I Met Inspiring People at NYCW And Came Back Hopeful
A recap of what I've heard and the inspiring people I've met
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In this edition:
My New York Climate Week Adventures
The Inspiring People I’ve Met at Climate Week: The Arctic Influencer, the Arctic-Space Explorer, the Hard Tech Investor, the AI Alchemist and the Nuclear Commercializer
Additional Reflections
You should read this if you’re…
Looking for some hope amidst of sea of depressing news
Looking for a different type of take on Climate Week
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Like many investors, innovators, policymakers and journalists that have descended on New York City on September 22nd, I went to Climate Week.
Now, I know, you’re probably inundated with recaps and “what I’ve heard” posts (there are some great ones: CTVC, Heatmap are favorites), so I will try to do something slightly different:
I will tell you about the people I’ve met that give me hope and inspiration.
What I Was Doing at NYCW
As part of my work, I traveled to NYCW to participate in our firm’s events. It’s a great opportunity to exchange views, create new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and to contribute to the important conversations happening at the intersection of policy, technology and corporate innovation.
I had a chance to speak at a few events as well:
As you can see, there were a handful of people who were unfortunate enough to hear me babble about energy, AI and data centers.
Inspiring People Along The Way
Aside from speaking, meeting colleagues and enjoying the conversations I was a part of, I met a group of inspiring individuals - some intentionally and some by chance. I came home incredibly excited and inspired, and more than that - hopeful.
The people I met represent diverse backgrounds and professions and are on different life paths. Yet, they all have one thing in common: Working to make our world a better, more prosperous and more sustainable place, and all are making tangible impact. They make me want to do better and be better.
I heard hope is contagious, so I wanted to share some with you:
The Arctic Influencer
I was sitting at dinner with a close friend of mine on my first night in town, who is an avid reader of this publication. When I started telling him about my latest forays into the Arctic, I found it hard to convince him that the Arctic is not just a weird obsession, but rather something we should care deeply about.
This response is as common as I thought it would be. I’m the first to admit that the Arctic is a tough sell: It’s far, it’s inaccessible and seems to many of us like a useless (though beautiful) pile of ice. In fact, most people wonder what I’ve been smoking when I start talking about the Arctic.
That is why I was so inspired when I met Grace Cordsen. Grace is an Arctic Influencer on a mission to help people see how important the Arctic is for the planet and its inhabitants.
She combines public speaking, research and social media acumen to bring the scenery, the wildlife and complexity of the Arctic to life and help the public develop a relationship with a region that is foreign yet crucial to our every day lives.
I met a driven, effective and thoughtful professional who works tirelessly to bring the Arctic wilderness into our homes and our hearts to make sure we keep protecting it.
You can check out her work here.
The Arctic-Space Explorer
While we’re on the topic of the Arctic, I’ve noticed just how diverse and vibrant the global Arctic community can be, drawing policy experts, scientists, technologists and adventurers. The Arctic’s importance to so many human activities tends to draw professionals from many fields into its orbit.
David Marsh is a great example. I met David to discuss the Arctic’s reconfiguration, and found a whole new angle to the Arctic: It’s importance for Space.
The growing Space industry, it turns out, is increasingly interlinked with the Arctic, as its position makes it crucial for anything from relay stations to testing equipment in extreme settings.
David is a researcher, writer, explorer and strategist who works to reshape the relationship of the Space industry with the Arctic. Through his writing, his involvement in SpaceTech startups and Arctic expeditions, he brings a unique perspective that has the potential to uplift the prospects of the Space industry.
I found a dedicated and collaborative professional with a head in Space and feet in the Arctic. His can-do attitude and diverse professional background make me believe he can make a difference and bring substantive value.
Check out his Substack here.
The Hard Tech Investor
Spending time thinking about the Arctic always reveals how much we need better, more advanced emerging technologies. Most of them are likely to be Hardware focused.
Investment in climate and energy startups is hard work. Unlike software, where majority of backgrounds comprise of software engineering and business, climate innovation requires deep understanding of science, engineering and finance.
Alejandro Sole, who leads TechEnergy Ventures, came from finance, but his work at TEV cannot be farther from the traditional investment shop image. Ale works with a team of technical experts - ranging from construction to aerospace engineering - to find, evaluate and invest in the best technology out there in Hydrogen, Carbon Management, Lithium and Electrification.
Each one of these areas requires deep scientific understanding and an eye for engineering challenges that often arise. Meeting teams like Ale’s that have the depth and ability to blend financial investments with scientific rigor always inspires me, as I know how difficult it can be to build physical assets that perform a new function, never-done-before.
You can check out TEV’s activities here.
The AI Alchemist
Although Hardware plays a meaningful role in ClimateTech, it’s impossible to ignore AI. This year, AI was the “talk of the town” at Climate Week.
Those who work in the AI or sustainability space know that AI and Sustainability have a complicated relationship.
One of the key discussion topics of NYCW was centered on the role of AI promoting sustainability. The discussion, which was central to one my talks, goes like this:
On the one hand, AI can be used (and is already being used) to advance sustainability. AI can help optimize HVAC, identify Methane leaks and help predict climate shocks to crops;
On the other hand, AI comes at a steep cost to the environment. Its power-hungry nature requires more electricity that more often than not comes from fossil fuels. In fact, hyperscalers continue to report that their emissions keep rising, in contradiction to their Net-Zero commitments.
Marc Allen is an entrepreneur who believes in the positive role AI can play in promoting sustainability so much, he founded a company dedicated to doing exactly that. His company, Unravel Carbon, deploys AI agents to help companies reduce their carbon footprint and provides sustainability teams superpowers.
Marc isn’t the only one to do so, but what impressed me about Marc is that he gave me a stage he is conscious of the costs we pay and works to make sure we develop AI responsibly from a sustainability perspective.
My sense is that through Marc’s work, we can enjoy the benefits of AI while minimizing the toll it will leave on the planet.
Check out Unravel Carbon here.
The Nuclear Commercializer
In my talk about AI & Sustainability, I’ve argued that we need to ensure future data centers run on clean energy. Luckily, Energy was another talk of the town in Climate Week, with Data Centers and the need to power them being a particular focus. Majority of accounts tell that story eloquently. Few, however, speak about the people behind the curtains.
Within the world of energy, Nuclear is a particularly contentious topic that is gaining favor in recent years, and after spending some time at industry presentations and dinners, I can see why.
Nuclear is considered a promising, yet contentious, field that is growing in popularity and attracting a growing share of the money invested in clean energy. Even the Trump Administration likes Nuclear. We tend to focus on the founders, engineers and technologists, but what struck me the most is just how difficult commercialization is.
I think we tend to underestimate the complexity of project finance, to find would-be buyers (offtakes, anyone?) and build sustainable models that make the difference between clean energy and pipedreams. Many times, innovation fails not because the technology doesn’t work, but because the commercial model is faulty.
I was very inspired to see such an experienced professional at the helm of a promising source of clean and nearly infinite source of energy. Yes, we need the best scientists, engineers and inventors out there, but we should also celebrate the commercial teams that work hard to make sure we can bring clean, firm energy to market.
We just might have a shot.
Last Thoughts
Climate Week gave me the ultimate FOMO: It always feels like there’s something going on, mostly because there always is. It’s impossible to be everywhere, but I’ve been fortunate to be in events that I thought mattered. More importantly, I met people that matter.
There are many individuals, teams and organizations that are doing important work beyond those I’ve met, and they all deserve to be celebrated, this year more than ever.
Thanks to all of my conversations, events and meeting during Climate Week, I became convinced of two things, mostly:
We still have a chance. There are too many people who are deeply passionate about nature, decarbonization and guarding our planetary boundaries.
The Reconfiguration is real, alive and kicking. The world we live in is radically different than the one we inhabited 20, 30 and 40 years ago, and the frequency of adaptation, insurance and Arctic conversations are examples that climate change is felt and recognized. The 2nd and 3rd order changes are evident.
Were you at Climate Week? What were your impressions? Hit me up in the comments ⏬
That’s it for this week.
We will resume our usual programming this coming Saturday, with a new edition of the Roundup. I can tell you’ve missed it!
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