's clean energy mission. She spearheaded the Come Clean campaign, helping drive public nuclear support to 60%.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Judy Rader and Constellation Energy's nuclear leadership 

(04:08) From agency life to utilities, expecting boring work 

(08:18) Nuclear's perception problem and the Come Clean campaign 

(14:30) Three Mile Island restart announcement and strategic messaging 

(20:43) Radiation facts, banana comparisons, and public education 

(23:00) Building new nuclear capacity to meet demand growth

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Judy Rader LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyrader/
Constellation Energy: https://www.constellationenergy.com/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Is restarting Three Mile Island the ultimate redemption story—or the industry's biggest PR gamble?

Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, runs communications for the nation's largest clean energy producer. Operating 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of U.S. nuclear capacity, Constellation has transformed nuclear's narrative from defensive to proactive. "I want to save nuclear power plants. I think it's important for our climate," Judy told a skeptical colleague before joining the 2022 spinoff. She explains why restarting Three Mile Island was the right call, how eating a banana delivers more radiation than living near a reactor, and what it takes to build new nuclear at scale. Can America compete with China's nuclear buildout?

Judy Rader is Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, the nation's largest producer of clean, carbon-free electricity. With operational oversight of 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of all U.S. nuclear capacity, Judy leads corporate communications and public affairs strategy. Her 20-year energy career began at ComEd in 2005 after agency experience with blue-chip clients including Kraft, Boeing, and Allstate. A passionate advocate for nuclear energy's climate benefits, Judy joined Constellation's 2022 spinoff from Exelon to advance the industry's clean energy mission. She spearheaded the Come Clean campaign, helping drive public nuclear support to 60%.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Judy Rader and Constellation Energy's nuclear leadership 

(04:08) From agency life to utilities, expecting boring work 

(08:18) Nuclear's perception problem and the Come Clean campaign 

(14:30) Three Mile Island restart announcement and strategic messaging 

(20:43) Radiation facts, banana comparisons, and public education 

(23:00) Building new nuclear capacity to meet demand growth

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Judy Rader LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyrader/
Constellation Energy: https://www.constellationenergy.com/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Nuclear’s Second Act Antenna Group 00:28:01 Is restarting Three Mile Island the ultimate redemption story—or the industry's biggest PR gamble? Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, runs communications for the nation's largest clean energy producer. Operating 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of U.S. nuclear capacity, Constellation has transformed nuclear's narrative from defensive to proactive. "I want to save nuclear power plants. I think it's important for our climate," Judy told a skeptical colleague before joining the 2022 spinoff. She explains why restarting Three Mile Island was the right call, how eating a banana delivers more radiation than living near a reactor, and what it takes to build new nuclear at scale. Can America compete with China's nuclear buildout? Is restarting Three Mile Island the ultimate redemption story—or the industry's biggest PR gamble? Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, runs communications for the nation's largest clean energy producer. Operating 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of U.S. nuclear capacity, Constellation has transformed nuclear's narrative from defensive to proactive. "I want to save nuclear power plants. I think it's important for our climate," Judy told a skeptical colleague before joining the 2022 spinoff. She explains why restarting Three Mile Island was the right call, how eating a banana delivers more radiation than living near a reactor, and what it takes to build new nuclear at scale. Can America compete with China's nuclear buildout? keith zakheim antenna group, judy rader constellation energy, nuclear public perception, microsoft data center nuclear power, small modular reactors smr, come clean campaign nuclear, three mile island restart, clean energy baseload power, age of adoption podcast, nuclear energy renaissance, apkudo podcast sponsor false full 90 75fd7178-f335-498b-b7e3-c3d3a28f0772 Personal Care, Global Responsibility Can major corporations truly do well by doing good?  

Alexander Habib, VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, reveals how the €43.5 billion beauty giant has embedded environmental considerations into every aspect of operations over 25 years. Chair of the Personal Care Products Council's sustainability committee, Habib explains why L'Oréal discontinued their seemingly perfect Maybelline Green Edition mascara and what it taught them about consumer behavior. "Consumers like sustainability, but not necessarily as a benefit," he notes, describing how the company shifted from separate sustainable product lines to integrating eco-features throughout their core portfolio. The conversation explores L'Oréal's SPOT tool—now a design standard for every new product—and how the company achieved record 20% operating margins while pursuing ambitious 2030 sustainability goals.  

 Alexander Habib serves as VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, where he leads storytelling for the beauty giant's ambitious environmental transformation. With a career rooted in impact-driven work, Habib transitioned from New Jersey politics and campaigns to corporate communications, bringing policy expertise to sustainability advocacy. As chair of the Personal Care Products Council's sustainability committee, he helps scale sustainable practices across the beauty industry, from major corporations to small players. His work focuses on embedding environmental considerations into every aspect of business operations, from product design to market strategy, demonstrating how financial and environmental performance can be inextricably linked for long-term business resilience.  

 In This Episode:  

(00:00) Alex's career journey from politics to sustainability communications  

(08:18) Leading sustainability committee at Personal Care Products Council  

(12:02) L'Oréal's 25-year sustainability commitment and age of adoption story  

(17:23) Financial performance aligned with environmental impact and business resilience  

(22:00) Closing remarks and Antenna Group information  

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!  

About the show:  

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age.  

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.  

Resources:  

Alexander Habib LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhabib/  

Antenna Group  

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn  

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Can major corporations truly do well by doing good?  

Alexander Habib, VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, reveals how the €43.5 billion beauty giant has embedded environmental considerations into every aspect of operations over 25 years. Chair of the Personal Care Products Council's sustainability committee, Habib explains why L'Oréal discontinued their seemingly perfect Maybelline Green Edition mascara and what it taught them about consumer behavior. "Consumers like sustainability, but not necessarily as a benefit," he notes, describing how the company shifted from separate sustainable product lines to integrating eco-features throughout their core portfolio. The conversation explores L'Oréal's SPOT tool—now a design standard for every new product—and how the company achieved record 20% operating margins while pursuing ambitious 2030 sustainability goals.  

 Alexander Habib serves as VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, where he leads storytelling for the beauty giant's ambitious environmental transformation. With a career rooted in impact-driven work, Habib transitioned from New Jersey politics and campaigns to corporate communications, bringing policy expertise to sustainability advocacy. As chair of the Personal Care Products Council's sustainability committee, he helps scale sustainable practices across the beauty industry, from major corporations to small players. His work focuses on embedding environmental considerations into every aspect of business operations, from product design to market strategy, demonstrating how financial and environmental performance can be inextricably linked for long-term business resilience.  

 In This Episode:  

(00:00) Alex's career journey from politics to sustainability communications  

(08:18) Leading sustainability committee at Personal Care Products Council  

(12:02) L'Oréal's 25-year sustainability commitment and age of adoption story  

(17:23) Financial performance aligned with environmental impact and business resilience  

(22:00) Closing remarks and Antenna Group information  

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!  

About the show:  

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age.  

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.  

Resources:  

Alexander Habib LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhabib/  

Antenna Group  

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn  

]]> Personal Care, Global Responsibility Antenna Group 00:23:28 Alexander Habib, VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, reveals how the €43.5 billion beauty giant has embedded environmental considerations into every aspect of operations over 25 years. Alexander Habib, VP of Sustainability Communications at L'Oréal, reveals how the €43.5 billion beauty giant has embedded environmental considerations into every aspect of operations over 25 years. l'oréal sustainability, beauty industry sustainability standards., keith zakheim, personal care products council, alexander habib, environmental product optimization, corporate sustainability transformation, age of adoption podcast, antenna group, sustainable beauty industry false full 89 9feecd18-b88c-43d4-acbb-d9d6c4eaa182 Powering Solar's Next Chapter John Beaver, CFO of Highland Materials, brings a unique perspective to solar manufacturing after living through two distinct cleantech eras. Following 25 years in the chemical industry, Beaver first entered solar in 2009 as CFO of Silicor Materials, scaling from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving metallurgical-grade silicon could produce high-quality solar cells. "We ended up making 20 million solar cells. Really proved out the concept that we could use a metallurgical grade silicon versus electronic grade silicon to make high-quality solar cells," Beaver explains. After weathering policy headwinds and Chinese oversupply that shuttered their plans, Beaver spent years in dental lasers before returning to solar silicon at Highland Materials. Now he believes the tipping point has arrived. The big question: Can domestic manufacturing finally compete with China's 95% market control?

John Beaver serves as Chief Financial Officer of Highland Materials, and has over 40 years of finance expertise across a variety of industries. After starting his career at Fortune 50 company Monsanto, Beaver spent decades in the chemical industry before making his first foray into cleantech as the inaugural CFO of Silicor Materials in 2009. There, he helped scale the company from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving that metallurgical-grade silicon could produce solar cells indistinguishable from traditional electronic-grade silicon. Following a detour as CEO of dental laser company Biolase, Beaver returned to solar silicon manufacturing with Highland Materials, where he's working to establish domestic polysilicon production in Tennessee using zero-waste technology that cuts emissions by 90% while recycling industry waste into valuable raw materials.

In This Episode:

(00:00) John Beaver’s cleantech journey

(04:25) Chemical industry background and transition to Silicor Materials

(08:04) China tariff wars and Silicor challenges

(11:00) Highland Materials return and current market opportunity

(17:08) Zero-waste manufacturing and product diversification

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-beaver-a086561b/

Highland Materials website: https://highlandmaterials.com/

Antenna Group

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (John Beaver, Highland Materials, Antenna Group, Age of Adoption podcast, silicon manufacturing, solar industry, polysilicon, cleantech CFO, sustainable manufacturing, onshore production, solar supply chain, metallurgical grade silicon, zero waste manufacturing, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ John Beaver, CFO of Highland Materials, brings a unique perspective to solar manufacturing after living through two distinct cleantech eras. Following 25 years in the chemical industry, Beaver first entered solar in 2009 as CFO of Silicor Materials, scaling from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving metallurgical-grade silicon could produce high-quality solar cells. "We ended up making 20 million solar cells. Really proved out the concept that we could use a metallurgical grade silicon versus electronic grade silicon to make high-quality solar cells," Beaver explains. After weathering policy headwinds and Chinese oversupply that shuttered their plans, Beaver spent years in dental lasers before returning to solar silicon at Highland Materials. Now he believes the tipping point has arrived. The big question: Can domestic manufacturing finally compete with China's 95% market control?

John Beaver serves as Chief Financial Officer of Highland Materials, and has over 40 years of finance expertise across a variety of industries. After starting his career at Fortune 50 company Monsanto, Beaver spent decades in the chemical industry before making his first foray into cleantech as the inaugural CFO of Silicor Materials in 2009. There, he helped scale the company from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving that metallurgical-grade silicon could produce solar cells indistinguishable from traditional electronic-grade silicon. Following a detour as CEO of dental laser company Biolase, Beaver returned to solar silicon manufacturing with Highland Materials, where he's working to establish domestic polysilicon production in Tennessee using zero-waste technology that cuts emissions by 90% while recycling industry waste into valuable raw materials.

In This Episode:

(00:00) John Beaver’s cleantech journey

(04:25) Chemical industry background and transition to Silicor Materials

(08:04) China tariff wars and Silicor challenges

(11:00) Highland Materials return and current market opportunity

(17:08) Zero-waste manufacturing and product diversification

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-beaver-a086561b/

Highland Materials website: https://highlandmaterials.com/

Antenna Group

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Powering Solar's Next Chapter John Beaver, Highland Materials, Antenna Group, Age of Adoption podcast, silicon manufacturing, solar industry, polysilicon, cleantech CFO, sustainable manufacturing, onshore production, solar supply chain, metallurgical grade silicon, zero waste manufacturing, Keith Zakheim 00:20:57 John Beaver, CFO of Highland Materials, brings a unique perspective to solar manufacturing after living through two distinct cleantech eras. Following 25 years in the chemical industry, Beaver first entered solar in 2009 as CFO of Silicor Materials, scaling from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving metallurgical-grade silicon could produce high-quality solar cells. "We ended up making 20 million solar cells. Really proved out the concept that we could use a metallurgical grade silicon versus electronic grade silicon to make high-quality solar cells," Beaver explains. After weathering policy headwinds and Chinese oversupply that shuttered their plans, Beaver spent years in dental lasers before returning to solar silicon at Highland Materials. Now he believes the tipping point has arrived. The big question: Can domestic manufacturing finally compete with China's 95% market control? John Beaver, CFO of Highland Materials, brings a unique perspective to solar manufacturing after living through two distinct cleantech eras. Following 25 years in the chemical industry, Beaver first entered solar in 2009 as CFO of Silicor Materials, scaling from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving metallurgical-grade silicon could produce high-quality solar cells. "We ended up making 20 million solar cells. Really proved out the concept that we could use a metallurgical grade silicon versus electronic grade silicon to make high-quality solar cells," Beaver explains. After weathering policy headwinds and Chinese oversupply that shuttered their plans, Beaver spent years in dental lasers before returning to solar silicon at Highland Materials. Now he believes the tipping point has arrived. The big question: Can domestic manufacturing finally compete with China's 95% market control? false full 88 4b31ccd3-a019-4e08-b2d5-a3023e6d3a80 Building Sustainable, Equitable Communities "If you work a full-time minimum wage job in America, there is not a single county in which you can afford to rent an apartment (2 bedroom) with a child." - Jonathan F.P. Rose

Jonathan F.P. Rose has been revolutionizing affordable housing and sustainable development for over 35 years, long before ESG became mainstream. Rose discusses the stark reality of America's housing crisis, revealing that full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. county. "Our current economic system cannot build new housing affordable to the bottom quartile of renters," he explains. The conversation explores innovative building materials like mycelium insulation and mass timber, showcasing how the green building ecosystem has finally matured. Can sustainable real estate development scale quickly enough to address both climate change and housing inequality?

Jonathan F.P. Rose is founder and CEO of Jonathan Rose Companies, a leading developer and investor in sustainable, affordable housing. With over 35 years of experience, Rose pioneered the integration of environmental sustainability, social equity, and market-rate development long before ESG investing became mainstream. He launched the world's first real estate impact investment fund in 2005, and recently closed another $660 million fund. Rose's company has developed award-winning green buildings and recently completed the world's largest affordable passive house project. His approach combines sustainable building practices with social health and education programs for residents, demonstrating that profitable real estate development can simultaneously address climate change and housing inequality.

In This Episode: 

  • (00:00) Introduction to Jonathan F.P. Rose and Age of Adoption concept
  • (03:25) Jonathan's early career journey and family real estate background
  • (06:43) Building the first impact-focused real estate investment fund
  • (09:25) Housing crisis statistics and systemic economic challenges
  • (12:30) Early green building challenges and creating lead standards
  • (15:10) Future innovations in sustainable building materials and practices
  • Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands – those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Jonathan F.P. Rose LinkedIn

Antenna Group

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:40:36 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ "If you work a full-time minimum wage job in America, there is not a single county in which you can afford to rent an apartment (2 bedroom) with a child." - Jonathan F.P. Rose

Jonathan F.P. Rose has been revolutionizing affordable housing and sustainable development for over 35 years, long before ESG became mainstream. Rose discusses the stark reality of America's housing crisis, revealing that full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. county. "Our current economic system cannot build new housing affordable to the bottom quartile of renters," he explains. The conversation explores innovative building materials like mycelium insulation and mass timber, showcasing how the green building ecosystem has finally matured. Can sustainable real estate development scale quickly enough to address both climate change and housing inequality?

Jonathan F.P. Rose is founder and CEO of Jonathan Rose Companies, a leading developer and investor in sustainable, affordable housing. With over 35 years of experience, Rose pioneered the integration of environmental sustainability, social equity, and market-rate development long before ESG investing became mainstream. He launched the world's first real estate impact investment fund in 2005, and recently closed another $660 million fund. Rose's company has developed award-winning green buildings and recently completed the world's largest affordable passive house project. His approach combines sustainable building practices with social health and education programs for residents, demonstrating that profitable real estate development can simultaneously address climate change and housing inequality.

In This Episode: 

  • (00:00) Introduction to Jonathan F.P. Rose and Age of Adoption concept
  • (03:25) Jonathan's early career journey and family real estate background
  • (06:43) Building the first impact-focused real estate investment fund
  • (09:25) Housing crisis statistics and systemic economic challenges
  • (12:30) Early green building challenges and creating lead standards
  • (15:10) Future innovations in sustainable building materials and practices
  • Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands – those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Jonathan F.P. Rose LinkedIn

Antenna Group

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Building Sustainable, Equitable Communities Antenna Group 00:19:38 "If you work a full-time minimum wage job in America, there is not a single county in which you can afford to rent an apartment (2 bedroom) with a child." - Jonathan F.P. Rose Jonathan F.P. Rose has been revolutionizing affordable housing and sustainable development for over 35 years, long before ESG became mainstream. Rose discusses the stark reality of America's housing crisis, revealing that full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. county. "Our current economic system cannot build new housing affordable to the bottom quartile of renters," he explains. The conversation explores innovative building materials like mycelium insulation and mass timber, showcasing how the green building ecosystem has finally matured. Can sustainable real estate development scale quickly enough to address both climate change and housing inequality? "If you work a full-time minimum wage job in America, there is not a single county in which you can afford to rent an apartment (2 bedroom) with a child." - Jonathan F.P. Rose Jonathan F.P. Rose has been revolutionizing affordable housing and sustainable development for over 35 years, long before ESG became mainstream. Rose discusses the stark reality of America's housing crisis, revealing that full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. county. "Our current economic system cannot build new housing affordable to the bottom quartile of renters," he explains. The conversation explores innovative building materials like mycelium insulation and mass timber, showcasing how the green building ecosystem has finally matured. Can sustainable real estate development scale quickly enough to address both climate change and housing inequality? social equity housing, jonathan rose companies, esg investing, sustainable real estate, age of adoption, mycelium insulation age of adoption podcast, environmental sustainability, keith zakheim, passive house construction, green building, real estate impact investing, jonathan rose, affordable housing, climate adoption, antenna group false full 87 f87ade3c-a7a1-43c3-b07f-25b5f5878e93 Engineering a Sustainable Future How does an engineering company balance profit with purpose while transforming the food system? Jill Meiburg, Head of Group Communications and Brand at GEA Group, shares how the 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader is tackling humanity's greatest challenge: feeding 10 billion people by 2050 while achieving net zero by 2040. With 25 years in corporate communications across Deutsche Telecom and logistics giants, Jill now leads the narrative for a company processing every fourth package of pasta and every third chicken nugget globally. "We're not out there just to save the planet. We're out there to make money on this," she explains, highlighting GEA's Mission 30 strategy targeting 60% sustainable solution revenue. The company made headlines by becoming one of the first to implement "Say on Climate" shareholder voting, passing with an impressive 98.5% approval.

Jill Meiburg serves as Head of Group Communications and Brand for GEA Group, a 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader generating 5.4 billion euros in revenue. With 25 years of corporate communications experience across telecommunications and logistics giants including Deutsche Telecom and Deutsche Post's DHL Group, she transitioned to industrial machinery and process technology in 2020. An American working in Germany, Jill studied international relations and became fluent in German through a Robert Bosch Fellowship. She now leads communications for a company processing every fourth package of pasta and every third chicken nugget globally, while driving GEA's ambitious Mission 30 strategy to achieve net zero by 2040 and grow sustainable solution revenue to 60% by 2030.

In This Episode:

● (00:00) Jill's career journey

● (06:41) Transition from telecom to industrial equipment sustainability

● (11:20) GEA's Age of Adoption story and mission transformation

● (17:32) Say on Climate vote and executive compensation alignment

● (21:17) New Wisconsin food application technology center opening

● Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show:

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources: Jill Meiburg LinkedIn Antenna Group Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ How does an engineering company balance profit with purpose while transforming the food system? Jill Meiburg, Head of Group Communications and Brand at GEA Group, shares how the 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader is tackling humanity's greatest challenge: feeding 10 billion people by 2050 while achieving net zero by 2040. With 25 years in corporate communications across Deutsche Telecom and logistics giants, Jill now leads the narrative for a company processing every fourth package of pasta and every third chicken nugget globally. "We're not out there just to save the planet. We're out there to make money on this," she explains, highlighting GEA's Mission 30 strategy targeting 60% sustainable solution revenue. The company made headlines by becoming one of the first to implement "Say on Climate" shareholder voting, passing with an impressive 98.5% approval.

Jill Meiburg serves as Head of Group Communications and Brand for GEA Group, a 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader generating 5.4 billion euros in revenue. With 25 years of corporate communications experience across telecommunications and logistics giants including Deutsche Telecom and Deutsche Post's DHL Group, she transitioned to industrial machinery and process technology in 2020. An American working in Germany, Jill studied international relations and became fluent in German through a Robert Bosch Fellowship. She now leads communications for a company processing every fourth package of pasta and every third chicken nugget globally, while driving GEA's ambitious Mission 30 strategy to achieve net zero by 2040 and grow sustainable solution revenue to 60% by 2030.

In This Episode:

● (00:00) Jill's career journey

● (06:41) Transition from telecom to industrial equipment sustainability

● (11:20) GEA's Age of Adoption story and mission transformation

● (17:32) Say on Climate vote and executive compensation alignment

● (21:17) New Wisconsin food application technology center opening

● Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show:

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources: Jill Meiburg LinkedIn Antenna Group Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Engineering a Sustainable Future Antenna Group 00:24:45 How does an engineering company balance profit with purpose while transforming the food system? Jill Meiburg, Head of Group Communications and Brand at GEA Group, shares how the 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader is tackling humanity's greatest challenge: feeding 10 billion people by 2050 while achieving net zero by 2040. With 25 years in corporate communications across Deutsche Telecom and logistics giants, Jill now leads the narrative for a company processing every fourth package of pasta and every third chicken nugget globally. "We're not out there just to save the planet. We're out there to make money on this," she explains, highlighting GEA's Mission 30 strategy targeting 60% sustainable solution revenue. The company made headlines by becoming one of the first to implement "Say on Climate" shareholder voting, passing with an impressive 98.5% approval. How does an engineering company balance profit with purpose while transforming the food system? Jill Meiburg, Head of Group Communications and Brand at GEA Group, shares how the 143-year-old German industrial equipment leader is tackling humanity's greatest challenge: feeding 10 billion people by 2050 while achieving net zero by 2040. With 25 years in corporate communications across Deutsche Telecom and logistics giants, Jill now leads the narrative for a company processing every fourth package of pasta and every third chicken nugget globally. "We're not out there just to save the planet. We're out there to make money on this," she explains, highlighting GEA's Mission 30 strategy targeting 60% sustainable solution revenue. The company made headlines by becoming one of the first to implement "Say on Climate" shareholder voting, passing with an impressive 98.5% approval. alternative protein technology, say on climate shareholder voting, net zero, gea group, food system decarbonization, age of adoption, keith zakheim, industrial food processing, jill meiburg, sustainability, age of adoption podcast, antenna group false full 86 cb00ba0f-3c88-4dce-9557-b6d3d50a6f0d Revolutionizing the Concrete Industry What if injecting CO2 into concrete could actually make it stronger while fighting climate change?

Kristal Kaye, interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, discusses her transition from traditional energy finance to leading a company revolutionizing concrete production. With over 30 years in finance across energy, mining, and retail, Kaye now heads a firm that injects captured CO2 directly into concrete, permanently storing it while improving economics for producers. "The concrete industry runs on very lean, tight margin profitability, and we can't ask them to adopt technology that would hinder their livelihood," she explains. CarbonCure has deployed 700+ systems across 35 countries, serving major clients like Amazon while targeting the massive opportunity ahead—over 100,000 concrete plants globally remain untapped. How does economics drive adoption in traditionally conservative industries?

Kristal Kaye is the interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, a leading carbon utilization company transforming concrete production through innovative CO2 injection technology. A Chartered Professional Accountant with over 30 years of finance experience across traditional energy, diamond mining, and retail industries, Kaye transitioned to clean tech to make a meaningful environmental impact. Since joining CarbonCure, she has helped scale the company's proven technology to over 700 systems deployed across 35 countries, serving major clients including Amazon's HQ2 project. Under her leadership, CarbonCure continues expanding its mission to decarbonize the concrete industry while maintaining economic viability for producers. Kaye's expertise in finance and operations positions her uniquely to navigate the complex adoption challenges in conservative industries.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Kristal Kaye's background and career transition to clean tech

(07:48) CarbonCure's mission and concrete decarbonization technology approach

(09:26) Competitive advantages and proven technology verification in market

(11:21) Scaling challenges and growth strategy across global markets

(13:00) Overcoming industry resistance and conservative adoption patterns

(16:48) Closing remarks and podcast sponsor information

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Kristal Kaye LinkedIn
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ What if injecting CO2 into concrete could actually make it stronger while fighting climate change?

Kristal Kaye, interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, discusses her transition from traditional energy finance to leading a company revolutionizing concrete production. With over 30 years in finance across energy, mining, and retail, Kaye now heads a firm that injects captured CO2 directly into concrete, permanently storing it while improving economics for producers. "The concrete industry runs on very lean, tight margin profitability, and we can't ask them to adopt technology that would hinder their livelihood," she explains. CarbonCure has deployed 700+ systems across 35 countries, serving major clients like Amazon while targeting the massive opportunity ahead—over 100,000 concrete plants globally remain untapped. How does economics drive adoption in traditionally conservative industries?

Kristal Kaye is the interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, a leading carbon utilization company transforming concrete production through innovative CO2 injection technology. A Chartered Professional Accountant with over 30 years of finance experience across traditional energy, diamond mining, and retail industries, Kaye transitioned to clean tech to make a meaningful environmental impact. Since joining CarbonCure, she has helped scale the company's proven technology to over 700 systems deployed across 35 countries, serving major clients including Amazon's HQ2 project. Under her leadership, CarbonCure continues expanding its mission to decarbonize the concrete industry while maintaining economic viability for producers. Kaye's expertise in finance and operations positions her uniquely to navigate the complex adoption challenges in conservative industries.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Kristal Kaye's background and career transition to clean tech

(07:48) CarbonCure's mission and concrete decarbonization technology approach

(09:26) Competitive advantages and proven technology verification in market

(11:21) Scaling challenges and growth strategy across global markets

(13:00) Overcoming industry resistance and conservative adoption patterns

(16:48) Closing remarks and podcast sponsor information

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
Kristal Kaye LinkedIn
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Revolutionizing the Concrete Industry Antenna Group 00:18:16 What if injecting CO2 into concrete could actually make it stronger while fighting climate change?Kristal Kaye, interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, discusses her transition from traditional energy finance to leading a company revolutionizing concrete production. With over 30 years in finance across energy, mining, and retail, Kaye now heads a firm that injects captured CO2 directly into concrete, permanently storing it while improving economics for producers. "The concrete industry runs on very lean, tight margin profitability, and we can't ask them to adopt technology that would hinder their livelihood," she explains. CarbonCure has deployed 700+ systems across 35 countries, serving major clients like Amazon while targeting the massive opportunity ahead—over 100,000 concrete plants globally remain untapped. How does economics drive adoption in traditionally conservative industries? What if injecting CO2 into concrete could actually make it stronger while fighting climate change?Kristal Kaye, interim CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, discusses her transition from traditional energy finance to leading a company revolutionizing concrete production. With over 30 years in finance across energy, mining, and retail, Kaye now heads a firm that injects captured CO2 directly into concrete, permanently storing it while improving economics for producers. "The concrete industry runs on very lean, tight margin profitability, and we can't ask them to adopt technology that would hinder their livelihood," she explains. CarbonCure has deployed 700+ systems across 35 countries, serving major clients like Amazon while targeting the massive opportunity ahead—over 100,000 concrete plants globally remain untapped. How does economics drive adoption in traditionally conservative industries? carboncure technologies, embodied carbon reduction, climate tech adoption, green concrete technology, construction sustainability, age of adoption, concrete industry emissions, keith zakheim, concrete decarbonization, kristal kaye, co2 injection concrete, sustainable building materials, carbon mineralization, age of adoption podcast, antenna group, carbon credits concrete false full 85 89d98679-0d1a-486a-974a-e06bd386f8dd Decarbonizing Long-Haul Transportation Could retrofitting existing diesel fleets be faster than waiting for electric alternatives?

Paul Gross, CEO and co-founder of Remora, joins the podcast to discuss his company's revolutionary approach to mobile carbon capture technology. At just 28, Gross has raised $60 million to retrofit semi-trucks and locomotives with systems that capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. Unlike traditional electrification efforts that struggle with heavy-duty transport, Remora's solution works with existing diesel fleets. "We wanted to take carbon capture from being this big over budget construction project to being this product that can be manufactured over and over again," Gross explains. The company turns captured CO2 into beverage-grade liquid carbon dioxide, addressing surprising market shortages. Can retrofitting existing transportation infrastructure accelerate decarbonization faster than waiting for full fleet replacement?

Paul Gross is the CEO and co-founder of Remora, a pioneering carbon capture company that retrofits semi-trucks and locomotives with technology to capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. At 28, Gross has already been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and recently closed a $60 million Series B funding round. A Yale University graduate with a background in statistics and data science, Gross founded Remora in 2020 after recognizing that heavy-duty transportation sectors couldn't be easily electrified. Based in Detroit, he's leading efforts to commercialize mobile carbon capture technology, turning captured emissions into valuable liquid CO2 for food, beverage, and manufacturing industries while addressing critical supply shortages.
 

In This Episode: 

 

(00:00) Paul Gross background 

(03:35) Paul's journey from Yale to founding carbon capture company

(07:35) Age of adoption story and carbon capture evolution

(10:04) Transportation sector challenges with electrification alternatives

(14:06) Economics and revenue model for carbon capture technology

(17:08) Innovation and adoption happening simultaneously in climate tech

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Paul Gross LinkedIn
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 9 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Could retrofitting existing diesel fleets be faster than waiting for electric alternatives?

Paul Gross, CEO and co-founder of Remora, joins the podcast to discuss his company's revolutionary approach to mobile carbon capture technology. At just 28, Gross has raised $60 million to retrofit semi-trucks and locomotives with systems that capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. Unlike traditional electrification efforts that struggle with heavy-duty transport, Remora's solution works with existing diesel fleets. "We wanted to take carbon capture from being this big over budget construction project to being this product that can be manufactured over and over again," Gross explains. The company turns captured CO2 into beverage-grade liquid carbon dioxide, addressing surprising market shortages. Can retrofitting existing transportation infrastructure accelerate decarbonization faster than waiting for full fleet replacement?

Paul Gross is the CEO and co-founder of Remora, a pioneering carbon capture company that retrofits semi-trucks and locomotives with technology to capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. At 28, Gross has already been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and recently closed a $60 million Series B funding round. A Yale University graduate with a background in statistics and data science, Gross founded Remora in 2020 after recognizing that heavy-duty transportation sectors couldn't be easily electrified. Based in Detroit, he's leading efforts to commercialize mobile carbon capture technology, turning captured emissions into valuable liquid CO2 for food, beverage, and manufacturing industries while addressing critical supply shortages.
 

In This Episode: 

 

(00:00) Paul Gross background 

(03:35) Paul's journey from Yale to founding carbon capture company

(07:35) Age of adoption story and carbon capture evolution

(10:04) Transportation sector challenges with electrification alternatives

(14:06) Economics and revenue model for carbon capture technology

(17:08) Innovation and adoption happening simultaneously in climate tech

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Paul Gross LinkedIn
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Decarbonizing Long-Haul Transportation Antenna Group 00:20:41 Could retrofitting existing diesel fleets be faster than waiting for electric alternatives? Paul Gross, CEO and co-founder of Remora, joins the podcast to discuss his company's revolutionary approach to mobile carbon capture technology. At just 28, Gross has raised $60 million to retrofit semi-trucks and locomotives with systems that capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. Unlike traditional electrification efforts that struggle with heavy-duty transport, Remora's solution works with existing diesel fleets. "We wanted to take carbon capture from being this big over budget construction project to being this product that can be manufactured over and over again," Gross explains. The company turns captured CO2 into beverage-grade liquid carbon dioxide, addressing surprising market shortages. Can retrofitting existing transportation infrastructure accelerate decarbonization faster than waiting for full fleet replacement? Could retrofitting existing diesel fleets be faster than waiting for electric alternatives? Paul Gross, CEO and co-founder of Remora, joins the podcast to discuss his company's revolutionary approach to mobile carbon capture technology. At just 28, Gross has raised $60 million to retrofit semi-trucks and locomotives with systems that capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions. Unlike traditional electrification efforts that struggle with heavy-duty transport, Remora's solution works with existing diesel fleets. "We wanted to take carbon capture from being this big over budget construction project to being this product that can be manufactured over and over again," Gross explains. The company turns captured CO2 into beverage-grade liquid carbon dioxide, addressing surprising market shortages. Can retrofitting existing transportation infrastructure accelerate decarbonization faster than waiting for full fleet replacement? mobile carbon capture, carbon capture technology, semi-truck retrofitting, age of adoption, keith zakheim, transportation decarbonization, diesel locomotive alternatives, heavy-duty vehicle solutions, climate tech startups, freight rail emissions, sustainable transportation innovation age of adoption podcast, co2 capture systems false full 84 cf98e657-e251-4d75-803c-9580eb033a66 Transforming Real Estate with Mass Timber How is a 26-year-old entrepreneur convincing risk-averse investors to build with trees instead of steel?

At 26, Nate Helbach has already founded Neutral, one of America's most innovative real estate development companies. Growing up between Wisconsin and California's redwood forests sparked his environmental passion, leading him to pioneer mass timber construction that reduces building emissions by up to 26.5%. Currently breaking ground on the tallest mass timber building in the Northern Hemisphere in downtown Milwaukee, Nate discusses the gap between sustainability solutions and implementation. "The difficulty isn't the solutions—it's getting investors comfortable with the unknown over the status quo." How is this young entrepreneur overcoming real estate's notorious risk aversion?

Nate Helbach is the Co-Founder and CEO of Neutral, a regenerative real estate development company pioneering mass timber construction in high-rise buildings. At 26, he's already breaking ground on what will be the tallest mass timber building in the Northern Hemisphere in downtown Milwaukee. Growing up between Madison, Wisconsin and California's redwood forests, Nate studied finance and sustainability before founding Neutral to bridge the gap between climate solutions and real-world implementation. His company focuses on mass timber construction, passive house design, and Living Building Challenge certification to achieve carbon-neutral development.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Nate Helbach- young real estate innovator

(04:21) Background and entrepreneurial journey through sustainability discovery

(09:07) Age of adoption story, implementation versus innovation challenges

(12:38) Mass timber and passive house design differentiation

(16:08) Adoption barriers in jurisdictions and building codes

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Neutral's website: https://www.neutral.us/
Nate Helbach LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-h-1539b1102/
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 26 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ How is a 26-year-old entrepreneur convincing risk-averse investors to build with trees instead of steel?

At 26, Nate Helbach has already founded Neutral, one of America's most innovative real estate development companies. Growing up between Wisconsin and California's redwood forests sparked his environmental passion, leading him to pioneer mass timber construction that reduces building emissions by up to 26.5%. Currently breaking ground on the tallest mass timber building in the Northern Hemisphere in downtown Milwaukee, Nate discusses the gap between sustainability solutions and implementation. "The difficulty isn't the solutions—it's getting investors comfortable with the unknown over the status quo." How is this young entrepreneur overcoming real estate's notorious risk aversion?

Nate Helbach is the Co-Founder and CEO of Neutral, a regenerative real estate development company pioneering mass timber construction in high-rise buildings. At 26, he's already breaking ground on what will be the tallest mass timber building in the Northern Hemisphere in downtown Milwaukee. Growing up between Madison, Wisconsin and California's redwood forests, Nate studied finance and sustainability before founding Neutral to bridge the gap between climate solutions and real-world implementation. His company focuses on mass timber construction, passive house design, and Living Building Challenge certification to achieve carbon-neutral development.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Nate Helbach- young real estate innovator

(04:21) Background and entrepreneurial journey through sustainability discovery

(09:07) Age of adoption story, implementation versus innovation challenges

(12:38) Mass timber and passive house design differentiation

(16:08) Adoption barriers in jurisdictions and building codes

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Neutral's website: https://www.neutral.us/
Nate Helbach LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-h-1539b1102/
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Transforming Real Estate with Mass Timber Antenna Group 00:21:26 How is a 26-year-old entrepreneur convincing risk-averse investors to build with trees instead of steel? At 26, Nate Helbach has already founded Neutral, one of America's most innovative real estate development companies. Growing up between Wisconsin and California's redwood forests sparked his environmental passion, leading him to pioneer mass timber construction that reduces building emissions by up to 26.5%. Currently breaking ground on the tallest mass timber building in the Northern Hemisphere in downtown Milwaukee, Nate discusses the gap between sustainability solutions and implementation. "The difficulty isn't the solutions—it's getting investors comfortable with the unknown over the status quo." How is this young entrepreneur overcoming real estate's notorious risk aversion? How is a 26-year-old entrepreneur convincing risk-averse investors to build with trees instead of steel? At 26, Nate Helbach has already founded Neutral, one of America's most innovative real estate development companies. Growing up between Wisconsin and California's redwood forests sparked his environmental passion, leading him to pioneer mass timber construction that reduces building emissions by up to 26.5%. Currently breaking ground on the tallest mass timber building in the Northern Hemisphere in downtown Milwaukee, Nate discusses the gap between sustainability solutions and implementation. "The difficulty isn't the solutions—it's getting investors comfortable with the unknown over the status quo." How is this young entrepreneur overcoming real estate's notorious risk aversion? mass timber construction, regenerative development, green building innovation, age of adoption, real estate sustainability, keith zakheim, sustainable construction materials, carbon neutral buildings, carbon sequestration buildings, sustainable real estate development, passive house design, climate adoption, age of adoption podcast false full 83 5984b107-bdce-444e-ace5-5f10408b9ac1 Rethinking AI’s Physical Footprint What happens when grid power can't keep up with AI's appetite for energy, and how are construction leaders innovating around this crisis?

As Vice President of Sustainability at Clayco, Alana Spencer oversaw decarbonization across 100+ projects annually, including 57 active data centers totaling three gigawatts of capacity, focusing on the intersection of AI infrastructure growth and climate goals. Today she is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alma Environmental Partners, supporting the built environment and organization on their sustainability journeys.

Spencer argues that "passion alone cannot get you there" in sustainability work—you need technical expertise to create business cases and implement solutions at scale.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Clayco's sustainability mission 

(04:02) Alana's story - from trading firm to sustainability leadership

(08:59) Age of Adoption story and AI's impact on construction 

(13:36) Testing lower-carbon concrete with major tech companies 

(16:31) Data center energy challenges and infrastructure solutions

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanaspencer

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ What happens when grid power can't keep up with AI's appetite for energy, and how are construction leaders innovating around this crisis?

As Vice President of Sustainability at Clayco, Alana Spencer oversaw decarbonization across 100+ projects annually, including 57 active data centers totaling three gigawatts of capacity, focusing on the intersection of AI infrastructure growth and climate goals. Today she is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alma Environmental Partners, supporting the built environment and organization on their sustainability journeys.

Spencer argues that "passion alone cannot get you there" in sustainability work—you need technical expertise to create business cases and implement solutions at scale.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Clayco's sustainability mission 

(04:02) Alana's story - from trading firm to sustainability leadership

(08:59) Age of Adoption story and AI's impact on construction 

(13:36) Testing lower-carbon concrete with major tech companies 

(16:31) Data center energy challenges and infrastructure solutions

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanaspencer

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Rethinking AI’s Physical Footprint Antenna Group 00:22:03 What happens when grid power can't keep up with AI's appetite for energy, and how are construction leaders innovating around this crisis? As Vice President of Sustainability at Clayco, Alana Spencer oversaw decarbonization across 100+ projects annually, including 57 active data centers totaling three gigawatts of capacity, focusing on the intersection of AI infrastructure growth and climate goals. Today she is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alma Environmental Partners, supporting the built environment and organization on their sustainability journeys. Spencer argues that "passion alone cannot get you there" in sustainability work—you need technical expertise to create business cases and implement solutions at scale. What happens when grid power can't keep up with AI's appetite for energy, and how are construction leaders innovating around this crisis? As Vice President of Sustainability at Clayco, Alana Spencer oversaw decarbonization across 100+ projects annually, including 57 active data centers totaling three gigawatts of capacity, focusing on the intersection of AI infrastructure growth and climate goals. Today she is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alma Environmental Partners, supporting the built environment and organization on their sustainability journeys. Spencer argues that "passion alone cannot get you there" in sustainability work—you need technical expertise to create business cases and implement solutions at scale. renewable energy data centers, data center sustainability, construction decarbonization, age of adoption, keith zakheim, climate construction solutions, embodied carbon in buildings, concrete carbon reduction, grid power constraints, enterprise device management, sustainable building materials, ai infrastructure environmental impact, age of adoption podcast false full 82 131662fe-63e6-4c97-8e2c-d31d513f2c0d How Solar Took Over the Grid What if I told you that photons raining down from the sun provide 10,000 times more energy than humanity could ever use?

Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, bringing over 30 years of experience from recruiting Silicon Valley talent to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs. His journey from forest ecology graduate student to clean energy catalyst perfectly embodies the age of adoption story. Tim's bold prediction that we're heading toward a grid powered by 50% solar and 40% wind reflects his deep understanding of both technology and market forces. "Photons are free and super abundant, raining down 10,000 times more energy than all of society can use," he explains, emphasizing why renewable dominance is inevitable.

What makes Tim's perspective particularly compelling is his focus on climate restoration beyond the traditional net-zero approach. He advocates for ocean iron fertilization, citing Mount Pinatubo's 1994 explosion as proof that iron dust can dramatically impact CO2 levels. "Net zeroing the economy addresses only one-twentieth of the climate problem," Tim reveals, "since there's a trillion tons of legacy carbon in the atmosphere that must also be removed." How can entrepreneurs navigate current policy uncertainty while building scalable clean energy businesses? Tim counsels focusing on commercial, industrial, and utility-scale segments rather than residential solar, riding the "tide of finance" that's pushing the industry forward.

Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, where he covers the energy transition landscape. With over 30 years of experience spanning from recruiting talent for Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Yahoo, and Netscape to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs, Tim brings unique insights to the rapidly evolving renewable sector. A scientist by training with a background in forest ecology, he transitioned to clean energy business development in 2016 and has since become a catalyst for solar industry growth. Tim's expertise extends beyond traditional net-zero approaches to encompass climate restoration technologies, particularly ocean iron fertilization, positioning him as a thought leader in comprehensive climate solutions.
 

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction of Tim Montague

(04:30) Tim's transition from ecology to clean energy business

(10:38) Age of adoption story and the power of free photons

(14:39) Climate restoration beyond net zero economy solutions

(17:26) Counseling entrepreneurs through current market uncertainty and policy headwinds

(19:53) Final thoughts on market segments and future outlook

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Tim Montague LinkedIn

Peter Fiekowsky Climate Restoration

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 5 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ What if I told you that photons raining down from the sun provide 10,000 times more energy than humanity could ever use?

Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, bringing over 30 years of experience from recruiting Silicon Valley talent to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs. His journey from forest ecology graduate student to clean energy catalyst perfectly embodies the age of adoption story. Tim's bold prediction that we're heading toward a grid powered by 50% solar and 40% wind reflects his deep understanding of both technology and market forces. "Photons are free and super abundant, raining down 10,000 times more energy than all of society can use," he explains, emphasizing why renewable dominance is inevitable.

What makes Tim's perspective particularly compelling is his focus on climate restoration beyond the traditional net-zero approach. He advocates for ocean iron fertilization, citing Mount Pinatubo's 1994 explosion as proof that iron dust can dramatically impact CO2 levels. "Net zeroing the economy addresses only one-twentieth of the climate problem," Tim reveals, "since there's a trillion tons of legacy carbon in the atmosphere that must also be removed." How can entrepreneurs navigate current policy uncertainty while building scalable clean energy businesses? Tim counsels focusing on commercial, industrial, and utility-scale segments rather than residential solar, riding the "tide of finance" that's pushing the industry forward.

Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, where he covers the energy transition landscape. With over 30 years of experience spanning from recruiting talent for Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Yahoo, and Netscape to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs, Tim brings unique insights to the rapidly evolving renewable sector. A scientist by training with a background in forest ecology, he transitioned to clean energy business development in 2016 and has since become a catalyst for solar industry growth. Tim's expertise extends beyond traditional net-zero approaches to encompass climate restoration technologies, particularly ocean iron fertilization, positioning him as a thought leader in comprehensive climate solutions.
 

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction of Tim Montague

(04:30) Tim's transition from ecology to clean energy business

(10:38) Age of adoption story and the power of free photons

(14:39) Climate restoration beyond net zero economy solutions

(17:26) Counseling entrepreneurs through current market uncertainty and policy headwinds

(19:53) Final thoughts on market segments and future outlook

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Tim Montague LinkedIn

Peter Fiekowsky Climate Restoration

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> How Solar Took Over the Grid Antenna Group 00:22:27 What if I told you that photons raining down from the sun provide 10,000 times more energy than humanity could ever use?Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, bringing over 30 years of experience from recruiting Silicon Valley talent to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs. His journey from forest ecology graduate student to clean energy catalyst perfectly embodies the age of adoption story. Tim's bold prediction that we're heading toward a grid powered by 50% solar and 40% wind reflects his deep understanding of both technology and market forces. "Photons are free and super abundant, raining down 10,000 times more energy than all of society can use," he explains, emphasizing why renewable dominance is inevitable. What if I told you that photons raining down from the sun provide 10,000 times more energy than humanity could ever use?Tim Montague is President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast, bringing over 30 years of experience from recruiting Silicon Valley talent to coaching clean energy entrepreneurs. His journey from forest ecology graduate student to clean energy catalyst perfectly embodies the age of adoption story. Tim's bold prediction that we're heading toward a grid powered by 50% solar and 40% wind reflects his deep understanding of both technology and market forces. "Photons are free and super abundant, raining down 10,000 times more energy than all of society can use," he explains, emphasizing why renewable dominance is inevitable. climate restoration technologies, solar industry growth, age of adoption, keith zakheim, clean energy entrepreneurship, ocean iron fertilization, clean technology investment, photovoltaic efficiency, renewable energy adoption, energy transition business, net zero economy, sustainable grid power, age of adoption podcast false full 81 52e23622-8828-465d-9092-bc7745399de9 Data Centers and Decarbonization What if data centers could actually help solve the climate crisis instead of just consuming massive amounts of energy?

Chris Pennington is Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, leading the charge toward 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2040. How did a college student looking for part-time work become a global energy strategy pioneer? His story perfectly illustrates the evolution of corporate sustainability thinking—from operational efficiency to industry-wide decarbonization.

"The story actually began when I answered a newspaper ad," Pennington reveals, describing his path from frontline operations to sustainability leadership. Today, he positions Iron Mountain as a digital utility that enables widespread decarbonization across entire industries. What makes this approach revolutionary? As Goldman Sachs projects 160% growth in global data center power demand by 2030, Pennington's co-location model aggregates customer loads to achieve unprecedented efficiency gains. He explains their pioneering Green Power Pass product and grid flexibility solutions, including battery systems that can disconnect entire data centers from the grid while maintaining critical operations. But can data centers really become part of the climate solution rather than just the problem?

Chris Pennington serves as Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, where he leads global energy strategy and sustainability initiatives. With over 30 years at Iron Mountain, Chris has transformed from frontline operations to become a pioneering voice in data center decarbonization. He architected Iron Mountain's transition to 100% clean power matching and established the company's ambitious 24/7 carbon-free energy goal by 2040. Chris champions the co-location model as a digital utility that enables widespread industry decarbonization, having developed the first-to-market Green Power Pass for credible clean energy attribution. His expertise spans energy procurement, grid flexibility solutions, and sustainable data center design, positioning him at the forefront of the industry's evolution toward net-zero operations.
 

In This Episode: 
(00:00) Introduction of guest Chris Pennington, data center sustainability overview

(03:48) Career journey from newspaper ad to Iron Mountain operations

(07:00) Energy management role creation and building sustainability strategy

(10:32) Age of adoption story through four chapters of evolution

(14:07) Co-location model as digital utility for customer decarbonization

(19:31) Future grid flexibility solutions and battery storage innovations

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Chris Pennington LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-pennington-b362438/
Visit the Conscious Compass
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:37:20 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ What if data centers could actually help solve the climate crisis instead of just consuming massive amounts of energy?

Chris Pennington is Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, leading the charge toward 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2040. How did a college student looking for part-time work become a global energy strategy pioneer? His story perfectly illustrates the evolution of corporate sustainability thinking—from operational efficiency to industry-wide decarbonization.

"The story actually began when I answered a newspaper ad," Pennington reveals, describing his path from frontline operations to sustainability leadership. Today, he positions Iron Mountain as a digital utility that enables widespread decarbonization across entire industries. What makes this approach revolutionary? As Goldman Sachs projects 160% growth in global data center power demand by 2030, Pennington's co-location model aggregates customer loads to achieve unprecedented efficiency gains. He explains their pioneering Green Power Pass product and grid flexibility solutions, including battery systems that can disconnect entire data centers from the grid while maintaining critical operations. But can data centers really become part of the climate solution rather than just the problem?

Chris Pennington serves as Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, where he leads global energy strategy and sustainability initiatives. With over 30 years at Iron Mountain, Chris has transformed from frontline operations to become a pioneering voice in data center decarbonization. He architected Iron Mountain's transition to 100% clean power matching and established the company's ambitious 24/7 carbon-free energy goal by 2040. Chris champions the co-location model as a digital utility that enables widespread industry decarbonization, having developed the first-to-market Green Power Pass for credible clean energy attribution. His expertise spans energy procurement, grid flexibility solutions, and sustainable data center design, positioning him at the forefront of the industry's evolution toward net-zero operations.
 

In This Episode: 
(00:00) Introduction of guest Chris Pennington, data center sustainability overview

(03:48) Career journey from newspaper ad to Iron Mountain operations

(07:00) Energy management role creation and building sustainability strategy

(10:32) Age of adoption story through four chapters of evolution

(14:07) Co-location model as digital utility for customer decarbonization

(19:31) Future grid flexibility solutions and battery storage innovations

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Chris Pennington LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-pennington-b362438/
Visit the Conscious Compass
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Data Centers and Decarbonization Antenna Group 00:22:08 Chris Pennington is Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, leading the charge toward 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2040. How did a college student looking for part-time work become a global energy strategy pioneer? His story perfectly illustrates the evolution of corporate sustainability thinking—from operational efficiency to industry-wide decarbonization. Chris Pennington is Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, leading the charge toward 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2040. How did a college student looking for part-time work become a global energy strategy pioneer? His story perfectly illustrates the evolution of corporate sustainability thinking—from operational efficiency to industry-wide decarbonization. co-location data centers, clean power purchasing, iron mountain energy management, grid flexibility solutions, data center sustainability, age of adoption, keith zakheim, data center decarbonization, digital utility services, 24/7 carbon free energy, sustainable data center design, renewable energy procurement, age of adoption podcast false full 80 4b866646-b740-4ee3-a8f5-8258d1d16734 Jigar Shah on Clean Energy’s Next Chapter Could populist sentiment actually accelerate clean energy adoption by fueling energy independence desires?

Jigar Shah, widely considered a pioneer of the modern clean energy revolution, joins the Age of Adoption podcast to share his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to industry transformer. As the former Director of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, Shah expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion, announcing 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. "I think it's deployment, right? And I think innovation actually follows deployment," Shah explains, outlining his deploy-first philosophy that has guided his career from revolutionizing solar financing at SunEdison to his current work at Multiplier.

In this compelling conversation, Shah addresses the intersection of populism and clean energy adoption, arguing that market forces will ultimately prevail over political headwinds. He reveals seeing unprecedented rooftop solar adoption and notes that "the folks who are closing financings are solar, not natural gas plants." Now focused on ensuring clean energy entrepreneurs "get paid" through his advisory firm Multiplier, Shah tackles the critical challenge of retention in the industry. Why does this matter? As Shah puts it: "I want them to stay in our industry because I think it's essential to tackling the climate problem." What obstacles are preventing companies from scaling successful pilots into fleet-wide deployments? How can the clean energy movement maintain momentum despite political uncertainty?

Jigar Shah is widely considered one of the pioneers of the modern clean energy revolution. As the founder of SunEdison, he revolutionized the solar industry by inventing the power purchase agreement model, allowing customers to adopt solar without upfront costs. Shah most recently served as Director of the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, where he expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion and announced 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. Now founder of Multiplier, an advisory firm focused on helping clean energy entrepreneurs achieve successful exits, Shah continues his mission to deploy clean energy solutions at scale while ensuring the industry retains its top talent.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction and Jigar Shah's revolutionary clean energy journey

(04:25) Career origins from wind turbines to BP Solar foundation

(08:16) SunEdison power purchase agreements and Carbon War Room years

(10:57) DOE Loan Programs Office expansion and current Multiplier work

(17:47) Deploy first philosophy and ensuring entrepreneurs get paid

(21:01) Closing thoughts on industry collaboration and future focus

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Jigar Shah LinkedIn
Watt it Takes Podcast
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 8 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Could populist sentiment actually accelerate clean energy adoption by fueling energy independence desires?

Jigar Shah, widely considered a pioneer of the modern clean energy revolution, joins the Age of Adoption podcast to share his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to industry transformer. As the former Director of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, Shah expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion, announcing 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. "I think it's deployment, right? And I think innovation actually follows deployment," Shah explains, outlining his deploy-first philosophy that has guided his career from revolutionizing solar financing at SunEdison to his current work at Multiplier.

In this compelling conversation, Shah addresses the intersection of populism and clean energy adoption, arguing that market forces will ultimately prevail over political headwinds. He reveals seeing unprecedented rooftop solar adoption and notes that "the folks who are closing financings are solar, not natural gas plants." Now focused on ensuring clean energy entrepreneurs "get paid" through his advisory firm Multiplier, Shah tackles the critical challenge of retention in the industry. Why does this matter? As Shah puts it: "I want them to stay in our industry because I think it's essential to tackling the climate problem." What obstacles are preventing companies from scaling successful pilots into fleet-wide deployments? How can the clean energy movement maintain momentum despite political uncertainty?

Jigar Shah is widely considered one of the pioneers of the modern clean energy revolution. As the founder of SunEdison, he revolutionized the solar industry by inventing the power purchase agreement model, allowing customers to adopt solar without upfront costs. Shah most recently served as Director of the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, where he expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion and announced 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. Now founder of Multiplier, an advisory firm focused on helping clean energy entrepreneurs achieve successful exits, Shah continues his mission to deploy clean energy solutions at scale while ensuring the industry retains its top talent.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction and Jigar Shah's revolutionary clean energy journey

(04:25) Career origins from wind turbines to BP Solar foundation

(08:16) SunEdison power purchase agreements and Carbon War Room years

(10:57) DOE Loan Programs Office expansion and current Multiplier work

(17:47) Deploy first philosophy and ensuring entrepreneurs get paid

(21:01) Closing thoughts on industry collaboration and future focus

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Jigar Shah LinkedIn
Watt it Takes Podcast
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Jigar Shah on Clean Energy’s Next Chapter Antenna Group 00:23:22 Jigar Shah, widely considered a pioneer of the modern clean energy revolution, joins the Age of Adoption podcast to share his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to industry transformer. As the former Director of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, Shah expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion, announcing 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. "I think it's deployment, right? And I think innovation actually follows deployment," Shah explains, outlining his deploy-first philosophy that has guided his career from revolutionizing solar financing at SunEdison to his current work at Multiplier. Jigar Shah, widely considered a pioneer of the modern clean energy revolution, joins the Age of Adoption podcast to share his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to industry transformer. As the former Director of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, Shah expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion, announcing 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. "I think it's deployment, right? And I think innovation actually follows deployment," Shah explains, outlining his deploy-first philosophy that has guided his career from revolutionizing solar financing at SunEdison to his current work at Multiplier. energy independence, doe loan programs office, energy storage adoption, age of adoption, keith zakheim, clean energy deployment, renewable energy financing, solar power purchase agreements, climate policy impact, sustainable business transformation, climate technology commercialization, age of adoption podcast, clean tech entrepreneurship false full 79 591c7d51-2fcf-4552-ad92-bbb3a4e25ecd Helping Consumers Make Green Choices In our post-truth era, how does an 85-year-old publication maintain trust while testing tomorrow's technology today?

Phil Radford, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, brings a unique perspective to consumer advocacy, combining decades of environmental activism with rigorous product testing. From his early days fighting waste incinerators in Chicago to leading Greenpeace and increasing their revenue by 233%, Phil has consistently worked to create market conditions that favor sustainable products. At Consumer Reports, he's pioneering new testing methodologies for electric vehicles, battery safety, and charging infrastructure to help consumers make informed decisions about green technology.

Under Phil's leadership, Consumer Reports is evolving beyond traditional product reviews to become a catalyst for sustainable innovation. The organization's independence—funded entirely by 5 million subscribers without advertising revenue—allows them to maintain objectivity while pushing manufacturers to create better, more durable products. Phil emphasizes that successful green technology adoption happens when products excel on the fundamentals consumers care about most: saving money, ensuring safety, lasting longer, and providing genuine utility rather than relying solely on environmental virtue.

Phil Radford serves as President and CEO of Consumer Reports, bringing over two decades of environmental advocacy and organizational leadership to the role. Previously, he led Greenpeace USA as CEO, where he increased organizational revenue by 233% while working with nearly 100 major corporations to improve their environmental practices, including convincing tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Apple to commit to 100% clean energy. Phil's career began as a high school environmental justice activist in Chicago, fighting toxic waste incinerators in underserved communities. He founded Power Shift in 2001, pioneering clean energy financing solutions that helped scale solar adoption when global manufacturing was just 200 megawatts annually. Phil studied political science and business, combining his passion for environmental protection with strategic business acumen to drive systemic change in both policy and market adoption of sustainable technologies.
 

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction of guest Phil Radford

(03:47) Phil's career journey from high school environmental activism

(06:23) Shift to solar energy advocacy and Power Shift organization

(10:28) Consumer Reports' age of adoption story and testing innovations

(13:44) Building trust in a post-truth era through objective testing

(17:13) Consumer priorities beyond environmental concerns and future outlook

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Phil Radford LinkedIn

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Tue, 1 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Consumer Reports, Phil Radford, sustainable consumer choices, electric vehicle testing, environmental justice, clean energy adoption, product testing methodology, nonprofit organization leadership, climate change consumer behavior, green technology reviews Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim, Age of Adoption) http://antennagroup.com/ In our post-truth era, how does an 85-year-old publication maintain trust while testing tomorrow's technology today?

Phil Radford, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, brings a unique perspective to consumer advocacy, combining decades of environmental activism with rigorous product testing. From his early days fighting waste incinerators in Chicago to leading Greenpeace and increasing their revenue by 233%, Phil has consistently worked to create market conditions that favor sustainable products. At Consumer Reports, he's pioneering new testing methodologies for electric vehicles, battery safety, and charging infrastructure to help consumers make informed decisions about green technology.

Under Phil's leadership, Consumer Reports is evolving beyond traditional product reviews to become a catalyst for sustainable innovation. The organization's independence—funded entirely by 5 million subscribers without advertising revenue—allows them to maintain objectivity while pushing manufacturers to create better, more durable products. Phil emphasizes that successful green technology adoption happens when products excel on the fundamentals consumers care about most: saving money, ensuring safety, lasting longer, and providing genuine utility rather than relying solely on environmental virtue.

Phil Radford serves as President and CEO of Consumer Reports, bringing over two decades of environmental advocacy and organizational leadership to the role. Previously, he led Greenpeace USA as CEO, where he increased organizational revenue by 233% while working with nearly 100 major corporations to improve their environmental practices, including convincing tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Apple to commit to 100% clean energy. Phil's career began as a high school environmental justice activist in Chicago, fighting toxic waste incinerators in underserved communities. He founded Power Shift in 2001, pioneering clean energy financing solutions that helped scale solar adoption when global manufacturing was just 200 megawatts annually. Phil studied political science and business, combining his passion for environmental protection with strategic business acumen to drive systemic change in both policy and market adoption of sustainable technologies.
 

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction of guest Phil Radford

(03:47) Phil's career journey from high school environmental activism

(06:23) Shift to solar energy advocacy and Power Shift organization

(10:28) Consumer Reports' age of adoption story and testing innovations

(13:44) Building trust in a post-truth era through objective testing

(17:13) Consumer priorities beyond environmental concerns and future outlook

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Phil Radford LinkedIn

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Helping Consumers Make Green Choices Consumer Reports, Phil Radford, sustainable consumer choices, electric vehicle testing, environmental justice, clean energy adoption, product testing methodology, nonprofit organization leadership, climate change consumer behavior, green technology reviews Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim, Age of Adoption 00:21:13 Phil Radford, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, brings a unique perspective to consumer advocacy, combining decades of environmental activism with rigorous product testing. From his early days fighting waste incinerators in Chicago to leading Greenpeace and increasing their revenue by 233%, Phil has consistently worked to create market conditions that favor sustainable products. At Consumer Reports, he's pioneering new testing methodologies for electric vehicles, battery safety, and charging infrastructure to help consumers make informed decisions about green technology. Phil Radford, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, brings a unique perspective to consumer advocacy, combining decades of environmental activism with rigorous product testing. From his early days fighting waste incinerators in Chicago to leading Greenpeace and increasing their revenue by 233%, Phil has consistently worked to create market conditions that favor sustainable products. At Consumer Reports, he's pioneering new testing methodologies for electric vehicles, battery safety, and charging infrastructure to help consumers make informed decisions about green technology. false full 78 b862bdc3-ffaa-40ee-861b-fbdfcd7d8628 Why This Agency Matchmaker Rejects Fossil Fuel Clients Ever wonder what happens when a PR matchmaker draws a hard line against fossil fuel clients? Meet Steven Shimek.

In this eye-opening conversation, Keith Zakheim welcomes the owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic—an influential voice who helps determine which agencies win multi-million dollar RFPs. Steven pulls back the curtain on agency practices most clients never see. "What I try to do is educate our world of marketers about what's not in the deck, what's not on the logo slides," he explains, revealing how his network of 5,000+ marketing professionals gives him insider knowledge about which agencies secretly represent oil and gas interests.

But this isn't just business—it's personal. After watching Greta Thunberg stand up to "mean, aggressive, angry, belittling people," Steven reconnected with his environmental science roots. He traded his Yukon Denali for a hybrid. He made tough choices. Despite the financial hit, he vowed never to work with agencies representing oil, gas, tobacco or firearms. The conversation takes a fascinating turn when discussing today's political climate, where companies are "green hushing" their sustainability efforts. Yet Steven remains optimistic. "Even if it is hushed, I truly believe companies are still going to do the right thing," he insists, noting that abandoning sustainability triggers "a continuous low roar" of customer discontent. For communications professionals navigating this shifting landscape, this episode offers both practical wisdom and moral clarity from someone who's seen it all—and chosen which side of history he wants to stand on.

Steven Shimek is the Owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic, an influential agency matchmaker who has helped over 1,600 companies across 46 countries find their ideal marketing partners. With a Master's in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Steven combines his deep environmental knowledge with extensive industry experience gained at PR Newswire, Ruder Finn, and Fleishman Hillard. What sets him apart is his principled stance against representing agencies that work with fossil fuel, tobacco, firearms, or private prison companies, despite potential revenue loss. Inspired by climate activists like Greta Thunberg and his own children, Steven has transformed his business into a vehicle for positive change, educating marketing leaders about agency transparency while helping brands find partners whose values align with their sustainability goals.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Steven's career journey from PR Newswire to Shimek Strategic

(08:14) Agencies adopting climate values and sustainability practices

(10:39) Steven's environmental science background and personal awakening

(14:08) How Steven brings transparency to agency selection process

(16:08) Discussion of "green hushing" in the current political climate

(19:08) Forecast for sustainability in corporate communications

(21:21) Conclusion and information about Antenna Group

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Steven Shimek LInkedIn

Shimek Strategic

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:47:34 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Ever wonder what happens when a PR matchmaker draws a hard line against fossil fuel clients? Meet Steven Shimek.

In this eye-opening conversation, Keith Zakheim welcomes the owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic—an influential voice who helps determine which agencies win multi-million dollar RFPs. Steven pulls back the curtain on agency practices most clients never see. "What I try to do is educate our world of marketers about what's not in the deck, what's not on the logo slides," he explains, revealing how his network of 5,000+ marketing professionals gives him insider knowledge about which agencies secretly represent oil and gas interests.

But this isn't just business—it's personal. After watching Greta Thunberg stand up to "mean, aggressive, angry, belittling people," Steven reconnected with his environmental science roots. He traded his Yukon Denali for a hybrid. He made tough choices. Despite the financial hit, he vowed never to work with agencies representing oil, gas, tobacco or firearms. The conversation takes a fascinating turn when discussing today's political climate, where companies are "green hushing" their sustainability efforts. Yet Steven remains optimistic. "Even if it is hushed, I truly believe companies are still going to do the right thing," he insists, noting that abandoning sustainability triggers "a continuous low roar" of customer discontent. For communications professionals navigating this shifting landscape, this episode offers both practical wisdom and moral clarity from someone who's seen it all—and chosen which side of history he wants to stand on.

Steven Shimek is the Owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic, an influential agency matchmaker who has helped over 1,600 companies across 46 countries find their ideal marketing partners. With a Master's in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Steven combines his deep environmental knowledge with extensive industry experience gained at PR Newswire, Ruder Finn, and Fleishman Hillard. What sets him apart is his principled stance against representing agencies that work with fossil fuel, tobacco, firearms, or private prison companies, despite potential revenue loss. Inspired by climate activists like Greta Thunberg and his own children, Steven has transformed his business into a vehicle for positive change, educating marketing leaders about agency transparency while helping brands find partners whose values align with their sustainability goals.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Steven's career journey from PR Newswire to Shimek Strategic

(08:14) Agencies adopting climate values and sustainability practices

(10:39) Steven's environmental science background and personal awakening

(14:08) How Steven brings transparency to agency selection process

(16:08) Discussion of "green hushing" in the current political climate

(19:08) Forecast for sustainability in corporate communications

(21:21) Conclusion and information about Antenna Group

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Steven Shimek LInkedIn

Shimek Strategic

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Why This Agency Matchmaker Rejects Fossil Fuel Clients Antenna Group 00:23:18 In this eye-opening conversation, Keith Zakheim welcomes the owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic—an influential voice who helps determine which agencies win multi-million dollar RFPs. Steven pulls back the curtain on agency practices most clients never see. "What I try to do is educate our world of marketers about what's not in the deck, what's not on the logo slides," he explains, revealing how his network of 5,000+ marketing professionals gives him insider knowledge about which agencies secretly represent oil and gas interests. In this eye-opening conversation, Keith Zakheim welcomes the owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic—an influential voice who helps determine which agencies win multi-million dollar RFPs. Steven pulls back the curtain on agency practices most clients never see. "What I try to do is educate our world of marketers about what's not in the deck, what's not on the logo slides," he explains, revealing how his network of 5,000+ marketing professionals gives him insider knowledge about which agencies secretly represent oil and gas interests. sustainable pr practices, greenwashing in agencies, climate-conscious marketing, age of adoption, keith zakheim, fossil fuel marketing ethics, sustainable brand agencies, pr agency selection, environmental values in pr, climate advocacy in marketing, agency matchmaking, agency rfp selection age of adoption podcast false full 77 3a293c78-15be-4793-80ff-1fe806ff406c Can Buildings Adapt to Climate Change? If buildings contribute 40% of global carbon emissions, what's stopping us from transforming the built environment?

In this episode of Age of Adoption, recorded on Earth Day 2025, host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breana Wheeler, Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, about the critical role of certification in decarbonizing the built environment. Wheeler shares how BREEAM, the world's first science-based validation standard for sustainable building performance, has evolved since its 1990 inception to address not only carbon mitigation but also climate resilience and adaptation. With buildings contributing nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, Wheeler explains how BREEAM's standards help asset owners manage climate risk while maintaining building value.

The conversation explores parallels between pandemic response and climate action, highlighting the importance of international cooperation and science-based approaches to global challenges. Wheeler, whose environmental passion led her from receptionist to sustainability leader, outlines the opportunities and challenges in retrofitting existing buildings. With over 750,000 certificates issued worldwide yet 70% of existing building stock still needing certification, Wheeler emphasizes the critical role of finance, regulation, and long-term investment strategies in transforming real estate for a sustainable future.

Breana Wheeler serves as Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, where she leads the organization's efforts to validate and improve sustainability performance in the built environment. With a career spanning nearly a decade at BREEAM and extensive experience in the UK, Wheeler brings a unique international perspective to climate resilience and building science. Her environmental passion began early, leading her to pursue degrees in geography, political science, and environment, politics and globalization. Before joining BREEAM, Wheeler worked at Skanska Infrastructure Development, where she transitioned from administration to sustainability leadership, focusing on environmental management as both a risk and opportunity for business. Based in San Francisco, Wheeler is a respected voice in building certification, advocating for science-based approaches to decarbonization and climate adaptation in real estate.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Breana Wheeler and San Francisco Climate Week

(03:20) Breana's career journey and environmental background

(10:46) BREEAM's evolution in response to climate science changes

(14:13) The importance of resilience standards in building certification

(21:37) Discussion on retrofitting existing building stock globally

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Breana Wheeler LinkedIn
Website: https://breeam.com/breeam-usa
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Thu, 5 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ If buildings contribute 40% of global carbon emissions, what's stopping us from transforming the built environment?

In this episode of Age of Adoption, recorded on Earth Day 2025, host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breana Wheeler, Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, about the critical role of certification in decarbonizing the built environment. Wheeler shares how BREEAM, the world's first science-based validation standard for sustainable building performance, has evolved since its 1990 inception to address not only carbon mitigation but also climate resilience and adaptation. With buildings contributing nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, Wheeler explains how BREEAM's standards help asset owners manage climate risk while maintaining building value.

The conversation explores parallels between pandemic response and climate action, highlighting the importance of international cooperation and science-based approaches to global challenges. Wheeler, whose environmental passion led her from receptionist to sustainability leader, outlines the opportunities and challenges in retrofitting existing buildings. With over 750,000 certificates issued worldwide yet 70% of existing building stock still needing certification, Wheeler emphasizes the critical role of finance, regulation, and long-term investment strategies in transforming real estate for a sustainable future.

Breana Wheeler serves as Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, where she leads the organization's efforts to validate and improve sustainability performance in the built environment. With a career spanning nearly a decade at BREEAM and extensive experience in the UK, Wheeler brings a unique international perspective to climate resilience and building science. Her environmental passion began early, leading her to pursue degrees in geography, political science, and environment, politics and globalization. Before joining BREEAM, Wheeler worked at Skanska Infrastructure Development, where she transitioned from administration to sustainability leadership, focusing on environmental management as both a risk and opportunity for business. Based in San Francisco, Wheeler is a respected voice in building certification, advocating for science-based approaches to decarbonization and climate adaptation in real estate.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Breana Wheeler and San Francisco Climate Week

(03:20) Breana's career journey and environmental background

(10:46) BREEAM's evolution in response to climate science changes

(14:13) The importance of resilience standards in building certification

(21:37) Discussion on retrofitting existing building stock globally

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Breana Wheeler LinkedIn
Website: https://breeam.com/breeam-usa
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Can Buildings Adapt to Climate Change? Antenna Group 00:25:17 In this episode of Age of Adoption, recorded on Earth Day 2025, host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breana Wheeler, Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, about the critical role of certification in decarbonizing the built environment. Wheeler shares how BREEAM, the world's first science-based validation standard for sustainable building performance, has evolved since its 1990 inception to address not only carbon mitigation but also climate resilience and adaptation. With buildings contributing nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, Wheeler explains how BREEAM's standards help asset owners manage climate risk while maintaining building value. In this episode of Age of Adoption, recorded on Earth Day 2025, host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breana Wheeler, Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, about the critical role of certification in decarbonizing the built environment. Wheeler shares how BREEAM, the world's first science-based validation standard for sustainable building performance, has evolved since its 1990 inception to address not only carbon mitigation but also climate resilience and adaptation. With buildings contributing nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, Wheeler explains how BREEAM's standards help asset owners manage climate risk while maintaining building value. green building standards, climate resilience in buildings, sustainable construction, built environment decarbonization, commercial real estate sustainability, green building certification, age of adoption, keith zakheim, sustainable building certification, climate adaptation for buildings age of adoption podcast, breeam usa, building science research false full 76 d68b4b19-9f47-4f7f-ad14-cc529886a2e9 Designing For The Next 100 Years "It's important that we share the knowledge that we create. We won't get where we need to go unless all ships rise." - Anica Landreneau

As Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, Anica leads the firm that designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium—the NFL's first LEED Platinum-certified venue. From a Texas architecture student told she'd "never find a job" in sustainability to becoming one of the industry's most influential voices, her journey reflects the evolution of green building itself. "It's not sustainable if it's not for everyone," she insists, explaining how voluntary certifications eventually create cost parity that allows practices to be codified, bringing equity to all.

The conversation delves into HOK's meticulous approach to carbon reduction—examining everything from concrete mix designs to nursery trays for landscaping. Anica reveals the economic logic behind sustainability choices: "If I optimize the design and use less material, that costs less." This practical mindset helps explain how HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022 while working toward net-zero emissions in its designs by 2030. With refreshing candor, she connects today's cutting-edge practices to the firm's 1955 Midwestern roots, where resource efficiency and durability weren't trendy—they were just good business. For anyone interested in how buildings shape our climate future, this Earth Day conversation offers both technical depth and surprising accessibility.

Anica Landreneau is the Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, the international design firm behind the LEED Platinum-certified Mercedes-Benz Stadium and countless other landmark sustainable projects. With a background in architecture and a career spanning policy think tanks and design consulting, Anica has become one of the building industry's most influential voices on decarbonization. Beyond her leadership at HOK, she chairs the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Steering Committee overseeing the rollout of LEED version 5, serves on the board of the New Buildings Institute, and contributes to the ULI Net Zero Imperative Steering Committee. Anica's approach combines technical expertise with entrepreneurial advocacy, working to transform building codes and policies while ensuring HOK's projects meet the highest sustainability standards. Under her guidance, HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022 and is committed to achieving net-zero emissions in all its designs by 2030—embodying her philosophy that "sustainability isn't sustainable if it's not for everyone."

In This Episode:

(00:00) Anica's journey from architecture student to sustainability leader

(06:00) Entrepreneurial spirit and policy advocacy in sustainability

(08:17) How voluntary certifications drive market transformation

(10:07) HOK's leadership in sharing sustainability tools and knowledge

(11:13) HOK's sustainability evolution from Midwestern values to global impact

(15:05) Deep dive into embodied carbon across building elements

(17:48) Making the economic case for sustainable design solutions

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Anica Landreneau LInkedIn
HOK
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Wed, 4 Jun 2025 14:31:49 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ "It's important that we share the knowledge that we create. We won't get where we need to go unless all ships rise." - Anica Landreneau

As Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, Anica leads the firm that designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium—the NFL's first LEED Platinum-certified venue. From a Texas architecture student told she'd "never find a job" in sustainability to becoming one of the industry's most influential voices, her journey reflects the evolution of green building itself. "It's not sustainable if it's not for everyone," she insists, explaining how voluntary certifications eventually create cost parity that allows practices to be codified, bringing equity to all.

The conversation delves into HOK's meticulous approach to carbon reduction—examining everything from concrete mix designs to nursery trays for landscaping. Anica reveals the economic logic behind sustainability choices: "If I optimize the design and use less material, that costs less." This practical mindset helps explain how HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022 while working toward net-zero emissions in its designs by 2030. With refreshing candor, she connects today's cutting-edge practices to the firm's 1955 Midwestern roots, where resource efficiency and durability weren't trendy—they were just good business. For anyone interested in how buildings shape our climate future, this Earth Day conversation offers both technical depth and surprising accessibility.

Anica Landreneau is the Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, the international design firm behind the LEED Platinum-certified Mercedes-Benz Stadium and countless other landmark sustainable projects. With a background in architecture and a career spanning policy think tanks and design consulting, Anica has become one of the building industry's most influential voices on decarbonization. Beyond her leadership at HOK, she chairs the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Steering Committee overseeing the rollout of LEED version 5, serves on the board of the New Buildings Institute, and contributes to the ULI Net Zero Imperative Steering Committee. Anica's approach combines technical expertise with entrepreneurial advocacy, working to transform building codes and policies while ensuring HOK's projects meet the highest sustainability standards. Under her guidance, HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022 and is committed to achieving net-zero emissions in all its designs by 2030—embodying her philosophy that "sustainability isn't sustainable if it's not for everyone."

In This Episode:

(00:00) Anica's journey from architecture student to sustainability leader

(06:00) Entrepreneurial spirit and policy advocacy in sustainability

(08:17) How voluntary certifications drive market transformation

(10:07) HOK's leadership in sharing sustainability tools and knowledge

(11:13) HOK's sustainability evolution from Midwestern values to global impact

(15:05) Deep dive into embodied carbon across building elements

(17:48) Making the economic case for sustainable design solutions

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Anica Landreneau LInkedIn
HOK
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Designing For The Next 100 Years Antenna Group 00:20:22 As Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, Anica leads the firm that designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium—the NFL's first LEED Platinum-certified venue. From a Texas architecture student told she'd "never find a job" in sustainability to becoming one of the industry's most influential voices, her journey reflects the evolution of green building itself. "It's not sustainable if it's not for everyone," she insists, explaining how voluntary certifications eventually create cost parity that allows practices to be codified, bringing equity to all. As Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, Anica leads the firm that designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium—the NFL's first LEED Platinum-certified venue. From a Texas architecture student told she'd "never find a job" in sustainability to becoming one of the industry's most influential voices, her journey reflects the evolution of green building itself. "It's not sustainable if it's not for everyone," she insists, explaining how voluntary certifications eventually create cost parity that allows practices to be codified, bringing equity to all. embodied carbon reduction, resilient building design, leed certification, age of adoption, keith zakheim, mercedes-benz stadium sustainability, sustainable building economics age of adoption podcast, anica landreneau, architecture climate solutions, building industry decarbonization, sustainable architecture, hok sustainability, green building policy false full 75 488ae6c9-6c6f-4e52-a5b8-39c0345bbc31 Disrupting Climate Deception In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, an organization challenging PR and advertising agencies to reject fossil fuel clients. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications, Duncan has pioneered a global movement to eliminate ties between creative agencies and fossil fuel companies. The conversation explores how Clean Creatives provides a pledge for agencies and brands, targets those working with polluters, and confronts the conflicts of interest that arise when agencies serve both sustainability-focused clients and fossil fuel companies simultaneously.

Despite current political headwinds facing climate initiatives, Duncan maintains an optimistic outlook grounded in planetary urgency and market fundamentals. He highlights how twice as much capital now flows into renewable energy compared to fossil fuels, and emphasizes that engagement typically increases during challenging political climates. For businesses navigating the climate transition, Duncan stresses the importance of focusing on material climate impacts that directly affect bottom lines—like insurance companies losing advertising revenue due to climate disaster—and building strategic plans that position organizations for success when the pendulum inevitably swings back toward climate action.

Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, leads a global movement challenging advertising and PR agencies to cut ties with fossil fuel companies through their industry pledge system. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications at organizations like 350.org, Duncan identifies how agencies serve conflicting interests when representing both sustainability-focused brands and fossil fuel clients. In this episode, he reveals the concerning "climate doomer" mentality among many agency professionals working with polluters and explains how Clean Creatives connects the dots between climate impacts and business consequences—like State Farm's $8 million Super Bowl ad cancellation due to climate disasters while their agency also represented Exxon. Despite current political headwinds, Duncan maintains that planetary urgency and strong market fundamentals, including twice as much capital flowing to renewables versus fossil fuels, provide reasons for optimism in the climate transition. Based in Austin, Texas, Duncan has been recognized as one of Adweek's Young Influentials and PRovoke Media's Innovator 25.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction - Duncan Meisel of Clean Creatives

(03:39) Duncan explains Clean Creatives' mission and fossil fuel pledge

(07:44) Discussion of agency conversations and rationalizations for fossil fuel work

(11:06) Brand perspective on agencies with fossil fuel clients

(14:42) Duncan shares his Age of Adoption story amid political challenges

(18:07) Clean Creatives' tactical focus on materiality and real impacts

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show:  

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Duncan Meisel LinkedIn

Clean Creatives Website

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, an organization challenging PR and advertising agencies to reject fossil fuel clients. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications, Duncan has pioneered a global movement to eliminate ties between creative agencies and fossil fuel companies. The conversation explores how Clean Creatives provides a pledge for agencies and brands, targets those working with polluters, and confronts the conflicts of interest that arise when agencies serve both sustainability-focused clients and fossil fuel companies simultaneously.

Despite current political headwinds facing climate initiatives, Duncan maintains an optimistic outlook grounded in planetary urgency and market fundamentals. He highlights how twice as much capital now flows into renewable energy compared to fossil fuels, and emphasizes that engagement typically increases during challenging political climates. For businesses navigating the climate transition, Duncan stresses the importance of focusing on material climate impacts that directly affect bottom lines—like insurance companies losing advertising revenue due to climate disaster—and building strategic plans that position organizations for success when the pendulum inevitably swings back toward climate action.

Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, leads a global movement challenging advertising and PR agencies to cut ties with fossil fuel companies through their industry pledge system. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications at organizations like 350.org, Duncan identifies how agencies serve conflicting interests when representing both sustainability-focused brands and fossil fuel clients. In this episode, he reveals the concerning "climate doomer" mentality among many agency professionals working with polluters and explains how Clean Creatives connects the dots between climate impacts and business consequences—like State Farm's $8 million Super Bowl ad cancellation due to climate disasters while their agency also represented Exxon. Despite current political headwinds, Duncan maintains that planetary urgency and strong market fundamentals, including twice as much capital flowing to renewables versus fossil fuels, provide reasons for optimism in the climate transition. Based in Austin, Texas, Duncan has been recognized as one of Adweek's Young Influentials and PRovoke Media's Innovator 25.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction - Duncan Meisel of Clean Creatives

(03:39) Duncan explains Clean Creatives' mission and fossil fuel pledge

(07:44) Discussion of agency conversations and rationalizations for fossil fuel work

(11:06) Brand perspective on agencies with fossil fuel clients

(14:42) Duncan shares his Age of Adoption story amid political challenges

(18:07) Clean Creatives' tactical focus on materiality and real impacts

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show:  

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Duncan Meisel LinkedIn

Clean Creatives Website

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Disrupting Climate Deception Antenna Group 00:20:32 In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, an organization challenging PR and advertising agencies to reject fossil fuel clients. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications, Duncan has pioneered a global movement to eliminate ties between creative agencies and fossil fuel companies. The conversation explores how Clean Creatives provides a pledge for agencies and brands, targets those working with polluters, and confronts the conflicts of interest that arise when agencies serve both sustainability-focused clients and fossil fuel companies simultaneously. In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, an organization challenging PR and advertising agencies to reject fossil fuel clients. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications, Duncan has pioneered a global movement to eliminate ties between creative agencies and fossil fuel companies. The conversation explores how Clean Creatives provides a pledge for agencies and brands, targets those working with polluters, and confronts the conflicts of interest that arise when agencies serve both sustainability-focused clients and fossil fuel companies simultaneously. climate action in business, agency sustainability pledges, climate communication, age of adoption, sustainability marketing, keith zakheim, duncan meisel interview, fossil fuel advertising, clean creatives, pr ethics, corporate climate responsibility, greenwashing prevention, age of adoption podcast false full 74 f453f082-893e-437c-9481-b2346a197a46 The Future of Wind Energy In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy, about reimagining wind turbine technology. Neal, a former F-18 pilot with the Marines who later worked at Google X on the Makani project, explains how Airloom Energy is developing revolutionary wind turbines that can be mass-manufactured, easily transported, and deployed without specialized equipment—all while significantly reducing costs. Instead of pursuing marginal improvements through larger turbines, Airloom creates adaptable systems that can be installed in locations where traditional wind turbines aren't feasible.

Airloom's innovative approach addresses key industry challenges by using standardized materials and simplified supply chains. Neil highlights partnerships with the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop resilient energy solutions for military installations and discusses how their technology can help reduce fuel dependency for forward operating bases. This episode demonstrates how rethinking fundamental technologies can create competitive advantages while expanding access to renewable energy globally.

Neal Rickner is a technology entrepreneur and investor specializing in energy and aerospace. Before Airloom, Neal served as the CEO of BridgeTek Energy and the Managing Partner of Elevation Ventures. Prior to these roles, Neal spent nearly a decade at Google and Google[x] leading teams and developing energy projects. Before working in tech, Neal served 12 years on active duty in the US Marine Corps as an F/A-18 pilot and forward air controller. He completed three tours in Iraq between 2003 and 2007, earning the Bronze Star and (13) Air Medals. He transitioned from active duty in 2009, earning dual master's degrees (business and international affairs) from Columbia University. Neal is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Tillman Scholar. He serves on the Advisory boards of Vets in Tech and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction - Neal Rickner's clean energy career journey

(07:38) Neal's age of adoption story: reimagining wind turbines, revolutionizing wind energy deployment

(14:17) Military applications, Defense Department innovation for fighter jets and partnerships with Airloom Energy

(19:44) Conclusion and closing thoughts

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Neal Rickner LinkedIn
Airloom Energy
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

 

]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy, about reimagining wind turbine technology. Neal, a former F-18 pilot with the Marines who later worked at Google X on the Makani project, explains how Airloom Energy is developing revolutionary wind turbines that can be mass-manufactured, easily transported, and deployed without specialized equipment—all while significantly reducing costs. Instead of pursuing marginal improvements through larger turbines, Airloom creates adaptable systems that can be installed in locations where traditional wind turbines aren't feasible.

Airloom's innovative approach addresses key industry challenges by using standardized materials and simplified supply chains. Neil highlights partnerships with the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop resilient energy solutions for military installations and discusses how their technology can help reduce fuel dependency for forward operating bases. This episode demonstrates how rethinking fundamental technologies can create competitive advantages while expanding access to renewable energy globally.

Neal Rickner is a technology entrepreneur and investor specializing in energy and aerospace. Before Airloom, Neal served as the CEO of BridgeTek Energy and the Managing Partner of Elevation Ventures. Prior to these roles, Neal spent nearly a decade at Google and Google[x] leading teams and developing energy projects. Before working in tech, Neal served 12 years on active duty in the US Marine Corps as an F/A-18 pilot and forward air controller. He completed three tours in Iraq between 2003 and 2007, earning the Bronze Star and (13) Air Medals. He transitioned from active duty in 2009, earning dual master's degrees (business and international affairs) from Columbia University. Neal is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Tillman Scholar. He serves on the Advisory boards of Vets in Tech and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction - Neal Rickner's clean energy career journey

(07:38) Neal's age of adoption story: reimagining wind turbines, revolutionizing wind energy deployment

(14:17) Military applications, Defense Department innovation for fighter jets and partnerships with Airloom Energy

(19:44) Conclusion and closing thoughts

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Neal Rickner LinkedIn
Airloom Energy
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

 

]]> The Future of Wind Energy Antenna Group 00:21:30 In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy, about reimagining wind turbine technology. Neal, a former F-18 pilot with the Marines who later worked at Google X on the Makani project, explains how Airloom Energy is developing revolutionary wind turbines that can be mass-manufactured, easily transported, and deployed without specialized equipment—all while significantly reducing costs. Instead of pursuing marginal improvements through larger turbines, Airloom creates adaptable systems that can be installed in locations where traditional wind turbines aren't feasible. In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy, about reimagining wind turbine technology. Neal, a former F-18 pilot with the Marines who later worked at Google X on the Makani project, explains how Airloom Energy is developing revolutionary wind turbines that can be mass-manufactured, easily transported, and deployed without specialized equipment—all while significantly reducing costs. Instead of pursuing marginal improvements through larger turbines, Airloom creates adaptable systems that can be installed in locations where traditional wind turbines aren't feasible. neil rickner, climate sustainability solutions age of adoption podcast, military renewable energy, f-18 pilot entrepreneur, age of adoption, keith zakheim, google x makani, airloom energy, cost-effective wind power, wind energy innovation, sustainable wind turbines, climate technology adoption false full 73 7b5546bb-1def-4035-9ba7-4a152e2f87fd Revving Up Mobility Innovation How does a transit-dependent child from Los Angeles become the Chief Mobility Officer for America's automotive heartland?

In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. Drawing from her extensive background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Smart Mobility, Johnson provides unique insights into how Michigan is pioneering mobility solutions beyond traditional electric and autonomous vehicles. She discusses the state's expansive approach to mobility—including micromobility, smart roads, and innovations like the multi-state $100 million Mach H2 hydrogen initiative—while emphasizing accessibility and climate resilience.

Johnson's fascinating journey from transit-dependent child to mobility leader offers a compelling perspective on transportation's evolution. She articulates how Michigan leverages its automotive heritage to pioneer clean energy transportation solutions, including the Toyota Mobility Foundation's $3 million Sustainable Cities Challenge award. For businesses navigating the climate transition, Johnson's insights illuminate how integrating multiple technologies—from hydrogen infrastructure to drone systems—creates resilient, accessible transportation ecosystems that benefit both industry and communities.

Justine Johnson serves as Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer, where she leads the state's advanced mobility initiatives and clean energy transportation strategies. With a robust background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Motor Company's Mobility division, Johnson brings unique expertise in transportation policy, innovation, and accessibility. Her experience includes launching NYC's Ferry Service, advising the Los Angeles County Aviation Commission, and teaching at USC. Johnson's approach combines her personal understanding of transit dependency with strategic vision, making her a transformative leader in Michigan's mobility ecosystem.

In This Episode: 

(00:02) Introduction of guest Justine Johnson, Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer

(02:29) Justine's personal journey with mobility began in childhood

(05:22) Experience at NYC Taxi Commission during rideshare disruption

(07:12) Transition through various mobility roles to Michigan position

(11:03) Justine's Age of Adoption story focusing on individual impact

(15:44) Exploring Michigan's hydrogen initiatives and the Mach H2 alliance

(18:43) Closing thoughts

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Justine Johnson LinkedIn
Michigan Economic Development Corp
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:30:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ How does a transit-dependent child from Los Angeles become the Chief Mobility Officer for America's automotive heartland?

In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. Drawing from her extensive background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Smart Mobility, Johnson provides unique insights into how Michigan is pioneering mobility solutions beyond traditional electric and autonomous vehicles. She discusses the state's expansive approach to mobility—including micromobility, smart roads, and innovations like the multi-state $100 million Mach H2 hydrogen initiative—while emphasizing accessibility and climate resilience.

Johnson's fascinating journey from transit-dependent child to mobility leader offers a compelling perspective on transportation's evolution. She articulates how Michigan leverages its automotive heritage to pioneer clean energy transportation solutions, including the Toyota Mobility Foundation's $3 million Sustainable Cities Challenge award. For businesses navigating the climate transition, Johnson's insights illuminate how integrating multiple technologies—from hydrogen infrastructure to drone systems—creates resilient, accessible transportation ecosystems that benefit both industry and communities.

Justine Johnson serves as Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer, where she leads the state's advanced mobility initiatives and clean energy transportation strategies. With a robust background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Motor Company's Mobility division, Johnson brings unique expertise in transportation policy, innovation, and accessibility. Her experience includes launching NYC's Ferry Service, advising the Los Angeles County Aviation Commission, and teaching at USC. Johnson's approach combines her personal understanding of transit dependency with strategic vision, making her a transformative leader in Michigan's mobility ecosystem.

In This Episode: 

(00:02) Introduction of guest Justine Johnson, Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer

(02:29) Justine's personal journey with mobility began in childhood

(05:22) Experience at NYC Taxi Commission during rideshare disruption

(07:12) Transition through various mobility roles to Michigan position

(11:03) Justine's Age of Adoption story focusing on individual impact

(15:44) Exploring Michigan's hydrogen initiatives and the Mach H2 alliance

(18:43) Closing thoughts

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Justine Johnson LinkedIn
Michigan Economic Development Corp
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Revving Up Mobility Innovation Antenna Group 00:20:13 In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. Drawing from her extensive background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Smart Mobility, Johnson provides unique insights into how Michigan is pioneering mobility solutions beyond traditional electric and autonomous vehicles. She discusses the state's expansive approach to mobility—including micromobility, smart roads, and innovations like the multi-state $100 million Mach H2 hydrogen initiative—while emphasizing accessibility and climate resilience. In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. Drawing from her extensive background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Smart Mobility, Johnson provides unique insights into how Michigan is pioneering mobility solutions beyond traditional electric and autonomous vehicles. She discusses the state's expansive approach to mobility—including micromobility, smart roads, and innovations like the multi-state $100 million Mach H2 hydrogen initiative—while emphasizing accessibility and climate resilience. hydrogen transportation, future of mobility, transportation accessibility, michigan mobility initiatives, age of adoption, keith zakheim, clean energy infrastructure, justine johnson, sustainable transportation, mobility innovation, climate adoption, age of adoption podcast, urban mobility solutions false full 72 d5effa84-274f-4109-8271-1b526ccac61c Reimagining Food Production What innovative strategies is SunOpta implementing to transform food waste into valuable resources, and how is their new Texas facility contributing to sustainability goals?

In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim sits down with Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, to explore how the plant-based food and beverage company is revolutionizing sustainable food production. Seidel shares her fascinating journey from communications and law to becoming a sustainability leader, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and courage in driving corporate change.

The conversation delves into SunOpta's comprehensive approach to sustainability, from innovative food upcycling practices to their strategically designed facility in Midlothian, Texas. Seidel details how the company has embedded sustainability into its corporate culture, working across departments to gather data, meet stakeholder needs, and implement meaningful environmental initiatives. Their efforts showcase how food manufacturers can successfully transform their operations while maintaining business growth and environmental responsibility.

Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, oversees the organization’s sustainability efforts, conducts materiality assessments to inform strategy, and coordinates cross-functional teams to define and achieve measurable goals. She also drafts SunOpta’s annual ESG report.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Welcome to Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta

(02:42) Stacy's Career Journey: From Communications to Sustainability Leadership

(06:58) SunOpta's Sustainability Evolution and Internal Engagement Story

(15:30) Innovation in Action: Food Upcycling and Sustainable Facility Design in Midlothian TX

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Stacy Seidel LinkedIn

SunOpta

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:31:06 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ What innovative strategies is SunOpta implementing to transform food waste into valuable resources, and how is their new Texas facility contributing to sustainability goals?

In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim sits down with Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, to explore how the plant-based food and beverage company is revolutionizing sustainable food production. Seidel shares her fascinating journey from communications and law to becoming a sustainability leader, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and courage in driving corporate change.

The conversation delves into SunOpta's comprehensive approach to sustainability, from innovative food upcycling practices to their strategically designed facility in Midlothian, Texas. Seidel details how the company has embedded sustainability into its corporate culture, working across departments to gather data, meet stakeholder needs, and implement meaningful environmental initiatives. Their efforts showcase how food manufacturers can successfully transform their operations while maintaining business growth and environmental responsibility.

Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, oversees the organization’s sustainability efforts, conducts materiality assessments to inform strategy, and coordinates cross-functional teams to define and achieve measurable goals. She also drafts SunOpta’s annual ESG report.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Welcome to Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta

(02:42) Stacy's Career Journey: From Communications to Sustainability Leadership

(06:58) SunOpta's Sustainability Evolution and Internal Engagement Story

(15:30) Innovation in Action: Food Upcycling and Sustainable Facility Design in Midlothian TX

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Stacy Seidel LinkedIn

SunOpta

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
 

]]> Reimagining Food Production Antenna Group 00:19:25 In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim sits down with Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, to explore how the plant-based food and beverage company is revolutionizing sustainable food production. Seidel shares her fascinating journey from communications and law to becoming a sustainability leader, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and courage in driving corporate change. In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim sits down with Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, to explore how the plant-based food and beverage company is revolutionizing sustainable food production. Seidel shares her fascinating journey from communications and law to becoming a sustainability leader, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and courage in driving corporate change. food upcycling innovation, age of adoption, plant-based beverage manufacturing, keith zakheim, esg program implementation, sustainable facility design, and food industry sustainability practices, sunopta, esg data reporting, sustainable food production, corporate sustainability leadership, stacy seidel, corporate climate initiatives, age of adoption podcast, sustainability career transition false full 71 4a1040f7-1e9e-4ec8-a02b-33b9ee12f04c Advancing Energy Resilience and Sustainability How did Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, help transform the largest energy consumer in the nation into a leader in sustainability?

Host Keith Zakheim has a compelling conversation (at the Pentagon!) with Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at the Department of Defense. Rachel explains the crucial balance between energy management and national security. You’ll hear about the  Department's ambitious increase in climate and energy investments from $600 million in 2022 to $4.5 billion in 2024, driven by visionary leadership and dedicated public service. Rachel also outlines the strategies for achieving 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030, addressing the challenges of reforming traditional electricity procurement methods. This episode offers listeners a profound understanding of the intersection between environmental stewardship and national security, making it an essential listen for those interested in sustainable defense initiatives.

Rachel Posner Ross: As a member of the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Ross worked with leadership across DoD, other government institutions, and external organizations to advance DoD’s climate and sustainability objectives. Prior to this appointment, she served as Chief of Staff to the 25th Secretary of the Army, where she provided oversight and guidance to the Army’s large and diverse staff and coordinated with the Army’s senior leaders to ensure timely execution of the Secretary’s priorities and statutory responsibilities.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction of Rachel Posner Ross, Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer

(03:44) Rachel’s path to her former position, living and working in Myanmar, joining Allotrope Partners

(09:15) DoD - the single largest energy consumer - and its challenging scale of consumption, following national defense strategy guidelines

(14:04) Biggest challenges, proudest moments

(16:47) Find out more, where to connect with Rachel

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Rachel Posner Ross LinkedIn
Rachel Posner Ross Bio
DoD Website
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ How did Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, help transform the largest energy consumer in the nation into a leader in sustainability?

Host Keith Zakheim has a compelling conversation (at the Pentagon!) with Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at the Department of Defense. Rachel explains the crucial balance between energy management and national security. You’ll hear about the  Department's ambitious increase in climate and energy investments from $600 million in 2022 to $4.5 billion in 2024, driven by visionary leadership and dedicated public service. Rachel also outlines the strategies for achieving 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030, addressing the challenges of reforming traditional electricity procurement methods. This episode offers listeners a profound understanding of the intersection between environmental stewardship and national security, making it an essential listen for those interested in sustainable defense initiatives.

Rachel Posner Ross: As a member of the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Ross worked with leadership across DoD, other government institutions, and external organizations to advance DoD’s climate and sustainability objectives. Prior to this appointment, she served as Chief of Staff to the 25th Secretary of the Army, where she provided oversight and guidance to the Army’s large and diverse staff and coordinated with the Army’s senior leaders to ensure timely execution of the Secretary’s priorities and statutory responsibilities.

In This Episode: 

(00:00) Introduction of Rachel Posner Ross, Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer

(03:44) Rachel’s path to her former position, living and working in Myanmar, joining Allotrope Partners

(09:15) DoD - the single largest energy consumer - and its challenging scale of consumption, following national defense strategy guidelines

(14:04) Biggest challenges, proudest moments

(16:47) Find out more, where to connect with Rachel

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Rachel Posner Ross LinkedIn
Rachel Posner Ross Bio
DoD Website
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Advancing Energy Resilience and Sustainability Antenna Group 00:17:23 Host Keith Zakheim has a compelling conversation (at the Pentagon!) with Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at the Department of Defense. Rachel explains the crucial balance between energy management and national security. You’ll hear about the Department's ambitious increase in climate and energy investments from $600 million in 2022 to $4.5 billion in 2024, driven by visionary leadership and dedicated public service. Rachel also outlines the strategies for achieving 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030, addressing the challenges of reforming traditional electricity procurement methods. This episode offers listeners a profound understanding of the intersection between environmental stewardship and national security, making it an essential listen for those interested in sustainable defense initiatives. Host Keith Zakheim has a compelling conversation (at the Pentagon!) with Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at the Department of Defense. Rachel explains the crucial balance between energy management and national security. You’ll hear about the Department's ambitious increase in climate and energy investments from $600 million in 2022 to $4.5 billion in 2024, driven by visionary leadership and dedicated public service. Rachel also outlines the strategies for achieving 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030, addressing the challenges of reforming traditional electricity procurement methods. This episode offers listeners a profound understanding of the intersection between environmental stewardship and national security, making it an essential listen for those interested in sustainable defense initiatives. false full 70 5a0c56fa-436b-4676-ad41-b98241a9fda5 Betting on Green Investments How is Breene Murphy pioneering sustainable investment strategies that challenge the status quo of traditional financial systems?

Host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breene Murphy, President of Carbon Collective, as he recounts his extraordinary shift from the bustling world of NBA journalism to spearheading the movement for sustainable investing. Breene takes us through his journey, sharing how his creative aspirations and a pivotal influence from his grandmother set him on a path to climate advocacy. His story is a testament to the power of aligning personal purpose with professional endeavors, inspiring each of us to consider how we might contribute to the sustainability movement. We discuss his integral role at Carbon Collective Investing, where he crafts innovative strategies to integrate sustainability into traditional financial systems. Explore how leaders and innovators across sectors are redefining sustainable business practices, transforming challenges into opportunities for a brighter, greener future. This episode isn't just about investment; it's an invitation to align your values with your resources, and to envision the future you wish to see.

Breene Murphy, President, Carbon Collective, is the first online investment advisor dedicated to solving climate change. With a strong background in finance, marketing, and climate, Breene has been a passionate volunteer with Citizens' Climate Lobby for 10 years, even helping pass climate legislation. He’s also the director of the ecoadventure documentary series *Seven Crossings* with big wave surfer Jamie Mitchell. Breene enjoys connecting with the climate community and sharing insights on climate action through speaking engagements and podcasts.

In This Episode: 

  • (00:00) How Breene got to his current role
  • (05:24) Breene’s stylish and energetic grandmother - a huge inspiration
  • (08:50) Storytelling and behavioral economics, a gateway into finance
  • (12:00) ESG and the Carbon Collective, the lived world vs. public markets
  • (17:10) Looking forward instead of at the status quo, changing fiduciary best practices
  • (20:00) Where we are now in investing, opportunities for shareholder engagement
  • Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Breene Murphy LinkedIn

Carbon Collective

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 4 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ How is Breene Murphy pioneering sustainable investment strategies that challenge the status quo of traditional financial systems?

Host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breene Murphy, President of Carbon Collective, as he recounts his extraordinary shift from the bustling world of NBA journalism to spearheading the movement for sustainable investing. Breene takes us through his journey, sharing how his creative aspirations and a pivotal influence from his grandmother set him on a path to climate advocacy. His story is a testament to the power of aligning personal purpose with professional endeavors, inspiring each of us to consider how we might contribute to the sustainability movement. We discuss his integral role at Carbon Collective Investing, where he crafts innovative strategies to integrate sustainability into traditional financial systems. Explore how leaders and innovators across sectors are redefining sustainable business practices, transforming challenges into opportunities for a brighter, greener future. This episode isn't just about investment; it's an invitation to align your values with your resources, and to envision the future you wish to see.

Breene Murphy, President, Carbon Collective, is the first online investment advisor dedicated to solving climate change. With a strong background in finance, marketing, and climate, Breene has been a passionate volunteer with Citizens' Climate Lobby for 10 years, even helping pass climate legislation. He’s also the director of the ecoadventure documentary series *Seven Crossings* with big wave surfer Jamie Mitchell. Breene enjoys connecting with the climate community and sharing insights on climate action through speaking engagements and podcasts.

In This Episode: 

  • (00:00) How Breene got to his current role
  • (05:24) Breene’s stylish and energetic grandmother - a huge inspiration
  • (08:50) Storytelling and behavioral economics, a gateway into finance
  • (12:00) ESG and the Carbon Collective, the lived world vs. public markets
  • (17:10) Looking forward instead of at the status quo, changing fiduciary best practices
  • (20:00) Where we are now in investing, opportunities for shareholder engagement
  • Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Breene Murphy LinkedIn

Carbon Collective

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Betting on Green Investments Antenna Group 00:24:50 Host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breene Murphy, President of Carbon Collective, as he recounts his extraordinary shift from the bustling world of NBA journalism to spearheading the movement for sustainable investing. Breene takes us through his journey, sharing how his creative aspirations and a pivotal influence from his grandmother set him on a path to climate advocacy. His story is a testament to the power of aligning personal purpose with professional endeavors, inspiring each of us to consider how we might contribute to the sustainability movement. We discuss his integral role at Carbon Collective Investing, where he crafts innovative strategies to integrate sustainability into traditional financial systems. Explore how leaders and innovators across sectors are redefining sustainable business practices, transforming challenges into opportunities for a brighter, greener future. This episode isn't just about investment; it's an invitation to align your values with your resources, and to envision the future you wish to see. Host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breene Murphy, President of Carbon Collective, as he recounts his extraordinary shift from the bustling world of NBA journalism to spearheading the movement for sustainable investing. Breene takes us through his journey, sharing how his creative aspirations and a pivotal influence from his grandmother set him on a path to climate advocacy. His story is a testament to the power of aligning personal purpose with professional endeavors, inspiring each of us to consider how we might contribute to the sustainability movement. We discuss his integral role at Carbon Collective Investing, where he crafts innovative strategies to integrate sustainability into traditional financial systems. Explore how leaders and innovators across sectors are redefining sustainable business practices, transforming challenges into opportunities for a brighter, greener future. This episode isn't just about investment; it's an invitation to align your values with your resources, and to envision the future you wish to see. false full 69 fdaf65e8-3236-4714-a664-985296bae2d8 Driving Change: Electro Dad's EV Mission for a Greener Europe What inspired Jan Stanek to become a leading influencer in the clean energy sector, known as 'Electro Dad' on YouTube?

In this episode, Keith talks with Jan, aka 'Electro Dad,' a climate advocate and YouTube influencer passionate about electric vehicles. Jan shares his transition from living in extreme industrial pollution while working in Nanjing, to leading the clean energy movement in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Jan is on a mission to inspire one million Czech and Slovakian people to embrace electric vehicles. His diverse background in engineering and economics fuels his vision for a sustainable, cleaner future. Tune in for valuable insights on Europe's electric vehicle market and the path to widespread adoption.

Jan Stanek is an electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and economist, is a passionate advocate for clean energy and electromobility. After witnessing extreme pollution in China, he became determined to minimize his family’s environmental impact. In 2012, he moved back to the Czech Republic, embracing renewable energy, installing solar panels, and driving electric cars like the Nissan Leaf. Jan founded the "Electrodad" YouTube channel in 2019, where he shares his journey with clean energy and electric vehicles, inspiring thousands. With over 40,000 subscribers and millions of views, Jan continues to promote sustainable living and a greener future.

In This Episode: 

  • (00:00) Introduction of Jan Stanek, aka “Electro Dad”, meeting of Antenna Group in Prague, Jan’s career path to electric vehicles, VC funds in Europe
  • (04:10) Academic background, Jan’s “Age of Adoption” story
  • (06:37) Challenges and roadblocks for EVs in Europe, big car manufacturing vs. EVs
  • (10:02) Closing thoughts 
  • Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Jan Stanek LinkedIn

Electro Dad on YT

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Tue, 21 Jan 2025 14:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ What inspired Jan Stanek to become a leading influencer in the clean energy sector, known as 'Electro Dad' on YouTube?

In this episode, Keith talks with Jan, aka 'Electro Dad,' a climate advocate and YouTube influencer passionate about electric vehicles. Jan shares his transition from living in extreme industrial pollution while working in Nanjing, to leading the clean energy movement in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Jan is on a mission to inspire one million Czech and Slovakian people to embrace electric vehicles. His diverse background in engineering and economics fuels his vision for a sustainable, cleaner future. Tune in for valuable insights on Europe's electric vehicle market and the path to widespread adoption.

Jan Stanek is an electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and economist, is a passionate advocate for clean energy and electromobility. After witnessing extreme pollution in China, he became determined to minimize his family’s environmental impact. In 2012, he moved back to the Czech Republic, embracing renewable energy, installing solar panels, and driving electric cars like the Nissan Leaf. Jan founded the "Electrodad" YouTube channel in 2019, where he shares his journey with clean energy and electric vehicles, inspiring thousands. With over 40,000 subscribers and millions of views, Jan continues to promote sustainable living and a greener future.

In This Episode: 

  • (00:00) Introduction of Jan Stanek, aka “Electro Dad”, meeting of Antenna Group in Prague, Jan’s career path to electric vehicles, VC funds in Europe
  • (04:10) Academic background, Jan’s “Age of Adoption” story
  • (06:37) Challenges and roadblocks for EVs in Europe, big car manufacturing vs. EVs
  • (10:02) Closing thoughts 
  • Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:

Jan Stanek LinkedIn

Electro Dad on YT

Antenna Group

Age of Adoption Website

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn

]]> Driving Change: Electro Dad's EV Mission for a Greener Europe Antenna Group 00:12:28 In this episode, Keith talks with Jan, aka 'Electro Dad,' a climate advocate and YouTube influencer passionate about electric vehicles. Jan shares his transition from living in extreme industrial pollution while working in Nanjing, to leading the clean energy movement in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Jan is on a mission to inspire one million Czech and Slovakian people to embrace electric vehicles. His diverse background in engineering and economics fuels his vision for a sustainable, cleaner future. Tune in for valuable insights on Europe's electric vehicle market and the path to widespread adoption. In this episode, Keith talks with Jan, aka 'Electro Dad,' a climate advocate and YouTube influencer passionate about electric vehicles. Jan shares his transition from living in extreme industrial pollution while working in Nanjing, to leading the clean energy movement in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Jan is on a mission to inspire one million Czech and Slovakian people to embrace electric vehicles. His diverse background in engineering and economics fuels his vision for a sustainable, cleaner future. Tune in for valuable insights on Europe's electric vehicle market and the path to widespread adoption. false full 68 6b6b24b5-f567-4140-a181-cf7a80e157fd Redefining the Built Environment Mon, 6 Jan 2025 21:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Sonny Masero, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Redefining the Built Environment Sonny Masero, Keith Zakheim 00:25:18 On this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim sits down with Sonny Masero, Managing Director at Hines. Sonny discusses the integration of sustainability into investment decisions and the need for a collective movement toward a more sustainable built environment. He also emphasizes the importance of community to spur meaningful change and highlights the legacy of leadership that drives Hines' sustainability initiatives. On this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim sits down with Sonny Masero, Managing Director at Hines. Sonny discusses the integration of sustainability into investment decisions and the need for a collective movement toward a more sustainable built environment. He also emphasizes the importance of community to spur meaningful change and highlights the legacy of leadership that drives Hines' sustainability initiatives. climate, commercial real estate, sustainability false full 67 31a85aa5-8380-436d-8e88-7398c5eb3909 Becoming Sustainable in a Generation Mon, 16 Dec 2024 22:20:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Kevin Rabinovitch, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Becoming Sustainable in a Generation Kevin Rabinovitch, Keith Zakheim 00:19:21 In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim interviews Kevin Rabinovitch, VP of Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer at Mars. Kevin shares his 30-year journey at Mars, starting as a chocolate engineer and evolving into a leader in sustainability. He discusses Mars' proactive approach to climate initiatives, including the organization’s ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The conversation highlights the challenges and strategies involved in achieving net zero emissions, emphasizing the importance of performance metrics and innovative solutions in the sustainability landscape. In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim interviews Kevin Rabinovitch, VP of Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer at Mars. Kevin shares his 30-year journey at Mars, starting as a chocolate engineer and evolving into a leader in sustainability. He discusses Mars' proactive approach to climate initiatives, including the organization’s ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The conversation highlights the challenges and strategies involved in achieving net zero emissions, emphasizing the importance of performance metrics and innovative solutions in the sustainability landscape. decarbonization, net zero, sustainability false full 66 e5f48c46-7579-4d46-a39f-5683cfc8dc25 Uncorking a Carbon-Free Future for Wine Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:15:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Sean Carroll, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Uncorking a Carbon-Free Future for Wine Sean Carroll, Keith Zakheim 00:21:15 On the latest episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith chats with Sean Carroll, Director of Communications, Social Impact, and Sustainability at Jackson Family Wines. Sean shares insights on the environmental impact of wine production and the initiatives Jackson Family Wines is undertaking to promote sustainable practices. The discussion highlights the need for climate leadership in the wine industry and the role of community and collaboration in achieving these goals. On the latest episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith chats with Sean Carroll, Director of Communications, Social Impact, and Sustainability at Jackson Family Wines. Sean shares insights on the environmental impact of wine production and the initiatives Jackson Family Wines is undertaking to promote sustainable practices. The discussion highlights the need for climate leadership in the wine industry and the role of community and collaboration in achieving these goals. wine industry, climate, climate change, sustainability false full 65 35c1aca7-7efb-4e14-8446-00011c1b2ecc Navigating Sustainability in Real Estate Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Sean Drygas, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Navigating Sustainability in Real Estate Sean Drygas, Keith Zakheim 00:18:37 In the latest episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith chats with Sean Drygas, Global Head of Sustainability for Colliers International. With a responsibility to decarbonize approximately two billion square feet of real estate, Colliers International is not only embracing the Age of Adoption; it's spearheading it within the real estate sector. Sean discusses the pivotal role that real estate plays in global carbon emissions and the enormous opportunity to reduce this footprint by adopting sustainable practices. In the latest episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith chats with Sean Drygas, Global Head of Sustainability for Colliers International. With a responsibility to decarbonize approximately two billion square feet of real estate, Colliers International is not only embracing the Age of Adoption; it's spearheading it within the real estate sector. Sean discusses the pivotal role that real estate plays in global carbon emissions and the enormous opportunity to reduce this footprint by adopting sustainable practices. commercial real estate, climate change, sustainability, real estate false full 64 e7ab41dd-8ec3-4e6f-aab1-48c2d077a58c Championing Sustainable Textiles Mon, 11 Nov 2024 22:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Doug Lynch, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Championing Sustainable Textiles Doug Lynch, Keith Zakheim 00:15:56 Filium Corp. President Doug Lynch shares his unexpected journey from pro hockey to pioneering sustainable textiles. Hear how his passion for natural materials and climate consciousness is reshaping the fashion industry. Filium Corp. President Doug Lynch shares his unexpected journey from pro hockey to pioneering sustainable textiles. Hear how his passion for natural materials and climate consciousness is reshaping the fashion industry. climate, age of adoption, marketing, sustainability false full 63 38cdf401-153c-4024-8aca-b7e235f20913 Making The Fashion Industry More Sustainable Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:40:18 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Romain Liot, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Making The Fashion Industry More Sustainable Romain Liot, Keith Zakheim 00:17:23 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Romain Liot, the co-founder and COO of Adore Me. Romain shares how he wanted to combine sustainable practices into Adore Me's highly successful e-commerce lifestyle apparel brand, and how they sold the business in 2022 for $400 million dollars. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Romain Liot, the co-founder and COO of Adore Me. Romain shares how he wanted to combine sustainable practices into Adore Me's highly successful e-commerce lifestyle apparel brand, and how they sold the business in 2022 for $400 million dollars. antenna group false full 62 06edd34c-5cb8-4fcc-8a67-18ba70ebb9dd Investing In Climate Technology Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:00:15 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Meir Rabkin, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Investing In Climate Technology Meir Rabkin, Keith Zakheim 00:17:04 Keith Zakheim, the CEO of Antenna Group, sat down with Meir Rabkin, the founder of Blue Vision Capital, to learn how Meir transitioned from working in finance to creating an investment fund that supports climate tech start ups and entrepeneurs. In this episode, Meir shares how he built a network of high net worth individuals, and leveraged those relationships to get funding to invest in the future of climate tech. Keith Zakheim, the CEO of Antenna Group, sat down with Meir Rabkin, the founder of Blue Vision Capital, to learn how Meir transitioned from working in finance to creating an investment fund that supports climate tech start ups and entrepeneurs. In this episode, Meir shares how he built a network of high net worth individuals, and leveraged those relationships to get funding to invest in the future of climate tech. climate tech, sustainability, antenna group false full 61 829e0a2a-1ded-49f7-8fdb-bf6acf1822cc Building The Biggest Brand on The Planet Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:36:31 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Hap Klopp, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Building The Biggest Brand on The Planet Hap Klopp, Keith Zakheim 00:19:31 In this episode of The Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, interviews Hap Klopp, one of the original founders and 20-year CEO of The North Face. Hap shares his journey from starting small in San Francisco to building an internationally recognized brand known for its sustainable, high-quality products. Together, they explore Hap’s entrepreneurial beginnings, his forward-thinking approach to sustainability, and how he helped grow The North Face into a $4 billion company. In this episode of The Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, interviews Hap Klopp, one of the original founders and 20-year CEO of The North Face. Hap shares his journey from starting small in San Francisco to building an internationally recognized brand known for its sustainable, high-quality products. Together, they explore Hap’s entrepreneurial beginnings, his forward-thinking approach to sustainability, and how he helped grow The North Face into a $4 billion company. hap klopp, north face, age of adoption podcast, antenna group false full 60 dbc53660-a49b-4234-b854-f458dd4e8282 Investing in Climate Tech Tue, 8 Oct 2024 16:52:29 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Eric Kohlmann, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Investing in Climate Tech Eric Kohlmann, Keith Zakheim 00:13:12 In this exciting episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Eric Kohlmann, Partner at Climate First, to discuss the Future of Investing in Climate Technology. Keith and Eric dive deep into Eric's previous experience working in the financial sector, and how he sees investing in climate technology will help pave the way for new companies to emerge that have the opportunity to not only be profitable, but have a positive impact on the planet. In this exciting episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Eric Kohlmann, Partner at Climate First, to discuss the Future of Investing in Climate Technology. Keith and Eric dive deep into Eric's previous experience working in the financial sector, and how he sees investing in climate technology will help pave the way for new companies to emerge that have the opportunity to not only be profitable, but have a positive impact on the planet. keith zakheim, age of adoption podcast, antenna group false full 59 6c02e709-edd1-4c8b-ba1c-bf208d3aa586 The Future of Sustainable Business Tue, 1 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Chris Robinson, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The Future of Sustainable Business Chris Robinson, Keith Zakheim 00:14:01 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, host Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Chris Robinson, a United States Marine Veteran turned climate tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Clearyst, a leader in sustainable software solutions. Together, they explore Chris’s journey into the climate tech industry, diving deep into the pivotal moments that inspired him to create a business that balances profitability with a positive environmental impact. From early technology breakthroughs to his commitment to ESG principles, Chris shares how he’s pioneering a sustainable future through innovative software and technology. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, host Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Chris Robinson, a United States Marine Veteran turned climate tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Clearyst, a leader in sustainable software solutions. Together, they explore Chris’s journey into the climate tech industry, diving deep into the pivotal moments that inspired him to create a business that balances profitability with a positive environmental impact. From early technology breakthroughs to his commitment to ESG principles, Chris shares how he’s pioneering a sustainable future through innovative software and technology. keith zakheim, climatetech, podcast, business, sustainability, antenna group false full 58 abeb524c-7112-4dba-8501-a35ce9ec2e7a The World's Most Sustainable Business Tue, 24 Sep 2024 16:01:59 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Justin Saia, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The World's Most Sustainable Business Justin Saia, Keith Zakheim 00:17:01 In this insightful episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group is joined by Justin Saia, VP, European Communications and CEO Public Relations, recently named by Time Magazine as the World's Most Sustainable Business. Justin and Keith discuss how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are placed at the core of Schneider's business strategy, and their commitment to electrification, automation, and digitization—all critical components in driving efficiency and sustainability in the modern world. He emphasizes how the company is focused on reducing energy usage and emissions, with the ultimate goal of decarbonizing the planet. Tune in to learn how Schneider Electric is pioneering a cleaner, more efficient future through cutting-edge technology and a strong dedication to ESG. In this insightful episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group is joined by Justin Saia, VP, European Communications and CEO Public Relations, recently named by Time Magazine as the World's Most Sustainable Business. Justin and Keith discuss how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are placed at the core of Schneider's business strategy, and their commitment to electrification, automation, and digitization—all critical components in driving efficiency and sustainability in the modern world. He emphasizes how the company is focused on reducing energy usage and emissions, with the ultimate goal of decarbonizing the planet. Tune in to learn how Schneider Electric is pioneering a cleaner, more efficient future through cutting-edge technology and a strong dedication to ESG. climate tech, responsible business, age of adoption, keith zakheim, cleantech, antenna group false full 57 947ba635-811b-4e93-ab97-5a9b47e2c8cb Getting to Zero Wed, 21 Aug 2024 13:05:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Getting to Zero Antenna Group 00:13:45 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith interviews Jess Bergman, Acting Director of Marketing and Communications at the New Buildings Institute. Jess shares her extensive career journey across nonprofits, government, Google, and more, offering lessons learned in the fields of energy efficiency and building decarbonization. The discussion explores the major barriers to climate adoption, both perceived and actual, and emphasizes the importance of effective messaging and policy incentives. The episode also highlights NBI’s annual Getting to Zero Forum, a premier event focused on decarbonization in the built environment. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith interviews Jess Bergman, Acting Director of Marketing and Communications at the New Buildings Institute. Jess shares her extensive career journey across nonprofits, government, Google, and more, offering lessons learned in the fields of energy efficiency and building decarbonization. The discussion explores the major barriers to climate adoption, both perceived and actual, and emphasizes the importance of effective messaging and policy incentives. The episode also highlights NBI’s annual Getting to Zero Forum, a premier event focused on decarbonization in the built environment. false full 56 460ae56e-9130-42fa-aeba-12fc457fc1d5 Simplifying Onsite Energy Wed, 31 Jul 2024 13:30:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Gareth Evans, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Simplifying Onsite Energy Gareth Evans, Keith Zakheim 00:10:12 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith sits down with Gareth Evans, CEO of VECKTA. Growing up in Liverpool, England, Gareth dreamed of becoming a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force. Sponsored by the Air Force to study environmental science, his career journey began in environmental remediation, where he worked to clean up old oil and gas well sites in post-Gulf War Iraq. The experience revealed to Gareth the instability and inefficiencies of relying on central energy grids and motivated him to become a disruptive force in the energy industry. Gareth's vision of transforming the century-old energy consumption model led to the birth of VECKTA, which simplifies and modernizes the deployment of onsite energy systems. Today, Gareth and VECKTA help businesses through the energy transition process, ensuring sustainability while meeting economic goals. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith sits down with Gareth Evans, CEO of VECKTA. Growing up in Liverpool, England, Gareth dreamed of becoming a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force. Sponsored by the Air Force to study environmental science, his career journey began in environmental remediation, where he worked to clean up old oil and gas well sites in post-Gulf War Iraq. The experience revealed to Gareth the instability and inefficiencies of relying on central energy grids and motivated him to become a disruptive force in the energy industry. Gareth's vision of transforming the century-old energy consumption model led to the birth of VECKTA, which simplifies and modernizes the deployment of onsite energy systems. Today, Gareth and VECKTA help businesses through the energy transition process, ensuring sustainability while meeting economic goals. energy, climate, climate change, sustainability false full 55 2b9a1ebd-4d1e-41c2-a8c9-1b4262e5953d Harnessing the Power of Collaboration Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:05:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Scott Kitcher, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Harnessing the Power of Collaboration Scott Kitcher, Keith Zakheim 00:10:12 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith hosts long-time friend and fellow climate warrior Scott Kitcher, President and CEO of Sustain SoCal. Scott takes us through his professional journey, highlighting how his start in the financial services industry led him to becoming a passionate advocate for sustainability and climate action. Keith and Scott then reflect on the lessons learned from early investments in climate tech companies and how these experiences laid the groundwork for more informed investments today. Scott also shares the history of Sustain SoCal and how the organization’s evolution into an organization with more than 4,000 members, ranging from local governments to Fortune 100 corporations, underscores the growing interest in sustainability and the collective effort required to address climate challenges. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith hosts long-time friend and fellow climate warrior Scott Kitcher, President and CEO of Sustain SoCal. Scott takes us through his professional journey, highlighting how his start in the financial services industry led him to becoming a passionate advocate for sustainability and climate action. Keith and Scott then reflect on the lessons learned from early investments in climate tech companies and how these experiences laid the groundwork for more informed investments today. Scott also shares the history of Sustain SoCal and how the organization’s evolution into an organization with more than 4,000 members, ranging from local governments to Fortune 100 corporations, underscores the growing interest in sustainability and the collective effort required to address climate challenges. sustainable finance, climate tech, climate, climate change, sustainability false full 54 9eeb67da-aa32-48c7-be14-e076cb75893b Delivering on Sustainability Tue, 2 Jul 2024 13:05:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Mike Robinson, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Delivering on Sustainability Mike Robinson, Keith Zakheim 00:12:49 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith interviews Mike Robinson, Head of Retail Solutions at the Eighth Notch. Mike shares how he made the leap from consumer products and management consulting to becoming an 'accidental retailer' and spearheading major initiatives at Gap and Macy's. Mike discusses his pivot toward sustainable retail solutions, focusing on more efficient and eco-friendly final mile delivery processes. Keith and Mike then explore the industry’s shift from promoting excessive consumerism to fostering sustainable purchasing habits and innovative fulfillment strategies. Mike emphasizes the importance of reducing environmental impact through smarter logistics and shares his vision for the future of retail and delivery systems. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith interviews Mike Robinson, Head of Retail Solutions at the Eighth Notch. Mike shares how he made the leap from consumer products and management consulting to becoming an 'accidental retailer' and spearheading major initiatives at Gap and Macy's. Mike discusses his pivot toward sustainable retail solutions, focusing on more efficient and eco-friendly final mile delivery processes. Keith and Mike then explore the industry’s shift from promoting excessive consumerism to fostering sustainable purchasing habits and innovative fulfillment strategies. Mike emphasizes the importance of reducing environmental impact through smarter logistics and shares his vision for the future of retail and delivery systems. logistics, retail, climate, age of adoption, climate change, sustainability, ecommerce false full 53 995012ae-ff48-4ecb-8008-606ef68fc870 It All Starts and Ends in the Midwest Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:05:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Amy Heart, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ It All Starts and Ends in the Midwest Amy Heart, Keith Zakheim 00:11:10 Amy Heart shares her career journey from her roots in Wisconsin to her pivotal role as SVP of Public Policy at Sunrun. Keith and Amy discuss the increasing consumer interest in sustainability and Sunrun's customer-focused approach to making solar energy accessible and affordable for homeowners. Amy Heart shares her career journey from her roots in Wisconsin to her pivotal role as SVP of Public Policy at Sunrun. Keith and Amy discuss the increasing consumer interest in sustainability and Sunrun's customer-focused approach to making solar energy accessible and affordable for homeowners. climate, solar energy, age of adoption, cleantech, climate change, sunrun, sustainability false full 52 1d7c5e5a-5a2d-4d64-8505-36e32bebf81e Leading with the “Why” of Sustainability with the Climate Change Committee's Sophie Vipond Sophie emphasizes the importance of leaning into emotional and personal connections in climate-focused storytelling. By crafting compelling narratives around social justice, health perspectives, and the overall wellbeing of future generations, Sophie believes we can better motivate audiences to drive meaningful change.

In the Age of Adoption, organizations across the economy are furiously adopting climate and sustainability solutions. The Climate Change Committee is committed to forging partnerships to address pressing environmental challenges across the UK.

Learn more about the Climate Change Committee. 

Learn more about Antenna Group. 

]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2024 13:30:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Sophie Vipond, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Sophie emphasizes the importance of leaning into emotional and personal connections in climate-focused storytelling. By crafting compelling narratives around social justice, health perspectives, and the overall wellbeing of future generations, Sophie believes we can better motivate audiences to drive meaningful change.

In the Age of Adoption, organizations across the economy are furiously adopting climate and sustainability solutions. The Climate Change Committee is committed to forging partnerships to address pressing environmental challenges across the UK.

Learn more about the Climate Change Committee. 

Learn more about Antenna Group. 

]]> Leading with the “Why” of Sustainability with the Climate Change Committee's Sophie Vipond Sophie Vipond, Keith Zakheim 00:10:41 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Sophie Vipond, Head of Communications and Engagement with the Climate Change Committee, joins Keith to discuss the transformative power of collective action and shared responsibility in navigating the complexities of climate action. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Sophie Vipond, Head of Communications and Engagement with the Climate Change Committee, joins Keith to discuss the transformative power of collective action and shared responsibility in navigating the complexities of climate action. climate tech, renewable energy, net zero, climate policy, climate, climate action, climate change false full 51 6c9bec4f-b108-4d87-aa5e-eefc3de8138c Accelerating the Energy Transition with ABB’s Brian Nelson The Mission to Zero:

ABB has fully embraced the challenge of achieving net-zero targets with a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030. The company’s Mission to Zero initiative aims to significantly reduce emissions from its global facilities by implementing solar, energy storage, and smart switchgear solutions. By adopting digitalization, ABB seeks to optimize electricity utilization and make informed decisions for a more sustainable future.

The Evolution of the Customer Mindset:

While selling sustainable energy solutions initially required extensive education and advocacy efforts, Brian noted that today’s customers are increasingly interested in the environmental impact of the products they purchase. ABB recognizes this shift and has developed an environmental product declaration for every piece of equipment it manufactures, enhancing transparency about CO2 impact and recyclability. 

The Age of Adoption is an exciting era in which businesses across industries must embrace climate and sustainability. ABB, through its ambitious goals and initiatives, is driving this transformation forward. 

Learn more about ABB. 

Learn more about Antenna Group. 

]]> Tue, 5 Mar 2024 14:30:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Brian Nelson, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The Mission to Zero:

ABB has fully embraced the challenge of achieving net-zero targets with a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030. The company’s Mission to Zero initiative aims to significantly reduce emissions from its global facilities by implementing solar, energy storage, and smart switchgear solutions. By adopting digitalization, ABB seeks to optimize electricity utilization and make informed decisions for a more sustainable future.

The Evolution of the Customer Mindset:

While selling sustainable energy solutions initially required extensive education and advocacy efforts, Brian noted that today’s customers are increasingly interested in the environmental impact of the products they purchase. ABB recognizes this shift and has developed an environmental product declaration for every piece of equipment it manufactures, enhancing transparency about CO2 impact and recyclability. 

The Age of Adoption is an exciting era in which businesses across industries must embrace climate and sustainability. ABB, through its ambitious goals and initiatives, is driving this transformation forward. 

Learn more about ABB. 

Learn more about Antenna Group. 

]]> Accelerating the Energy Transition with ABB’s Brian Nelson Brian Nelson, Keith Zakheim 00:13:32 In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast we sit down with Brian Nelson, Renewables Segment Leader at ABB, to learn more about how the organization is playing a crucial role in the energy transition. In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast we sit down with Brian Nelson, Renewables Segment Leader at ABB, to learn more about how the organization is playing a crucial role in the energy transition. climate tech, renewable energy, net zero, energy transition, climate, age of adoption, climate change, environment false full 50 6b115d23-0888-44ec-b7e9-8989773dc1fc A Sustainable Approach to Transforming Global Health - With Northwell Health’s Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña Thu, 4 Jan 2024 22:43:44 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (eric cioe pena, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ A Sustainable Approach to Transforming Global Health - With Northwell Health’s Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña eric cioe pena, Keith Zakheim 00:17:47 In the latest episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña, MD, MPH an emergency physician, and the vice president and founder of the Center for Global Health at Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York State. Dr. Cioè Peña shares Northwell Health’s Age of Adoption story, with insights into Northwell's vision for transforming the healthcare system into a more decarbonized and sustainable model. Listen to or watch the episode to hear our guest’s insights on antennagroup.com In the latest episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña, MD, MPH an emergency physician, and the vice president and founder of the Center for Global Health at Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York State. Dr. Cioè Peña shares Northwell Health’s Age of Adoption story, with insights into Northwell's vision for transforming the healthcare system into a more decarbonized and sustainable model. Listen to or watch the episode to hear our guest’s insights on antennagroup.com global health, health equity, global emissions, sustainability, healthcare false full 49 2fa43558-9aab-4a05-b954-4ff328d9f057 Advancing Sustainable & Equitable Healthcare with Atlantic Health System Nikki Sumpter, Chief Administrative Officer of Atlantic Health System, joins us to discuss the health system's efforts to address health equity and sustainability in the Age of Adoption. 

Nikki shares how Atlantic Health System is working to create a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system for its staff, patients, and the communities in which it operates. She explains that by increasing access to transportation, providing language assistance, and improving health education, the hospital is already seeing the impact of its efforts.

Atlantic Health System is also addressing its carbon footprint, given the negative impacts the climate crisis has on human health. Nikki explains how the hospital is considering its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and, in doing so, adjusting how it uses water, how patients get to their appointments, and how the hospital sources its food.

Listen to the episode to learn more about the progress being made at Atlantic Health System to address equity and sustainability in healthcare. And don’t forget to check out Nikki’s book recommendation: Branding That Means Business.

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 15:58:41 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Nikki Sumpter, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Nikki Sumpter, Chief Administrative Officer of Atlantic Health System, joins us to discuss the health system's efforts to address health equity and sustainability in the Age of Adoption. 

Nikki shares how Atlantic Health System is working to create a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system for its staff, patients, and the communities in which it operates. She explains that by increasing access to transportation, providing language assistance, and improving health education, the hospital is already seeing the impact of its efforts.

Atlantic Health System is also addressing its carbon footprint, given the negative impacts the climate crisis has on human health. Nikki explains how the hospital is considering its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and, in doing so, adjusting how it uses water, how patients get to their appointments, and how the hospital sources its food.

Listen to the episode to learn more about the progress being made at Atlantic Health System to address equity and sustainability in healthcare. And don’t forget to check out Nikki’s book recommendation: Branding That Means Business.

]]> Advancing Sustainable & Equitable Healthcare with Atlantic Health System Nikki Sumpter, Keith Zakheim 00:19:54 Nikki Sumpter, Chief Administrative Officer of Atlantic Health System, joins us to discuss the health system's efforts to address health equity and sustainability in the Age of Adoption. Nikki Sumpter, Chief Administrative Officer of Atlantic Health System, joins us to discuss the health system's efforts to address health equity and sustainability in the Age of Adoption. hospitals, health, green healthcare, health equity, hospital systems, sustainability, sustainable healthcare, healthcare false full 48 b45ea33e-57ec-4231-95aa-4bb203e9ea04 Advancing Climate Justice in the Industrial Sector Decarbonizing the industrial sector is the next frontier in climate action, but for Dimensional Energy’s Co-Founder & CEO, Jason Salfi, the work doesn’t stop there. Dimensional Energy is instilling climate justice principles throughout their business, beginning by pairing sustainable, carbon neutral fuel development with binding community engagement processes. Their work to foster equitable relationships between technologists and the public could make the difference between solving the climate crisis or not. 

Join us as we explore Dimensional Energy’s transformative fuel technology for one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (aviation) as we discuss:

  • A future of carbon neutral fuel production that leverages renewable energy, carbon capture and green hydrogen technologies.  
  • Why energy communities are central to the sustainable deployment of climate technologies and infrastructure.
  • How fast-moving start-ups can slow down for climate justice without compromising innovation, market opportunities and business growth. 
  • The driving factors that have incited the Age of Adoption, i.e. honest media coverage, younger decision-makers, etc., and why they spur optimism for the future. 

Join the conversation on social with the hashtag #ageofadoption and visit ageofadoption.com to explore our curated essay series covering topics from ESG Leadership, Environmental Justice, and more.

]]> Wed, 5 Apr 2023 10:45:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Jason Salfi, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Decarbonizing the industrial sector is the next frontier in climate action, but for Dimensional Energy’s Co-Founder & CEO, Jason Salfi, the work doesn’t stop there. Dimensional Energy is instilling climate justice principles throughout their business, beginning by pairing sustainable, carbon neutral fuel development with binding community engagement processes. Their work to foster equitable relationships between technologists and the public could make the difference between solving the climate crisis or not. 

Join us as we explore Dimensional Energy’s transformative fuel technology for one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (aviation) as we discuss:

  • A future of carbon neutral fuel production that leverages renewable energy, carbon capture and green hydrogen technologies.  
  • Why energy communities are central to the sustainable deployment of climate technologies and infrastructure.
  • How fast-moving start-ups can slow down for climate justice without compromising innovation, market opportunities and business growth. 
  • The driving factors that have incited the Age of Adoption, i.e. honest media coverage, younger decision-makers, etc., and why they spur optimism for the future. 

Join the conversation on social with the hashtag #ageofadoption and visit ageofadoption.com to explore our curated essay series covering topics from ESG Leadership, Environmental Justice, and more.

]]> Advancing Climate Justice in the Industrial Sector Jason Salfi, Keith Zakheim 00:20:54 Decarbonizing the industrial sector is the next frontier in climate action, but for Dimensional Energy’s Co-Founder & CEO, Jason Salfi, the work doesn’t stop there. Dimensional Energy is instilling climate justice principles throughout their business, beginning by pairing sustainable, carbon neutral fuel development with binding community engagement processes. Decarbonizing the industrial sector is the next frontier in climate action, but for Dimensional Energy’s Co-Founder & CEO, Jason Salfi, the work doesn’t stop there. Dimensional Energy is instilling climate justice principles throughout their business, beginning by pairing sustainable, carbon neutral fuel development with binding community engagement processes. decarbonization, community, energy, age of adoption, carbon neutral, equity, climate justice, climate change, sustainable aviation fuel, sustainability false full 47 7cc8902e-4834-42bb-b9d9-caab51063c4d Clean Economy Leadership in the SVB Aftermath Executive leadership in today’s highly-complex innovation economy requires more than the traditional investment in IP, market transformation, and engineers. According to this week’s Age of Adoption (formerly Raising Your Antenna) special guest, the most competitive, resilient startups depend on emotional awareness that begins at the C-Level. This is particularly true in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse in March 2023, whereby bank executives made a series of risky decisions with little oversight, leading to the frantic withdrawal of over $40 billion from depositors and culminating in the bank’s failure.

Join us, alongside Jon Bonanno, Managing Partner at Strategic Operating Partners, as we dive into what individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies must do to capitalize on the momentum of the Age of Adoption and lead the new age: 

  • How corporate leaders can leverage emotional intelligence to distinguish themselves and drive business success in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank crisis and the continued uncertainty following its failure
  • The opportunity and responsibility that corporate leaders have to support the decarbonization of developing nations to fight climate change in an increasingly globalized world 
  • The key trends that forecast the future direction of the climate tech market and lessons learned from previous transformations in the sector

Interested in learning more? Visit ageofadoption.com to understand more about this transformative era and to explore Antenna Group’s curated eBook series covering topics from Environmental Justice to ESG Leadership and more. 

]]> Fri, 31 Mar 2023 13:05:07 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Jon Bonnano, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Executive leadership in today’s highly-complex innovation economy requires more than the traditional investment in IP, market transformation, and engineers. According to this week’s Age of Adoption (formerly Raising Your Antenna) special guest, the most competitive, resilient startups depend on emotional awareness that begins at the C-Level. This is particularly true in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse in March 2023, whereby bank executives made a series of risky decisions with little oversight, leading to the frantic withdrawal of over $40 billion from depositors and culminating in the bank’s failure.

Join us, alongside Jon Bonanno, Managing Partner at Strategic Operating Partners, as we dive into what individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies must do to capitalize on the momentum of the Age of Adoption and lead the new age: 

  • How corporate leaders can leverage emotional intelligence to distinguish themselves and drive business success in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank crisis and the continued uncertainty following its failure
  • The opportunity and responsibility that corporate leaders have to support the decarbonization of developing nations to fight climate change in an increasingly globalized world 
  • The key trends that forecast the future direction of the climate tech market and lessons learned from previous transformations in the sector

Interested in learning more? Visit ageofadoption.com to understand more about this transformative era and to explore Antenna Group’s curated eBook series covering topics from Environmental Justice to ESG Leadership and more. 

]]> Clean Economy Leadership in the SVB Aftermath Jon Bonnano, Keith Zakheim 00:27:21 Join us, alongside Jon Bonanno, Managing Partner at Strategic Operating Partners, as we dive into what individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies must do to capitalize on the momentum of the Age of Adoption and lead the new age. Join us, alongside Jon Bonanno, Managing Partner at Strategic Operating Partners, as we dive into what individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies must do to capitalize on the momentum of the Age of Adoption and lead the new age. environmental justice, decarbonization, climate tech, corporate sustainability, age of adoption, emotional intelligence, equity, leadership, silicon valley bank, ei false full 46 696dca30-4699-40ef-a920-4b195b917bc4 Addressing Net Zero in the Existing Building Stock This week we are privileged to have two exceptional guests on Raising Your Antenna’s Special Inflation Reduction Act 8-Part Series, Mahesh Ramanujam and Sarah Merricks. They discuss how Global Network for Zero (GNFZ) is redefining net-zero strategy and green building certifications to optimize corporate sustainability efforts. 

GNFZ focuses on a significant culprit of global emissions: the existing U.S. building stock. Approximately 80 percent of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 are already built, though most net zero goals are aimed at new construction. Listen as GNFZ’s CEO & Founder and Chief Strategy Officer explain why the public and private sectors must prioritize retrofitting and updating existing buildings or risk missing critical climate reduction goals.

Before launching GNFZ, Mahesh served as President & CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), where Sarah served as his Chief of Staff. Following more than a decade USGBC, they founded the GNFZ in 2022 with the ambition of realizing a zero-emissions world by focusing on sectors traditionally difficult to decarbonize. 

In today's podcast, GNFZ addresses: 

  • Empowering people and organizations to accelerate the realization of a zero-emissions world
  • Measuring the ROI of green building sustainable technologies and resonating with investors
  • Driving opportunities for the accurate measurement and elimination of a building’s embedded carbon
  • Communicating the environmental and economic benefits of  retrofitting buildings to be more sustainable to existing property owner

Learn more about the Global Network for Zero and reach out to Antenna Group with any questions about this podcast.

]]> Wed, 15 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Mahesh Ramanujam, Sarah Merricks, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ This week we are privileged to have two exceptional guests on Raising Your Antenna’s Special Inflation Reduction Act 8-Part Series, Mahesh Ramanujam and Sarah Merricks. They discuss how Global Network for Zero (GNFZ) is redefining net-zero strategy and green building certifications to optimize corporate sustainability efforts. 

GNFZ focuses on a significant culprit of global emissions: the existing U.S. building stock. Approximately 80 percent of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 are already built, though most net zero goals are aimed at new construction. Listen as GNFZ’s CEO & Founder and Chief Strategy Officer explain why the public and private sectors must prioritize retrofitting and updating existing buildings or risk missing critical climate reduction goals.

Before launching GNFZ, Mahesh served as President & CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), where Sarah served as his Chief of Staff. Following more than a decade USGBC, they founded the GNFZ in 2022 with the ambition of realizing a zero-emissions world by focusing on sectors traditionally difficult to decarbonize. 

In today's podcast, GNFZ addresses: 

  • Empowering people and organizations to accelerate the realization of a zero-emissions world
  • Measuring the ROI of green building sustainable technologies and resonating with investors
  • Driving opportunities for the accurate measurement and elimination of a building’s embedded carbon
  • Communicating the environmental and economic benefits of  retrofitting buildings to be more sustainable to existing property owner

Learn more about the Global Network for Zero and reach out to Antenna Group with any questions about this podcast.

]]> Addressing Net Zero in the Existing Building Stock Mahesh Ramanujam, Sarah Merricks, Keith Zakheim 00:30:04 This week we are privileged to have two exceptional guests on Raising Your Antenna’s Special Inflation Reduction Act 8-Part Series, Mahesh Ramanujam and Sarah Merricks. They discuss how Global Network for Zero (GNFZ) is redefining net-zero strategy and green building certifications to optimize corporate sustainability efforts. This week we are privileged to have two exceptional guests on Raising Your Antenna’s Special Inflation Reduction Act 8-Part Series, Mahesh Ramanujam and Sarah Merricks. They discuss how Global Network for Zero (GNFZ) is redefining net-zero strategy and green building certifications to optimize corporate sustainability efforts. net zero, construction, climate, cre, built environment, climate change, global emissions, proptech, sustainability, real estate, sustainable cities false full 45 7ee05ef9-8c97-4ac1-ab52-62a2173eb613 Large-Scale City Electrification in the Age of Adoption This episode of Raising Your Antenna features Jordan Feldstein, Product Co-Chief / Tech Lead at BlocPower, to discuss the path forward to upgrading all 125MM American homes and 5MM fossil fuel-burning buildings to make them more cost-effective, healthier, smarter, and greener. This transition is not only combating the climate crisis but creating inclusive new job opportunities and saving money for property owners and tenants. 

BlocPower is leading the charge to replace and retrofit dated and dangerous heating and cooling systems with electric heat pumps in residential and commercial buildings. Fast Company recognized BlocPower for its transformational technology, naming it the 4th Most Innovative Company in the World in 2022. 

While technological innovations to lower greenhouse gas emissions in real estate are here – what lies ahead is the challenge of mass adoption. Most regulation around the environmental impact of the built environment is focused on new construction. While important, the built environment is the 4th largest emitter of greenhouse gasses not because of new builds, but mostly because of the inefficient and unhealthy older buildings. 

Jordan and Keith discuss why addressing this part of the problem is crucial to combat the worst effects of climate change: 

  • Why heat pumps are an important part of the equation to reducing emissions in buildings
  • How the Inflation Reduction will play a key role in electrifying older buildings and what programs are available to fund the transition
  • How to electrify old construction to meet the current moment, and in doing so improve health, increase building value, and lower costs for owners and tenants
  • How environmental justice and equity will be pivotal to the transition, and how BlocPower  is integrating them into its business

Learn more about how BlocPower is building opportunity in high-gun violence neighborhoods by preparing 1,000 talented individuals for a career in climate technology with its Civilian Climate Corps and partnership with NYC. For additional information on these programs, you can read about their recently expanded engagement with the City of New York and Year One Impact Report on the Civilian Climate Corps.

Excited about the possibilities in climate since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act? Learn more about what lies ahead in the Age of Adoption in Greenbiz.

]]> Tue, 7 Feb 2023 14:12:22 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Jordan Feldstein, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ This episode of Raising Your Antenna features Jordan Feldstein, Product Co-Chief / Tech Lead at BlocPower, to discuss the path forward to upgrading all 125MM American homes and 5MM fossil fuel-burning buildings to make them more cost-effective, healthier, smarter, and greener. This transition is not only combating the climate crisis but creating inclusive new job opportunities and saving money for property owners and tenants. 

BlocPower is leading the charge to replace and retrofit dated and dangerous heating and cooling systems with electric heat pumps in residential and commercial buildings. Fast Company recognized BlocPower for its transformational technology, naming it the 4th Most Innovative Company in the World in 2022. 

While technological innovations to lower greenhouse gas emissions in real estate are here – what lies ahead is the challenge of mass adoption. Most regulation around the environmental impact of the built environment is focused on new construction. While important, the built environment is the 4th largest emitter of greenhouse gasses not because of new builds, but mostly because of the inefficient and unhealthy older buildings. 

Jordan and Keith discuss why addressing this part of the problem is crucial to combat the worst effects of climate change: 

  • Why heat pumps are an important part of the equation to reducing emissions in buildings
  • How the Inflation Reduction will play a key role in electrifying older buildings and what programs are available to fund the transition
  • How to electrify old construction to meet the current moment, and in doing so improve health, increase building value, and lower costs for owners and tenants
  • How environmental justice and equity will be pivotal to the transition, and how BlocPower  is integrating them into its business

Learn more about how BlocPower is building opportunity in high-gun violence neighborhoods by preparing 1,000 talented individuals for a career in climate technology with its Civilian Climate Corps and partnership with NYC. For additional information on these programs, you can read about their recently expanded engagement with the City of New York and Year One Impact Report on the Civilian Climate Corps.

Excited about the possibilities in climate since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act? Learn more about what lies ahead in the Age of Adoption in Greenbiz.

]]> Large-Scale City Electrification in the Age of Adoption Jordan Feldstein, Keith Zakheim 00:27:09 This episode of Raising Your Antenna features Jordan Feldstein, Product Co-Chief / Tech Lead at BlocPower, to discuss the path forward to upgrading all 125MM American homes and 5MM fossil fuel-burning buildings to make them more cost-effective, healthier, smarter, and greener. This transition is not only combating the climate crisis but creating inclusive new job opportunities and saving money for property owners and tenants. This episode of Raising Your Antenna features Jordan Feldstein, Product Co-Chief / Tech Lead at BlocPower, to discuss the path forward to upgrading all 125MM American homes and 5MM fossil fuel-burning buildings to make them more cost-effective, healthier, smarter, and greener. This transition is not only combating the climate crisis but creating inclusive new job opportunities and saving money for property owners and tenants. environmental justice, ira, inflation reduction act, equity, built environment, climate justice, electrification, jobs, green jobs, heat pumps, grid, inclusion false full 44 45456f94-66cc-40ea-a61c-9a4fce0cf39b Federal to Local: Unlocking Sustainable Transportation Investments This episode of Raising Your Antenna features David Kim, former U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Administrator under President Obama and California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) Secretary under Gov. Newsom, to discuss the ways in which industry can help unlock billions of dollars in local transportation investments and help build a more equitable mobility system. 

Secretary Kim is a globally recognized leader in transportation policy. As CalSTA Secretary, Kim focused on advancing safe, accessible low-carbon multimodal transportation systems. His agency developed the state’s Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, an aggressive framework to overhaul transportation planning and project selection by aligning transportation investments with climate, health and equity goals. As Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Kim drove key  initiatives to improve safety, mobility and encourage innovation for our Nation’s highways, bridges and tunnels. 

Now as Senior Vice President and Principal at WSP, Secretary Kim focuses on collaborating with senior transportation executives in the public and private sector to support transportation projects under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He also guides the delivery of transportation capital projects, including strategic planning and policy, environmental process, funding and finance, and capital delivery. 

Join the conversation where Keith and Secretary Kim cover:

  • How recent landmark legislation can build a more sustainable and equitable transportation future–and how cleantech innovators stands to unlock it
  • Engaging key state and municipal stakeholders–from transit agencies to public utilities commissions–on local infrastructure investments 
  • The future of electric vehicles and how the federal government can support a national charging system 
  • The tech innovations that could reshape the long-haul trucking industry, increase efficiency and improve the driver experience
]]> Thu, 15 Dec 2022 16:34:51 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (David Kim, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ This episode of Raising Your Antenna features David Kim, former U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Administrator under President Obama and California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) Secretary under Gov. Newsom, to discuss the ways in which industry can help unlock billions of dollars in local transportation investments and help build a more equitable mobility system. 

Secretary Kim is a globally recognized leader in transportation policy. As CalSTA Secretary, Kim focused on advancing safe, accessible low-carbon multimodal transportation systems. His agency developed the state’s Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, an aggressive framework to overhaul transportation planning and project selection by aligning transportation investments with climate, health and equity goals. As Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Kim drove key  initiatives to improve safety, mobility and encourage innovation for our Nation’s highways, bridges and tunnels. 

Now as Senior Vice President and Principal at WSP, Secretary Kim focuses on collaborating with senior transportation executives in the public and private sector to support transportation projects under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He also guides the delivery of transportation capital projects, including strategic planning and policy, environmental process, funding and finance, and capital delivery. 

Join the conversation where Keith and Secretary Kim cover:

  • How recent landmark legislation can build a more sustainable and equitable transportation future–and how cleantech innovators stands to unlock it
  • Engaging key state and municipal stakeholders–from transit agencies to public utilities commissions–on local infrastructure investments 
  • The future of electric vehicles and how the federal government can support a national charging system 
  • The tech innovations that could reshape the long-haul trucking industry, increase efficiency and improve the driver experience
]]> Federal to Local: Unlocking Sustainable Transportation Investments David Kim, Keith Zakheim 00:32:12 Former Secretary David Kim joins this episode of Raising Your Antenna to discuss the ways in which industry can help unlock billions of dollars in local transportation investments. Former Secretary David Kim joins this episode of Raising Your Antenna to discuss the ways in which industry can help unlock billions of dollars in local transportation investments. ira, ev, net zero, inflation reduction act, long haul trucking, public transportation, transportation, electric vehicles, cleantech, sustainability, environment false full 43 2cc9f63f-6e86-4845-83ba-7e3792bd6191 Deploying Transformative Grid Edge Technologies for Net-Zero The BlackBerry is now just a distant memory to some, and a fruit to others (ehm, Gen Z) but in 2022, it represented the cutting edge technology that brought AI to your fingertips, one keyboard “click-click” at a time. What does the BlackBerry phone have to do in the context of climate action? New, disruptive technologies are analogous to the type of transformative change Utilidata is leading when it comes to equity, affordability and reliability in America’s energy system. And, Utilitdata’s President and Chief Operating Officer Jess Melanson isn’t shy about drawing the comparison in this edition of Raising Your Antenna. 

Today, the U.S. experiences more blackouts than any other developed country, and the electrical grid loses power 285 percent more often than in 1984 when data collection efforts on blackouts began. True grid transformation therefore means doing more than simply monitoring the sustained outages utilities currently track. It requires the integration of new technologies that leverage data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning at the grid edge for a more reliable and flexible power system. 

Join Keith and Jess as they dive into the needed acceleration of grid edge technologies in light of landmark federal investments, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Join the discussion on:

  • Why BlackBerries have more in common with new grid technologies than you think
  • Transformative AI solutions to help meet energy system demand and a growing network of advanced distributed energy resources 
  • How a decentralized grid is critical for the U.S. to meet promise of the Inflation Reduction Act 
  • Ushering in a new era of collaboration amongst investor-owned utilities, developers, regulators and climate tech innovators

Follow Utilidata here and subscribe to Raising Your Antenna to listen to the rest of our Inflation Reduction Act series.

]]> Thu, 8 Dec 2022 14:26:18 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Jess Melanson, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The BlackBerry is now just a distant memory to some, and a fruit to others (ehm, Gen Z) but in 2022, it represented the cutting edge technology that brought AI to your fingertips, one keyboard “click-click” at a time. What does the BlackBerry phone have to do in the context of climate action? New, disruptive technologies are analogous to the type of transformative change Utilidata is leading when it comes to equity, affordability and reliability in America’s energy system. And, Utilitdata’s President and Chief Operating Officer Jess Melanson isn’t shy about drawing the comparison in this edition of Raising Your Antenna. 

Today, the U.S. experiences more blackouts than any other developed country, and the electrical grid loses power 285 percent more often than in 1984 when data collection efforts on blackouts began. True grid transformation therefore means doing more than simply monitoring the sustained outages utilities currently track. It requires the integration of new technologies that leverage data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning at the grid edge for a more reliable and flexible power system. 

Join Keith and Jess as they dive into the needed acceleration of grid edge technologies in light of landmark federal investments, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Join the discussion on:

  • Why BlackBerries have more in common with new grid technologies than you think
  • Transformative AI solutions to help meet energy system demand and a growing network of advanced distributed energy resources 
  • How a decentralized grid is critical for the U.S. to meet promise of the Inflation Reduction Act 
  • Ushering in a new era of collaboration amongst investor-owned utilities, developers, regulators and climate tech innovators

Follow Utilidata here and subscribe to Raising Your Antenna to listen to the rest of our Inflation Reduction Act series.

]]> Deploying Transformative Grid Edge Technologies for Net-Zero Jess Melanson, Keith Zakheim 00:30:22 Join Keith Zakheim and Jess Melanson as they dive into the needed acceleration of grid edge technologies in light of landmark federal investments, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Join Keith Zakheim and Jess Melanson as they dive into the needed acceleration of grid edge technologies in light of landmark federal investments, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). ira, infrastructure investment and jobs act, blackouts, utilities, inflation reduction act, energy, climate, ders, grid edge, power grid, data science, climate action, ai, machine learning false full 42 7c700a43-6c6b-4530-9f63-39b39fc11547 Shaping the Future of Equitable Transportation This week on Raising Your Antenna, we welcome Mayor of Truckee, CA and Head of Market Strategy for Resource Innovations Courtney Henderson, alongside her colleague Kelly Helfrich, Vice President of Resource Innovations’ Electric Vehicle Practice. Resource Innovations is a women-led and controlled organization making clean energy more accessible and affordable for everyone. 

Both Mayor Henderson and Kelly have committed to careers in sustainability to ensure solutions are accessible and equitable – both in the public and private sectors. This work, however, is not without its challenges. 

Tune in for the discussion where we cover: 

  • The rollout of electric vehicles at scale and the transformative market technologies needed to get there
  • The development of an intelligent transportation-electrification ecosystem
  • Mobility justice and the transition to sustainable energy and transportation solutions in light of the Inflation Reduction Act
  • Marketing and communication challenges as we move forward in the energy transition to an Age of Climate Tech Adoption

Follow Resource Innovations here and listen to the rest of our series on the Inflation Reduction Act by subscribing to Raising Your Antenna.

]]> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:01:06 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Kelly Helfrich, Courtney Henderson, Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ This week on Raising Your Antenna, we welcome Mayor of Truckee, CA and Head of Market Strategy for Resource Innovations Courtney Henderson, alongside her colleague Kelly Helfrich, Vice President of Resource Innovations’ Electric Vehicle Practice. Resource Innovations is a women-led and controlled organization making clean energy more accessible and affordable for everyone. 

Both Mayor Henderson and Kelly have committed to careers in sustainability to ensure solutions are accessible and equitable – both in the public and private sectors. This work, however, is not without its challenges. 

Tune in for the discussion where we cover: 

  • The rollout of electric vehicles at scale and the transformative market technologies needed to get there
  • The development of an intelligent transportation-electrification ecosystem
  • Mobility justice and the transition to sustainable energy and transportation solutions in light of the Inflation Reduction Act
  • Marketing and communication challenges as we move forward in the energy transition to an Age of Climate Tech Adoption

Follow Resource Innovations here and listen to the rest of our series on the Inflation Reduction Act by subscribing to Raising Your Antenna.

]]> Shaping the Future of Equitable Transportation Kelly Helfrich, Courtney Henderson, Keith Zakheim 00:38:18 This week on Raising Your Antenna, we welcome Mayor of Truckee, CA Courtney Henderson, alongside her colleague Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations to discuss the rollout of electric vehicles at scale and the transformative market technologies needed to get there. This week on Raising Your Antenna, we welcome Mayor of Truckee, CA Courtney Henderson, alongside her colleague Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations to discuss the rollout of electric vehicles at scale and the transformative market technologies needed to get there. ira, climate tech, v2g, inflation reduction act, energy, grid edge, power grid, electric vehicles, mobility justice, electrification false full 41 e86fa6d7-659a-4137-b273-ac7a9d26f9ac Reimagining Regulations for the U.S. Energy System On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are thrilled to welcome former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee for an insightful discussion on grid transformation and regulatory innovation in light of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Chairman Chatterjee formerly served as Commissioner and Chairman of FERC, where he championed several strategic initiatives, including streamlining and improving FERC’s liquified natural gas application review and approval process, bolstering power grid reliability and resilience, and boosting renewable resources’ ability to compete in regional power markets and for the reduction of carbon emissions. 

Prior to his time at the Commission, Chairman Chatterjee worked as a policy reformer who broke down market barriers for the entrance of new energy technologies - particularly low-carbon energy systems. He formerly served as  Policy Advisor to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), where he aided in the passage of major energy, highway and agriculture legislation. His background also includes roles at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA),  the Republican Conference, and the House Ways & Means Committee. 

Today, Chairman Chatterjee serves as  Senior Advisor to Hogan Lovells in Washington, DC and as a  Senior Policy Advisor for the Climate Leadership Council. 

Join the discussion with Chairman Chatterjee where we’ll cover: 

  • Bolstering grid reliability and resiliency in light of IRA investment and the impact on the U.S. energy system
  • Removing market barriers for the entrance of new clean energy technologies 
  • Building a future of nonpartisan energy policies to move the United States and global climate action forward 

Follow Chairman Chatterjee here on Twitter.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Raising Your Antenna. Be sure to subscribe to listen to more episodes in our series, The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Tech Adoption.

]]> Tue, 1 Nov 2022 12:22:10 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Neil Chatterjee, Keith Zakheim) https://www.antennagroup.com/podcast/reimagining-regulations-for-the-u-s-energy-system On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are thrilled to welcome former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee for an insightful discussion on grid transformation and regulatory innovation in light of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Chairman Chatterjee formerly served as Commissioner and Chairman of FERC, where he championed several strategic initiatives, including streamlining and improving FERC’s liquified natural gas application review and approval process, bolstering power grid reliability and resilience, and boosting renewable resources’ ability to compete in regional power markets and for the reduction of carbon emissions. 

Prior to his time at the Commission, Chairman Chatterjee worked as a policy reformer who broke down market barriers for the entrance of new energy technologies - particularly low-carbon energy systems. He formerly served as  Policy Advisor to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), where he aided in the passage of major energy, highway and agriculture legislation. His background also includes roles at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA),  the Republican Conference, and the House Ways & Means Committee. 

Today, Chairman Chatterjee serves as  Senior Advisor to Hogan Lovells in Washington, DC and as a  Senior Policy Advisor for the Climate Leadership Council. 

Join the discussion with Chairman Chatterjee where we’ll cover: 

  • Bolstering grid reliability and resiliency in light of IRA investment and the impact on the U.S. energy system
  • Removing market barriers for the entrance of new clean energy technologies 
  • Building a future of nonpartisan energy policies to move the United States and global climate action forward 

Follow Chairman Chatterjee here on Twitter.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Raising Your Antenna. Be sure to subscribe to listen to more episodes in our series, The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Tech Adoption.

]]> Reimagining Regulations for the U.S. Energy System Neil Chatterjee, Keith Zakheim 00:29:11 On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are thrilled to welcome former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee for an insightful discussion on grid transformation and regulatory innovation in light of the Inflation Reduction Act. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are thrilled to welcome former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee for an insightful discussion on grid transformation and regulatory innovation in light of the Inflation Reduction Act. inflation reduction act, energy policy, renewable resources, grid reliability, solar energy, power grid, grid transformation, electric grid, carbon emissions, nonpartisan legislation, low-carbon energy, infrastructure, climate action, grid disruption, climate change, power systems, grid moderization false full 40 ce2c3346-875e-4f89-b114-019bfa12f569 A New Era of Public-Private Partnerships under the IRA Cities aren’t going anywhere. Half of the world’s population currently resides within them and if their unwavering strength during a global pandemic says anything, they are certainly here to stay. But cities also account for about 75% of global CO2 emissions, and the sustainability and public health challenges they present are substantial. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, our host, Keith Zakheim and guest, Miguel Gamiño, Jr. will discuss the role public-private partnerships play in making communities more sustainable and equitable in light of the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Miguel Gamiño, Jr. has spent his career leveraging technology to solve large-scale challenges in both the public and private sectors. This extends from his time at Mastercard as the EVP of Enterprise Partnerships and the Head of Global Cities and City Possible, to serving the public as the Chief Technology Officer of New York City, Chief Information and Innovation Officer of El Paso, Texas, and Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of the Department of Technology for the City and County of San Francisco.

Now, Miguel is the Chief Experience Officer and Founding Partner of Simplicity, an app that takes an entire city (residents, management, police, groups, and more) and unites it. The app allows citizens to get factual and trustworthy information from their local government right from their phones. From an initial seed investment in August 2021, the company now has 50 cities using Simplicity across the United States. 

Join the discussion with Miguel Gamiño, Jr. where we'll cover:

  • Redefining public-private partnerships in the Age of Climate Tech Adoption
  • Urban connectivity through technology & innovation
  • The ways in which the Inflation Reduction Act can lead to more equitable cities

Sit back–maybe take notes–and enjoy as we bring you the second episode of our 6-part series, “The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Tech Adoption” on Raising Your Antenna: “A New Era of Public-Private Partnerships under the IRA.”

Subscribe to Raising Your Antenna to listen to the full series and if you're interested in more content relating to climate tech, urban planning, smart cities and more, subscribe to our newsletter.

]]> Thu, 6 Oct 2022 14:12:51 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Miguel Gamino Jr., Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Cities aren’t going anywhere. Half of the world’s population currently resides within them and if their unwavering strength during a global pandemic says anything, they are certainly here to stay. But cities also account for about 75% of global CO2 emissions, and the sustainability and public health challenges they present are substantial. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, our host, Keith Zakheim and guest, Miguel Gamiño, Jr. will discuss the role public-private partnerships play in making communities more sustainable and equitable in light of the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Miguel Gamiño, Jr. has spent his career leveraging technology to solve large-scale challenges in both the public and private sectors. This extends from his time at Mastercard as the EVP of Enterprise Partnerships and the Head of Global Cities and City Possible, to serving the public as the Chief Technology Officer of New York City, Chief Information and Innovation Officer of El Paso, Texas, and Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of the Department of Technology for the City and County of San Francisco.

Now, Miguel is the Chief Experience Officer and Founding Partner of Simplicity, an app that takes an entire city (residents, management, police, groups, and more) and unites it. The app allows citizens to get factual and trustworthy information from their local government right from their phones. From an initial seed investment in August 2021, the company now has 50 cities using Simplicity across the United States. 

Join the discussion with Miguel Gamiño, Jr. where we'll cover:

  • Redefining public-private partnerships in the Age of Climate Tech Adoption
  • Urban connectivity through technology & innovation
  • The ways in which the Inflation Reduction Act can lead to more equitable cities

Sit back–maybe take notes–and enjoy as we bring you the second episode of our 6-part series, “The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Tech Adoption” on Raising Your Antenna: “A New Era of Public-Private Partnerships under the IRA.”

Subscribe to Raising Your Antenna to listen to the full series and if you're interested in more content relating to climate tech, urban planning, smart cities and more, subscribe to our newsletter.

]]> A New Era of Public-Private Partnerships under the IRA Miguel Gamino Jr., Keith Zakheim 00:31:40 On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, our host, Keith Zakheim and guest, Miguel Gamiño, Jr. will discuss the role public-private partnerships play in making communities more sustainable and equitable in light of the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, our host, Keith Zakheim and guest, Miguel Gamiño, Jr. will discuss the role public-private partnerships play in making communities more sustainable and equitable in light of the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. co2 emissions, inflation reduction act, smart design, technology, smart cities, innovation, cleantech, sustainability true full 39 ef10a5fa-6fb3-4483-94ab-eb532af6aad6 The Future of Climate Legislation & Innovation This episode is the first of a 6-part series, The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Adoption, released in light of the Inflation Reduction Act and its impact on climate tech innovation, emerging technologies, and a just transition. 

I was honored to have Hawai’i State Senator Chris Lee as my first guest on the series. Senator Lee is a globally-recognized leader on climate policy, grid modernization and environmental justice. He is the author of first-of-its-kind legislation to establish the nation’s first 100% renewable energy mandate and to promote economy-wide neutrality by 2045. Senator Lee is also a fierce advocate for removing market barriers for the entrance of new energy technologies, and will play a significant role in Hawai'i’s continued environmental leadership in light of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Join the discussion with Hawai’i State Senator Chris Lee where we’ll cover:

  • How he became a global climate ‘powerhouse’
  • Lessons learned from his experience tackling decarbonization at megascale
  • How legislative bodies can inspire the transformation of utilities
  • The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on disadvantaged communities on the frontlines of climate change

Finally, make sure to subscribe to Raising Your Antenna to listen to the full series. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for the latest industry news and insights through the lens of our communications and marketing experts.

]]> Fri, 23 Sep 2022 12:51:24 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Chris Lee, Keith Zakheim) https://www.antennagroup.com/podcast/the-future-of-climate-legislation-innovation This episode is the first of a 6-part series, The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Adoption, released in light of the Inflation Reduction Act and its impact on climate tech innovation, emerging technologies, and a just transition. 

I was honored to have Hawai’i State Senator Chris Lee as my first guest on the series. Senator Lee is a globally-recognized leader on climate policy, grid modernization and environmental justice. He is the author of first-of-its-kind legislation to establish the nation’s first 100% renewable energy mandate and to promote economy-wide neutrality by 2045. Senator Lee is also a fierce advocate for removing market barriers for the entrance of new energy technologies, and will play a significant role in Hawai'i’s continued environmental leadership in light of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Join the discussion with Hawai’i State Senator Chris Lee where we’ll cover:

  • How he became a global climate ‘powerhouse’
  • Lessons learned from his experience tackling decarbonization at megascale
  • How legislative bodies can inspire the transformation of utilities
  • The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on disadvantaged communities on the frontlines of climate change

Finally, make sure to subscribe to Raising Your Antenna to listen to the full series. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for the latest industry news and insights through the lens of our communications and marketing experts.

]]> The Future of Climate Legislation & Innovation Chris Lee, Keith Zakheim 00:35:46 Hawai'i State Senator Chris Lee kicks off our 6-part series—The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Adoption—to discuss the future of climate legislation, tech innovation, and the role of utilities in the Age of Adoption. Hawai'i State Senator Chris Lee kicks off our 6-part series—The Inflation Reduction Act in the Age of Climate Adoption—to discuss the future of climate legislation, tech innovation, and the role of utilities in the Age of Adoption. environmental justice, decarbonization, climate tech, renewable energy, inflation reduction act, climate policy, grid modernization, green banks false full 38 836f27e8-abcd-4ddd-9bc9-036534a81cb0 Fostering Curiosity in the Workplace On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, I had the pleasure of engaging with Rich Kenny, Nurse Intrapreneur at SAS. We talked about curiosity. Namely, the value of being curious in the workplace, and how it is a trait that both predicts high performers as well as successful enterprises.

Rich is an incredibly insightful guest, and the research done by SAS is of value to anyone who is shaping the workplace of today.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • What curiosity really means, and how it impacts employee engagement and retention
  • How companies can build cultures that foster curiosity
  • Common mistakes that stifle curiosity, and key best practices to encourage this valuable skill

Learn more about why curiosity is increasingly sought by employers to address some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today – from improving employee retention and job satisfaction to creating more innovative, collaborative and productive workplaces in the SAS Curiosity@Work Report, which surveyed nearly 2,000 managers globally and analyzed data from LinkedIn over the last year. The report can be found here: https://bit.ly/3SViX6R

]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, I had the pleasure of engaging with Rich Kenny, Nurse Intrapreneur at SAS. We talked about curiosity. Namely, the value of being curious in the workplace, and how it is a trait that both predicts high performers as well as successful enterprises.

Rich is an incredibly insightful guest, and the research done by SAS is of value to anyone who is shaping the workplace of today.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • What curiosity really means, and how it impacts employee engagement and retention
  • How companies can build cultures that foster curiosity
  • Common mistakes that stifle curiosity, and key best practices to encourage this valuable skill

Learn more about why curiosity is increasingly sought by employers to address some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today – from improving employee retention and job satisfaction to creating more innovative, collaborative and productive workplaces in the SAS Curiosity@Work Report, which surveyed nearly 2,000 managers globally and analyzed data from LinkedIn over the last year. The report can be found here: https://bit.ly/3SViX6R

]]> Fostering Curiosity in the Workplace Antenna Group 00:35:29 In this episode, we host Rich Kenny of SAS to discuss why curiosity is increasingly sought by employers to address some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today. In this episode, we host Rich Kenny of SAS to discuss why curiosity is increasingly sought by employers to address some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today. great resignation, employee retention, productivity, innovation, leadership, healthcare false full 37 549ab61d-0b65-4645-a0dd-d019e034fdd8 Health Equity Issues are Environmental Issues I’m not sure that the climate change and sustainability community would include issues related to the pandemic, biodiversity, health equity, and modern slavery in their definition of ESG. Yet, today on RYA, we address all of these issues with our guests Chris Kline (Global Senior Principal for Sustainability and ESG at Cardno), Natalie Egnot (Epidemiologist at Cardno Chemrisk), and Seth Yoskowitz (Interim CEO, International Development at Cardno).

For those who are not familiar, Cardno is a global infrastructure, environmental, and social development company operating in more than 100 countries. It is a truly remarkable organization that partners with governments, NGOs, and corporations to address most, if not all, of the vexing environmental, health, and social challenges that persist globally. 

You will learn a lot on this episode, including: whether solar panels contribute to noise pollution. Spoiler alert: they do not.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • The impact of climate change on the developing world, and the measures being taken to stave off those outcomes
  • How Cardno is addressing all three ESG categories
  • The definition of modern slavery, and how Cardno helps its corporate clients address this crisis
]]> Mon, 25 Oct 2021 23:04:55 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ I’m not sure that the climate change and sustainability community would include issues related to the pandemic, biodiversity, health equity, and modern slavery in their definition of ESG. Yet, today on RYA, we address all of these issues with our guests Chris Kline (Global Senior Principal for Sustainability and ESG at Cardno), Natalie Egnot (Epidemiologist at Cardno Chemrisk), and Seth Yoskowitz (Interim CEO, International Development at Cardno).

For those who are not familiar, Cardno is a global infrastructure, environmental, and social development company operating in more than 100 countries. It is a truly remarkable organization that partners with governments, NGOs, and corporations to address most, if not all, of the vexing environmental, health, and social challenges that persist globally. 

You will learn a lot on this episode, including: whether solar panels contribute to noise pollution. Spoiler alert: they do not.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • The impact of climate change on the developing world, and the measures being taken to stave off those outcomes
  • How Cardno is addressing all three ESG categories
  • The definition of modern slavery, and how Cardno helps its corporate clients address this crisis
]]> Health Equity Issues are Environmental Issues Antenna Group 00:40:25 In this episode, we host Chris Kline, Natalie Egnot and Seth Yoskowitz of Cardno to discuss how the company is working with its clients to address all three ESG categories (i.e. environmental, social and corporate governance). In this episode, we host Chris Kline, Natalie Egnot and Seth Yoskowitz of Cardno to discuss how the company is working with its clients to address all three ESG categories (i.e. environmental, social and corporate governance). responsible business, esg, health, csr, climate change, health equity, biodiversity, environment false full 36 cf07bc2a-044c-4971-893a-0c4fbe378a0c The Net Zero Backlash Has Arrived

Having Joel Makower appear on your podcast is, in the clean tech world, akin to Oprah landing Harry and Meghan. Like Harry and Meghan, Joel is a celebrity in our world, everyone wants to hear what he has to say and he provides salacious details about the royal family. Okay, maybe not the royal stuff. But the rest is true. As the founder and Chairman of GreenBiz — a media and events company that lives, works and leads at the intersection of the business, technology and sustainability — Joel is privy to the discussions, debates, policies and business outcomes that are driving our clean energy economy. 


Today on RYA, Joel and I explore how the business community is attacking climate change, how the investment community really sees ESG as an opportunity for both good and profit, the strength of commitment towards a net-zero future, and of particular interest to me, the failure of corporate America to properly market their sustainability wins.


Tune in as we discuss:

  • Joel’s career journey
  • The threats posted to the business community by extreme weather events
  • The global “net-zero” goal for 2050, and how seriously companies are taking it
  • "Credible greening" and the ESG scorecards of the future
]]> Tue, 5 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/

Having Joel Makower appear on your podcast is, in the clean tech world, akin to Oprah landing Harry and Meghan. Like Harry and Meghan, Joel is a celebrity in our world, everyone wants to hear what he has to say and he provides salacious details about the royal family. Okay, maybe not the royal stuff. But the rest is true. As the founder and Chairman of GreenBiz — a media and events company that lives, works and leads at the intersection of the business, technology and sustainability — Joel is privy to the discussions, debates, policies and business outcomes that are driving our clean energy economy. 


Today on RYA, Joel and I explore how the business community is attacking climate change, how the investment community really sees ESG as an opportunity for both good and profit, the strength of commitment towards a net-zero future, and of particular interest to me, the failure of corporate America to properly market their sustainability wins.


Tune in as we discuss:

  • Joel’s career journey
  • The threats posted to the business community by extreme weather events
  • The global “net-zero” goal for 2050, and how seriously companies are taking it
  • "Credible greening" and the ESG scorecards of the future
]]> The Net Zero Backlash Has Arrived Antenna Group 00:34:39 In this episode, we host Joel Makower, Chairman and Co-Founder of GreenBiz Group. Joel is privy to the discussions, debates, policies and business outcomes that are driving our clean energy economy. In this episode, we host Joel Makower, Chairman and Co-Founder of GreenBiz Group. Joel is privy to the discussions, debates, policies and business outcomes that are driving our clean energy economy. 2050, esg, cleantech, climate change, sustainability, net-zero false full 35 e8a54654-5d77-4e1d-b727-855f297362c7 Mobility is Sexy When we imagine what our energy transformation will look like, we tend to focus on the shiny new toys — solar panels, electric vehicles, Tesla powerwalls, and Nest Thermostats. While those products are necessary for a carbon net-zero future, they are in no way sufficient. Today on RYA, I chat with Benjamin Birnbaum, partner at Keyframe and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure. Ben is consumed with the energy transition technologies that we don’t see, but are critical to fighting global warming and climate change. 

 

In this episode, Ben and I take a deep dive into real estate’s disconnect between the boardroom and boiler room. We also explore how New York City’s Local Law 97 addresses this challenge with a pathbreaking effort to spur the transformation of New York City real estate to cap carbon emissions. 

 

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Ben’s career journey
  • The challenges cities must address in order to meet net-zero emissions goals 
  • The true costs and challenges of electrifying transportation, and why Ben and his partners started TeraWatt Infrastructure
  • Biden’s ambitious infrastructure plans
  • Keyframe’s new approach for funding the cleantech revolution
]]> Wed, 26 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ When we imagine what our energy transformation will look like, we tend to focus on the shiny new toys — solar panels, electric vehicles, Tesla powerwalls, and Nest Thermostats. While those products are necessary for a carbon net-zero future, they are in no way sufficient. Today on RYA, I chat with Benjamin Birnbaum, partner at Keyframe and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure. Ben is consumed with the energy transition technologies that we don’t see, but are critical to fighting global warming and climate change. 

 

In this episode, Ben and I take a deep dive into real estate’s disconnect between the boardroom and boiler room. We also explore how New York City’s Local Law 97 addresses this challenge with a pathbreaking effort to spur the transformation of New York City real estate to cap carbon emissions. 

 

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Ben’s career journey
  • The challenges cities must address in order to meet net-zero emissions goals 
  • The true costs and challenges of electrifying transportation, and why Ben and his partners started TeraWatt Infrastructure
  • Biden’s ambitious infrastructure plans
  • Keyframe’s new approach for funding the cleantech revolution
]]> Mobility is Sexy Antenna Group 00:30:57 In this episode, we host Benjamin Birnbaum, partner at Keyframe Capital and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure. Ben is consumed with the energy transition technologies that we don’t see, but are critical to fighting global warming and climate change.  In this episode, we host Benjamin Birnbaum, partner at Keyframe Capital and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure. Ben is consumed with the energy transition technologies that we don’t see, but are critical to fighting global warming and climate change.  energy, climate, smart cities, infrastructure, cleantech, electrification, mobility, real estate false full 34 e3ae0b25-8219-499c-acb0-920a08f816c8 The Importance of Utility-Consumer Partnerships It’s not every day that I have the opportunity to interview two utility executives — especially from Texas, and especially a mere two months after the historic freeze in the State of Texas. While we didn’t spend a lot of time dissecting the causes of the February grid failure, much of our conversation addressed the types of challenges, programs and  solutions that utilities — in this case CPS Energy, the nation’s largest municipally owned electric utility — are thinking about and implementing in the aftermath of the Texas freeze.

 

On today’s episode of RYA, we host Rudy Garza and Rick Luna, Chief Customer Engagement Officer and Director of Technology & Product Innovation at CPS Energy, respectively. Rudy and Rick are two utility executives who are clearly thinking deeply about the future of utilities and the need for customer-centric programs that focus on energy efficiency and management, demand response, and conservation. To that end, CPS has issued an open RFP that seeks to crowdsource energy efficiency and conservation programs that will augment their already award-winning Save For Tomorrow Energy Program (STEP). 

 

Interestingly, our conversation meandered a bit and ended up at a place that I am very familiar with: the growing importance of customer education, proactive communication, and engagement across digital and other more traditional communications channels. As Rudy pointed out, the utility of tomorrow will only thrive if there is a true partnership between customers and their utility. Customers have rights, but they also have responsibilities. It is incumbent upon utilities to engage those customers and both aid, encourage and prod those necessary behavioral shifts.

 

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Rudy and Rick’s respective career journeys
  • Consumer attitudes following the Texas grid outage
  • The role of businesses and homeowners in making sure that we avoid future outages
  • The role of carbon capture in a net zero future
]]> Tue, 27 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ It’s not every day that I have the opportunity to interview two utility executives — especially from Texas, and especially a mere two months after the historic freeze in the State of Texas. While we didn’t spend a lot of time dissecting the causes of the February grid failure, much of our conversation addressed the types of challenges, programs and  solutions that utilities — in this case CPS Energy, the nation’s largest municipally owned electric utility — are thinking about and implementing in the aftermath of the Texas freeze.

 

On today’s episode of RYA, we host Rudy Garza and Rick Luna, Chief Customer Engagement Officer and Director of Technology & Product Innovation at CPS Energy, respectively. Rudy and Rick are two utility executives who are clearly thinking deeply about the future of utilities and the need for customer-centric programs that focus on energy efficiency and management, demand response, and conservation. To that end, CPS has issued an open RFP that seeks to crowdsource energy efficiency and conservation programs that will augment their already award-winning Save For Tomorrow Energy Program (STEP). 

 

Interestingly, our conversation meandered a bit and ended up at a place that I am very familiar with: the growing importance of customer education, proactive communication, and engagement across digital and other more traditional communications channels. As Rudy pointed out, the utility of tomorrow will only thrive if there is a true partnership between customers and their utility. Customers have rights, but they also have responsibilities. It is incumbent upon utilities to engage those customers and both aid, encourage and prod those necessary behavioral shifts.

 

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Rudy and Rick’s respective career journeys
  • Consumer attitudes following the Texas grid outage
  • The role of businesses and homeowners in making sure that we avoid future outages
  • The role of carbon capture in a net zero future
]]> The Importance of Utility-Consumer Partnerships Antenna Group 00:39:26 In this episode, we host Rudy Garza and Rick Luna, Chief Customer Engagement Officer and Director of Technology & Product Innovation at CPS Energy, respectively. Rudy and Rick are two utility executives who are clearly thinking deeply about the future of utilities and customer-centric programming. In this episode, we host Rudy Garza and Rick Luna, Chief Customer Engagement Officer and Director of Technology & Product Innovation at CPS Energy, respectively. Rudy and Rick are two utility executives who are clearly thinking deeply about the future of utilities and customer-centric programming. utilities, innovation, cleantech, energy efficiency false full 33 0dfb9357-cd5e-4a8f-85d6-1515fd43a3b8 Creating Energy Tech Unicorns with Launchpad's Siobhan Clarke Today’s guest on Raising Your Antenna is Siobhan Clarke, Operating Partner of Launchpad — a bp scaling engine accelerating the growth of digitally-led businesses that re-imagine energy. As Operating Partner, Siobhan is helping bp reinvent its company and lead from the front on building a clean energy future.

Siobhan brings a unique perspective to cleantech investing as she hails from the SAAS venture capital world. She was attracted to cleantech for both its economic opportunity as well as its mission-driven nature. While reflecting on her past life as well as her new one, Siobhan critiques what she feels is the broken model of VC investing (and cleantech investing, specifically) and how the Launchpad investment thesis addresses those definiens — thereby unlocking the full potential of emerging technologies as well as delivering handsome returns to investors.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Siobhan’s career journey
  • The dramatic rise of VC investment in cleantech and the factors driving today’s gold rush
  • Launchpad’s unique approach to cleantech investing
  • The dynamics that arise when a legacy company partners with a dynamic startup
  • Advice for entrepreneurs who are stuck in the quagmires of funding and scaling

Learn more about Launchpad here: https://www.itslaunchpad.com/

Since recording this episode, Launchpad announced its fifth portfolio company - Finite Carbon. Details on the acquisition can be found here: https://www.itslaunchpad.com/blog/bp-acquires-majority-stake-in-largest-us-forest-carbon-offset-developer-finite-carbon

 

]]> Wed, 6 Jan 2021 14:22:19 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Today’s guest on Raising Your Antenna is Siobhan Clarke, Operating Partner of Launchpad — a bp scaling engine accelerating the growth of digitally-led businesses that re-imagine energy. As Operating Partner, Siobhan is helping bp reinvent its company and lead from the front on building a clean energy future.

Siobhan brings a unique perspective to cleantech investing as she hails from the SAAS venture capital world. She was attracted to cleantech for both its economic opportunity as well as its mission-driven nature. While reflecting on her past life as well as her new one, Siobhan critiques what she feels is the broken model of VC investing (and cleantech investing, specifically) and how the Launchpad investment thesis addresses those definiens — thereby unlocking the full potential of emerging technologies as well as delivering handsome returns to investors.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Siobhan’s career journey
  • The dramatic rise of VC investment in cleantech and the factors driving today’s gold rush
  • Launchpad’s unique approach to cleantech investing
  • The dynamics that arise when a legacy company partners with a dynamic startup
  • Advice for entrepreneurs who are stuck in the quagmires of funding and scaling

Learn more about Launchpad here: https://www.itslaunchpad.com/

Since recording this episode, Launchpad announced its fifth portfolio company - Finite Carbon. Details on the acquisition can be found here: https://www.itslaunchpad.com/blog/bp-acquires-majority-stake-in-largest-us-forest-carbon-offset-developer-finite-carbon

 

]]> Creating Energy Tech Unicorns with Launchpad's Siobhan Clarke Antenna Group 00:29:10 Today’s guest on Raising Your Antenna is Siobhan Clarke, Operating Partner of Launchpad — a bp scaling engine accelerating the growth of digitally-led businesses that re-imagine energy. As Operating Partner, Siobhan is helping bp reinvent its company and lead from the front on building a clean energy future. Today’s guest on Raising Your Antenna is Siobhan Clarke, Operating Partner of Launchpad — a bp scaling engine accelerating the growth of digitally-led businesses that re-imagine energy. As Operating Partner, Siobhan is helping bp reinvent its company and lead from the front on building a clean energy future. cleantech, venture capital, clean energy false full 32 db4e918d-5366-4291-9601-ccf92234a04c AgTech Innovation & Investing with Adam Bergman and Andrew Rose One of the nice things about hosting a podcast is the opportunity to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. On today’s episode of Raising Your Antenna, I was able to do both. I've known Adam Bergman for 15 years as we go back to the halcyon days of the solar revolution and have stayed in touch as renewables have waxed and waned as well as reinvented itself in an effort to stay relevant, attract investment and most importantly continue its quest to mitigate climate change and effect systemic transformation of the way we use and consume natural resources. As the Managing Director of EcoTech Capital, Adam has transitioned into AgTech and FoodTech and he shares with us his thoughts on a host of related topics. My new friend is Andrew Rose who is the Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy and Business Development at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, an organization that finances loans for farms, homes, equipment and buildings, land, construction and improvement, as well as loans for production and operating. On today's episode of RYA, Andrew and Adam touch on topics as diverse as Faux Shrimp in Singapore, food waste and landfills, cyber Agtech, Burger King and ESG.

Tune in as we discuss:
 

  • How AgTech fits into the sustainability and cleantech industry
  • The most exciting blue oceans, white spaces, and opportunities in the agricultural industry
  • The biggest bottlenecks in the AgTech industry
  • Why the food side of AgTech is consequential for sustainability
  • Comparing the solar industry with AgTech
  • Defining the respective responsibilities of the public sector, private sector, and nonprofits as the AgTech industry grows.
  • And more…

Learn more about EcoTech here https://ecotechcap.com and MidAtlantic Farm Credit here https://www.mafc.com/

Read “How South Korea Is Composting Its Way to Sustainability”  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/09/how-south-korea-is-composting-its-way-to-sustainability

]]> Fri, 4 Dec 2020 20:36:31 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ One of the nice things about hosting a podcast is the opportunity to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. On today’s episode of Raising Your Antenna, I was able to do both. I've known Adam Bergman for 15 years as we go back to the halcyon days of the solar revolution and have stayed in touch as renewables have waxed and waned as well as reinvented itself in an effort to stay relevant, attract investment and most importantly continue its quest to mitigate climate change and effect systemic transformation of the way we use and consume natural resources. As the Managing Director of EcoTech Capital, Adam has transitioned into AgTech and FoodTech and he shares with us his thoughts on a host of related topics. My new friend is Andrew Rose who is the Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy and Business Development at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, an organization that finances loans for farms, homes, equipment and buildings, land, construction and improvement, as well as loans for production and operating. On today's episode of RYA, Andrew and Adam touch on topics as diverse as Faux Shrimp in Singapore, food waste and landfills, cyber Agtech, Burger King and ESG.

Tune in as we discuss:
 

  • How AgTech fits into the sustainability and cleantech industry
  • The most exciting blue oceans, white spaces, and opportunities in the agricultural industry
  • The biggest bottlenecks in the AgTech industry
  • Why the food side of AgTech is consequential for sustainability
  • Comparing the solar industry with AgTech
  • Defining the respective responsibilities of the public sector, private sector, and nonprofits as the AgTech industry grows.
  • And more…

Learn more about EcoTech here https://ecotechcap.com and MidAtlantic Farm Credit here https://www.mafc.com/

Read “How South Korea Is Composting Its Way to Sustainability”  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/09/how-south-korea-is-composting-its-way-to-sustainability

]]> AgTech Innovation & Investing with Adam Bergman and Andrew Rose Antenna Group 00:39:26 On today's episode, Adam Bergman, Managing Director of EcoTech Capital, and Andrew Rose, Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy and Business Development at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, touch on topics as diverse as Faux Shrimp, food waste and landfills, cyber Agtech, Burger King and ESG. On today's episode, Adam Bergman, Managing Director of EcoTech Capital, and Andrew Rose, Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy and Business Development at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, touch on topics as diverse as Faux Shrimp, food waste and landfills, cyber Agtech, Burger King and ESG. foodtech, impossible food, agtech, cleantech, foodwaste, beyond meat, sustainability, agriculture false full 31 c0bcc94d-7915-4fa9-9e4d-a4e9fa95866d Harnessing Urban Innovation to Drive Social Impact Tune in as we discuss

  • Using the resources of corporate America to not just make money but to drive social impact
  • Chante’s experience as a leader in the movement to transform our cities into smart cities
  • Advice for securing pilot projects, undertaking design initiatives, and launching community impact initiatives
  • Perspectives on the bubble that has emerged around clean mobility/transportation
  • ...and more
]]> Fri, 23 Oct 2020 15:18:49 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Tune in as we discuss

  • Using the resources of corporate America to not just make money but to drive social impact
  • Chante’s experience as a leader in the movement to transform our cities into smart cities
  • Advice for securing pilot projects, undertaking design initiatives, and launching community impact initiatives
  • Perspectives on the bubble that has emerged around clean mobility/transportation
  • ...and more
]]> Harnessing Urban Innovation to Drive Social Impact Antenna Group 00:30:49 In this episode, Chante Harris and I address a topic that is all too often overlooked and misunderstood. The issue is public and private investment in infrastructure and innovation that may not yield short term impact and profits but are key to the future of our cities and quality of life. Chante is uniquely positioned to address this and other issues as a go-to-market strategist, Venture Partner at Republic, and renowned influencer and advocate for smart cities, urban innovation, and social impact. Chante makes some incredibly important points about the need, inevitably, and opportunities for smart city transformation. I am going to have her back as a guest in the near future, as 30 minutes was not nearly enough but the best episodes are the ones that leave you wanting more! In this episode, Chante Harris and I address a topic that is all too often overlooked and misunderstood. The issue is public and private investment in infrastructure and innovation that may not yield short term impact and profits but are key to the future of our cities and quality of life. Chante is uniquely positioned to address this and other issues as a go-to-market strategist, Venture Partner at Republic, and renowned influencer and advocate for smart cities, urban innovation, and social impact. Chante makes some incredibly important points about the need, inevitably, and opportunities for smart city transformation. I am going to have her back as a guest in the near future, as 30 minutes was not nearly enough but the best episodes are the ones that leave you wanting more! future, corporate america, technology, smart cities, cities, social impact, smart city, urban innovation, cleantech, mobility false full 30 70a4493d-6ca7-4bac-acfb-c2fcc6365ba5 A political breath of fresh air: A conversation about bipartisan cooperation and Climate Change Heather and I had a fascinating conversation that touched on the respective roles of the public sector, both federal and state, as well as the private sector in advancing a clean energy future. We agreed on a lot, disagreed on some, but the tenor of the conversation and one that I hope can be mimicked by our political leaders, was characterized by mutual respect, data-driven arguments, and an understanding that while reasonable people can disagree on how to get there, the goalposts must be climate change mitigation.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Clean energy policies
  • The role of media in the clean energy industry
  • Perspectives on the respective roles of the federal and state government in fighting climate change
  • The optimal way that the public and private sectors can best partner for climate change mitigation
  • Facilitating bipartisanship solutions
  • National Clean Energy Week 2020
  • ...and more


National Clean Energy Week 2020 will be held on Sept 21 - 25. Learn more and register here: https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org/

]]> Thu, 17 Sep 2020 20:08:32 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Heather and I had a fascinating conversation that touched on the respective roles of the public sector, both federal and state, as well as the private sector in advancing a clean energy future. We agreed on a lot, disagreed on some, but the tenor of the conversation and one that I hope can be mimicked by our political leaders, was characterized by mutual respect, data-driven arguments, and an understanding that while reasonable people can disagree on how to get there, the goalposts must be climate change mitigation.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • Clean energy policies
  • The role of media in the clean energy industry
  • Perspectives on the respective roles of the federal and state government in fighting climate change
  • The optimal way that the public and private sectors can best partner for climate change mitigation
  • Facilitating bipartisanship solutions
  • National Clean Energy Week 2020
  • ...and more


National Clean Energy Week 2020 will be held on Sept 21 - 25. Learn more and register here: https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org/

]]> A political breath of fresh air: A conversation about bipartisan cooperation and Climate Change Antenna Group 00:31:13 Today's guest is, unfortunately, an endangered species, or at least the political equivalent of one! She is truly bipartisan, measured and nuanced in her opinions, and is full of the type of conviction that is balanced with intellectual humility. My guest today on Raising Your Antenna is Heather Reams, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. In that role, Heather is spearheading National Clean Energy Week 2020, a weeklong event that urges Americans of all walks of life to consider the impact that clean energy has in their communities, and to help advance a future powered by clean energy technologies. Today's guest is, unfortunately, an endangered species, or at least the political equivalent of one! She is truly bipartisan, measured and nuanced in her opinions, and is full of the type of conviction that is balanced with intellectual humility. My guest today on Raising Your Antenna is Heather Reams, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. In that role, Heather is spearheading National Clean Energy Week 2020, a weeklong event that urges Americans of all walks of life to consider the impact that clean energy has in their communities, and to help advance a future powered by clean energy technologies. energy, climate change, clean energy, bipartisan false full 29 ac69bedd-f0ac-4950-b23a-149950831ca9 Pushing the Boundaries of Sustainable Finance When we think about sustainable finance, we tend to focus on the capital needs for renewable energy products, green bonds, and carbon trading and credits. While these are all key components of sustainable finance, they do not begin to tell the full sustainable finance story. 

On today’s episode, I speak with Nicole Andersen, Managing Partner of Redsand Ventures. Every organization thinks they are unique, but Redsand, at least from where I sit, really is unique. Redsand specializes in innovation strategy, investment and venture creation for companies that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable finance. 

I'm pretty sure that most of my listeners with a background in sustainable finance will be amazed at the innovation and disruption that is poised to upend the industry as well as provide it with the scale it needs to fund the estimated $60 trillion in debt investment that is needed to effect meaningful change across the industry. Nicole’s background cuts a wide swathe across the sustainability ecosystem and today’s conversation reflects her smarts and innovative mind.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • How Nicole sits at the crossroads of financial services, sustainability and climate change
  • Who the pioneers in the financial innovation space are when it comes to climate change and sustainability
  • The economic upside of this innovation
  • The comparison between climate change and if the pandemic will serve as a wake-up call to take the threat of climate change more seriously
  • And more...
]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2020 13:03:27 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ When we think about sustainable finance, we tend to focus on the capital needs for renewable energy products, green bonds, and carbon trading and credits. While these are all key components of sustainable finance, they do not begin to tell the full sustainable finance story. 

On today’s episode, I speak with Nicole Andersen, Managing Partner of Redsand Ventures. Every organization thinks they are unique, but Redsand, at least from where I sit, really is unique. Redsand specializes in innovation strategy, investment and venture creation for companies that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable finance. 

I'm pretty sure that most of my listeners with a background in sustainable finance will be amazed at the innovation and disruption that is poised to upend the industry as well as provide it with the scale it needs to fund the estimated $60 trillion in debt investment that is needed to effect meaningful change across the industry. Nicole’s background cuts a wide swathe across the sustainability ecosystem and today’s conversation reflects her smarts and innovative mind.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • How Nicole sits at the crossroads of financial services, sustainability and climate change
  • Who the pioneers in the financial innovation space are when it comes to climate change and sustainability
  • The economic upside of this innovation
  • The comparison between climate change and if the pandemic will serve as a wake-up call to take the threat of climate change more seriously
  • And more...
]]> Pushing the Boundaries of Sustainable Finance Antenna Group 00:41:24 When we think about sustainable finance, we tend to focus on the capital needs for renewable energy products, green bonds, and carbon trading and credits. While these are all key components of sustainable finance, they do not begin to tell the full sustainable finance story. On today’s episode, I speak with Nicole Andersen, Managing Partner of Redsand Ventures. Redsand specializes in innovation strategy, investment and venture creation for companies that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable finance. When we think about sustainable finance, we tend to focus on the capital needs for renewable energy products, green bonds, and carbon trading and credits. While these are all key components of sustainable finance, they do not begin to tell the full sustainable finance story. On today’s episode, I speak with Nicole Andersen, Managing Partner of Redsand Ventures. Redsand specializes in innovation strategy, investment and venture creation for companies that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable finance. sustainable finance, cleantech, climate change, sustainability false full 28 6f5cf75c-e8d6-4df3-99f8-6b215582f3f2 The Power and Influence of Sustainable Finance in Mitigating Climate Change Today's guest is someone who has been a sustainability thought leader from multiple vantage points - as a journalist, NGO board member and advocate, climate change summit delegate and sustainable finance investor. Sasja Beslik, in his role as Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at J. Safra, has a powerful pulpit in which to motivate and mobilize his industry to unleash the power of its capital to mitigate carbon emissions and climate change.

On today’s episode, Sasja, with both candor and transparency, points out the peculiarity of how the Paris Climate Conference overlooked the impact of the financial services industry on climate change, addresses how corporations must close the gap between the values they profess and the behaviors that they employ and gives examples of companies that are doing it right and those that are not; and as a special treat for me, engaged me in a conversation about marketing as it related to the profound impact investment decisions have on the environment and carbon mitigation. 

Tune in as we discuss:

  • The role of sustainable finance
  • What Sasja hears from European government and business leaders about the US as a partner in climate change mitigation
  • Sasja's guidance on ESG investments
  • The importance of understanding what sustainable finance is, its objectives, and why it is so critical to climate change
  • The comparison between climate change and the lack of preparedness around COVID-19
]]> Tue, 14 Apr 2020 19:56:53 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Antenna Group) http://antennagroup.com/ Today's guest is someone who has been a sustainability thought leader from multiple vantage points - as a journalist, NGO board member and advocate, climate change summit delegate and sustainable finance investor. Sasja Beslik, in his role as Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at J. Safra, has a powerful pulpit in which to motivate and mobilize his industry to unleash the power of its capital to mitigate carbon emissions and climate change.

On today’s episode, Sasja, with both candor and transparency, points out the peculiarity of how the Paris Climate Conference overlooked the impact of the financial services industry on climate change, addresses how corporations must close the gap between the values they profess and the behaviors that they employ and gives examples of companies that are doing it right and those that are not; and as a special treat for me, engaged me in a conversation about marketing as it related to the profound impact investment decisions have on the environment and carbon mitigation. 

Tune in as we discuss:

  • The role of sustainable finance
  • What Sasja hears from European government and business leaders about the US as a partner in climate change mitigation
  • Sasja's guidance on ESG investments
  • The importance of understanding what sustainable finance is, its objectives, and why it is so critical to climate change
  • The comparison between climate change and the lack of preparedness around COVID-19
]]> The Power and Influence of Sustainable Finance in Mitigating Climate Change Antenna Group 00:38:53 Today's guest is someone who has been a sustainability thought leader from multiple vantage points - as a journalist, NGO board member and advocate, climate change summit delegate and sustainable finance investor. Sasja Beslik, in his role as Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at J. Safra, has a powerful pulpit in which to motivate and mobilize his industry to unleash the power of its capital to mitigate carbon emissions and climate change. Today's guest is someone who has been a sustainability thought leader from multiple vantage points - as a journalist, NGO board member and advocate, climate change summit delegate and sustainable finance investor. Sasja Beslik, in his role as Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at J. Safra, has a powerful pulpit in which to motivate and mobilize his industry to unleash the power of its capital to mitigate carbon emissions and climate change. sustainable finance, cleantech, climate change false full 27 34fb4931-849b-4f91-a373-3a378b1358ad The public-private partnerships pushing the boundaries of cleantech in the US The National Renewable Energy Lab, NREL for short, has been in existence since 1977. It was founded by the Carter administration as a reaction to the oil shocks of the mid-70s. It was the first acknowledgment by the federal government that our economic and national security interests demanded that we diversify our energy resources from exclusively fossil fuels to renewables. The clean energy economy was born! In the 40+ years since the founding of the laboratory, the clean energy industry has experienced fits and starts but has ultimately developed into what today is a mature, well-funded industry that enjoys support from both the public and private sectors.

Richard Adams, our guest on today’s episode, is the Director of the Innovations and Entrepreneurship Center at NREL and oversees two fascinating programs: The Innovation Incubator - a technology partnership with Wells Fargo and GCxN, a technology accelerator partnership with Shell. Richards’ position situates him at the crossroads of clean technology innovation and the public/public partnerships that fund and dictate the needs of much of that innovation.

Richard’s insights into the evolution of the clean technology industry, the respective interests and responsibilities of the diverse entities that comprise the cleantech ecosystem, and the state of early-stage cleantech investing are driven by his day-to-day interactions with Shell, Wells Fargo, the other hundreds of NREL stakeholders, as well as with the early-stage cleantech innovators that he supports.

]]> Thu, 2 Apr 2020 13:08:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The National Renewable Energy Lab, NREL for short, has been in existence since 1977. It was founded by the Carter administration as a reaction to the oil shocks of the mid-70s. It was the first acknowledgment by the federal government that our economic and national security interests demanded that we diversify our energy resources from exclusively fossil fuels to renewables. The clean energy economy was born! In the 40+ years since the founding of the laboratory, the clean energy industry has experienced fits and starts but has ultimately developed into what today is a mature, well-funded industry that enjoys support from both the public and private sectors.

Richard Adams, our guest on today’s episode, is the Director of the Innovations and Entrepreneurship Center at NREL and oversees two fascinating programs: The Innovation Incubator - a technology partnership with Wells Fargo and GCxN, a technology accelerator partnership with Shell. Richards’ position situates him at the crossroads of clean technology innovation and the public/public partnerships that fund and dictate the needs of much of that innovation.

Richard’s insights into the evolution of the clean technology industry, the respective interests and responsibilities of the diverse entities that comprise the cleantech ecosystem, and the state of early-stage cleantech investing are driven by his day-to-day interactions with Shell, Wells Fargo, the other hundreds of NREL stakeholders, as well as with the early-stage cleantech innovators that he supports.

]]> The public-private partnerships pushing the boundaries of cleantech in the US Keith Zakheim 00:42:53 Richard Adams, our guest on today’s episode, is the Director of the Innovations and Entrepreneurship Center at NREL and oversees two fascinating programs: The Innovation Incubator - a technology partnership with Wells Fargo and GCxN, a technology accelerator partnership with Shell. Richard Adams, our guest on today’s episode, is the Director of the Innovations and Entrepreneurship Center at NREL and oversees two fascinating programs: The Innovation Incubator - a technology partnership with Wells Fargo and GCxN, a technology accelerator partnership with Shell. incubator, renewable energy. wells fargo, cleantech, shell false full 26 1cc7bab1-90c9-4f1f-afb4-da965b084293 Innovation through investment with Talia Rafaeli of Porsche Ventures Today’s podcast is an exciting one as we’re lucky to have Talia Rafaeli, Investment Director at Porsche Ventures as our guest. Talia has built an incredibly successful career as a Venture Capitalist at a couple of Israel’s most successful VC firms such as Gemini and Stage One. In the past year, Tali made the decision to move to the corporate VC world and specifically into the mobility industry.

As one of the world’s preeminent luxury car manufacturers, Porsche is no different in that it is playing catch up to Tesla, Waymo and others, but it has quickly jumped into the deep end of the pool with both innovations as well as acquisitions. Talia, as Porsche’s Investment Director who is spearheading much of that innovation through acquisition strategy, will share her thoughts on a number of the issues impacting both the industry at large and Porsche in particular.

]]> Mon, 9 Mar 2020 12:15:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Today’s podcast is an exciting one as we’re lucky to have Talia Rafaeli, Investment Director at Porsche Ventures as our guest. Talia has built an incredibly successful career as a Venture Capitalist at a couple of Israel’s most successful VC firms such as Gemini and Stage One. In the past year, Tali made the decision to move to the corporate VC world and specifically into the mobility industry.

As one of the world’s preeminent luxury car manufacturers, Porsche is no different in that it is playing catch up to Tesla, Waymo and others, but it has quickly jumped into the deep end of the pool with both innovations as well as acquisitions. Talia, as Porsche’s Investment Director who is spearheading much of that innovation through acquisition strategy, will share her thoughts on a number of the issues impacting both the industry at large and Porsche in particular.

]]> Innovation through investment with Talia Rafaeli of Porsche Ventures Keith Zakheim 00:31:05 Today’s podcast is an exciting one as we’re lucky to have Talia Rafaeli, Investment Director at Porsche Ventures as our guest. Talia has built an incredibly successful career as a Venture Capitalist at a couple of Israel’s most successful VC firms such as Gemini and Stage One. In the past year, Tali made the decision to move to the corporate VC world and specifically into the mobility industry. Today’s podcast is an exciting one as we’re lucky to have Talia Rafaeli, Investment Director at Porsche Ventures as our guest. Talia has built an incredibly successful career as a Venture Capitalist at a couple of Israel’s most successful VC firms such as Gemini and Stage One. In the past year, Tali made the decision to move to the corporate VC world and specifically into the mobility industry. vc, porsche, israel, innovation, venture capitalist, mobility false full 25 cb0951a7-f247-4f3e-ab24-6db48273b58d How Connected Car Data is Revolutionizing the Mobility Space Today on Raising Your Antenna, we are joined by two individuals who are at the forefront of the data and mobility space and leading the charge to make Big Data both responsible and valuable to the people that it is serving. Ben Volkow, the founder and CEO of Otonomo, and Yuval Cohen, founder and managing partner at StageOne Ventures, an l fund that invests in early-stage B2B deep tech startups in the Israeli ecosystem, share their professional backgrounds, what they saw that motivated them to be first movers in this space, and how they understand both the promise and potential risks of a Big Data World. Yuval was among the first investors in Otonomo and, in full disclosure, Otonomo is a client of Antenna Group, but one of the things that make Ben and Yuval special is that they are straight shooters which today’s episode will make clear.

Tune in as we discuss:

-Ben and Yuval’s professional journeys
-What inspired Ben to work in the connected car data space
-What motivated Yuval to invest in Otonomo
-Insights into Otonomo’s partnership with Microsoft
-The opportunities and challenges for OEMs when it comes to data collection
-Top takeaways for OEMs, suppliers, and mobility disruptors in their approach to consumer data
...And more

]]> Wed, 27 Nov 2019 18:09:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Today on Raising Your Antenna, we are joined by two individuals who are at the forefront of the data and mobility space and leading the charge to make Big Data both responsible and valuable to the people that it is serving. Ben Volkow, the founder and CEO of Otonomo, and Yuval Cohen, founder and managing partner at StageOne Ventures, an l fund that invests in early-stage B2B deep tech startups in the Israeli ecosystem, share their professional backgrounds, what they saw that motivated them to be first movers in this space, and how they understand both the promise and potential risks of a Big Data World. Yuval was among the first investors in Otonomo and, in full disclosure, Otonomo is a client of Antenna Group, but one of the things that make Ben and Yuval special is that they are straight shooters which today’s episode will make clear.

Tune in as we discuss:

-Ben and Yuval’s professional journeys
-What inspired Ben to work in the connected car data space
-What motivated Yuval to invest in Otonomo
-Insights into Otonomo’s partnership with Microsoft
-The opportunities and challenges for OEMs when it comes to data collection
-Top takeaways for OEMs, suppliers, and mobility disruptors in their approach to consumer data
...And more

]]> How Connected Car Data is Revolutionizing the Mobility Space Keith Zakheim 00:37:04 Today on Raising Your Antenna, we are joined by two individuals who are at the forefront of the data and mobility space and leading the charge to make Big Data both responsible and valuable to the people that it is serving. Ben Volkow, the founder and CEO of Otonomo, and Yuval Cohen, founder and managing partner at StageOne Ventures, an l fund that invests in early-stage B2B deep tech startups in the Israeli ecosystem, share their professional backgrounds, what they saw that motivated them to be first movers in this space, and how they understand both the promise and potential risks of a Big Data World. Yuval was among the first investors in Otonomo and, in full disclosure, Otonomo is a client of Antenna Group, but one of the things that make Ben and Yuval special is that they are straight shooters which today’s episode will make clear. Today on Raising Your Antenna, we are joined by two individuals who are at the forefront of the data and mobility space and leading the charge to make Big Data both responsible and valuable to the people that it is serving. Ben Volkow, the founder and CEO of Otonomo, and Yuval Cohen, founder and managing partner at StageOne Ventures, an l fund that invests in early-stage B2B deep tech startups in the Israeli ecosystem, share their professional backgrounds, what they saw that motivated them to be first movers in this space, and how they understand both the promise and potential risks of a Big Data World. Yuval was among the first investors in Otonomo and, in full disclosure, Otonomo is a client of Antenna Group, but one of the things that make Ben and Yuval special is that they are straight shooters which today’s episode will make clear. israel, big data, innovation, data, mobility false full 24 23ec96b7-f5a0-458c-8bc8-44b0b6d3428d The Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Revolution This episode of Raising Your Antenna was recorded live in Salt Lake City at the Solar Power International podcast center. On this episode, we are lucky to have one of the visionaries of the distributed energy movement, Dan Nordloh. Dan is General Manager of DCentrIQ, a newly formed division of Faith Technologies. DCentrIQ is providing distributed energy technology and capabilities for a sustainable future through innovative distributed energy resource systems and Internet of Energy (IoE) control platforms.

Dan shares his expertise with us about the DER revolution, both the opportunities and challenges, how it will force utilities to change their business model, and how battery technology is the next frontier in widespread DER adoption.

Tune in as we discuss:

-Distributed Energy Resources (DER)
-Why Faith Technologies is entering the DER market
-DER and macro trends, challenges to economics, scaling and wider spread adoption.
-Microgrid and battery technology
-Distributed energy and utilities
...and more

Learn more about https://www.dcentriq.com/

Special thanks to Jim Spano and RadiantREIT for sponsoring the SPI podcast center

]]> Wed, 30 Oct 2019 13:03:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ This episode of Raising Your Antenna was recorded live in Salt Lake City at the Solar Power International podcast center. On this episode, we are lucky to have one of the visionaries of the distributed energy movement, Dan Nordloh. Dan is General Manager of DCentrIQ, a newly formed division of Faith Technologies. DCentrIQ is providing distributed energy technology and capabilities for a sustainable future through innovative distributed energy resource systems and Internet of Energy (IoE) control platforms.

Dan shares his expertise with us about the DER revolution, both the opportunities and challenges, how it will force utilities to change their business model, and how battery technology is the next frontier in widespread DER adoption.

Tune in as we discuss:

-Distributed Energy Resources (DER)
-Why Faith Technologies is entering the DER market
-DER and macro trends, challenges to economics, scaling and wider spread adoption.
-Microgrid and battery technology
-Distributed energy and utilities
...and more

Learn more about https://www.dcentriq.com/

Special thanks to Jim Spano and RadiantREIT for sponsoring the SPI podcast center

]]> The Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Revolution Keith Zakheim 00:25:03 This episode of Raising Your Antenna was recorded live in Salt Lake City at the Solar Power International podcast center. On this episode, we are lucky to have one of the visionaries of the distributed energy movement, Dan Nordloh. Dan is General Manager of DCentrIQ, a newly formed division of Faith Technologies. DCentrIQ is providing distributed energy technology and capabilities for a sustainable future through innovative distributed energy resource systems and Internet of Energy (IoE) control platforms. This episode of Raising Your Antenna was recorded live in Salt Lake City at the Solar Power International podcast center. On this episode, we are lucky to have one of the visionaries of the distributed energy movement, Dan Nordloh. Dan is General Manager of DCentrIQ, a newly formed division of Faith Technologies. DCentrIQ is providing distributed energy technology and capabilities for a sustainable future through innovative distributed energy resource systems and Internet of Energy (IoE) control platforms. false full 23 a3276462-5080-4a97-8986-71de74c0090f When AgTech Innovation Meets Urban Life Today on RYA, we host Henry Gordon-Smith the Founder and Managing Director of Agritecture Consulting. Henry has a lot to say about the current AgTech scene, both the business and moral imperative driving the industry and where we are, as a society, both making strides and falling short.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • The recent spike in Urban AgTech investment and macroeconomic, environmental, and social drivers of the industry
  • Urban AgTech’s part in solving food supply challenges caused by urban density and population growth
  • The future of vertical farming
  • The impact of current farming methods on carbon emission and how the Agtech industry can be a major corrective
  • Cannabis as a focus of the AgTech space
    …and more

NYC AgTech Week is 9/21 - 9/26.

]]> Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:55:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Today on RYA, we host Henry Gordon-Smith the Founder and Managing Director of Agritecture Consulting. Henry has a lot to say about the current AgTech scene, both the business and moral imperative driving the industry and where we are, as a society, both making strides and falling short.

Tune in as we discuss:

  • The recent spike in Urban AgTech investment and macroeconomic, environmental, and social drivers of the industry
  • Urban AgTech’s part in solving food supply challenges caused by urban density and population growth
  • The future of vertical farming
  • The impact of current farming methods on carbon emission and how the Agtech industry can be a major corrective
  • Cannabis as a focus of the AgTech space
    …and more

NYC AgTech Week is 9/21 - 9/26.

]]> When AgTech Innovation Meets Urban Life Keith Zakheim 00:34:16 Today on RYA, we host Henry Gordon-Smith the Founder and Managing Director of Agritecture Consulting. Henry has a lot to say about the current AgTech scene, both the business and moral imperative driving the industry and where we are, as a society, both making strides and falling short. Today on RYA, we host Henry Gordon-Smith the Founder and Managing Director of Agritecture Consulting. Henry has a lot to say about the current AgTech scene, both the business and moral imperative driving the industry and where we are, as a society, both making strides and falling short. farming, city, agtech, urban, food supply false full 22 add21d71-f167-4ec7-8346-f34b044b822b Reinventing the Way Cities Make Decisions with Eyal Feder-Levy On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are lucky enough to feature ZenCity and its CEO Eyal Feder-Levy. ZenCity perfectly fits the model of a company that uses data, as captured through “social listening” and other publicly available platforms, to enhance our everyday lives. As Eyal will explain, ZenCity’s algorithms capture anonymous conversations and feedback and transform it into actionable items for elected officials and municipal bureaucrats who can then respond and govern accordingly. To take one of the innumerable examples, a city official may decide to change the garbage pickup from Tuesday to Wednesday. The driver of the decision may be cost or some other consideration but either way, the municipal department in charge of waste is eager to understand the impact and consequences of the change. Until ZenCity, there was no real real-time feedback mechanism to analyze the success or failure of the program. Today, municipalities that have signed up with ZenCity (as of this taping there were already 50 clients) can get this feedback and act on it in an efficient and expeditious manner.

Eyal will discuss this, as well as provide some advice, and motivation, for early-stage companies that are hoping to sell their products and services to the public sector.

Tune in as we discuss:
-Government tech and small cities
-How ZenCity's AI-driven platform helps local governments translate what people want in their cities more effectively and eliminates the guesswork from policymaking
-What it means to "track sentiments" across different channels
-ZenCity's explosive growth and client success stories
-What the future of technology, politics and governance may look like
-...and more!

Learn more about ZenCity on their website here: https://zencity.io/

]]> Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:10:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are lucky enough to feature ZenCity and its CEO Eyal Feder-Levy. ZenCity perfectly fits the model of a company that uses data, as captured through “social listening” and other publicly available platforms, to enhance our everyday lives. As Eyal will explain, ZenCity’s algorithms capture anonymous conversations and feedback and transform it into actionable items for elected officials and municipal bureaucrats who can then respond and govern accordingly. To take one of the innumerable examples, a city official may decide to change the garbage pickup from Tuesday to Wednesday. The driver of the decision may be cost or some other consideration but either way, the municipal department in charge of waste is eager to understand the impact and consequences of the change. Until ZenCity, there was no real real-time feedback mechanism to analyze the success or failure of the program. Today, municipalities that have signed up with ZenCity (as of this taping there were already 50 clients) can get this feedback and act on it in an efficient and expeditious manner.

Eyal will discuss this, as well as provide some advice, and motivation, for early-stage companies that are hoping to sell their products and services to the public sector.

Tune in as we discuss:
-Government tech and small cities
-How ZenCity's AI-driven platform helps local governments translate what people want in their cities more effectively and eliminates the guesswork from policymaking
-What it means to "track sentiments" across different channels
-ZenCity's explosive growth and client success stories
-What the future of technology, politics and governance may look like
-...and more!

Learn more about ZenCity on their website here: https://zencity.io/

]]> Reinventing the Way Cities Make Decisions with Eyal Feder-Levy Keith Zakheim 00:37:59 On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are lucky enough to feature ZenCity and its CEO Eyal Feder-Levy. ZenCity perfectly fits the model of a company that uses data, as captured through “social listening” and other publicly available platforms, to enhance our everyday lives. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are lucky enough to feature ZenCity and its CEO Eyal Feder-Levy. ZenCity perfectly fits the model of a company that uses data, as captured through “social listening” and other publicly available platforms, to enhance our everyday lives. technology, government, cities, data false full 21 b3e41631-1b51-4b27-a6e9-8cd9265708c6 Demystifying the Retail Energy Market with Jack Doueck and Larry Leikin Your energy bill is made up of several charges, including the cost of transmission and distribution of the energy. But only the energy portion of the bill is competitively priced. The wires and pipes that bring electricity and natural gas to your home, business or factory are still owned by the traditional utility company, and the transmission and distribution charges are still set by regulators. But the energy is competitively priced and provided by suppliers, called ESCOs, competing for the customer’s business, which helps lower electricity rates. The utility will provide one consolidated bill, which helps keep shopping for energy uncomplicated.

The bottom line is in certain states, a part of your utility bill is competitively priced, if you opt-in.

This market, called the retail energy market, is the subject of today's episode of Raising Your Antenna. Joining us to demystify the retail energy markets and address the challenges and opportunities in today’s retail energy market are Jack Doueck and Larry Leiken, co-founders of the Energy Marketing Conferences. EMC is the largest gathering of retail energy executives in North America and it takes place twice a year: Houston, Texas in the Spring and New York City in the Fall. This year's conference in NYC will be September 12 at the Midtown Hilton Hotel.

]]> Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:22:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Your energy bill is made up of several charges, including the cost of transmission and distribution of the energy. But only the energy portion of the bill is competitively priced. The wires and pipes that bring electricity and natural gas to your home, business or factory are still owned by the traditional utility company, and the transmission and distribution charges are still set by regulators. But the energy is competitively priced and provided by suppliers, called ESCOs, competing for the customer’s business, which helps lower electricity rates. The utility will provide one consolidated bill, which helps keep shopping for energy uncomplicated.

The bottom line is in certain states, a part of your utility bill is competitively priced, if you opt-in.

This market, called the retail energy market, is the subject of today's episode of Raising Your Antenna. Joining us to demystify the retail energy markets and address the challenges and opportunities in today’s retail energy market are Jack Doueck and Larry Leiken, co-founders of the Energy Marketing Conferences. EMC is the largest gathering of retail energy executives in North America and it takes place twice a year: Houston, Texas in the Spring and New York City in the Fall. This year's conference in NYC will be September 12 at the Midtown Hilton Hotel.

]]> Demystifying the Retail Energy Market with Jack Doueck and Larry Leikin Keith Zakheim 00:32:59 Joining us to demystify the retail energy markets and address the challenges and opportunities in today’s retail energy market are Jack Doueck and Larry Leiken, co-founders of the Energy Marketing Conferences. Joining us to demystify the retail energy markets and address the challenges and opportunities in today’s retail energy market are Jack Doueck and Larry Leiken, co-founders of the Energy Marketing Conferences. retail energy market, energy, electricity, esco false full 20 891fad4e-3d99-4a97-bccf-05e751b3969e Accelerating the Clean Economy with VERGE's Shana Rappaport Complex problems demand complex solutions. While we would all love to have the silver bullet to solve a marital crisis, business challenges, Middle East peace or climate change, the reality is that the solutions to these types of problems are usually multifarious but related and attack the problem from different directions. On today’s episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are going to address the threat of climate change but from a non-binary, non-zero sum game and a non-linear perspective.

Guiding us on this journey is Shanna Rappaport, Vice President and Executive Director of Verge at Green Biz Group. For those of you who are not familiar, VERGE is the leading platform for accelerating the clean economy, convening the world’s largest companies, public sector leaders, utilities and technology innovators to foster a diverse ecosystem of influencers advancing solutions at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Shana has been evangelizing on behalf of the clean economy for more than a decade and has been spearheading Verge’s efforts to reverse climate change since 2013.

Tune in as we discuss:

-The carbon tech industry
-How the media covers and portrays climate change
-Carbon capture as a complement of carbon mitigation
-Circularity as both a sustainability framework and business strategy
-Circularity and sustainability trends such as Reconomy, BluePlanet, and The Closed Loop Partnership
-VERGE’s leadership role in spearheading a genuine circular economy
...And more

VERGE 19 will be held October 22 - 24 at the Oakland Convention Center.

]]> Wed, 10 Jul 2019 14:27:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Complex problems demand complex solutions. While we would all love to have the silver bullet to solve a marital crisis, business challenges, Middle East peace or climate change, the reality is that the solutions to these types of problems are usually multifarious but related and attack the problem from different directions. On today’s episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are going to address the threat of climate change but from a non-binary, non-zero sum game and a non-linear perspective.

Guiding us on this journey is Shanna Rappaport, Vice President and Executive Director of Verge at Green Biz Group. For those of you who are not familiar, VERGE is the leading platform for accelerating the clean economy, convening the world’s largest companies, public sector leaders, utilities and technology innovators to foster a diverse ecosystem of influencers advancing solutions at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Shana has been evangelizing on behalf of the clean economy for more than a decade and has been spearheading Verge’s efforts to reverse climate change since 2013.

Tune in as we discuss:

-The carbon tech industry
-How the media covers and portrays climate change
-Carbon capture as a complement of carbon mitigation
-Circularity as both a sustainability framework and business strategy
-Circularity and sustainability trends such as Reconomy, BluePlanet, and The Closed Loop Partnership
-VERGE’s leadership role in spearheading a genuine circular economy
...And more

VERGE 19 will be held October 22 - 24 at the Oakland Convention Center.

]]> Accelerating the Clean Economy with VERGE's Shana Rappaport Keith Zakheim 00:41:18 On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are going to address the threat of climate change but from a non-binary, non-zero sum game and a non-linear perspective. Guiding us on this journey is Shana Rappaport, Vice President and Executive Director of VERGE at GreenBiz Group. For those of you who are not familiar, VERGE is the leading platform for accelerating the clean economy, convening the world’s largest companies, public sector leaders, utilities and technology innovators to foster a diverse ecosystem of influencers advancing solutions at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Shana has been evangelizing on behalf of the clean economy for more than a decade and has been spearheading VERGE’s efforts to reverse climate change since 2013. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we are going to address the threat of climate change but from a non-binary, non-zero sum game and a non-linear perspective. Guiding us on this journey is Shana Rappaport, Vice President and Executive Director of VERGE at GreenBiz Group. For those of you who are not familiar, VERGE is the leading platform for accelerating the clean economy, convening the world’s largest companies, public sector leaders, utilities and technology innovators to foster a diverse ecosystem of influencers advancing solutions at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Shana has been evangelizing on behalf of the clean economy for more than a decade and has been spearheading VERGE’s efforts to reverse climate change since 2013. circularity, clean economy, carbontech, climate change false full 19 e78c21f8-09d1-4926-9100-12fe44e5b2dd Managing the New Urban Transportation Environment with Scott Shepard The range of transportation options at the fingertips of contemporary urban commuters is both astonishing and at times, overwhelming. For the Luddites, filling up your car with petroleum, sitting in a car for an hour and a half to complete a 15-mile trip and then spending a week's worth of salary on parking is still an option. For those that don't want to drive into the office, there is the option of public transportation, a mode of transport that depending on the city can range from clean and convenient to inefficient and unsafe. For the technophiles, there are ride sharing and micro-mobility solutions that have dramatically changed the urban landscape: dockless e-scooters and e-bikes, traditional bikes, and Ubers and Lyfts. Depending on the weather, your athletic profile and risk tolerance, there is an option to help you navigate our cities in a fashion that is often better for the environment, reduces congestion and can be economically more affordable.

So who is managing all of this and is there a way to have all of the different options on one easy to use interface that compares and contrasts by price, modality, accessibility and even environmental impact as measured by fuel type?

On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we speak with Scott Shepard, Chief Commercial Officer of Free2Move, a Berlin-based company that has developed a solution to managing the puzzle that is the new urban transportation environment. In addition to discussing the consumer-facing app, Scott and I will delve into the role of cities in facilitating the transformation of their streets and highways and how Free2Move is partnering with said cities to deliver the data to manage the demand, trip patterns and utilization of these emerging transportation options.

Tune in as we talk about:
-Scott’s professional journey and his role as Chief Commercial Officer at Free2Move
-Free2Move as a subsidiary of Group PSA, which owns Peugeot, Citroen and Opel car brands.
-How Free2Move is different from other companies that are in the business of aggregating new mobility options.
-The challenges that are facing cities, both large and mid-size, in incorporating new mobility options.
-Scott and Free2Move’s role in making sure that the emergence of private sector solutions and the MSPS (manages solutions providers) play nicely in the sandbox with public transportation options.
-The differences between the U.S. and European mobility models
...and more

]]> Wed, 15 May 2019 16:29:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The range of transportation options at the fingertips of contemporary urban commuters is both astonishing and at times, overwhelming. For the Luddites, filling up your car with petroleum, sitting in a car for an hour and a half to complete a 15-mile trip and then spending a week's worth of salary on parking is still an option. For those that don't want to drive into the office, there is the option of public transportation, a mode of transport that depending on the city can range from clean and convenient to inefficient and unsafe. For the technophiles, there are ride sharing and micro-mobility solutions that have dramatically changed the urban landscape: dockless e-scooters and e-bikes, traditional bikes, and Ubers and Lyfts. Depending on the weather, your athletic profile and risk tolerance, there is an option to help you navigate our cities in a fashion that is often better for the environment, reduces congestion and can be economically more affordable.

So who is managing all of this and is there a way to have all of the different options on one easy to use interface that compares and contrasts by price, modality, accessibility and even environmental impact as measured by fuel type?

On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we speak with Scott Shepard, Chief Commercial Officer of Free2Move, a Berlin-based company that has developed a solution to managing the puzzle that is the new urban transportation environment. In addition to discussing the consumer-facing app, Scott and I will delve into the role of cities in facilitating the transformation of their streets and highways and how Free2Move is partnering with said cities to deliver the data to manage the demand, trip patterns and utilization of these emerging transportation options.

Tune in as we talk about:
-Scott’s professional journey and his role as Chief Commercial Officer at Free2Move
-Free2Move as a subsidiary of Group PSA, which owns Peugeot, Citroen and Opel car brands.
-How Free2Move is different from other companies that are in the business of aggregating new mobility options.
-The challenges that are facing cities, both large and mid-size, in incorporating new mobility options.
-Scott and Free2Move’s role in making sure that the emergence of private sector solutions and the MSPS (manages solutions providers) play nicely in the sandbox with public transportation options.
-The differences between the U.S. and European mobility models
...and more

]]> Managing the New Urban Transportation Environment with Scott Shepard Keith Zakheim 00:34:56 On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we speak with Scott Shepard, Chief Commercial Officer of Free2Move, a Berlin-based company that has developed a solution to managing the puzzle that is the new urban transportation environment. On this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we speak with Scott Shepard, Chief Commercial Officer of Free2Move, a Berlin-based company that has developed a solution to managing the puzzle that is the new urban transportation environment. city, smart cities, ride sharing, mobility false full 18 6183975e-cc21-4d5b-9355-2192ee925706 Improving Quality of Life in the Cities of Tomorrow with Smart Cities' Raj Pannu On this episode, we are fortunate to have Raj Pannu as our guest. Raj is a deep thinker who, in his current position as Co-Founder of Smart Cities NY, has a platform from which he can bring together the key stakeholders who are in a position to impact the future of our cities through technological, economic and social innovation. Raj is non-ideological in his approach to helping to shape the future of our cities. He is open to all ideas and welcoming to people from all political persuasion and his conference embodies that ethos.

Smart Cities NY is North America's leading global conference for innovators and decision-makers who are improving life in the cities of tomorrow. The conference convenes innovators and decision-makers who are improving life in the cities of tomorrow including: city leaders, CEOs, and startups. Raj and his team take a holistic look at the innovations in technology and infrastructure that are making cities more livable, equitable, and sustainable.

Tune in as we talk about:
-Raj’s career path from McCann Health to founding and running Smart Cities New York.
-How influencers from the private sector, NGOs, community based non-profits and government can work together towards a salvific urban quality of life
-How technology can help cities build social capital and alleviate or solve economical, medical and education related issues
-The economics and finances around building smart cities
-Smart Cities themes in Bruce Katz’s The New Localism and Raghuram Rajan’s The Third Pillar
...and more

Don’t miss Smart Cities NY on May 13 - May 15! Learn more and register at https://smartcitiesny.com/

]]> Wed, 8 May 2019 12:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ On this episode, we are fortunate to have Raj Pannu as our guest. Raj is a deep thinker who, in his current position as Co-Founder of Smart Cities NY, has a platform from which he can bring together the key stakeholders who are in a position to impact the future of our cities through technological, economic and social innovation. Raj is non-ideological in his approach to helping to shape the future of our cities. He is open to all ideas and welcoming to people from all political persuasion and his conference embodies that ethos.

Smart Cities NY is North America's leading global conference for innovators and decision-makers who are improving life in the cities of tomorrow. The conference convenes innovators and decision-makers who are improving life in the cities of tomorrow including: city leaders, CEOs, and startups. Raj and his team take a holistic look at the innovations in technology and infrastructure that are making cities more livable, equitable, and sustainable.

Tune in as we talk about:
-Raj’s career path from McCann Health to founding and running Smart Cities New York.
-How influencers from the private sector, NGOs, community based non-profits and government can work together towards a salvific urban quality of life
-How technology can help cities build social capital and alleviate or solve economical, medical and education related issues
-The economics and finances around building smart cities
-Smart Cities themes in Bruce Katz’s The New Localism and Raghuram Rajan’s The Third Pillar
...and more

Don’t miss Smart Cities NY on May 13 - May 15! Learn more and register at https://smartcitiesny.com/

]]> Improving Quality of Life in the Cities of Tomorrow with Smart Cities' Raj Pannu Keith Zakheim 00:32:35 On this episode, we are fortunate to have Raj Pannu as our guest. Raj is a deep thinker who, in his current position as Co-Founder of Smart Cities NY, has a platform from which he can bring together the key stakeholders who are in a position to impact the future of our cities through technological, economic and social innovation. On this episode, we are fortunate to have Raj Pannu as our guest. Raj is a deep thinker who, in his current position as Co-Founder of Smart Cities NY, has a platform from which he can bring together the key stakeholders who are in a position to impact the future of our cities through technological, economic and social innovation. smart cities false full 17 7421832e-b6fd-4123-8406-ca0dd745d216 Unlocking the Secrets to the Israel Mobility Ecosystem with Ecomotion's Orlie Dahan How does a country with the population and size that is slightly larger than the state of New Jersey create an ecosystem that has successfully emerged as a hub for smart mobility innovation?

On this episode, we chat with Orlie Dahan, Executive Director of Ecomotion, a week long event in Tel Aviv that brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, OEM c-suite, investors and public sectors officials that are all moving the smart mobility industry forward. EcoMotion is a JV of the Israel Innovation Institute (private NGO) together with the Government, the Fuel Choices & Smart Mobility Initiative (under the PMO) and the Ministry of Economy. Orlie’s insights into the nature of Israel’s smart mobility ecosystem as well as the drivers of its growth is worth a listen.

Tune in as we talk about:
-How Ecomotion is different from other industry conferences
-The recent trend of OEMs moving to Israel and how it's impacting the Israel mobility ecosystem
-The role of the public sector in Israel in building the mobility ecosystem
-New innovations in mobility including optimization, demand balancing, AI, machine learning, simulation and connected services.
-...and more

Learn more about Ecomotion and register for Ecomotion Week 2019 here https://www.ecomotionweek.com/

]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2019 19:23:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ How does a country with the population and size that is slightly larger than the state of New Jersey create an ecosystem that has successfully emerged as a hub for smart mobility innovation?

On this episode, we chat with Orlie Dahan, Executive Director of Ecomotion, a week long event in Tel Aviv that brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, OEM c-suite, investors and public sectors officials that are all moving the smart mobility industry forward. EcoMotion is a JV of the Israel Innovation Institute (private NGO) together with the Government, the Fuel Choices & Smart Mobility Initiative (under the PMO) and the Ministry of Economy. Orlie’s insights into the nature of Israel’s smart mobility ecosystem as well as the drivers of its growth is worth a listen.

Tune in as we talk about:
-How Ecomotion is different from other industry conferences
-The recent trend of OEMs moving to Israel and how it's impacting the Israel mobility ecosystem
-The role of the public sector in Israel in building the mobility ecosystem
-New innovations in mobility including optimization, demand balancing, AI, machine learning, simulation and connected services.
-...and more

Learn more about Ecomotion and register for Ecomotion Week 2019 here https://www.ecomotionweek.com/

]]> Unlocking the Secrets to the Israel Mobility Ecosystem with Ecomotion's Orlie Dahan Keith Zakheim 00:35:18 On this episode, we chat with Orlie Dahan, Executive Director of Ecomotion, a week long event in Tel Aviv that brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, OEM c-suite, investors and public sectors officials that are all moving the smart mobility industry forward. EcoMotion is a JV of the Israel Innovation Institute (private NGO) together with the Government, the Fuel Choices & Smart Mobility Initiative (under the PMO) and the Ministry of Economy. On this episode, we chat with Orlie Dahan, Executive Director of Ecomotion, a week long event in Tel Aviv that brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, OEM c-suite, investors and public sectors officials that are all moving the smart mobility industry forward. EcoMotion is a JV of the Israel Innovation Institute (private NGO) together with the Government, the Fuel Choices & Smart Mobility Initiative (under the PMO) and the Ministry of Economy. israel, innovation, mobility false full 16 65285554-c2bc-4ebf-879e-99026e5d2c22 LiDAR and the Future of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry We're excited to have Omer Keilaf, CEO and Co-Founder of Innoviz Technologies. Innoviz is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, solid-state LiDAR sensors and perception software that enable the mass-production of autonomous vehicles. Innoviz has announced two major pieces of news. First, Innoviz became the first LiDAR manufacturer to ink a major OEM deal when it was selected by BMW for its InnovizOne LiDAR and computer vision software for series production of vehicles beginning in 2021. Second, Innoviz recently announced the completion of a $132 million Series C Round.

Tune in as we discuss:
-Innoviz's journey to the top of the LiDAR food chain
-How Innoviz's partnership with BMW has influenced its business processes and methodology for innovation
-Innoviz's completion of a $132 million Series C Round
-The impact of LiDAR on the future of AVs
-and more!

Learn more at https://innoviz.tech/

]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2019 15:45:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ We're excited to have Omer Keilaf, CEO and Co-Founder of Innoviz Technologies. Innoviz is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, solid-state LiDAR sensors and perception software that enable the mass-production of autonomous vehicles. Innoviz has announced two major pieces of news. First, Innoviz became the first LiDAR manufacturer to ink a major OEM deal when it was selected by BMW for its InnovizOne LiDAR and computer vision software for series production of vehicles beginning in 2021. Second, Innoviz recently announced the completion of a $132 million Series C Round.

Tune in as we discuss:
-Innoviz's journey to the top of the LiDAR food chain
-How Innoviz's partnership with BMW has influenced its business processes and methodology for innovation
-Innoviz's completion of a $132 million Series C Round
-The impact of LiDAR on the future of AVs
-and more!

Learn more at https://innoviz.tech/

]]> LiDAR and the Future of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Keith Zakheim 00:44:57 We're excited to have Omer Keilaf, CEO and Co-Founder of Innoviz Technologies. Innoviz is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, solid-state LiDAR sensors and perception software that enable the mass-production of autonomous vehicles. In the last few months, Innoviz has announced two major pieces of news. We're excited to have Omer Keilaf, CEO and Co-Founder of Innoviz Technologies. Innoviz is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, solid-state LiDAR sensors and perception software that enable the mass-production of autonomous vehicles. In the last few months, Innoviz has announced two major pieces of news. lidar, avs, self-driving, autonomous vehicles, mobility false full 15 883f1585-ee3c-4f68-a1ae-5429abf608bf Using AI to transform road infrastructure with Mark DeSantis On this episode, we're lucky to have Mark DeSantis, CEO of RoadBotics, an exciting startup housed in Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed AV lab, that promises to address our country’s road infrastructure problem, thereby paving the way for a future of economic bounty, mobility transformation and logistical nirvana. RoadBotics uses artificial intelligence and smartphones to help governments and engineering firms make data-driven decisions with objective road assessments.

Tune in as we talk about:
• The road maintenance industry as a business
• The state of road infrastructure
• The road maintenance model
• Disruption associated with rebuilding roads
• Artificial intelligence and automating assessments
• Implications for the future of mobility
• Advice for founders, entrepreneurs and investors
....and more!

]]> Tue, 5 Mar 2019 14:29:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ On this episode, we're lucky to have Mark DeSantis, CEO of RoadBotics, an exciting startup housed in Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed AV lab, that promises to address our country’s road infrastructure problem, thereby paving the way for a future of economic bounty, mobility transformation and logistical nirvana. RoadBotics uses artificial intelligence and smartphones to help governments and engineering firms make data-driven decisions with objective road assessments.

Tune in as we talk about:
• The road maintenance industry as a business
• The state of road infrastructure
• The road maintenance model
• Disruption associated with rebuilding roads
• Artificial intelligence and automating assessments
• Implications for the future of mobility
• Advice for founders, entrepreneurs and investors
....and more!

]]> Using AI to transform road infrastructure with Mark DeSantis Keith Zakheim 00:33:54 On this episode, we're lucky to have Mark DeSantis, CEO of RoadBotics, an exciting startup housed in Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed AV lab, that promises to address our country’s road infrastructure problem, thereby paving the way for a future of economic bounty, mobility transformation and logistical nirvana. RoadBotics uses artificial intelligence and smartphones to help governments and engineering firms make data-driven decisions with objective road assessments. On this episode, we're lucky to have Mark DeSantis, CEO of RoadBotics, an exciting startup housed in Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed AV lab, that promises to address our country’s road infrastructure problem, thereby paving the way for a future of economic bounty, mobility transformation and logistical nirvana. RoadBotics uses artificial intelligence and smartphones to help governments and engineering firms make data-driven decisions with objective road assessments. roads, city infrastructure, data, artificial intelligence, smart cities, mobility, ai false full 14 b4b5e689-ca40-4e05-8a88-55905f62048b From Scaling Companies to Protecting Founders, Advice from Doug Mandell, Silicon Valley GC and Consigliere We’re excited to have Doug Mandell as our guest on this episode of Raising Your Antenna. Doug is a Silicon Valley insider, Founder and Managing Partner of the Mandell Law Group, and has been an investor and advisor to countless startups, including Phylagen, Originate and Cricket Health. As it relates to the topic of this podcast, Doug was an early investor in Motiv Power Systems and Nauto, where he also served as General Counsel.

Doug has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of Silicon Valley's top four attorneys. He was LinkedIn's first outside counsel and then served as its first general counsel.

Tune in as we talk about
· Doug's professional background
· How Nauto is making driving safer and paving the way for autonomy
· Advice on starting & exiting companies for founders
· His experience as LinkedIn's General Counsel
· Using LinkedIn to reference check professional services
· Why he became interested with the mobility space
· Data, mobility, legality and more!

Special thanks to AdLarge for providing their podcast studio.

]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2019 14:47:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ We’re excited to have Doug Mandell as our guest on this episode of Raising Your Antenna. Doug is a Silicon Valley insider, Founder and Managing Partner of the Mandell Law Group, and has been an investor and advisor to countless startups, including Phylagen, Originate and Cricket Health. As it relates to the topic of this podcast, Doug was an early investor in Motiv Power Systems and Nauto, where he also served as General Counsel.

Doug has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of Silicon Valley's top four attorneys. He was LinkedIn's first outside counsel and then served as its first general counsel.

Tune in as we talk about
· Doug's professional background
· How Nauto is making driving safer and paving the way for autonomy
· Advice on starting & exiting companies for founders
· His experience as LinkedIn's General Counsel
· Using LinkedIn to reference check professional services
· Why he became interested with the mobility space
· Data, mobility, legality and more!

Special thanks to AdLarge for providing their podcast studio.

]]> From Scaling Companies to Protecting Founders, Advice from Doug Mandell, Silicon Valley GC and Consigliere Keith Zakheim 00:40:33 We’re excited to have Doug Mandell as our guest on this episode of Raising Your Antenna. Doug is a Silicon Valley insider, Founder and Managing Partner of the Mandell Law Group, and has been an investor and advisor to countless startups, including Phylagen, Originate and Cricket Health. As it relates to the topic of this podcast, Doug was an early investor in Motiv Power Systems and Nauto, where he also served as General Counsel. We’re excited to have Doug Mandell as our guest on this episode of Raising Your Antenna. Doug is a Silicon Valley insider, Founder and Managing Partner of the Mandell Law Group, and has been an investor and advisor to countless startups, including Phylagen, Originate and Cricket Health. As it relates to the topic of this podcast, Doug was an early investor in Motiv Power Systems and Nauto, where he also served as General Counsel. general counsel, linkedin, startups, entrepreneur false full 13 ebb99214-df83-41f4-b2a7-ab019b46a234 Shaping the Future of City Mobility with Noam Maital The cars get the headlines but the infrastructure and the cities that facilitate building that infrastructure will ultimately determine whether the autonomous vehicle revolution becomes a reality or fades away into the atmosphere like a burned-out comet. Mobility options such as electric scooters, dockless bikes and driverless vehicles are realities that city planners need to confront whether they are ready or not. The key that unlocks solutions to many infrastructure challenges is data. It is the newest four-letter word to enter the mainstream lexicon and its collection, analysis, and delivery both promises a more efficient, cleaner and safer transportation environment while also posing some threats to privacy and security.

On this episode, we are excited to have Noam Maital, CEO of Waycare, an AI-driven mobility solution that partners with cities and other public entities to get them ready for the onslaught of autonomous vehicles that will become ubiquitous on our city streets anywhere from the next 5 to 20 years.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Using infrastructure data and in-vehicle data to optimize traffic flow
-Cooperation of public and private sector in creating the right infrastructure for the future of mobility
-The use of mobility data specification to provide real-time data
-Key metrics and data points that public agencies need to better plan services and build the right infrastructure
and more!

Learn more about Noam Maital and Waycare at http://waycaretech.com/

]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2019 17:51:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ The cars get the headlines but the infrastructure and the cities that facilitate building that infrastructure will ultimately determine whether the autonomous vehicle revolution becomes a reality or fades away into the atmosphere like a burned-out comet. Mobility options such as electric scooters, dockless bikes and driverless vehicles are realities that city planners need to confront whether they are ready or not. The key that unlocks solutions to many infrastructure challenges is data. It is the newest four-letter word to enter the mainstream lexicon and its collection, analysis, and delivery both promises a more efficient, cleaner and safer transportation environment while also posing some threats to privacy and security.

On this episode, we are excited to have Noam Maital, CEO of Waycare, an AI-driven mobility solution that partners with cities and other public entities to get them ready for the onslaught of autonomous vehicles that will become ubiquitous on our city streets anywhere from the next 5 to 20 years.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Using infrastructure data and in-vehicle data to optimize traffic flow
-Cooperation of public and private sector in creating the right infrastructure for the future of mobility
-The use of mobility data specification to provide real-time data
-Key metrics and data points that public agencies need to better plan services and build the right infrastructure
and more!

Learn more about Noam Maital and Waycare at http://waycaretech.com/

]]> Shaping the Future of City Mobility with Noam Maital Keith Zakheim 00:33:51 The cars get the headlines but the infrastructure and the cities that facilitate building that infrastructure will ultimately determine whether the autonomous vehicle revolution becomes a reality or fades away into the atmosphere like a burned-out comet. Mobility options such as electric scooters, dockless bikes and driverless vehicles are realities that city planners need to confront whether they are ready or not. The key that unlocks solutions to many infrastructure challenges is data. It is the newest four-letter word to enter the mainstream lexicon and its collection, analysis, and delivery both promises a more efficient, cleaner and safer transportation environment while also posing some threats to privacy and security. The cars get the headlines but the infrastructure and the cities that facilitate building that infrastructure will ultimately determine whether the autonomous vehicle revolution becomes a reality or fades away into the atmosphere like a burned-out comet. Mobility options such as electric scooters, dockless bikes and driverless vehicles are realities that city planners need to confront whether they are ready or not. The key that unlocks solutions to many infrastructure challenges is data. It is the newest four-letter word to enter the mainstream lexicon and its collection, analysis, and delivery both promises a more efficient, cleaner and safer transportation environment while also posing some threats to privacy and security. city infrastructure, data, mobility false full 12 9468d495-d6b1-4293-bc14-286067455cc5 Bringing Blockchain to the Mainstream with Topper Bowers Blockchain is one of the business buzzwords that has become ubiquitous in conversation but not fully understood by the many who use it. While blockchain may have been developed with cryptocurrency in mind, today its promises are far greater.

We are excited to have Topper Bowers, Founder of Quorum Control, a company that has reinvented the way in which developers build and scale distributed ledger technology. Topper is an entrepreneur and engineer with over 20 years experience building software people want.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Topper Bowers' professional background
-How he started Quorum Control
-Primary application for blockchain
-Blockchain's most prominent use cases
-Distributed ledger technology
-and more!

Learn more about Topper Bowers and Quorum Control at https://www.quorumcontrol.com/

]]> Wed, 2 Jan 2019 16:44:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Blockchain is one of the business buzzwords that has become ubiquitous in conversation but not fully understood by the many who use it. While blockchain may have been developed with cryptocurrency in mind, today its promises are far greater.

We are excited to have Topper Bowers, Founder of Quorum Control, a company that has reinvented the way in which developers build and scale distributed ledger technology. Topper is an entrepreneur and engineer with over 20 years experience building software people want.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Topper Bowers' professional background
-How he started Quorum Control
-Primary application for blockchain
-Blockchain's most prominent use cases
-Distributed ledger technology
-and more!

Learn more about Topper Bowers and Quorum Control at https://www.quorumcontrol.com/

]]> Bringing Blockchain to the Mainstream with Topper Bowers Keith Zakheim 00:34:00 Blockchain is one of the business buzzwords that has become ubiquitous in conversation but not fully understood by the many who use it. While blockchain may have been developed with cryptocurrency in mind, today its promises are far greater. We are excited to have Topper Bowers, Founder of Quorum Control, a company that has reinvented the way in which developers build and scale distributed ledger technology. Topper is an entrepreneur and engineer with over 20 years experience building software people want. Blockchain is one of the business buzzwords that has become ubiquitous in conversation but not fully understood by the many who use it. While blockchain may have been developed with cryptocurrency in mind, today its promises are far greater. We are excited to have Topper Bowers, Founder of Quorum Control, a company that has reinvented the way in which developers build and scale distributed ledger technology. Topper is an entrepreneur and engineer with over 20 years experience building software people want. blockchain false full 11 a7ff5cfd-2f48-4306-afc3-1b576f6d1f51 Democratizing Real Estate Data with Sam Viskovich In this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we examine data democratization in the commercial real estate industry with Sam Viskovich, Director of Marketing at Reonomy.

Reonomy is a commercial real estate data platform that facilitates prospecting processes for CRE professionals and uncovers ownership information for over 49M commercial properties in the United States. Reonomy creates intuitive products designed to help CRE professionals achieve success by easily finding the information they need.

Tune in as we talk about...
-The commercial real estate technology industry
-Background of Reonomy
-Democratization of data
-How data can be used in navigating CRE markets

and more!

Learn more about Sam Viskovich and Reonomy at https://www.reonomy.com/

]]> Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:47:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ In this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we examine data democratization in the commercial real estate industry with Sam Viskovich, Director of Marketing at Reonomy.

Reonomy is a commercial real estate data platform that facilitates prospecting processes for CRE professionals and uncovers ownership information for over 49M commercial properties in the United States. Reonomy creates intuitive products designed to help CRE professionals achieve success by easily finding the information they need.

Tune in as we talk about...
-The commercial real estate technology industry
-Background of Reonomy
-Democratization of data
-How data can be used in navigating CRE markets

and more!

Learn more about Sam Viskovich and Reonomy at https://www.reonomy.com/

]]> Democratizing Real Estate Data with Sam Viskovich Keith Zakheim 00:30:06 In this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we examine data democratization in the commercial real estate industry with Sam Viskovich, Director of Marketing at Reonomy. In this episode of Raising Your Antenna, we examine data democratization in the commercial real estate industry with Sam Viskovich, Director of Marketing at Reonomy. cre, commercial real estate, real estate false full 10 0c1098f2-9469-45bd-adc6-3a5a6c32c1ea Clean Energy Investing with CEVF's Daniel Goldman We are excited to have Daniel Goldman, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Clean Energy Venture Fund.

Clean energy innovations are poised to disrupt markets and achieve extraordinary growth in the coming decade. CEV invests in companies commercializing disruptive clean energy technologies and business model innovations that are able to achieve significant scale by taking advantage of market-driven forces to address global climate disruption.

Tune in as we talk about...

-Daniel's professional background and how he transitioned from working in the oil and gas industry to the clean energy sector
-Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Cleantech Investment Cycle
-Climate change & policy
-Why it's an exciting time to invest in cleantech
-Investment calculus for clean energy & more!

]]> Thu, 6 Dec 2018 19:06:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ We are excited to have Daniel Goldman, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Clean Energy Venture Fund.

Clean energy innovations are poised to disrupt markets and achieve extraordinary growth in the coming decade. CEV invests in companies commercializing disruptive clean energy technologies and business model innovations that are able to achieve significant scale by taking advantage of market-driven forces to address global climate disruption.

Tune in as we talk about...

-Daniel's professional background and how he transitioned from working in the oil and gas industry to the clean energy sector
-Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Cleantech Investment Cycle
-Climate change & policy
-Why it's an exciting time to invest in cleantech
-Investment calculus for clean energy & more!

]]> Clean Energy Investing with CEVF's Daniel Goldman Keith Zakheim 00:36:35 We are excited to have Daniel Goldman, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Clean Energy Venture Fund. Clean energy innovations are poised to disrupt markets and achieve extraordinary growth in the coming decade. CEV invests in companies commercializing disruptive clean energy technologies and business model innovations that are able to achieve significant scale by taking advantage of market-driven forces to address global climate disruption We are excited to have Daniel Goldman, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Clean Energy Venture Fund. Clean energy innovations are poised to disrupt markets and achieve extraordinary growth in the coming decade. CEV invests in companies commercializing disruptive clean energy technologies and business model innovations that are able to achieve significant scale by taking advantage of market-driven forces to address global climate disruption cleantech, clean energy false full 9 aa23317a-8c3e-4844-83f1-26483cbaa2e0 The Future of Mobility with InMotion Ventures' James Nettleton We are excited to have InMotion Ventures principal James Nettleton, our first international guest! Backed by Jaguar Land Rover, InMotion Ventures creates and invests in mobility, transportation and travel companies bringing innovative approaches to getting from A to B. James invests in transportation and mobility and is always up to chat with founders of companies from Seed round to Series B.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Investing in the future of transport and mobility
-Transportation challenges in the US, Asia, and Europe
-Autonomous vehicle adoption
-Will Jaguar Land Rover's focus shift from individual car ownership to fleets?
-The future of mobility
...and more!

Learn more about James Nettleton at InMotion Ventures https://www.inmotionventures.com/

]]> Wed, 21 Nov 2018 19:03:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ We are excited to have InMotion Ventures principal James Nettleton, our first international guest! Backed by Jaguar Land Rover, InMotion Ventures creates and invests in mobility, transportation and travel companies bringing innovative approaches to getting from A to B. James invests in transportation and mobility and is always up to chat with founders of companies from Seed round to Series B.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Investing in the future of transport and mobility
-Transportation challenges in the US, Asia, and Europe
-Autonomous vehicle adoption
-Will Jaguar Land Rover's focus shift from individual car ownership to fleets?
-The future of mobility
...and more!

Learn more about James Nettleton at InMotion Ventures https://www.inmotionventures.com/

]]> The Future of Mobility with InMotion Ventures' James Nettleton Keith Zakheim 00:32:38 We are excited to have InMotion Ventures principal James Nettleton, our first international guest! Backed by Jaguar Land Rover, InMotion Ventures creates and invests in mobility, transportation and travel companies bringing innovative approaches to getting from A to B. James invests in transportation and mobility and is always up to chat with founders of companies from Seed round to Series B. Tune in as we talk about... -Investing in the future of transport and mobility -Transportation challenges in the US, Asia, and Europe -Autonomous vehicle adoption -Will Jaguar Land Rover's focus shift from individual car ownership to fleets? -The future of mobility ...and more! Learn more about James Nettleton at InMotion Ventures https://www.inmotionventures.com/ We are excited to have InMotion Ventures principal James Nettleton, our first international guest! Backed by Jaguar Land Rover, InMotion Ventures creates and invests in mobility, transportation and travel companies bringing innovative approaches to getting from A to B. James invests in transportation and mobility and is always up to chat with founders of companies from Seed round to Series B. Tune in as we talk about... -Investing in the future of transport and mobility -Transportation challenges in the US, Asia, and Europe -Autonomous vehicle adoption -Will Jaguar Land Rover's focus shift from individual car ownership to fleets? -The future of mobility ...and more! Learn more about James Nettleton at InMotion Ventures https://www.inmotionventures.com/ technology, emerging technology, automated vehicles, cleantech, venture capital, mobility false full 8 becbd629-0f20-4f98-901d-1a6325792911 Examining the Power of Weather Data with Rei Goffer, ClimaCell Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Rei Goffer, Chief Strategy Officer and Cofounder of Climacell, a Massachusetts-based weather forecasting company that repurposes wireless communication networks as weather sensors. The company was founded in 2015 by a team from the Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

ClimaCell is on a mission to map all of the weather data in the world. They're building the ultimate weather engine by pioneering the use of new weather sensing technologies and combining them with the best existing sources of data. ClimaCell's microweather™ platform can help governments and business across various industries, including mobility, energy, agriculture, insurance and more, make better decisions and solve critical problems.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Rei's background from the Air-force to co-founding ClimaCell
-The idea behind building the ultimate weather engine
-How precise data information can help businesses make better decisions
-The mission of ClimaCell to provide microweather™ with global coverage
-How ClimaCell gets precise predictions compared to other weather companies
...and more!

Learn more about Rei Goffer at ClimaCell

]]> Wed, 31 Oct 2018 15:46:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Rei Goffer, Chief Strategy Officer and Cofounder of Climacell, a Massachusetts-based weather forecasting company that repurposes wireless communication networks as weather sensors. The company was founded in 2015 by a team from the Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

ClimaCell is on a mission to map all of the weather data in the world. They're building the ultimate weather engine by pioneering the use of new weather sensing technologies and combining them with the best existing sources of data. ClimaCell's microweather™ platform can help governments and business across various industries, including mobility, energy, agriculture, insurance and more, make better decisions and solve critical problems.

Tune in as we talk about...
-Rei's background from the Air-force to co-founding ClimaCell
-The idea behind building the ultimate weather engine
-How precise data information can help businesses make better decisions
-The mission of ClimaCell to provide microweather™ with global coverage
-How ClimaCell gets precise predictions compared to other weather companies
...and more!

Learn more about Rei Goffer at ClimaCell

]]> Examining the Power of Weather Data with Rei Goffer, ClimaCell Keith Zakheim 00:24:52 Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Rei Goffer, Chief Strategy Officer and Cofounder of Climacell, a Massachusetts-based weather forecasting company that repurposes wireless communication networks as weather sensors. The company was founded in 2015 by a team from the Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management. ClimaCell is on a mission to map all of the weather data in the world. They're building the ultimate weather engine by pioneering the use of new weather sensing technologies and combining them with the best existing sources of data. ClimaCell's microweather™ platform can help governments and business across various industries, including mobility, energy, agriculture, insurance and more, make better decisions and solve critical problems. Tune in as we talk about... -Rei's background from the Air-force to co-founding ClimaCell -The idea behind building the ultimate weather engine -How precise data information can help businesses make better decisions -The mission of ClimaCell to provide microweather™ with global coverage -How ClimaCell gets precise predictions compared to other weather companies ...and more! Learn more about Rei Goffer at ClimaCell Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Rei Goffer, Chief Strategy Officer and Cofounder of Climacell, a Massachusetts-based weather forecasting company that repurposes wireless communication networks as weather sensors. The company was founded in 2015 by a team from the Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management. ClimaCell is on a mission to map all of the weather data in the world. They're building the ultimate weather engine by pioneering the use of new weather sensing technologies and combining them with the best existing sources of data. ClimaCell's microweather™ platform can help governments and business across various industries, including mobility, energy, agriculture, insurance and more, make better decisions and solve critical problems. Tune in as we talk about... -Rei's background from the Air-force to co-founding ClimaCell -The idea behind building the ultimate weather engine -How precise data information can help businesses make better decisions -The mission of ClimaCell to provide microweather™ with global coverage -How ClimaCell gets precise predictions compared to other weather companies ...and more! Learn more about Rei Goffer at ClimaCell emerging technology, big data, weather, technology, cleantech, mobility false full 7 3a4de345-518d-4368-abcb-ce29a8393584 Exploring the Cell-Based Meat Industry with Alex Shirazi, Cultured Meat Symposium Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Alex Shirazi, organizer of Cultured Meat Symposium, a conference held in Silicon Valley highlighting top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution.

One of the hallmarks of the last 100 years is that we not only eat to live but we live to eat. Americans, perhaps more than anyone else in the world, love beef. Unfortunately, beef has some major drawbacks. The meat that we ingest is riddled with hormones and preservatives, potentially creating some health risks. We produce more antibiotics for animals than we do for human beings and that increases the risks associated with antibiotics resistance. There's a massive environmental cost to raising cattle, and then there's the problem of cruelty to animals.

In this episode, we will explore the cell-based meat movement, or what until very recently was referred to as the clean meat industry - a new and fast-growing industry that promises to satiate our nation’s appetite for beef, but to do so growing it outside the animal.

Joining me on today's tour de force of cellular meat is Alex Shirazi, who runs the Cultured Meat Symposium, one of the preeminent industry conferences for cell-based meat.

Tune is as we talk about…
Alex’s background and what led him to the cellular meat industry
Naming and defining the terms “cell-based meats” and “cultured meats”
Converting animal agriculture to cellular agriculture.
Cell-based meat vs. traditional meat
Price parity
The barriers that this industry face
The future of cell-based industry and more!...

Learn more about Alex Shirazi and join him at Cultured Meat Symposium in San Francisco for a one day event on November 1, 2018 that highlights the top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution.

]]> Mon, 22 Oct 2018 21:33:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Alex Shirazi, organizer of Cultured Meat Symposium, a conference held in Silicon Valley highlighting top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution.

One of the hallmarks of the last 100 years is that we not only eat to live but we live to eat. Americans, perhaps more than anyone else in the world, love beef. Unfortunately, beef has some major drawbacks. The meat that we ingest is riddled with hormones and preservatives, potentially creating some health risks. We produce more antibiotics for animals than we do for human beings and that increases the risks associated with antibiotics resistance. There's a massive environmental cost to raising cattle, and then there's the problem of cruelty to animals.

In this episode, we will explore the cell-based meat movement, or what until very recently was referred to as the clean meat industry - a new and fast-growing industry that promises to satiate our nation’s appetite for beef, but to do so growing it outside the animal.

Joining me on today's tour de force of cellular meat is Alex Shirazi, who runs the Cultured Meat Symposium, one of the preeminent industry conferences for cell-based meat.

Tune is as we talk about…
Alex’s background and what led him to the cellular meat industry
Naming and defining the terms “cell-based meats” and “cultured meats”
Converting animal agriculture to cellular agriculture.
Cell-based meat vs. traditional meat
Price parity
The barriers that this industry face
The future of cell-based industry and more!...

Learn more about Alex Shirazi and join him at Cultured Meat Symposium in San Francisco for a one day event on November 1, 2018 that highlights the top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution.

]]> Exploring the Cell-Based Meat Industry with Alex Shirazi, Cultured Meat Symposium Keith Zakheim 00:31:12 Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Alex Shirazi, organizer of Cultured Meat Symposium, a conference held in Silicon Valley highlighting top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution. One of the hallmarks of the last 100 years is that we not only eat to live but we live to eat. Americans, perhaps more than anyone else in the world, love beef. Unfortunately, beef has some major drawbacks. The meat that we ingest is riddled with hormones and preservatives, potentially creating some health risks. We produce more antibiotics for animals than we do for human beings and that increases the risks associated with antibiotics resistance. There's a massive environmental cost to raising cattle, and then there's the problem of cruelty to animals. In this episode, we will explore the cell-based meat movement, or what until very recently was referred to as the clean meat industry - a new and fast-growing industry that promises to satiate our nation’s appetite for beef, but to do so growing it outside the animal. Joining me on today's tour de force of cellular meat is Alex Shirazi, who runs the Cultured Meat Symposium, one of the preeminent industry conferences for cell-based meat. Tune is as we talk about… -Alex’s background and what led him to the cellular meat industry -Naming and defining the terms “cell-based meats” and “cultured meats” -Converting animal agriculture to cellular agriculture. -Cell-based meat vs. traditional meat -Price parity The barriers that this industry face The future of cell-based industry and more!... Learn more about Alex Shirazi and join him at Cultured Meat Symposium in San Francisco for a one day event on November 1, 2018 that highlights the top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution. Welcome to another episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Alex Shirazi, organizer of Cultured Meat Symposium, a conference held in Silicon Valley highlighting top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution. One of the hallmarks of the last 100 years is that we not only eat to live but we live to eat. Americans, perhaps more than anyone else in the world, love beef. Unfortunately, beef has some major drawbacks. The meat that we ingest is riddled with hormones and preservatives, potentially creating some health risks. We produce more antibiotics for animals than we do for human beings and that increases the risks associated with antibiotics resistance. There's a massive environmental cost to raising cattle, and then there's the problem of cruelty to animals. In this episode, we will explore the cell-based meat movement, or what until very recently was referred to as the clean meat industry - a new and fast-growing industry that promises to satiate our nation’s appetite for beef, but to do so growing it outside the animal. Joining me on today's tour de force of cellular meat is Alex Shirazi, who runs the Cultured Meat Symposium, one of the preeminent industry conferences for cell-based meat. Tune is as we talk about… -Alex’s background and what led him to the cellular meat industry -Naming and defining the terms “cell-based meats” and “cultured meats” -Converting animal agriculture to cellular agriculture. -Cell-based meat vs. traditional meat -Price parity The barriers that this industry face The future of cell-based industry and more!... Learn more about Alex Shirazi and join him at Cultured Meat Symposium in San Francisco for a one day event on November 1, 2018 that highlights the top industry insights of the cell-based meat revolution. cultured meat, meat alternatives, meat free, cell-based meat false full 6 1ba6bb62-d711-4248-b678-5931bbce702c Examining the Urban Mobility Revolution with John Rossant, Founder and Chief Curator of LA CoMotion Welcome to the fifth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have John Rossant, Founder of LA CoMotion and Founder and Chairman of the New Cities Foundation.

John Rossant personally leads the LA CoMotion team. He is the Founder and Chairman of the New CIties Foundation, a major global non-profit institution dedicated to improving the quality of life and works in cities. He previously led the team producing the famous World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland every January and has been the producer of major World Economic Forum conferences in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Tune in as we talk about...
-John's personal background
-How he transitioned from press media to marketing
-How LAComotion and New Cities Foundation came about
-Future of automation, mobility and transportation space
-Autonomous vehicles
-Electric cars and electric car chargers

Learn more about John Rossant at LAComotion https://www.lacomotion.com/archives/speakers/john-rossant

]]> Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:24:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Welcome to the fifth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have John Rossant, Founder of LA CoMotion and Founder and Chairman of the New Cities Foundation.

John Rossant personally leads the LA CoMotion team. He is the Founder and Chairman of the New CIties Foundation, a major global non-profit institution dedicated to improving the quality of life and works in cities. He previously led the team producing the famous World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland every January and has been the producer of major World Economic Forum conferences in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Tune in as we talk about...
-John's personal background
-How he transitioned from press media to marketing
-How LAComotion and New Cities Foundation came about
-Future of automation, mobility and transportation space
-Autonomous vehicles
-Electric cars and electric car chargers

Learn more about John Rossant at LAComotion https://www.lacomotion.com/archives/speakers/john-rossant

]]> Examining the Urban Mobility Revolution with John Rossant, Founder and Chief Curator of LA CoMotion Keith Zakheim 00:38:48 Welcome to the fifth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have John Rossant, Founder of LA CoMotion and Founder and Chairman of the New Cities Foundation. John Rossant personally leads the LA CoMotion team. He is the Founder and Chairman of the New CIties Foundation, a major global non-profit institution dedicated to improving the quality of life and works in cities. He previously led the team producing the famous World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland every January and has been the producer of major World Economic Forum conferences in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Tune in as we talk about... -John's personal background -How he transitioned from press media to marketing -How LAComotion and New Cities Foundation came about -Future of automation, mobility and transportation space -Autonomous vehicles -Electric cars and electric car chargers Learn more about John Rossant at LAComotion https://www.lacomotion.com/archives/speakers/john-rossant Welcome to the fifth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have John Rossant, Founder of LA CoMotion and Founder and Chairman of the New Cities Foundation. John Rossant personally leads the LA CoMotion team. He is the Founder and Chairman of the New CIties Foundation, a major global non-profit institution dedicated to improving the quality of life and works in cities. He previously led the team producing the famous World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland every January and has been the producer of major World Economic Forum conferences in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Tune in as we talk about... -John's personal background -How he transitioned from press media to marketing -How LAComotion and New Cities Foundation came about -Future of automation, mobility and transportation space -Autonomous vehicles -Electric cars and electric car chargers Learn more about John Rossant at LAComotion https://www.lacomotion.com/archives/speakers/john-rossant technology, automated vehicles, emerging technology, cleantech, mobility false full 5 775eb738-a12b-4e54-9a1d-5117f05da620 Disrupting the Mobility Industry with Michael Granoff, Founder and Managing Director at Maniv Mobility Welcome to the fourth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Michael Granoff, founder and managing director of Maniv Mobility. Aside from several startup boards, Michael serves on the board of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a Washington, DC-based policy and advocacy organization he helped establish in 2004.

Michael has been involved in three US Presidential campaigns and he received Brandeis University’s Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship in 2010.

Tune is as we talk about...

  • Hear about Michael's background in the mobility space
  • How he became interested with transportation energy
  • The autonomous vehicle industry
  • How Michael has become deeply involved with car autonomy
  • Financing, engineering, and macroeconomics of the auto industry
  • Disruption and mobility
  • The consumer's view of full-autonomy and more!
]]> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 18:19:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Welcome to the fourth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Michael Granoff, founder and managing director of Maniv Mobility. Aside from several startup boards, Michael serves on the board of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a Washington, DC-based policy and advocacy organization he helped establish in 2004.

Michael has been involved in three US Presidential campaigns and he received Brandeis University’s Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship in 2010.

Tune is as we talk about...

  • Hear about Michael's background in the mobility space
  • How he became interested with transportation energy
  • The autonomous vehicle industry
  • How Michael has become deeply involved with car autonomy
  • Financing, engineering, and macroeconomics of the auto industry
  • Disruption and mobility
  • The consumer's view of full-autonomy and more!
]]> Disrupting the Mobility Industry with Michael Granoff, Founder and Managing Director at Maniv Mobility Keith Zakheim 00:37:14 Welcome to the fourth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Michael Granoff, founder and managing director of Maniv Mobility. Aside from several startup boards, Michael serves on the board of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a Washington, DC-based policy and advocacy organization he helped establish in 2004. Michael has been involved in three US Presidential campaigns and he received Brandeis University’s Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship in 2010. Tune is as we talk about... - Hear about Michael's background - How he became interested with transportation energy - The autonomous vehicle industry - How Michael has become deeply involved with car autonomy - Financing, engineering, and macroeconomics of the auto industry - Disruption and mobility - The consumer's view of full-autonomy and more! Welcome to the fourth episode of Raising Your Antenna, your source for in-depth insight from leaders in emerging technology. We are excited to have Michael Granoff, founder and managing director of Maniv Mobility. Aside from several startup boards, Michael serves on the board of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a Washington, DC-based policy and advocacy organization he helped establish in 2004. Michael has been involved in three US Presidential campaigns and he received Brandeis University’s Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship in 2010. Tune is as we talk about... - Hear about Michael's background - How he became interested with transportation energy - The autonomous vehicle industry - How Michael has become deeply involved with car autonomy - Financing, engineering, and macroeconomics of the auto industry - Disruption and mobility - The consumer's view of full-autonomy and more! automated vehicles, emerging technology, technology, cleantech, mobility false full 4 2a901747-c174-40ea-a748-22db6d47b444 Predicting the Future of CRE Tech with Ryan Cox, Principal at Founders Grove Capital We are excited to have Ryan Cox, Principal at Founders Grove Capital, a real estate investment and advisory firm dedicated to helping clients select and manage real estate investments that work for them. Ryan is responsible for helping clients select and manage real estate investments so they can build a more secure financial portfolio.

Ryan hosts The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and he is a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. When he is not hosting his podcast, he is the CEO of Founders Grove Capital!

Tune in as we talk about...

  • Multifamily Real Estate Investor
  • Real Estate Technology or PropTech
  • Design in Commercial Real Estate
  • Block Chain Platform
  • and much more!

Learn more about Ryan Cox on The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and Founders Grove Capital

VO: You’re listening to Raising Your Antenna, with host Keith Zakheim.

Keith: Welcome to Raising Your Antenna. And I’m your host, Keith Zakheim. Today, we have a guest, Ryan Cox that wears many hats. Being that this is a podcast, and many of you, like me are podcast addicts, let me give you Ryan’s podcast bona fides first. Ryan hosts a real estate innovators podcast, in which he interviews some of the bigger founders and influencers in the real estate tech/proptech market. I guess Ryan, one of the things we can kinda talk about is what we call this industry because I’m hearing a lot of names for it: proptech, real estate tech, other things. But anyway, Ryan’s podcast is a great listen. And he’s a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. That I think is great gold or father for investors and professionals in the real estate and the real estate technology space. So anyway, definitely give a listen. But, when he’s not hosting his podcast, Ryan is a CEO of Founders Grove Capital, where he himself is a super successful investor and advisor to investors. So Ryan, before we get going and kinda get into the nitty gritty of our conversation today, maybe give my audience some of your background, professional background. And also specifically, you know, why you do the podcast. You know, is that kind of a personal passion. And also, how it helps your business from a marketing perspective. So anyway, welcome aboard and, yeah, it’s to you.

Ryan: Well, Keith. Thanks so much for having me on the show. Excited to talk about a little commercial real estate tech, a little about my business. So, my background is, you know, I really, primarily, my primary business is to focus on multi-family value-added opportunities. So, my core business is as real estate investor and working with investors to buy multi-family assets here in the state of Texas. The podcast, as you said, is developed, I guess, primarily, out of a passion and some curiosity. So, I found it to be, you know as an investor, a really great avenue on a weekly basis to really dig in to all of the, you know commercial real estate tech that is developing around us. And the podcast has given me an opportunity, you know, really, a calling card to knock on any door and talk to founders about their background and unique insight that they had in their background to lead them to found a commercial real estate tech company. And on the podcast, I’m really just able to, you know, dig in what their background is, what unique insight, talk about the solution, how it benefits and impacts their users. And then try to suss out, really, just their insights from their work, about how they see the overall real estate market and that changing, and the impact of commercial real estate tech. I think the big driver for before the podcast is, you know, number one is I’m an advocate for my investors. So, I feel like it’s a priority for me to really be able to have a broad view of all of the technology that is, really, just starting to make an impact. But, I believe in the next three to five years, would dramatically shift the way that a lot of business in real estate gets done. So, I wanna make sure that I’m not flat-footed and that I’m being an advocate for my investors and paying attention to all the real estate tech that is transforming how we do business. I think..

Keith: You know, I, you’ve, again, being a listener to I think your last two episodes. I think you do a great job of listening that kind of feedback, and getting really down to the founder’s course to both your entrepreneurial side as well as your passion. Specifically, of this CRE-tech space. So anyway, I enjoy and I encourage my listeners to download it, become a subscriber, and listen cause it’s really, it’s a great listen. So, let’s dive in and my first question Ryan is that you know, where in, when I say we, I mean you and me from the marketing side are in the super-exciting space of what we call CRE-tech/prop tech. But, there are tons of applications found in the market. So, if that big data applications and, or you know spaces service as a business, virtual marketplaces and leasing tenant focus platforms, private management, augmented reality, and others. Clearly, some are getting more ink than others in space as a service comes to mind. But, as an investor and an advisor, I’m curious in your perspective. What are the exciting areas, that maybe somewhat under the radar right now. So you know, trying to bring somebody into a no-tell where we work. Okay, no big deal. Lots of money’s going there. That’s just aping what everybody else is doing. But, what are the areas, you know, applications that you think have the potential for real disruption, will attract early adopters, and in the next few years, where should the savvy investor who really wants to be part of the space looking to allocate money?

Ryan: Well, first of all, I think that there are a ton of really interesting across, you know, like you said teantt project management. There’s a really, really quite a few interesting, you know spaces to play in CRE-tech. I think, as I think about the next two or three is we’re just so early. Especially regards to adoptions, it seems to me like the folks that are focused on data and that could be a cross-spaces as service, virtual marketplaces, leasing tenant project management and that stuff. The folks that are taken a data first enabled to monetize that early, enabled to give users actual data to make decision for that real estate investors, for lets space users, you know building owners. It seems to me like those folks are probably to the best start because there’s a value they can charge users afforded data. But, the collection of that data also gives them flexibility as they grow out, you know, the solutions that are provided to end-users.

Keith: Yeah, we see for example both in CRE and also this residential real estate is, you know, a lot of these companies are multi-generational families that abound, you know, especially in the big cities, right. So, they own a lot of the office space, they own a lot of residential real estate, and they’ve been making money in this space for a long time. And as a result, the little more buttoned-up conservative, unless, willing to be early adopters. And we found with our clients, is that the case to be made at least initially, is surely an economic play, right. So, this is how you gonna be more efficient and save money. But, you know, how, what do you see is being the most partner-compelling arguments to, you know, CRE-tech as CRE-owners in order to get them to kinda take that first leap of faith into some of these, you know, applications and areas. And it could be, you know, big data which is maybe, there is some would have, you know, an easier, a leap of faith from data, the argument for efficiency and economic savings probably easier than making, also, I realized much more quickly. But, how do you advise your clients, or what do you see your founders in terms of being able to, you know, circumvent or achieve some of those obstacles?

Ryan:Well, I think that from a founder’s perspective, you know, I think the venture community has great channels into, you know, big, you know, big brokerage. I would just definitely in avenue to get widespread adoption across a numbered users and geographies. I think that a lot of the bug development companies have their own adventure arm that you know, co-investing with the venture firms or looking to, you know, incubate and grow their own, you know, own kind of tech. So i do think that there are great opportunities with the right venture partner or being able to sit with the right investment or development company to help kinda scale the platform out. So.

Keith: So, how are you looking for money for for example. It's not just about the money, but the strategic value that these investors can bring in terms of opening up new channels and helping with initial adaption?

Rayna: Absolutely, the faster to market in adaption. I think is what you see in the re-work examples. They are just trying to raise the biggest, the best and have amass the monopoly. I think that the fastest routes to market, the more channels that you have to be able to deploy the product, the better your chances for success.

Keith: Yeah that’s a great segue to the next topic I want to discuss, which is basis of service. And companies like re-work, and notel raising money on previously unthinkable valuations. I have a 2-part question. So, clearly, there is some type of bubble forming, and this not the first tech-vertical or general investment vertical to experience a bubble and there’s a lot of money-chasing deals and we work in (notel) just based on evaluations are clearly benefiting from all that money that’s on the sidelines looking to invest in this space. So, it’s 2 questions. You know, it’s not new what we work in (notel) are dealing, right. So, we just been around for a long time. Yet, we are left behind in the dust. These newer companies are gobbling up market share and their valuations are significantly higher. So, what’s been the drivers of their growth versus what we’ve seen in the past? And the 2nd question, Ryan, which I know comes up everywhere. Which is, you know, we work in (notel) have experienced, any other companies by the way just keep referring to these two, but they’ve experienced this growth in a real estate environment in which the market is just fantastic and also experiencing above all, right. What’s that gonna look like when there is an inevitable downturn. That’s what real estate is historically, so it’s not gonna continue and values are not gonna continue to appreciate and as I understand their business model which is, you know, leasing up a lot of space and being able to upsell that to tenants. What happens when, you know, values go down and their existing tenants can go lock in space for much cheaper prices. So, 2-part question: drivers of growth versus the history of the space as well as what it’s all gonna look like during an inevitable downturn?

Ryan: Yeah, those are good questions. I don’t think anybody can accurately predict. But just some thoughts. I think, you know, running we were..

Keith: The beauty of being a podcast, of being a prognosticator, is that they only remember when you’re right and when you’re wrong, no one cares. So, that’s, you know, we can say whatever we want. Be Nostradamus, right?

Ryan: Right. Well, if we were on video, everybody would be able to see me in my wizard hat.

Keith: (Laughs). Exactly.

Ryan: My answer here. I mean, (Ryan), we were cause undertaking the company’s taken a name as an approach to spending, investing heavily on growth, in hopes that profits will follow. I think, in the most likely scenario, is that, the thing that’s been driving growth in valuations for these companies will ultimately will come to roost. You know, right now, we’re in a growth at all cost negative gross margins. I think that we workers gotten so big that we’re seeing a lot more access to their data and, you know, right now, their focused on growth in a winner take all mode similar to some other tech companies we’ve seen at Silicon Valley. You know something , the ultimate challenge, so that goal is that if you can grow to a large size and create a market monopoly. Then, over time, you’re able to, you know, raise prices because you’ve got some sort of walk-in with those customers. I think the challenge right now in the current environment is that there’s so much private capital out there and so many entrepreneurs willing to take on big dogs. It would be a re-work at this case but people with. I think you need value proposition in a co-working space. So, on a venture capital people chasing, I don’t see right now that there is a monopoly in place. And then those companies are public, so you know valuations that can be tricky. Just a tricky area when we talk about private money. So, the question will be if there is a downturn and we’re not in a profitable place and that money dries up. How do you sustain growth or shift on a dime with your users to a profitable model.

Keith: Yeah, for sure. I do, you know, so you mention Amazon and Amazon first of the 15-year run and they probably are the exception to the rule in terms of being able to early on stake-out they wouldn’t call a monopolistic position but certainly, 800-pound gorilla type of corporation. But, if you look at ride-sharing. So, a company like Uber tried to do that but the market was so large. The problems of executions are great and the amount of so much money on the sidelines willing to go into that space. Left has been able to significantly cut into their business over last few years with no one inside there. It seems to me also, the spaces service industry. The various entry are really just raising the capital. I mean, I don’t know there’s much secret sauce in doing that except for being able to sustain the losses initially and go gobble up property. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out and what it all looks like in a number of years but I know everybody in our industry is watching that closely and that will be interesting as we go forward.

Ryan: Yeah, totally great I think. I definitely think the spaces services creating a value for large enterprise and small businesses alike. It’ll be up to those organizations to find a profitable, sustainable, long-term business model, which is yet to be proven. So, I think that there will be some, I think that there’ll be winners, I think that there’ll be losers. I think that there’ll probable even a few that rise to the top and are able to sustain there long-term.

Keith: Alright. Moving on. Entrepreneurs and startups and certainly marketing agencies, we love the buzzwords. Alright, so, you can raise money and you can throw out terms like artificial intelligence or augmented reality or blockchain or cryptocurrency and figure out how to present your business plan and I think companies or startups are hoping that investors will follow that with investment. So, blockchain is a bit, is a buzzword that is being thrown around, our industry, the CRE-tech industry. We do a lot of work and energy and I thought blockchain is a fantastic application of blockchain platforms with application in the energy markets because energy in general’s becoming a lot more distributed and decentralized and blockchain is a fantastic application for industries that are going in that direction. We’ve seen a number of companies over the last 6 to 12 months that come to us and claim to have some type of blockchain application real estate whether that’s for raising money, whether that’s because it can cut out some of the soft-cost involved in transactions, whether it’s because of blockchain application will make shrink the timeline for these transactions. There’s a number of reasons why blockchain could be a good application in the real estate industry. Curious what your thoughts are as to what those applications are? Are you seeings things that right now are more substance and hype? Do you think at this point just more hype and people throwing around the word? What’s your take on all that?

Ryan: I think there’s a lot of hype, I mean, blockchain is really just a lot of copies of a gigantic cell spreadsheet. So, I think that there’s some interesting possibilities for blockchain. Clearly, to the number of hands that have touched a transaction to potentially cut out intermediaries. I think that there are some regulatory things that need to happen as those boundaries get pushed. I think that it’s a move in the right direction but whether it’s blockchain, artificial intelligence, a machine learning, there’s a lot of entrepreneurs that are tackling that technology and trying to integrate it into their business and or their philosophy. When you talk to the technologist about where we are with those technologies and what they’re capable of doing, there’s somewhat of a sentiment that, yeah, the baseline is there but today they don’t function as they’re being promised or advertised as. So, I think that is commercial real estate technology is playing catch up to a lot of technology innovations from, maybe the past 15-20 years and that started to really grow inside of commercial real estate maybe in the past 5-6 years. I think that this group of entrepreneurs is in the right place and on pace or the slightly behind fintech or other spaces where they’re trying to develop the technology to truly make an impact.

Keith: Yeah, we’ve spoken with a few companies recently who feel that blockchain and cryptocurrency solution will enable owners and CRE owners to have opportunities for liquidity and to bring in partners or investors in a way that they can’t with the current financial and legal infrastructure in real estate. So, that’s what, from what I understand from these companies, they think they can be deploying those solutions relatively quickly. It’s a proof in a pudding.

Ryan: Yeah, I mean. Title company, all kinds of things, potentially make an impact or just we’re not there today. I think, we’ve got smart entrepreneurs that are working on solutions and are really trying to develop that technology to make it viable. And, where we are today versus where we’ll be in 5 years, is one of the reasons I have a podcast or I’m on this show, talking to you about it because I’m very interested in watching those developments and understanding how people are leveraging the technology and using that technology to change the way we work, live, play..

Keith: Yeah, so let’s talk about play. Another great segue, is Ryan, you’re a great host. So, when you’re the guest, you can do my work for me. That’s perfect. I wanna talk about apps and platforms and features that companies now are offering to enhance the tenant experience. It seems like a very millennial thing. So, in my company, we’re always kind of our executive team is always discussing. Alright, so, how do we make millennials happy, keep them productive, make sure that we’re able to retain them? And, I started my business 15 years ago, I wasn’t really having that conversation. It was more around, let’s just create professional development opportunities, make sure paying them fairly, and treating them with respect. But now, they want things that are gonna enhance their social experience, logistical experience. Work is now just not about work but it’s responsibility of companies and now it seems like maybe a building owner’s as well to provide a home-like experience or social experience, cultural experiences within the 4 walls of the workplace. Companies like Comfy, I've seen HQO, Office App, Equium. Again, they’re going out there and trying to convince owners and landowners that their responsibilities transcend just a physically-built environment. What’s been your experience in speaking either with your clients or with founders about the receptivity towards this? Who’re gonna be the early adapters? Is this just kind of like a fad right now but, we’re gonna eventually go back into haywork is work? What do you think on that?

Ryan: I think that broader society is just moving towards more experiences whether that’s the bloomers who are moving out of houses then looking for less kind of ownership responsibilities to give them opportunities to travel, to go and do, to hop on an RV and go across America.

Keith: I’ve got a 19-year old so we’re having these discussions which give me a little me more grey hair than I had prior.

Ryan: (Laughs) And you know the 19-year olds in the same boat. How do I create more experiences, driven by a very different and very visual world with Instagram, Facebook, Social. It’s a ‘hey, what experiences are you having?’ And I think cause it’s less driven by the material. When I think about the specific applications that are going after a different experience in a work environment. I again think it comes back down to the channel. I think that the broad offering, well I guess, the appeal to many users will be more applicable if it serves out more as an amenity that people are able to choose from a la carte or a part of a package. Kinda like a TV dinner. Say ‘Hey, wanna be able to have access to all of these different applications to be able to create this experience in our work environment.’ I think that somebody’s applications are very niche. And so, if they’re not paying attention to the channel or how they’re partnering with other applications to create that experience could potentially be an uphill battle. But, yeah, I mean I think that experience-driven is what is driving re-work or notel or the other kind of space as a service. I think that when IBM is taking re-work space, it’s a very clear communication to the market that experience is valued and IBM’s one of all those technology companies out there so, it’s not just the startups, the millennials that are focused on creating that experience for their employees.

Keith: Yeah, that’s a really good point. So, a lot of our listeners are themselves founders and entrepreneurs. I thought maybe, we’d just end, Ryan, with just your observations of the common denominators between the companies and founders that succeed, those that don’t. That really can be anything from leadership skills to how to manage money, to operations, to figuring out audience, marketing. Whatever the case, but I got a thought that your advice would be compelling to the people listening.

Ryan: Yeah, I think that those with a good product and user experience. I think about some fintech apps, like Robinhood. When Robinhood comes to mind, it’s like very easy to use, it’s very visually appealing. So, I think that applications that are focused on great user-experience. I think that have some sort of data or value that they’re able to charge customers from Day 1 increase sustainable profitability. And I think that just have really low overhead, low volume kinda revenue targets to keep them accountable to grow. I think that they’re gonna have, those that start with that business model will have early adapters that are potentially more forgiving of the product, that are able to receive feedback, to really shape the product, to listen to customers’ demands and pay attention to their roadmap in a unique way that keeps them from over-building or steering the roadmap in a direction that is actually not a demand or want on their customer base. Which is, back to my earlier talk, was those that are due to a really good job of aggregating and creating actionable data, will be able to build off that data in a meaningful way, and create a roadmap that is really impactful for their users.

Keith: That makes sense and I think for every founder and businessman and entrepreneur, what Churchill always said to his people, ‘Keep buggering on KBO.’ Just gotta stick with it, right? And, there’s gonna be lots of ups and downs and challenges. But, if you believe in your vision and you believe in your product and believe in your ability to execute, then you gotta keep going. Certainly, until the bank account says zero. So, with that Ryan, I think we’ll end there. Was there anything else that you wanted to add or tell our listeners?

Ryan: I guess the one thing I would add is I am co-hosting a commercial real estate tech event in Austin on October 25th. We’ve got a great panel of tech founders that includes Michael Mandel with ComStak, Arie with WiredScore, Ryan Turner with Refinery, and Doug Shenkman with Tenax. As well as a panel of venture capitalists from Fifth Wall, Navitas, and Metaprop. So, it would be a great event downtown Austin with food and drinks and some great founders and venture capitalists to give you much of the same conversation about the state of the world of CRE Tech and the state of the market, and what’s coming up.

Keith: And I will be there. So, if that’s, if you wanna scream that from the rooftops as well, enables you to add one more person to the event, feel free. Maybe, if you tell enough people, my mom will come as well, if I’m gonna be there. But,

Ryan: We’d love to have your mom.

Keith: It’s an exciting event, I will be there. I’m gonna be travelling from New York to Austin for it. And, goodluck with that. I guess, I’ll see you there, Ryan. So, thank you for being our guest today. And just again, for our listeners, Raising Your Antenna is a podcast dedicated to bringing on venture capitalists and founders who are transforming B2B technology spaces including today’s CRE (Commercial Real Estate) technology. Antenna Group which is the primary sponsor of Raising Your Antenna, is a digital marketing and public relations firm which services companies from startups all the way to Fortune 100 companies that are in the B2B technology space. So Ryan, thanks again and look forward to seeing you in Austin.

Ryan: We all look forward to it. Thanks, Keith!

Keith: And another episode of Raising Your Antenna is in the books. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and look forward to connecting again next week. Raising Your Antenna is a weekly podcast hosted by yours truly, Keith Zakheim, that features the movers and shakers, and key influencers of the B2B technology industry. Our guests are leading revolutions and disruptions in the mobility, clean energy, healthcare, and real estate technology industries. Raising Your Antenna’s brought to you by Antenna Group, a full-service digital marketing and public relations agency that focuses on the B2B technology industry. Please be in touch with me on Twitter (@czakheim) with any feedback about this podcast. And check out Antenna Group at www.antennagroup.com if your organization is looking for really smart and good-looking marketing and public relations partner.

]]> Thu, 6 Sep 2018 13:42:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ We are excited to have Ryan Cox, Principal at Founders Grove Capital, a real estate investment and advisory firm dedicated to helping clients select and manage real estate investments that work for them. Ryan is responsible for helping clients select and manage real estate investments so they can build a more secure financial portfolio.

Ryan hosts The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and he is a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. When he is not hosting his podcast, he is the CEO of Founders Grove Capital!

Tune in as we talk about...

  • Multifamily Real Estate Investor
  • Real Estate Technology or PropTech
  • Design in Commercial Real Estate
  • Block Chain Platform
  • and much more!

Learn more about Ryan Cox on The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and Founders Grove Capital

VO: You’re listening to Raising Your Antenna, with host Keith Zakheim.

Keith: Welcome to Raising Your Antenna. And I’m your host, Keith Zakheim. Today, we have a guest, Ryan Cox that wears many hats. Being that this is a podcast, and many of you, like me are podcast addicts, let me give you Ryan’s podcast bona fides first. Ryan hosts a real estate innovators podcast, in which he interviews some of the bigger founders and influencers in the real estate tech/proptech market. I guess Ryan, one of the things we can kinda talk about is what we call this industry because I’m hearing a lot of names for it: proptech, real estate tech, other things. But anyway, Ryan’s podcast is a great listen. And he’s a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. That I think is great gold or father for investors and professionals in the real estate and the real estate technology space. So anyway, definitely give a listen. But, when he’s not hosting his podcast, Ryan is a CEO of Founders Grove Capital, where he himself is a super successful investor and advisor to investors. So Ryan, before we get going and kinda get into the nitty gritty of our conversation today, maybe give my audience some of your background, professional background. And also specifically, you know, why you do the podcast. You know, is that kind of a personal passion. And also, how it helps your business from a marketing perspective. So anyway, welcome aboard and, yeah, it’s to you.

Ryan: Well, Keith. Thanks so much for having me on the show. Excited to talk about a little commercial real estate tech, a little about my business. So, my background is, you know, I really, primarily, my primary business is to focus on multi-family value-added opportunities. So, my core business is as real estate investor and working with investors to buy multi-family assets here in the state of Texas. The podcast, as you said, is developed, I guess, primarily, out of a passion and some curiosity. So, I found it to be, you know as an investor, a really great avenue on a weekly basis to really dig in to all of the, you know commercial real estate tech that is developing around us. And the podcast has given me an opportunity, you know, really, a calling card to knock on any door and talk to founders about their background and unique insight that they had in their background to lead them to found a commercial real estate tech company. And on the podcast, I’m really just able to, you know, dig in what their background is, what unique insight, talk about the solution, how it benefits and impacts their users. And then try to suss out, really, just their insights from their work, about how they see the overall real estate market and that changing, and the impact of commercial real estate tech. I think the big driver for before the podcast is, you know, number one is I’m an advocate for my investors. So, I feel like it’s a priority for me to really be able to have a broad view of all of the technology that is, really, just starting to make an impact. But, I believe in the next three to five years, would dramatically shift the way that a lot of business in real estate gets done. So, I wanna make sure that I’m not flat-footed and that I’m being an advocate for my investors and paying attention to all the real estate tech that is transforming how we do business. I think..

Keith: You know, I, you’ve, again, being a listener to I think your last two episodes. I think you do a great job of listening that kind of feedback, and getting really down to the founder’s course to both your entrepreneurial side as well as your passion. Specifically, of this CRE-tech space. So anyway, I enjoy and I encourage my listeners to download it, become a subscriber, and listen cause it’s really, it’s a great listen. So, let’s dive in and my first question Ryan is that you know, where in, when I say we, I mean you and me from the marketing side are in the super-exciting space of what we call CRE-tech/prop tech. But, there are tons of applications found in the market. So, if that big data applications and, or you know spaces service as a business, virtual marketplaces and leasing tenant focus platforms, private management, augmented reality, and others. Clearly, some are getting more ink than others in space as a service comes to mind. But, as an investor and an advisor, I’m curious in your perspective. What are the exciting areas, that maybe somewhat under the radar right now. So you know, trying to bring somebody into a no-tell where we work. Okay, no big deal. Lots of money’s going there. That’s just aping what everybody else is doing. But, what are the areas, you know, applications that you think have the potential for real disruption, will attract early adopters, and in the next few years, where should the savvy investor who really wants to be part of the space looking to allocate money?

Ryan: Well, first of all, I think that there are a ton of really interesting across, you know, like you said teantt project management. There’s a really, really quite a few interesting, you know spaces to play in CRE-tech. I think, as I think about the next two or three is we’re just so early. Especially regards to adoptions, it seems to me like the folks that are focused on data and that could be a cross-spaces as service, virtual marketplaces, leasing tenant project management and that stuff. The folks that are taken a data first enabled to monetize that early, enabled to give users actual data to make decision for that real estate investors, for lets space users, you know building owners. It seems to me like those folks are probably to the best start because there’s a value they can charge users afforded data. But, the collection of that data also gives them flexibility as they grow out, you know, the solutions that are provided to end-users.

Keith: Yeah, we see for example both in CRE and also this residential real estate is, you know, a lot of these companies are multi-generational families that abound, you know, especially in the big cities, right. So, they own a lot of the office space, they own a lot of residential real estate, and they’ve been making money in this space for a long time. And as a result, the little more buttoned-up conservative, unless, willing to be early adopters. And we found with our clients, is that the case to be made at least initially, is surely an economic play, right. So, this is how you gonna be more efficient and save money. But, you know, how, what do you see is being the most partner-compelling arguments to, you know, CRE-tech as CRE-owners in order to get them to kinda take that first leap of faith into some of these, you know, applications and areas. And it could be, you know, big data which is maybe, there is some would have, you know, an easier, a leap of faith from data, the argument for efficiency and economic savings probably easier than making, also, I realized much more quickly. But, how do you advise your clients, or what do you see your founders in terms of being able to, you know, circumvent or achieve some of those obstacles?

Ryan:Well, I think that from a founder’s perspective, you know, I think the venture community has great channels into, you know, big, you know, big brokerage. I would just definitely in avenue to get widespread adoption across a numbered users and geographies. I think that a lot of the bug development companies have their own adventure arm that you know, co-investing with the venture firms or looking to, you know, incubate and grow their own, you know, own kind of tech. So i do think that there are great opportunities with the right venture partner or being able to sit with the right investment or development company to help kinda scale the platform out. So.

Keith: So, how are you looking for money for for example. It's not just about the money, but the strategic value that these investors can bring in terms of opening up new channels and helping with initial adaption?

Rayna: Absolutely, the faster to market in adaption. I think is what you see in the re-work examples. They are just trying to raise the biggest, the best and have amass the monopoly. I think that the fastest routes to market, the more channels that you have to be able to deploy the product, the better your chances for success.

Keith: Yeah that’s a great segue to the next topic I want to discuss, which is basis of service. And companies like re-work, and notel raising money on previously unthinkable valuations. I have a 2-part question. So, clearly, there is some type of bubble forming, and this not the first tech-vertical or general investment vertical to experience a bubble and there’s a lot of money-chasing deals and we work in (notel) just based on evaluations are clearly benefiting from all that money that’s on the sidelines looking to invest in this space. So, it’s 2 questions. You know, it’s not new what we work in (notel) are dealing, right. So, we just been around for a long time. Yet, we are left behind in the dust. These newer companies are gobbling up market share and their valuations are significantly higher. So, what’s been the drivers of their growth versus what we’ve seen in the past? And the 2nd question, Ryan, which I know comes up everywhere. Which is, you know, we work in (notel) have experienced, any other companies by the way just keep referring to these two, but they’ve experienced this growth in a real estate environment in which the market is just fantastic and also experiencing above all, right. What’s that gonna look like when there is an inevitable downturn. That’s what real estate is historically, so it’s not gonna continue and values are not gonna continue to appreciate and as I understand their business model which is, you know, leasing up a lot of space and being able to upsell that to tenants. What happens when, you know, values go down and their existing tenants can go lock in space for much cheaper prices. So, 2-part question: drivers of growth versus the history of the space as well as what it’s all gonna look like during an inevitable downturn?

Ryan: Yeah, those are good questions. I don’t think anybody can accurately predict. But just some thoughts. I think, you know, running we were..

Keith: The beauty of being a podcast, of being a prognosticator, is that they only remember when you’re right and when you’re wrong, no one cares. So, that’s, you know, we can say whatever we want. Be Nostradamus, right?

Ryan: Right. Well, if we were on video, everybody would be able to see me in my wizard hat.

Keith: (Laughs). Exactly.

Ryan: My answer here. I mean, (Ryan), we were cause undertaking the company’s taken a name as an approach to spending, investing heavily on growth, in hopes that profits will follow. I think, in the most likely scenario, is that, the thing that’s been driving growth in valuations for these companies will ultimately will come to roost. You know, right now, we’re in a growth at all cost negative gross margins. I think that we workers gotten so big that we’re seeing a lot more access to their data and, you know, right now, their focused on growth in a winner take all mode similar to some other tech companies we’ve seen at Silicon Valley. You know something , the ultimate challenge, so that goal is that if you can grow to a large size and create a market monopoly. Then, over time, you’re able to, you know, raise prices because you’ve got some sort of walk-in with those customers. I think the challenge right now in the current environment is that there’s so much private capital out there and so many entrepreneurs willing to take on big dogs. It would be a re-work at this case but people with. I think you need value proposition in a co-working space. So, on a venture capital people chasing, I don’t see right now that there is a monopoly in place. And then those companies are public, so you know valuations that can be tricky. Just a tricky area when we talk about private money. So, the question will be if there is a downturn and we’re not in a profitable place and that money dries up. How do you sustain growth or shift on a dime with your users to a profitable model.

Keith: Yeah, for sure. I do, you know, so you mention Amazon and Amazon first of the 15-year run and they probably are the exception to the rule in terms of being able to early on stake-out they wouldn’t call a monopolistic position but certainly, 800-pound gorilla type of corporation. But, if you look at ride-sharing. So, a company like Uber tried to do that but the market was so large. The problems of executions are great and the amount of so much money on the sidelines willing to go into that space. Left has been able to significantly cut into their business over last few years with no one inside there. It seems to me also, the spaces service industry. The various entry are really just raising the capital. I mean, I don’t know there’s much secret sauce in doing that except for being able to sustain the losses initially and go gobble up property. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out and what it all looks like in a number of years but I know everybody in our industry is watching that closely and that will be interesting as we go forward.

Ryan: Yeah, totally great I think. I definitely think the spaces services creating a value for large enterprise and small businesses alike. It’ll be up to those organizations to find a profitable, sustainable, long-term business model, which is yet to be proven. So, I think that there will be some, I think that there’ll be winners, I think that there’ll be losers. I think that there’ll probable even a few that rise to the top and are able to sustain there long-term.

Keith: Alright. Moving on. Entrepreneurs and startups and certainly marketing agencies, we love the buzzwords. Alright, so, you can raise money and you can throw out terms like artificial intelligence or augmented reality or blockchain or cryptocurrency and figure out how to present your business plan and I think companies or startups are hoping that investors will follow that with investment. So, blockchain is a bit, is a buzzword that is being thrown around, our industry, the CRE-tech industry. We do a lot of work and energy and I thought blockchain is a fantastic application of blockchain platforms with application in the energy markets because energy in general’s becoming a lot more distributed and decentralized and blockchain is a fantastic application for industries that are going in that direction. We’ve seen a number of companies over the last 6 to 12 months that come to us and claim to have some type of blockchain application real estate whether that’s for raising money, whether that’s because it can cut out some of the soft-cost involved in transactions, whether it’s because of blockchain application will make shrink the timeline for these transactions. There’s a number of reasons why blockchain could be a good application in the real estate industry. Curious what your thoughts are as to what those applications are? Are you seeings things that right now are more substance and hype? Do you think at this point just more hype and people throwing around the word? What’s your take on all that?

Ryan: I think there’s a lot of hype, I mean, blockchain is really just a lot of copies of a gigantic cell spreadsheet. So, I think that there’s some interesting possibilities for blockchain. Clearly, to the number of hands that have touched a transaction to potentially cut out intermediaries. I think that there are some regulatory things that need to happen as those boundaries get pushed. I think that it’s a move in the right direction but whether it’s blockchain, artificial intelligence, a machine learning, there’s a lot of entrepreneurs that are tackling that technology and trying to integrate it into their business and or their philosophy. When you talk to the technologist about where we are with those technologies and what they’re capable of doing, there’s somewhat of a sentiment that, yeah, the baseline is there but today they don’t function as they’re being promised or advertised as. So, I think that is commercial real estate technology is playing catch up to a lot of technology innovations from, maybe the past 15-20 years and that started to really grow inside of commercial real estate maybe in the past 5-6 years. I think that this group of entrepreneurs is in the right place and on pace or the slightly behind fintech or other spaces where they’re trying to develop the technology to truly make an impact.

Keith: Yeah, we’ve spoken with a few companies recently who feel that blockchain and cryptocurrency solution will enable owners and CRE owners to have opportunities for liquidity and to bring in partners or investors in a way that they can’t with the current financial and legal infrastructure in real estate. So, that’s what, from what I understand from these companies, they think they can be deploying those solutions relatively quickly. It’s a proof in a pudding.

Ryan: Yeah, I mean. Title company, all kinds of things, potentially make an impact or just we’re not there today. I think, we’ve got smart entrepreneurs that are working on solutions and are really trying to develop that technology to make it viable. And, where we are today versus where we’ll be in 5 years, is one of the reasons I have a podcast or I’m on this show, talking to you about it because I’m very interested in watching those developments and understanding how people are leveraging the technology and using that technology to change the way we work, live, play..

Keith: Yeah, so let’s talk about play. Another great segue, is Ryan, you’re a great host. So, when you’re the guest, you can do my work for me. That’s perfect. I wanna talk about apps and platforms and features that companies now are offering to enhance the tenant experience. It seems like a very millennial thing. So, in my company, we’re always kind of our executive team is always discussing. Alright, so, how do we make millennials happy, keep them productive, make sure that we’re able to retain them? And, I started my business 15 years ago, I wasn’t really having that conversation. It was more around, let’s just create professional development opportunities, make sure paying them fairly, and treating them with respect. But now, they want things that are gonna enhance their social experience, logistical experience. Work is now just not about work but it’s responsibility of companies and now it seems like maybe a building owner’s as well to provide a home-like experience or social experience, cultural experiences within the 4 walls of the workplace. Companies like Comfy, I've seen HQO, Office App, Equium. Again, they’re going out there and trying to convince owners and landowners that their responsibilities transcend just a physically-built environment. What’s been your experience in speaking either with your clients or with founders about the receptivity towards this? Who’re gonna be the early adapters? Is this just kind of like a fad right now but, we’re gonna eventually go back into haywork is work? What do you think on that?

Ryan: I think that broader society is just moving towards more experiences whether that’s the bloomers who are moving out of houses then looking for less kind of ownership responsibilities to give them opportunities to travel, to go and do, to hop on an RV and go across America.

Keith: I’ve got a 19-year old so we’re having these discussions which give me a little me more grey hair than I had prior.

Ryan: (Laughs) And you know the 19-year olds in the same boat. How do I create more experiences, driven by a very different and very visual world with Instagram, Facebook, Social. It’s a ‘hey, what experiences are you having?’ And I think cause it’s less driven by the material. When I think about the specific applications that are going after a different experience in a work environment. I again think it comes back down to the channel. I think that the broad offering, well I guess, the appeal to many users will be more applicable if it serves out more as an amenity that people are able to choose from a la carte or a part of a package. Kinda like a TV dinner. Say ‘Hey, wanna be able to have access to all of these different applications to be able to create this experience in our work environment.’ I think that somebody’s applications are very niche. And so, if they’re not paying attention to the channel or how they’re partnering with other applications to create that experience could potentially be an uphill battle. But, yeah, I mean I think that experience-driven is what is driving re-work or notel or the other kind of space as a service. I think that when IBM is taking re-work space, it’s a very clear communication to the market that experience is valued and IBM’s one of all those technology companies out there so, it’s not just the startups, the millennials that are focused on creating that experience for their employees.

Keith: Yeah, that’s a really good point. So, a lot of our listeners are themselves founders and entrepreneurs. I thought maybe, we’d just end, Ryan, with just your observations of the common denominators between the companies and founders that succeed, those that don’t. That really can be anything from leadership skills to how to manage money, to operations, to figuring out audience, marketing. Whatever the case, but I got a thought that your advice would be compelling to the people listening.

Ryan: Yeah, I think that those with a good product and user experience. I think about some fintech apps, like Robinhood. When Robinhood comes to mind, it’s like very easy to use, it’s very visually appealing. So, I think that applications that are focused on great user-experience. I think that have some sort of data or value that they’re able to charge customers from Day 1 increase sustainable profitability. And I think that just have really low overhead, low volume kinda revenue targets to keep them accountable to grow. I think that they’re gonna have, those that start with that business model will have early adapters that are potentially more forgiving of the product, that are able to receive feedback, to really shape the product, to listen to customers’ demands and pay attention to their roadmap in a unique way that keeps them from over-building or steering the roadmap in a direction that is actually not a demand or want on their customer base. Which is, back to my earlier talk, was those that are due to a really good job of aggregating and creating actionable data, will be able to build off that data in a meaningful way, and create a roadmap that is really impactful for their users.

Keith: That makes sense and I think for every founder and businessman and entrepreneur, what Churchill always said to his people, ‘Keep buggering on KBO.’ Just gotta stick with it, right? And, there’s gonna be lots of ups and downs and challenges. But, if you believe in your vision and you believe in your product and believe in your ability to execute, then you gotta keep going. Certainly, until the bank account says zero. So, with that Ryan, I think we’ll end there. Was there anything else that you wanted to add or tell our listeners?

Ryan: I guess the one thing I would add is I am co-hosting a commercial real estate tech event in Austin on October 25th. We’ve got a great panel of tech founders that includes Michael Mandel with ComStak, Arie with WiredScore, Ryan Turner with Refinery, and Doug Shenkman with Tenax. As well as a panel of venture capitalists from Fifth Wall, Navitas, and Metaprop. So, it would be a great event downtown Austin with food and drinks and some great founders and venture capitalists to give you much of the same conversation about the state of the world of CRE Tech and the state of the market, and what’s coming up.

Keith: And I will be there. So, if that’s, if you wanna scream that from the rooftops as well, enables you to add one more person to the event, feel free. Maybe, if you tell enough people, my mom will come as well, if I’m gonna be there. But,

Ryan: We’d love to have your mom.

Keith: It’s an exciting event, I will be there. I’m gonna be travelling from New York to Austin for it. And, goodluck with that. I guess, I’ll see you there, Ryan. So, thank you for being our guest today. And just again, for our listeners, Raising Your Antenna is a podcast dedicated to bringing on venture capitalists and founders who are transforming B2B technology spaces including today’s CRE (Commercial Real Estate) technology. Antenna Group which is the primary sponsor of Raising Your Antenna, is a digital marketing and public relations firm which services companies from startups all the way to Fortune 100 companies that are in the B2B technology space. So Ryan, thanks again and look forward to seeing you in Austin.

Ryan: We all look forward to it. Thanks, Keith!

Keith: And another episode of Raising Your Antenna is in the books. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and look forward to connecting again next week. Raising Your Antenna is a weekly podcast hosted by yours truly, Keith Zakheim, that features the movers and shakers, and key influencers of the B2B technology industry. Our guests are leading revolutions and disruptions in the mobility, clean energy, healthcare, and real estate technology industries. Raising Your Antenna’s brought to you by Antenna Group, a full-service digital marketing and public relations agency that focuses on the B2B technology industry. Please be in touch with me on Twitter (@czakheim) with any feedback about this podcast. And check out Antenna Group at www.antennagroup.com if your organization is looking for really smart and good-looking marketing and public relations partner.

]]> Predicting the Future of CRE Tech with Ryan Cox, Principal at Founders Grove Capital Keith Zakheim 00:31:36 We are excited to have Ryan Cox, Principal at Founders Grove Capital, a real estate investment and advisory firm dedicated to helping clients select and manage real estate investments that work for them. Ryan is responsible for helping clients select and manage real estate investments so they can build a more secure financial portfolio. Ryan hosts The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and he is a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. When he is not hosting his podcast, he is the CEO of Founders Grove Capital! Tune in as we talk about... - Multifamily Real Estate Investor - Real Estate Technology or PropTech - Design in Commercial Real Estate - Block Chain Platform - and much more! Learn more about Ryan Cox on The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and Founders Grove Capital VO: You’re listening to Raising Your Antenna, with host Keith Zakheim. Keith: Welcome to Raising Your Antenna. And I’m your host, Keith Zakheim. Today, we have a guest, Ryan Cox that wears many hats. Being that this is a podcast, and many of you, like me are podcast addicts, let me give you Ryan’s podcast bona fides first. Ryan hosts a real estate innovators podcast, in which he interviews some of the bigger founders and influencers in the real estate tech/proptech market. I guess Ryan, one of the things we can kinda talk about is what we call this industry because I’m hearing a lot of names for it: proptech, real estate tech, other things. But anyway, Ryan’s podcast is a great listen. And he’s a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. That I think is great gold or father for investors and professionals in the real estate and the real estate technology space. So anyway, definitely give a listen. But, when he’s not hosting his podcast, Ryan is a CEO of Founders Grove Capital, where he himself is a super successful investor and advisor to investors. So Ryan, before we get going and kinda get into the nitty gritty of our conversation today, maybe give my audience some of your background, professional background. And also specifically, you know, why you do the podcast. You know, is that kind of a personal passion. And also, how it helps your business from a marketing perspective. So anyway, welcome aboard and, yeah, it’s to you. Ryan: Well, Keith. Thanks so much for having me on the show. Excited to talk about a little commercial real estate tech, a little about my business. So, my background is, you know, I really, primarily, my primary business is to focus on multi-family value-added opportunities. So, my core business is as real estate investor and working with investors to buy multi-family assets here in the state of Texas. The podcast, as you said, is developed, I guess, primarily, out of a passion and some curiosity. So, I found it to be, you know as an investor, a really great avenue on a weekly basis to really dig in to all of the, you know commercial real estate tech that is developing around us. And the podcast has given me an opportunity, you know, really, a calling card to knock on any door and talk to founders about their background and unique insight that they had in their background to lead them to found a commercial real estate tech company. And on the podcast, I’m really just able to, you know, dig in what their background is, what unique insight, talk about the solution, how it benefits and impacts their users. And then try to suss out, really, just their insights from their work, about how they see the overall real estate market and that changing, and the impact of commercial real estate tech. I think the big driver for before the podcast is, you know, number one is I’m an advocate for my investors. So, I feel like it’s a priority for me to really be able to have a broad view of all of the technology that is, really, just starting to make an impact. But, I believe in the next three to five years, would dramatically shift the way that a lot of business in real estate gets done. So, I wanna make sure that I’m not flat-footed and that I’m being an advocate for my investors and paying attention to all the real estate tech that is transforming how we do business. I think.. Keith: You know, I, you’ve, again, being a listener to I think your last two episodes. I think you do a great job of listening that kind of feedback, and getting really down to the founder’s course to both your entrepreneurial side as well as your passion. Specifically, of this CRE-tech space. So anyway, I enjoy and I encourage my listeners to download it, become a subscriber, and listen cause it’s really, it’s a great listen. So, let’s dive in and my first question Ryan is that you know, where in, when I say we, I mean you and me from the marketing side are in the super-exciting space of what we call CRE-tech/prop tech. But, there are tons of applications found in the market. So, if that big data applications and, or you know spaces service as a business, virtual marketplaces and leasing tenant focus platforms, private management, augmented reality, and others. Clearly, some are getting more ink than others in space as a service comes to mind. But, as an investor and an advisor, I’m curious in your perspective. What are the exciting areas, that maybe somewhat under the radar right now. So you know, trying to bring somebody into a no-tell where we work. Okay, no big deal. Lots of money’s going there. That’s just aping what everybody else is doing. But, what are the areas, you know, applications that you think have the potential for real disruption, will attract early adopters, and in the next few years, where should the savvy investor who really wants to be part of the space looking to allocate money? Ryan: Well, first of all, I think that there are a ton of really interesting across, you know, like you said teantt project management. There’s a really, really quite a few interesting, you know spaces to play in CRE-tech. I think, as I think about the next two or three is we’re just so early. Especially regards to adoptions, it seems to me like the folks that are focused on data and that could be a cross-spaces as service, virtual marketplaces, leasing tenant project management and that stuff. The folks that are taken a data first enabled to monetize that early, enabled to give users actual data to make decision for that real estate investors, for lets space users, you know building owners. It seems to me like those folks are probably to the best start because there’s a value they can charge users afforded data. But, the collection of that data also gives them flexibility as they grow out, you know, the solutions that are provided to end-users. Keith: Yeah, we see for example both in CRE and also this residential real estate is, you know, a lot of these companies are multi-generational families that abound, you know, especially in the big cities, right. So, they own a lot of the office space, they own a lot of residential real estate, and they’ve been making money in this space for a long time. And as a result, the little more buttoned-up conservative, unless, willing to be early adopters. And we found with our clients, is that the case to be made at least initially, is surely an economic play, right. So, this is how you gonna be more efficient and save money. But, you know, how, what do you see is being the most partner-compelling arguments to, you know, CRE-tech as CRE-owners in order to get them to kinda take that first leap of faith into some of these, you know, applications and areas. And it could be, you know, big data which is maybe, there is some would have, you know, an easier, a leap of faith from data, the argument for efficiency and economic savings probably easier than making, also, I realized much more quickly. But, how do you advise your clients, or what do you see your founders in terms of being able to, you know, circumvent or achieve some of those obstacles? Ryan:Well, I think that from a founder’s perspective, you know, I think the venture community has great channels into, you know, big, you know, big brokerage. I would just definitely in avenue to get widespread adoption across a numbered users and geographies. I think that a lot of the bug development companies have their own adventure arm that you know, co-investing with the venture firms or looking to, you know, incubate and grow their own, you know, own kind of tech. So i do think that there are great opportunities with the right venture partner or being able to sit with the right investment or development company to help kinda scale the platform out. So. Keith: So, how are you looking for money for for example. It's not just about the money, but the strategic value that these investors can bring in terms of opening up new channels and helping with initial adaption? Rayna: Absolutely, the faster to market in adaption. I think is what you see in the re-work examples. They are just trying to raise the biggest, the best and have amass the monopoly. I think that the fastest routes to market, the more channels that you have to be able to deploy the product, the better your chances for success. Keith: Yeah that’s a great segue to the next topic I want to discuss, which is basis of service. And companies like re-work, and notel raising money on previously unthinkable valuations. I have a 2-part question. So, clearly, there is some type of bubble forming, and this not the first tech-vertical or general investment vertical to experience a bubble and there’s a lot of money-chasing deals and we work in (notel) just based on evaluations are clearly benefiting from all that money that’s on the sidelines looking to invest in this space. So, it’s 2 questions. You know, it’s not new what we work in (notel) are dealing, right. So, we just been around for a long time. Yet, we are left behind in the dust. These newer companies are gobbling up market share and their valuations are significantly higher. So, what’s been the drivers of their growth versus what we’ve seen in the past? And the 2nd question, Ryan, which I know comes up everywhere. Which is, you know, we work in (notel) have experienced, any other companies by the way just keep referring to these two, but they’ve experienced this growth in a real estate environment in which the market is just fantastic and also experiencing above all, right. What’s that gonna look like when there is an inevitable downturn. That’s what real estate is historically, so it’s not gonna continue and values are not gonna continue to appreciate and as I understand their business model which is, you know, leasing up a lot of space and being able to upsell that to tenants. What happens when, you know, values go down and their existing tenants can go lock in space for much cheaper prices. So, 2-part question: drivers of growth versus the history of the space as well as what it’s all gonna look like during an inevitable downturn? Ryan: Yeah, those are good questions. I don’t think anybody can accurately predict. But just some thoughts. I think, you know, running we were.. Keith: The beauty of being a podcast, of being a prognosticator, is that they only remember when you’re right and when you’re wrong, no one cares. So, that’s, you know, we can say whatever we want. Be Nostradamus, right? Ryan: Right. Well, if we were on video, everybody would be able to see me in my wizard hat. Keith: (Laughs). Exactly. Ryan: My answer here. I mean, (Ryan), we were cause undertaking the company’s taken a name as an approach to spending, investing heavily on growth, in hopes that profits will follow. I think, in the most likely scenario, is that, the thing that’s been driving growth in valuations for these companies will ultimately will come to roost. You know, right now, we’re in a growth at all cost negative gross margins. I think that we workers gotten so big that we’re seeing a lot more access to their data and, you know, right now, their focused on growth in a winner take all mode similar to some other tech companies we’ve seen at Silicon Valley. You know something , the ultimate challenge, so that goal is that if you can grow to a large size and create a market monopoly. Then, over time, you’re able to, you know, raise prices because you’ve got some sort of walk-in with those customers. I think the challenge right now in the current environment is that there’s so much private capital out there and so many entrepreneurs willing to take on big dogs. It would be a re-work at this case but people with. I think you need value proposition in a co-working space. So, on a venture capital people chasing, I don’t see right now that there is a monopoly in place. And then those companies are public, so you know valuations that can be tricky. Just a tricky area when we talk about private money. So, the question will be if there is a downturn and we’re not in a profitable place and that money dries up. How do you sustain growth or shift on a dime with your users to a profitable model. Keith: Yeah, for sure. I do, you know, so you mention Amazon and Amazon first of the 15-year run and they probably are the exception to the rule in terms of being able to early on stake-out they wouldn’t call a monopolistic position but certainly, 800-pound gorilla type of corporation. But, if you look at ride-sharing. So, a company like Uber tried to do that but the market was so large. The problems of executions are great and the amount of so much money on the sidelines willing to go into that space. Left has been able to significantly cut into their business over last few years with no one inside there. It seems to me also, the spaces service industry. The various entry are really just raising the capital. I mean, I don’t know there’s much secret sauce in doing that except for being able to sustain the losses initially and go gobble up property. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out and what it all looks like in a number of years but I know everybody in our industry is watching that closely and that will be interesting as we go forward. Ryan: Yeah, totally great I think. I definitely think the spaces services creating a value for large enterprise and small businesses alike. It’ll be up to those organizations to find a profitable, sustainable, long-term business model, which is yet to be proven. So, I think that there will be some, I think that there’ll be winners, I think that there’ll be losers. I think that there’ll probable even a few that rise to the top and are able to sustain there long-term. Keith: Alright. Moving on. Entrepreneurs and startups and certainly marketing agencies, we love the buzzwords. Alright, so, you can raise money and you can throw out terms like artificial intelligence or augmented reality or blockchain or cryptocurrency and figure out how to present your business plan and I think companies or startups are hoping that investors will follow that with investment. So, blockchain is a bit, is a buzzword that is being thrown around, our industry, the CRE-tech industry. We do a lot of work and energy and I thought blockchain is a fantastic application of blockchain platforms with application in the energy markets because energy in general’s becoming a lot more distributed and decentralized and blockchain is a fantastic application for industries that are going in that direction. We’ve seen a number of companies over the last 6 to 12 months that come to us and claim to have some type of blockchain application real estate whether that’s for raising money, whether that’s because it can cut out some of the soft-cost involved in transactions, whether it’s because of blockchain application will make shrink the timeline for these transactions. There’s a number of reasons why blockchain could be a good application in the real estate industry. Curious what your thoughts are as to what those applications are? Are you seeings things that right now are more substance and hype? Do you think at this point just more hype and people throwing around the word? What’s your take on all that? Ryan: I think there’s a lot of hype, I mean, blockchain is really just a lot of copies of a gigantic cell spreadsheet. So, I think that there’s some interesting possibilities for blockchain. Clearly, to the number of hands that have touched a transaction to potentially cut out intermediaries. I think that there are some regulatory things that need to happen as those boundaries get pushed. I think that it’s a move in the right direction but whether it’s blockchain, artificial intelligence, a machine learning, there’s a lot of entrepreneurs that are tackling that technology and trying to integrate it into their business and or their philosophy. When you talk to the technologist about where we are with those technologies and what they’re capable of doing, there’s somewhat of a sentiment that, yeah, the baseline is there but today they don’t function as they’re being promised or advertised as. So, I think that is commercial real estate technology is playing catch up to a lot of technology innovations from, maybe the past 15-20 years and that started to really grow inside of commercial real estate maybe in the past 5-6 years. I think that this group of entrepreneurs is in the right place and on pace or the slightly behind fintech or other spaces where they’re trying to develop the technology to truly make an impact. Keith: Yeah, we’ve spoken with a few companies recently who feel that blockchain and cryptocurrency solution will enable owners and CRE owners to have opportunities for liquidity and to bring in partners or investors in a way that they can’t with the current financial and legal infrastructure in real estate. So, that’s what, from what I understand from these companies, they think they can be deploying those solutions relatively quickly. It’s a proof in a pudding. Ryan: Yeah, I mean. Title company, all kinds of things, potentially make an impact or just we’re not there today. I think, we’ve got smart entrepreneurs that are working on solutions and are really trying to develop that technology to make it viable. And, where we are today versus where we’ll be in 5 years, is one of the reasons I have a podcast or I’m on this show, talking to you about it because I’m very interested in watching those developments and understanding how people are leveraging the technology and using that technology to change the way we work, live, play.. Keith: Yeah, so let’s talk about play. Another great segue, is Ryan, you’re a great host. So, when you’re the guest, you can do my work for me. That’s perfect. I wanna talk about apps and platforms and features that companies now are offering to enhance the tenant experience. It seems like a very millennial thing. So, in my company, we’re always kind of our executive team is always discussing. Alright, so, how do we make millennials happy, keep them productive, make sure that we’re able to retain them? And, I started my business 15 years ago, I wasn’t really having that conversation. It was more around, let’s just create professional development opportunities, make sure paying them fairly, and treating them with respect. But now, they want things that are gonna enhance their social experience, logistical experience. Work is now just not about work but it’s responsibility of companies and now it seems like maybe a building owner’s as well to provide a home-like experience or social experience, cultural experiences within the 4 walls of the workplace. Companies like Comfy, I've seen HQO, Office App, Equium. Again, they’re going out there and trying to convince owners and landowners that their responsibilities transcend just a physically-built environment. What’s been your experience in speaking either with your clients or with founders about the receptivity towards this? Who’re gonna be the early adapters? Is this just kind of like a fad right now but, we’re gonna eventually go back into haywork is work? What do you think on that? Ryan: I think that broader society is just moving towards more experiences whether that’s the bloomers who are moving out of houses then looking for less kind of ownership responsibilities to give them opportunities to travel, to go and do, to hop on an RV and go across America. Keith: I’ve got a 19-year old so we’re having these discussions which give me a little me more grey hair than I had prior. Ryan: (Laughs) And you know the 19-year olds in the same boat. How do I create more experiences, driven by a very different and very visual world with Instagram, Facebook, Social. It’s a ‘hey, what experiences are you having?’ And I think cause it’s less driven by the material. When I think about the specific applications that are going after a different experience in a work environment. I again think it comes back down to the channel. I think that the broad offering, well I guess, the appeal to many users will be more applicable if it serves out more as an amenity that people are able to choose from a la carte or a part of a package. Kinda like a TV dinner. Say ‘Hey, wanna be able to have access to all of these different applications to be able to create this experience in our work environment.’ I think that somebody’s applications are very niche. And so, if they’re not paying attention to the channel or how they’re partnering with other applications to create that experience could potentially be an uphill battle. But, yeah, I mean I think that experience-driven is what is driving re-work or notel or the other kind of space as a service. I think that when IBM is taking re-work space, it’s a very clear communication to the market that experience is valued and IBM’s one of all those technology companies out there so, it’s not just the startups, the millennials that are focused on creating that experience for their employees. Keith: Yeah, that’s a really good point. So, a lot of our listeners are themselves founders and entrepreneurs. I thought maybe, we’d just end, Ryan, with just your observations of the common denominators between the companies and founders that succeed, those that don’t. That really can be anything from leadership skills to how to manage money, to operations, to figuring out audience, marketing. Whatever the case, but I got a thought that your advice would be compelling to the people listening. Ryan: Yeah, I think that those with a good product and user experience. I think about some fintech apps, like Robinhood. When Robinhood comes to mind, it’s like very easy to use, it’s very visually appealing. So, I think that applications that are focused on great user-experience. I think that have some sort of data or value that they’re able to charge customers from Day 1 increase sustainable profitability. And I think that just have really low overhead, low volume kinda revenue targets to keep them accountable to grow. I think that they’re gonna have, those that start with that business model will have early adapters that are potentially more forgiving of the product, that are able to receive feedback, to really shape the product, to listen to customers’ demands and pay attention to their roadmap in a unique way that keeps them from over-building or steering the roadmap in a direction that is actually not a demand or want on their customer base. Which is, back to my earlier talk, was those that are due to a really good job of aggregating and creating actionable data, will be able to build off that data in a meaningful way, and create a roadmap that is really impactful for their users. Keith: That makes sense and I think for every founder and businessman and entrepreneur, what Churchill always said to his people, ‘Keep buggering on KBO.’ Just gotta stick with it, right? And, there’s gonna be lots of ups and downs and challenges. But, if you believe in your vision and you believe in your product and believe in your ability to execute, then you gotta keep going. Certainly, until the bank account says zero. So, with that Ryan, I think we’ll end there. Was there anything else that you wanted to add or tell our listeners? Ryan: I guess the one thing I would add is I am co-hosting a commercial real estate tech event in Austin on October 25th. We’ve got a great panel of tech founders that includes Michael Mandel with ComStak, Arie with WiredScore, Ryan Turner with Refinery, and Doug Shenkman with Tenax. As well as a panel of venture capitalists from Fifth Wall, Navitas, and Metaprop. So, it would be a great event downtown Austin with food and drinks and some great founders and venture capitalists to give you much of the same conversation about the state of the world of CRE Tech and the state of the market, and what’s coming up. Keith: And I will be there. So, if that’s, if you wanna scream that from the rooftops as well, enables you to add one more person to the event, feel free. Maybe, if you tell enough people, my mom will come as well, if I’m gonna be there. But, Ryan: We’d love to have your mom. Keith: It’s an exciting event, I will be there. I’m gonna be travelling from New York to Austin for it. And, goodluck with that. I guess, I’ll see you there, Ryan. So, thank you for being our guest today. And just again, for our listeners, Raising Your Antenna is a podcast dedicated to bringing on venture capitalists and founders who are transforming B2B technology spaces including today’s CRE (Commercial Real Estate) technology. Antenna Group which is the primary sponsor of Raising Your Antenna, is a digital marketing and public relations firm which services companies from startups all the way to Fortune 100 companies that are in the B2B technology space. So Ryan, thanks again and look forward to seeing you in Austin. Ryan: We all look forward to it. Thanks, Keith! Keith: And another episode of Raising Your Antenna is in the books. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and look forward to connecting again next week. Raising Your Antenna is a weekly podcast hosted by yours truly, Keith Zakheim, that features the movers and shakers, and key influencers of the B2B technology industry. Our guests are leading revolutions and disruptions in the mobility, clean energy, healthcare, and real estate technology industries. Raising Your Antenna’s brought to you by Antenna Group, a full-service digital marketing and public relations agency that focuses on the B2B technology industry. Please be in touch with me on Twitter (@czakheim) with any feedback about this podcast. And check out Antenna Group at www.antennagroup.com if your organization is looking for really smart and good-looking marketing and public relations partner. We are excited to have Ryan Cox, Principal at Founders Grove Capital, a real estate investment and advisory firm dedicated to helping clients select and manage real estate investments that work for them. Ryan is responsible for helping clients select and manage real estate investments so they can build a more secure financial portfolio. Ryan hosts The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and he is a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. When he is not hosting his podcast, he is the CEO of Founders Grove Capital! Tune in as we talk about... - Multifamily Real Estate Investor - Real Estate Technology or PropTech - Design in Commercial Real Estate - Block Chain Platform - and much more! Learn more about Ryan Cox on The Real Estate Innovators Podcast and Founders Grove Capital VO: You’re listening to Raising Your Antenna, with host Keith Zakheim. Keith: Welcome to Raising Your Antenna. And I’m your host, Keith Zakheim. Today, we have a guest, Ryan Cox that wears many hats. Being that this is a podcast, and many of you, like me are podcast addicts, let me give you Ryan’s podcast bona fides first. Ryan hosts a real estate innovators podcast, in which he interviews some of the bigger founders and influencers in the real estate tech/proptech market. I guess Ryan, one of the things we can kinda talk about is what we call this industry because I’m hearing a lot of names for it: proptech, real estate tech, other things. But anyway, Ryan’s podcast is a great listen. And he’s a real faculty for drawing out some of the inside baseball elements of the real estate tech world. That I think is great gold or father for investors and professionals in the real estate and the real estate technology space. So anyway, definitely give a listen. But, when he’s not hosting his podcast, Ryan is a CEO of Founders Grove Capital, where he himself is a super successful investor and advisor to investors. So Ryan, before we get going and kinda get into the nitty gritty of our conversation today, maybe give my audience some of your background, professional background. And also specifically, you know, why you do the podcast. You know, is that kind of a personal passion. And also, how it helps your business from a marketing perspective. So anyway, welcome aboard and, yeah, it’s to you. Ryan: Well, Keith. Thanks so much for having me on the show. Excited to talk about a little commercial real estate tech, a little about my business. So, my background is, you know, I really, primarily, my primary business is to focus on multi-family value-added opportunities. So, my core business is as real estate investor and working with investors to buy multi-family assets here in the state of Texas. The podcast, as you said, is developed, I guess, primarily, out of a passion and some curiosity. So, I found it to be, you know as an investor, a really great avenue on a weekly basis to really dig in to all of the, you know commercial real estate tech that is developing around us. And the podcast has given me an opportunity, you know, really, a calling card to knock on any door and talk to founders about their background and unique insight that they had in their background to lead them to found a commercial real estate tech company. And on the podcast, I’m really just able to, you know, dig in what their background is, what unique insight, talk about the solution, how it benefits and impacts their users. And then try to suss out, really, just their insights from their work, about how they see the overall real estate market and that changing, and the impact of commercial real estate tech. I think the big driver for before the podcast is, you know, number one is I’m an advocate for my investors. So, I feel like it’s a priority for me to really be able to have a broad view of all of the technology that is, really, just starting to make an impact. But, I believe in the next three to five years, would dramatically shift the way that a lot of business in real estate gets done. So, I wanna make sure that I’m not flat-footed and that I’m being an advocate for my investors and paying attention to all the real estate tech that is transforming how we do business. I think.. Keith: You know, I, you’ve, again, being a listener to I think your last two episodes. I think you do a great job of listening that kind of feedback, and getting really down to the founder’s course to both your entrepreneurial side as well as your passion. Specifically, of this CRE-tech space. So anyway, I enjoy and I encourage my listeners to download it, become a subscriber, and listen cause it’s really, it’s a great listen. So, let’s dive in and my first question Ryan is that you know, where in, when I say we, I mean you and me from the marketing side are in the super-exciting space of what we call CRE-tech/prop tech. But, there are tons of applications found in the market. So, if that big data applications and, or you know spaces service as a business, virtual marketplaces and leasing tenant focus platforms, private management, augmented reality, and others. Clearly, some are getting more ink than others in space as a service comes to mind. But, as an investor and an advisor, I’m curious in your perspective. What are the exciting areas, that maybe somewhat under the radar right now. So you know, trying to bring somebody into a no-tell where we work. Okay, no big deal. Lots of money’s going there. That’s just aping what everybody else is doing. But, what are the areas, you know, applications that you think have the potential for real disruption, will attract early adopters, and in the next few years, where should the savvy investor who really wants to be part of the space looking to allocate money? Ryan: Well, first of all, I think that there are a ton of really interesting across, you know, like you said teantt project management. There’s a really, really quite a few interesting, you know spaces to play in CRE-tech. I think, as I think about the next two or three is we’re just so early. Especially regards to adoptions, it seems to me like the folks that are focused on data and that could be a cross-spaces as service, virtual marketplaces, leasing tenant project management and that stuff. The folks that are taken a data first enabled to monetize that early, enabled to give users actual data to make decision for that real estate investors, for lets space users, you know building owners. It seems to me like those folks are probably to the best start because there’s a value they can charge users afforded data. But, the collection of that data also gives them flexibility as they grow out, you know, the solutions that are provided to end-users. Keith: Yeah, we see for example both in CRE and also this residential real estate is, you know, a lot of these companies are multi-generational families that abound, you know, especially in the big cities, right. So, they own a lot of the office space, they own a lot of residential real estate, and they’ve been making money in this space for a long time. And as a result, the little more buttoned-up conservative, unless, willing to be early adopters. And we found with our clients, is that the case to be made at least initially, is surely an economic play, right. So, this is how you gonna be more efficient and save money. But, you know, how, what do you see is being the most partner-compelling arguments to, you know, CRE-tech as CRE-owners in order to get them to kinda take that first leap of faith into some of these, you know, applications and areas. And it could be, you know, big data which is maybe, there is some would have, you know, an easier, a leap of faith from data, the argument for efficiency and economic savings probably easier than making, also, I realized much more quickly. But, how do you advise your clients, or what do you see your founders in terms of being able to, you know, circumvent or achieve some of those obstacles? Ryan:Well, I think that from a founder’s perspective, you know, I think the venture community has great channels into, you know, big, you know, big brokerage. I would just definitely in avenue to get widespread adoption across a numbered users and geographies. I think that a lot of the bug development companies have their own adventure arm that you know, co-investing with the venture firms or looking to, you know, incubate and grow their own, you know, own kind of tech. So i do think that there are great opportunities with the right venture partner or being able to sit with the right investment or development company to help kinda scale the platform out. So. Keith: So, how are you looking for money for for example. It's not just about the money, but the strategic value that these investors can bring in terms of opening up new channels and helping with initial adaption? Rayna: Absolutely, the faster to market in adaption. I think is what you see in the re-work examples. They are just trying to raise the biggest, the best and have amass the monopoly. I think that the fastest routes to market, the more channels that you have to be able to deploy the product, the better your chances for success. Keith: Yeah that’s a great segue to the next topic I want to discuss, which is basis of service. And companies like re-work, and notel raising money on previously unthinkable valuations. I have a 2-part question. So, clearly, there is some type of bubble forming, and this not the first tech-vertical or general investment vertical to experience a bubble and there’s a lot of money-chasing deals and we work in (notel) just based on evaluations are clearly benefiting from all that money that’s on the sidelines looking to invest in this space. So, it’s 2 questions. You know, it’s not new what we work in (notel) are dealing, right. So, we just been around for a long time. Yet, we are left behind in the dust. These newer companies are gobbling up market share and their valuations are significantly higher. So, what’s been the drivers of their growth versus what we’ve seen in the past? And the 2nd question, Ryan, which I know comes up everywhere. Which is, you know, we work in (notel) have experienced, any other companies by the way just keep referring to these two, but they’ve experienced this growth in a real estate environment in which the market is just fantastic and also experiencing above all, right. What’s that gonna look like when there is an inevitable downturn. That’s what real estate is historically, so it’s not gonna continue and values are not gonna continue to appreciate and as I understand their business model which is, you know, leasing up a lot of space and being able to upsell that to tenants. What happens when, you know, values go down and their existing tenants can go lock in space for much cheaper prices. So, 2-part question: drivers of growth versus the history of the space as well as what it’s all gonna look like during an inevitable downturn? Ryan: Yeah, those are good questions. I don’t think anybody can accurately predict. But just some thoughts. I think, you know, running we were.. Keith: The beauty of being a podcast, of being a prognosticator, is that they only remember when you’re right and when you’re wrong, no one cares. So, that’s, you know, we can say whatever we want. Be Nostradamus, right? Ryan: Right. Well, if we were on video, everybody would be able to see me in my wizard hat. Keith: (Laughs). Exactly. Ryan: My answer here. I mean, (Ryan), we were cause undertaking the company’s taken a name as an approach to spending, investing heavily on growth, in hopes that profits will follow. I think, in the most likely scenario, is that, the thing that’s been driving growth in valuations for these companies will ultimately will come to roost. You know, right now, we’re in a growth at all cost negative gross margins. I think that we workers gotten so big that we’re seeing a lot more access to their data and, you know, right now, their focused on growth in a winner take all mode similar to some other tech companies we’ve seen at Silicon Valley. You know something , the ultimate challenge, so that goal is that if you can grow to a large size and create a market monopoly. Then, over time, you’re able to, you know, raise prices because you’ve got some sort of walk-in with those customers. I think the challenge right now in the current environment is that there’s so much private capital out there and so many entrepreneurs willing to take on big dogs. It would be a re-work at this case but people with. I think you need value proposition in a co-working space. So, on a venture capital people chasing, I don’t see right now that there is a monopoly in place. And then those companies are public, so you know valuations that can be tricky. Just a tricky area when we talk about private money. So, the question will be if there is a downturn and we’re not in a profitable place and that money dries up. How do you sustain growth or shift on a dime with your users to a profitable model. Keith: Yeah, for sure. I do, you know, so you mention Amazon and Amazon first of the 15-year run and they probably are the exception to the rule in terms of being able to early on stake-out they wouldn’t call a monopolistic position but certainly, 800-pound gorilla type of corporation. But, if you look at ride-sharing. So, a company like Uber tried to do that but the market was so large. The problems of executions are great and the amount of so much money on the sidelines willing to go into that space. Left has been able to significantly cut into their business over last few years with no one inside there. It seems to me also, the spaces service industry. The various entry are really just raising the capital. I mean, I don’t know there’s much secret sauce in doing that except for being able to sustain the losses initially and go gobble up property. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out and what it all looks like in a number of years but I know everybody in our industry is watching that closely and that will be interesting as we go forward. Ryan: Yeah, totally great I think. I definitely think the spaces services creating a value for large enterprise and small businesses alike. It’ll be up to those organizations to find a profitable, sustainable, long-term business model, which is yet to be proven. So, I think that there will be some, I think that there’ll be winners, I think that there’ll be losers. I think that there’ll probable even a few that rise to the top and are able to sustain there long-term. Keith: Alright. Moving on. Entrepreneurs and startups and certainly marketing agencies, we love the buzzwords. Alright, so, you can raise money and you can throw out terms like artificial intelligence or augmented reality or blockchain or cryptocurrency and figure out how to present your business plan and I think companies or startups are hoping that investors will follow that with investment. So, blockchain is a bit, is a buzzword that is being thrown around, our industry, the CRE-tech industry. We do a lot of work and energy and I thought blockchain is a fantastic application of blockchain platforms with application in the energy markets because energy in general’s becoming a lot more distributed and decentralized and blockchain is a fantastic application for industries that are going in that direction. We’ve seen a number of companies over the last 6 to 12 months that come to us and claim to have some type of blockchain application real estate whether that’s for raising money, whether that’s because it can cut out some of the soft-cost involved in transactions, whether it’s because of blockchain application will make shrink the timeline for these transactions. There’s a number of reasons why blockchain could be a good application in the real estate industry. Curious what your thoughts are as to what those applications are? Are you seeings things that right now are more substance and hype? Do you think at this point just more hype and people throwing around the word? What’s your take on all that? Ryan: I think there’s a lot of hype, I mean, blockchain is really just a lot of copies of a gigantic cell spreadsheet. So, I think that there’s some interesting possibilities for blockchain. Clearly, to the number of hands that have touched a transaction to potentially cut out intermediaries. I think that there are some regulatory things that need to happen as those boundaries get pushed. I think that it’s a move in the right direction but whether it’s blockchain, artificial intelligence, a machine learning, there’s a lot of entrepreneurs that are tackling that technology and trying to integrate it into their business and or their philosophy. When you talk to the technologist about where we are with those technologies and what they’re capable of doing, there’s somewhat of a sentiment that, yeah, the baseline is there but today they don’t function as they’re being promised or advertised as. So, I think that is commercial real estate technology is playing catch up to a lot of technology innovations from, maybe the past 15-20 years and that started to really grow inside of commercial real estate maybe in the past 5-6 years. I think that this group of entrepreneurs is in the right place and on pace or the slightly behind fintech or other spaces where they’re trying to develop the technology to truly make an impact. Keith: Yeah, we’ve spoken with a few companies recently who feel that blockchain and cryptocurrency solution will enable owners and CRE owners to have opportunities for liquidity and to bring in partners or investors in a way that they can’t with the current financial and legal infrastructure in real estate. So, that’s what, from what I understand from these companies, they think they can be deploying those solutions relatively quickly. It’s a proof in a pudding. Ryan: Yeah, I mean. Title company, all kinds of things, potentially make an impact or just we’re not there today. I think, we’ve got smart entrepreneurs that are working on solutions and are really trying to develop that technology to make it viable. And, where we are today versus where we’ll be in 5 years, is one of the reasons I have a podcast or I’m on this show, talking to you about it because I’m very interested in watching those developments and understanding how people are leveraging the technology and using that technology to change the way we work, live, play.. Keith: Yeah, so let’s talk about play. Another great segue, is Ryan, you’re a great host. So, when you’re the guest, you can do my work for me. That’s perfect. I wanna talk about apps and platforms and features that companies now are offering to enhance the tenant experience. It seems like a very millennial thing. So, in my company, we’re always kind of our executive team is always discussing. Alright, so, how do we make millennials happy, keep them productive, make sure that we’re able to retain them? And, I started my business 15 years ago, I wasn’t really having that conversation. It was more around, let’s just create professional development opportunities, make sure paying them fairly, and treating them with respect. But now, they want things that are gonna enhance their social experience, logistical experience. Work is now just not about work but it’s responsibility of companies and now it seems like maybe a building owner’s as well to provide a home-like experience or social experience, cultural experiences within the 4 walls of the workplace. Companies like Comfy, I've seen HQO, Office App, Equium. Again, they’re going out there and trying to convince owners and landowners that their responsibilities transcend just a physically-built environment. What’s been your experience in speaking either with your clients or with founders about the receptivity towards this? Who’re gonna be the early adapters? Is this just kind of like a fad right now but, we’re gonna eventually go back into haywork is work? What do you think on that? Ryan: I think that broader society is just moving towards more experiences whether that’s the bloomers who are moving out of houses then looking for less kind of ownership responsibilities to give them opportunities to travel, to go and do, to hop on an RV and go across America. Keith: I’ve got a 19-year old so we’re having these discussions which give me a little me more grey hair than I had prior. Ryan: (Laughs) And you know the 19-year olds in the same boat. How do I create more experiences, driven by a very different and very visual world with Instagram, Facebook, Social. It’s a ‘hey, what experiences are you having?’ And I think cause it’s less driven by the material. When I think about the specific applications that are going after a different experience in a work environment. I again think it comes back down to the channel. I think that the broad offering, well I guess, the appeal to many users will be more applicable if it serves out more as an amenity that people are able to choose from a la carte or a part of a package. Kinda like a TV dinner. Say ‘Hey, wanna be able to have access to all of these different applications to be able to create this experience in our work environment.’ I think that somebody’s applications are very niche. And so, if they’re not paying attention to the channel or how they’re partnering with other applications to create that experience could potentially be an uphill battle. But, yeah, I mean I think that experience-driven is what is driving re-work or notel or the other kind of space as a service. I think that when IBM is taking re-work space, it’s a very clear communication to the market that experience is valued and IBM’s one of all those technology companies out there so, it’s not just the startups, the millennials that are focused on creating that experience for their employees. Keith: Yeah, that’s a really good point. So, a lot of our listeners are themselves founders and entrepreneurs. I thought maybe, we’d just end, Ryan, with just your observations of the common denominators between the companies and founders that succeed, those that don’t. That really can be anything from leadership skills to how to manage money, to operations, to figuring out audience, marketing. Whatever the case, but I got a thought that your advice would be compelling to the people listening. Ryan: Yeah, I think that those with a good product and user experience. I think about some fintech apps, like Robinhood. When Robinhood comes to mind, it’s like very easy to use, it’s very visually appealing. So, I think that applications that are focused on great user-experience. I think that have some sort of data or value that they’re able to charge customers from Day 1 increase sustainable profitability. And I think that just have really low overhead, low volume kinda revenue targets to keep them accountable to grow. I think that they’re gonna have, those that start with that business model will have early adapters that are potentially more forgiving of the product, that are able to receive feedback, to really shape the product, to listen to customers’ demands and pay attention to their roadmap in a unique way that keeps them from over-building or steering the roadmap in a direction that is actually not a demand or want on their customer base. Which is, back to my earlier talk, was those that are due to a really good job of aggregating and creating actionable data, will be able to build off that data in a meaningful way, and create a roadmap that is really impactful for their users. Keith: That makes sense and I think for every founder and businessman and entrepreneur, what Churchill always said to his people, ‘Keep buggering on KBO.’ Just gotta stick with it, right? And, there’s gonna be lots of ups and downs and challenges. But, if you believe in your vision and you believe in your product and believe in your ability to execute, then you gotta keep going. Certainly, until the bank account says zero. So, with that Ryan, I think we’ll end there. Was there anything else that you wanted to add or tell our listeners? Ryan: I guess the one thing I would add is I am co-hosting a commercial real estate tech event in Austin on October 25th. We’ve got a great panel of tech founders that includes Michael Mandel with ComStak, Arie with WiredScore, Ryan Turner with Refinery, and Doug Shenkman with Tenax. As well as a panel of venture capitalists from Fifth Wall, Navitas, and Metaprop. So, it would be a great event downtown Austin with food and drinks and some great founders and venture capitalists to give you much of the same conversation about the state of the world of CRE Tech and the state of the market, and what’s coming up. Keith: And I will be there. So, if that’s, if you wanna scream that from the rooftops as well, enables you to add one more person to the event, feel free. Maybe, if you tell enough people, my mom will come as well, if I’m gonna be there. But, Ryan: We’d love to have your mom. Keith: It’s an exciting event, I will be there. I’m gonna be travelling from New York to Austin for it. And, goodluck with that. I guess, I’ll see you there, Ryan. So, thank you for being our guest today. And just again, for our listeners, Raising Your Antenna is a podcast dedicated to bringing on venture capitalists and founders who are transforming B2B technology spaces including today’s CRE (Commercial Real Estate) technology. Antenna Group which is the primary sponsor of Raising Your Antenna, is a digital marketing and public relations firm which services companies from startups all the way to Fortune 100 companies that are in the B2B technology space. So Ryan, thanks again and look forward to seeing you in Austin. Ryan: We all look forward to it. Thanks, Keith! Keith: And another episode of Raising Your Antenna is in the books. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and look forward to connecting again next week. Raising Your Antenna is a weekly podcast hosted by yours truly, Keith Zakheim, that features the movers and shakers, and key influencers of the B2B technology industry. Our guests are leading revolutions and disruptions in the mobility, clean energy, healthcare, and real estate technology industries. Raising Your Antenna’s brought to you by Antenna Group, a full-service digital marketing and public relations agency that focuses on the B2B technology industry. Please be in touch with me on Twitter (@czakheim) with any feedback about this podcast. And check out Antenna Group at www.antennagroup.com if your organization is looking for really smart and good-looking marketing and public relations partner. capital raise, b2b, emerging tech, cleantech, real estate, b2b technology, venture capital false full 3 1e249154-5108-4f8e-b749-81c55826e643 Solving The Last Mile with LimeBike's Andrew Savage We are excited to have Andrew Savage of LimeBike with us in the studio, fresh off of their investment by Alphabet and partnership with Uber. LimeBike is at the forefront of addressing the “last mile” issue: 60 percent of trips people take in vehicles are under one mile and 40 percent of these trips are under 2 miles, yet our cities have been built around making those trips by personal automobile. We know those trips aren’t efficient, aren’t good for the environment and create tons of congestion. Tune in for Andrew’s view on the “last mile” and more in the mobility space.

The relationship between mobility technology companies and public transit agencies:

"We have a very large program in Dallas, we’ve been working with DART, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, in the Bay Area we’ve been working with BART and Caltrain, we think there’s an incredible synergy between the work that we’re doing, which is the sort of microtransit, and the work of mass transit. And bringing those two things together, we really think we can solve the urban problem of the first and last mile."

What’s driving the popularity of electric scooters:

"Electric scooters are really interesting, we have a charging program where in many markets, up to 80% of our scooters are being charged in a crowd-sourced way from people within the community, so we will pay people to pick up the scooters at the end of the night, we’ll have an app for that side of the business, and we’ll pay them to be what we call “juicers”, and they go home, plug in 1, 2, 5 or 10 scooters and then redeploy them with our guidance and guidelines the next day, so we, for a major part of our operation, will be able to use folks within the community and actually that’s additional resources in the community’s pockets as well."

Safety and rideshares:

"Safety is a top priority for us. We have a lot of information on our product in our app and website on how to operate scooters and bikes safely, wearing helmets, choosing the right place to ride. I think an important conversation that we have with city leaders is, how can we give you data so that we can show you where protected lanes would be most beneficial, and how can we show you where people are turning left and turning right in the community where you actually could add infrastructure improvements to make riding and scooting safer."

Andrew’s journey to Lime as an entrepreneur in the cleantech space:

"I did do a stint on Capitol Hill where I was working on energy and cleantech issues as well as in communications, two years during the Bush administration and two years during the Obama administration, so very fascinating times. I spent the beginning time of my career working both in politics and in government and then shifted over to the cleantech space working as a Chief Strategy Officer for a solar company and I came into this current position a little bit by chance. I was actually looking for positions in solar and stumbled across Toby and Brad, who prior to starting Lime were thinking about what kind of team do we need to put together to make this a success. We jumped in together, I moved out to the Bay Area from Vermont, and here we are."

LimeBike and Uber’s strategic partnership:

"The Uber partnership is particularly exciting because what it will allow us to do is access and be available to far more people, more ubiquitously in cities across the US and increase internationally. As we expand internationally across Europe and other parts of the world, it’s more exciting because people can now go on the uber app and decide whether they should take a car or a scooter, what we’ve found is that if you’re downtown in the city and you open up Google Maps and look at the drive time of a mile and a half trip, you’re actually going to find that being on a bike or scooter is much faster than a car. So we are really excited for this partnership because we think people will realize how valuable it is, how much lower cost it is and how efficient it is and the environment implications as well."

Andrew’s vision for smart regulatory action within the transportation industry:

"We view the idea of saying “you can put X number of scooters or bikes in the community as sort of an absolute number”, as really a backwards approach. You never see that regarding cars. So let’s cap the number of cars in a community before we cap the number of bikes. We are nowhere near the need, or nowhere near the saturation of what we would need in the community to solve the problems, so either no cap or a dynamic cap, and what that means is if we have bikes and scooters being widely used, being used multiple times a day by people in the community, let’s not cap it until it gets to the point where there are enough."

"We actually do like minimum numbers of fleet size, because without a minimum number you really can’t operate an effective and efficient system. You won’t have the operations staff on the ground to be able to run a good program, so we do think a minimum makes more sense than a type of cap. One other thing we work with cities on is performance standards around operations and our response time, those are all things we can do, we actually work proactively with a number of 311 system within cities, so that we could tap right into their systems and be as responsive as possible, so it’s not that hard to think about what are responsible regulations, and we think cities are going to get there."

The role of transportation in increasing economic equality:

"The equity component of what we are doing is a critical part of our mission and is one we’ve been able to really demonstrate work, so a perfect example is we’ve been in Seattle for a year, we’ve had a million rides in Seattle last year, we’ve replaced a dock-based program up there, and that dock based program was available like most programs only to downtown, the financial district, the wealthy neighborhoods or tourism locations. That’s not where most people live, that’s not where low income people live."

]]> Mon, 30 Jul 2018 16:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ We are excited to have Andrew Savage of LimeBike with us in the studio, fresh off of their investment by Alphabet and partnership with Uber. LimeBike is at the forefront of addressing the “last mile” issue: 60 percent of trips people take in vehicles are under one mile and 40 percent of these trips are under 2 miles, yet our cities have been built around making those trips by personal automobile. We know those trips aren’t efficient, aren’t good for the environment and create tons of congestion. Tune in for Andrew’s view on the “last mile” and more in the mobility space.

The relationship between mobility technology companies and public transit agencies:

"We have a very large program in Dallas, we’ve been working with DART, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, in the Bay Area we’ve been working with BART and Caltrain, we think there’s an incredible synergy between the work that we’re doing, which is the sort of microtransit, and the work of mass transit. And bringing those two things together, we really think we can solve the urban problem of the first and last mile."

What’s driving the popularity of electric scooters:

"Electric scooters are really interesting, we have a charging program where in many markets, up to 80% of our scooters are being charged in a crowd-sourced way from people within the community, so we will pay people to pick up the scooters at the end of the night, we’ll have an app for that side of the business, and we’ll pay them to be what we call “juicers”, and they go home, plug in 1, 2, 5 or 10 scooters and then redeploy them with our guidance and guidelines the next day, so we, for a major part of our operation, will be able to use folks within the community and actually that’s additional resources in the community’s pockets as well."

Safety and rideshares:

"Safety is a top priority for us. We have a lot of information on our product in our app and website on how to operate scooters and bikes safely, wearing helmets, choosing the right place to ride. I think an important conversation that we have with city leaders is, how can we give you data so that we can show you where protected lanes would be most beneficial, and how can we show you where people are turning left and turning right in the community where you actually could add infrastructure improvements to make riding and scooting safer."

Andrew’s journey to Lime as an entrepreneur in the cleantech space:

"I did do a stint on Capitol Hill where I was working on energy and cleantech issues as well as in communications, two years during the Bush administration and two years during the Obama administration, so very fascinating times. I spent the beginning time of my career working both in politics and in government and then shifted over to the cleantech space working as a Chief Strategy Officer for a solar company and I came into this current position a little bit by chance. I was actually looking for positions in solar and stumbled across Toby and Brad, who prior to starting Lime were thinking about what kind of team do we need to put together to make this a success. We jumped in together, I moved out to the Bay Area from Vermont, and here we are."

LimeBike and Uber’s strategic partnership:

"The Uber partnership is particularly exciting because what it will allow us to do is access and be available to far more people, more ubiquitously in cities across the US and increase internationally. As we expand internationally across Europe and other parts of the world, it’s more exciting because people can now go on the uber app and decide whether they should take a car or a scooter, what we’ve found is that if you’re downtown in the city and you open up Google Maps and look at the drive time of a mile and a half trip, you’re actually going to find that being on a bike or scooter is much faster than a car. So we are really excited for this partnership because we think people will realize how valuable it is, how much lower cost it is and how efficient it is and the environment implications as well."

Andrew’s vision for smart regulatory action within the transportation industry:

"We view the idea of saying “you can put X number of scooters or bikes in the community as sort of an absolute number”, as really a backwards approach. You never see that regarding cars. So let’s cap the number of cars in a community before we cap the number of bikes. We are nowhere near the need, or nowhere near the saturation of what we would need in the community to solve the problems, so either no cap or a dynamic cap, and what that means is if we have bikes and scooters being widely used, being used multiple times a day by people in the community, let’s not cap it until it gets to the point where there are enough."

"We actually do like minimum numbers of fleet size, because without a minimum number you really can’t operate an effective and efficient system. You won’t have the operations staff on the ground to be able to run a good program, so we do think a minimum makes more sense than a type of cap. One other thing we work with cities on is performance standards around operations and our response time, those are all things we can do, we actually work proactively with a number of 311 system within cities, so that we could tap right into their systems and be as responsive as possible, so it’s not that hard to think about what are responsible regulations, and we think cities are going to get there."

The role of transportation in increasing economic equality:

"The equity component of what we are doing is a critical part of our mission and is one we’ve been able to really demonstrate work, so a perfect example is we’ve been in Seattle for a year, we’ve had a million rides in Seattle last year, we’ve replaced a dock-based program up there, and that dock based program was available like most programs only to downtown, the financial district, the wealthy neighborhoods or tourism locations. That’s not where most people live, that’s not where low income people live."

]]> Solving The Last Mile with LimeBike's Andrew Savage Keith Zakheim 00:26:27 We are excited to have Andrew Savage of LimeBike with us in the studio, fresh off of their investment by Alphabet and partnership with Uber. LimeBike is at the forefront of addressing the “last mile” issue: 60 percent of trips people take in vehicles are under one mile and 40 percent of these trips are under 2 miles, yet our cities have been built around making those trips by personal automobile. We know those trips aren’t efficient, aren’t good for the environment and create tons of congestion. Tune in for Andrew’s view on the “last mile” and more in the mobility space. We are excited to have Andrew Savage of LimeBike with us in the studio, fresh off of their investment by Alphabet and partnership with Uber. LimeBike is at the forefront of addressing the “last mile” issue: 60 percent of trips people take in vehicles are under one mile and 40 percent of these trips are under 2 miles, yet our cities have been built around making those trips by personal automobile. We know those trips aren’t efficient, aren’t good for the environment and create tons of congestion. Tune in for Andrew’s view on the “last mile” and more in the mobility space. bikesharing, ridesharing, cleantech, technology, b2btech, mobility false full 2 0d5d9dfc-4248-4678-ac4a-859e4f88e1e6 Talking Cleantech Startups and Energy Storage with Pat Sapinsley Introducing Raising Your Antenna, a B2B tech podcast that explores the latest trends and news shaping the B2B technology industry. Hosted by Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, the podcast features technology experts and thought leaders from across the cleantech, sustainability, life sciences, mobility, and emerging technology sectors.

For the inaugural episode, we’re discussing all things energy storage with the incredible Pat Sapinsley, a renowned clean technology expert and industry thought leader, currently the managing director of Cleantech Initiatives at the Urban Future Lab. In conversation, Pat and Keith touch upon the origin of Urban Future Lab, Pat’s perspective on the cleantech venture capital landscape, and the implications of advances in battery technology on the storage industry and grid ecosystem.

What Makes Urban Future Labs Approach to Startups Different:

“One of the reasons we’ve had such great success is because we vet them so well coming in, we have a 93% survival rate since 2009 of companies we’ve incubated, that’s exactly the opposite of what happens in the startup world in the United States,” compared to 10-15% of startups on average."

The Impact of Federal, State and Local Policy: New York As An Energy Storage Hotbed:

“We are helped by a dollar commitment that the governor has made, NYSERDA is putting 260 million dollars towards this, 200 million through Green Bank lending, and 60 million for pilots that NYSERDA will pay for directly, so that’s going to push us forward to the goals we need to get too.”

Pat’s Perspective: Energy Startups to Watch

  • Brenmiller
  • HighviewGo Electric Voltaiq

What Does the Next Generation of Energy Storage Look Like?

The Importance of Transparency and Analytics: “If you are a grid operator and you want to purchase one of these battery technologies, it’s very hard to compare Vanadium flow to lithium-ion because the metrics they’re giving are different.”

Lithium Vs. Alternative Chemistry Batteries: “I don’t want to bet on one [alternative chemistry] but they are coming along. I see them get more and more mature and less expensive every year. There’s one out of Tufts University that is very promising right now and one out of MIT that’s also very promising. For these, it’ll be a few years, but in the meantime, we have things like Brenmiller and Highview

]]> Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:00:00 +0000 marketing@antennagroup.com (Keith Zakheim) http://antennagroup.com/ Introducing Raising Your Antenna, a B2B tech podcast that explores the latest trends and news shaping the B2B technology industry. Hosted by Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, the podcast features technology experts and thought leaders from across the cleantech, sustainability, life sciences, mobility, and emerging technology sectors.

For the inaugural episode, we’re discussing all things energy storage with the incredible Pat Sapinsley, a renowned clean technology expert and industry thought leader, currently the managing director of Cleantech Initiatives at the Urban Future Lab. In conversation, Pat and Keith touch upon the origin of Urban Future Lab, Pat’s perspective on the cleantech venture capital landscape, and the implications of advances in battery technology on the storage industry and grid ecosystem.

What Makes Urban Future Labs Approach to Startups Different:

“One of the reasons we’ve had such great success is because we vet them so well coming in, we have a 93% survival rate since 2009 of companies we’ve incubated, that’s exactly the opposite of what happens in the startup world in the United States,” compared to 10-15% of startups on average."

The Impact of Federal, State and Local Policy: New York As An Energy Storage Hotbed:

“We are helped by a dollar commitment that the governor has made, NYSERDA is putting 260 million dollars towards this, 200 million through Green Bank lending, and 60 million for pilots that NYSERDA will pay for directly, so that’s going to push us forward to the goals we need to get too.”

Pat’s Perspective: Energy Startups to Watch

  • Brenmiller
  • HighviewGo Electric Voltaiq

What Does the Next Generation of Energy Storage Look Like?

The Importance of Transparency and Analytics: “If you are a grid operator and you want to purchase one of these battery technologies, it’s very hard to compare Vanadium flow to lithium-ion because the metrics they’re giving are different.”

Lithium Vs. Alternative Chemistry Batteries: “I don’t want to bet on one [alternative chemistry] but they are coming along. I see them get more and more mature and less expensive every year. There’s one out of Tufts University that is very promising right now and one out of MIT that’s also very promising. For these, it’ll be a few years, but in the meantime, we have things like Brenmiller and Highview

]]> Talking Cleantech Startups and Energy Storage with Pat Sapinsley Keith Zakheim 00:22:28 For the inaugural episode, we’re discussing all things energy storage with the incredible Pat Sapinsley, a renowned clean technology expert and industry thought leader, currently the managing director of Cleantech Initiatives at the Urban Future Lab. In conversation, Pat and Keith touch upon the origin of Urban Future Lab, Pat’s perspective on the cleantech venture capital landscape, and the implications of advances in battery technology on the storage industry and grid ecosystem. For the inaugural episode, we’re discussing all things energy storage with the incredible Pat Sapinsley, a renowned clean technology expert and industry thought leader, currently the managing director of Cleantech Initiatives at the Urban Future Lab. In conversation, Pat and Keith touch upon the origin of Urban Future Lab, Pat’s perspective on the cleantech venture capital landscape, and the implications of advances in battery technology on the storage industry and grid ecosystem. b2btech, technology, cleantech, startup false full 1