Conversations in Cleantech

Brightsmith

Conversations in Cleantech offers insight into the opportunities, challenges and rewards of working in the cleantech space from the investors, leaders, entrepreneurs, accelerators & technologists within it. We talk all things cleantech, sustainability, renewables, agritech, solar, wind, e-mobilty, hydrogen & energy storage. The time for cleantech is now – join the revolution and live your purpose.
 Conversations in Cleantech is bought to you by Brightsmith, the cleantech search specialists.

  1. Arne Weinig, Managing Partner at Tauber Solar & Tauber Energy: on Career Reinvention, Leadership & Building the Teams Behind the Energy Transition | Season Eleven, Episode One

    vor 6 Tagen

    Arne Weinig, Managing Partner at Tauber Solar & Tauber Energy: on Career Reinvention, Leadership & Building the Teams Behind the Energy Transition | Season Eleven, Episode One

    Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward. In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Paul Mazalov are joined by Arne Weinig, Managing Partner at Tauber Solar and Tauber Energy - a renewable energy business focused on solar, battery storage and energy infrastructure across Germany. After spending more than two decades in financial markets, Arne made the move into renewables to help build something tangible and impactful. He reflects on that career transition, the lessons learned from leading in highly regulated industries, and the realities of scaling a growing business in a market defined by constant change. The conversation explores the role talent plays in the energy transition, from attracting adaptable people and balancing experience with potential, to building teams capable of navigating new technologies, evolving market conditions and increasing grid complexity. Arne shares why curiosity, flexibility and a willingness to learn may be more important than ever in a sector where yesterday's solutions won't necessarily solve tomorrow's challenges. Alongside insights into Germany's renewable energy market, battery storage growth and grid constraints, Arne also discusses leadership, communication and the importance of embracing change. This episode offers a thoughtful perspective on the people behind the transition, and what it will take to ensure talent becomes a catalyst for growth rather than a cause of gridlock. 01:33 - Introduction to Arne 02:47 - Could you please tell us a little bit more about you? 03:50 - What motivated your move into renewables, and what were you hoping to find there? 06:32 - What lessons or skills from your earlier career have most shaped the leader you are today? 08:07 - What do Tauber Solar and Tauber Energy do, and what role do they play in the energy transition? 11:22 - What are the biggest lessons from scaling a renewable energy business? 13:40 - What has been the most rewarding moment since joining Tauber? 16:55 - How important are people and leadership to the success of the energy transition? 23:15 - What happens if the industry gets talent wrong? 27:48 - What gives you optimism about the future of renewables, and the people driving it? 30:05 - What advice would he give his younger self at the start of his career?   Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Paul Mazalov, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Arne Weinig, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    33 Min.

  2. 26. Mai

    John Belizaire, CEO at Soluna: on Renewable-Powered AI, Curtailment & Building the Future of Sustainable Compute | Season Ten, Episode Nine

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!   This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled. In this episode, Chloe England is joined by John Belizaire, Founder and CEO at Soluna - a company rethinking how AI infrastructure and renewable energy can work together. John shares the story behind Soluna’s model: co-locating modular data centres with renewable energy projects to utilise otherwise curtailed power behind the meter. By bringing compute directly to stranded renewable generation, Soluna is helping unlock new economics for clean energy while supporting the rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure. The conversation explores grid congestion, renewable-powered compute, the growing energy demands of AI, and why data centres could become a catalyst for accelerating clean energy deployment rather than competing with it. John also reflects on his journey from Intel and multiple successful technology ventures to building Soluna, alongside his views on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the importance of diversity within the technology sector. As Season Ten comes to a close, this episode offers a fascinating look at one of the industry’s most ambitious intersections: the future of energy and the future of compute. 01:13 - Introduction to John 01:52 - You’ve had a fascinating journey from early renewables to building Soluna - what’s been the common thread driving your career? 05:11 - From your first startup to building Soluna, what’s the biggest lesson you carried forward into your later ventures? 07:40 - Was there a specific moment that led to the idea behind Soluna and pairing energy with compute? 13:08 - For those less familiar with the space, can you explain how Soluna pairs renewable energy with compute - and what’s happening behind the scenes? 20:30 - You’re not just building data centres, but an integrated energy and compute platform - is that how you think about Soluna internally? 25:43 - Are you primarily focused on the US market right now, or are you also expanding into Europe and other regions? 26:41 - Why has diversity been so important to you as a leader? 30:29 - How do you see Soluna evolving over the next few years, and what key milestones are you focused on?   Connect with your host, Chloe England, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, John Belizaire, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    34 Min.

  3. 12. Mai

    David Miller, Chief Commercial Officer at Gridmatic: on AI, Grid Flexibility & Powering the Data Centre Boom | Season Ten, Episode Eight

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!   This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled. In this episode, our hosts Joe Riley and Chloe England are joined by David Miller, Chief Commercial Officer at Gridmatic - an AI-powered energy company helping to optimise supply, demand and market participation across an increasingly complex grid. As data centre demand accelerates and electricity systems face mounting pressure, the conversation explores how AI, storage and flexible load could reshape the way power is bought, balanced and delivered. Drawing on experience across energy consulting, grid-scale storage and energy trading, David shares how the grid is evolving from a one-way system into a far more dynamic network of generation, demand and real-time optimisation. From the rise of controllable load resources to the growing role of battery storage and flexible demand, this episode unpacks how digital infrastructure and energy markets are becoming increasingly intertwined - and why smarter coordination may be just as important as new generation capacity. For anyone interested in where energy software, AI and data centre growth collide, this is a conversation well worth your time. 02:05 - Introduction to David 02:38 - Could you walk us through your journey across energy consulting, the grid, large-scale storage, and AI-driven energy markets - and how it led you to Gridmatic? 05:16 - What was the defining moment that pulled you into the energy transition and the opportunity to make an impact at scale? 06:35 - Outside of work, what keeps you busy, and what are you passionate about? 07:01 - At Brightsmith, we talk about “living your purpose” - what does that mean to you personally? 08:06 - What do you do at Gridmatic? 11:56 - How do you define Gridmatic in the value chain - an energy company, a software company, or both? 13:38 - When you were scaling grid-scale energy storage at Wärtsilä, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced? 15:30 - How did moving to Shell and stepping into a global energy company change your perspective? 17:07 - What has been the most rewarding moment of your journey so far? 18:19 - Texas has strong momentum in the energy transition - do you see that continuing? 19:45 - As clean power and digital infrastructure increasingly overlap, what challenges are data centres creating for the grid today? 25:46 - Could you explain what controllable load resources are - and why they’ve become so relevant in today’s data centre boom? 26:34 - Looking ahead, what’s next for you, Gridmatic, and the broader energy system? 29:09 - What markets excite you most right now? 30:22 - What’s one piece of wisdom you’d share with others looking to build in this space?   Connect with your hosts, Jow Riley and Chloe England, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, David Miller, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    33 Min.

  4. 28. Apr.

    Dr Ryan Hatcher, CEO & Founder at Phoenix Semiconductor: on Legacy Chips, Supply Chain Fragility & the Hidden Foundations of Digital Infrastructure | Season Ten, Episode Seven

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!   This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled.   In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Ric Ashworth-Lord are joined by Dr Ryan Hatcher, CEO & Founder at Phoenix Semiconductor - a leader working at the intersection of advanced electronics, supply chain resilience and critical infrastructure.   While much of the spotlight falls on cutting-edge chips, Ryan brings attention to a less visible but equally critical layer: legacy semiconductors. These “older” technologies underpin everything from energy systems and transport to defence and data centres - yet their supply chains are increasingly fragile, overlooked, and difficult to replace.   Drawing on experience across Samsung, Lockheed Martin and now Phoenix Semiconductor, Ryan explains why mature-node manufacturing has become strategically important, how decades of optimisation have exposed systemic vulnerabilities, and why resilience across the full semiconductor ecosystem is now essential.   From supply chain shocks and obsolescence risk to the realities of scaling manufacturing and securing long-term capacity, this conversation shines a light on the infrastructure beneath the infrastructure.   01:02 - Introduction to Ryan 02:03 - What exactly are legacy semiconductors, and why are they so critical to modern infrastructure? 04:29 - How does legacy semiconductor manufacturing underpin energy and digital infrastructure, and why has supply chain fragility become such a constraint on growth? 08:29 - What led you to found Phoenix, and why is mature node manufacturing now so strategically important and often misunderstood? 13:44 - Why can’t mature node manufacturing capacity scale when demand spikes, and what’s exposed the fragility in the system in recent years? 18:23 - Why do even well-capitalised companies delay addressing predictable supply chain risks? 22:21 - How should leaders think about geographic risk in mature node production, and will securing manufacturing capacity become a competitive advantage? 26:47 - Looking ahead five years, what does a truly resilient semiconductor ecosystem look like, and what role does Phoenix play in building it? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Ric Ashworth-Lord, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Dr Ryan Hatcher, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    33 Min.

  5. 14. Apr.

    Patrick Lynch, Executive Managing Director at CBRE: on Power, Pace & the Reality of Scaling Digital Infrastructure | Season Ten, Episode Six

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!   This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled.   In this episode, our host Jenny Gladman is joined by Patrick Lynch, Executive Managing Director at CBRE - a market leader with a front-row seat to some of the industry’s biggest infrastructure decisions.   With more than three decades in digital infrastructure, Patrick brings a rare perspective on how the market is evolving under real-world constraint. As demand accelerates and supply struggles to keep pace, he shares how power availability is reshaping site selection, why speed-to-market has changed deal dynamics, and what it now takes to deliver capacity at scale.   From hyperscale growth and edge deployment to supply chain pressure and talent gaps, this conversation offers a practical look at how digital infrastructure is really being built.   For anyone curious about where the market is heading - and what it will take to keep up - this is a conversation well worth your time. 01:01 - Introduction to Patrick 02:44 - Could you briefly share your career journey and how you came to your current role? 04:20 - What feels fundamentally different about where we are today compared to 10-15 years ago? 05:59 - You’re a father of four, with some of your children now entering the industry - how has that shaped the way you think about the space? 08:00 - How do your children challenge your thinking, and what does that feel like? 09:32 - From your vantage point, what’s driving demand right now and what core forces are shaping decision-making? 12:06 - What are the key differences in how decisions are being made today compared to a few years ago? 14:20 - From your perspective, how is power influencing transactions and site selection today? 16:59 - How does the gap between sustainable ambition and what’s viable at scale or in location shape decision-making? 19:09 - From a global perspective, how do the US, Europe, and APAC differ in terms of opportunity and constraints? 21:26 - What are your top tips for people wanting to get into the sector? 23:02 - Where do you see the greatest need for talent in this sector, and which backgrounds are best positioned to move into it? 26:23 - As projects scale from 100MW to multi-gigawatt campuses, how has that changed how deals are structured and executed? 28:56 - At this scale, what’s the hardest point in a deal - what breaks first? 32:37 - For those building or investing in this space, what’s the one takeaway you’d want them to leave with? Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Patrick Lynch, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production

    35 Min.

  6. 31. März

    Sofie Käll, CIO and Anna Søndergaard, Co-Founder & CEO at The Footprint Firm: on Early-Stage Risk, System Innovation & Investing Beyond the Data Centre | Season Ten, Episode Five

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled. In this episode, hosts Jenny Gladman and Isabella Rova are joined by Sofie Käll, CIO, and Anna Søndergaard, Co-Founder, Partner & CEO at The Footprint Firm - two investors approaching digital infrastructure not from the centre of the asset, but from the edges of the system. As data centres place growing pressure on grids, water, cooling and materials, Sofie and Anna offer a different lens on what it means to invest in the future of digital infrastructure. Rather than backing the assets themselves, they focus on the technologies, services and efficiencies that can reshape the ecosystem around them - from grid balancing and energy storage to cooling innovation and software optimisation. This conversation explores what early-stage capital can realistically do in a market defined by speed, scale and physical constraint. It also digs into the balance between commercial viability and impact, the challenge of proving deep tech in real-world systems, and why some of the most meaningful opportunities may lie not in the “moonshots”, but in the less glamorous solutions that quietly improve performance at scale. For anyone curious about how venture thinking, systems change and sustainability intersect in the digital infrastructure buildout, this episode offers a sharp and refreshing perspective. 01:02 - Introduction to Sofie and Anna 02:45 - From an early-stage investor perspective, what makes the data centre ecosystem so compelling? 03:44 - Could you briefly introduce yourselves and share the story behind The Footprint Firm and the work you’re doing today? 07:31 - How do you approach digital infrastructure opportunities differently from traditional asset investors? 09:58 - How do you distinguish between incremental improvements and solutions that can truly scale commercially? 13:34 - How do you assess technical risk from a deep tech perspective? 18:14 - How do you see early-stage innovation helping address the growing energy demands of data centres? 21:47 - Do you see data centres acting as a stress test for broader energy transition technologies? 23:42 - Beyond power, where are the most under-discussed circular economy opportunities in the physical build of data centres? 27:00 - How do you connect the dots across sectors like energy, circular economy, and the built environment when investing in digital infrastructure - and who do you see as the winners? 32:25 - What drew you to this sector - was there a defining moment that shaped your decision to pursue it? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Isabella Rova, on LinkedIn. Find your guests, Sofie Käll and Anna Søndergaard, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    38 Min.

  7. 17. März

    Gene Alessandrini, Senior Vice President of Energy at CyrusOne: on Grid Constraints, Power Strategy & Delivering Energy for Hyperscale Data Centres | Season Ten, Episode Four

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!   This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled. In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Gene Alessandrini, Senior Vice President of Energy at CyrusOne - a company operating at the front line of one of the industry’s biggest challenges: power.   As AI demand accelerates and grid capacity tightens, megawatts have become more than an input; they’ve become the defining constraint on digital infrastructure growth. Drawing on decades in wholesale energy markets, renewables and structured transactions, Gene shares a clear-eyed view of what it really takes to secure, structure and deliver power at hyperscale.   From grid realities and renewable procurement to the complex balancing act between reliability, speed and sustainability, this conversation explores how the energy and data centre worlds are rapidly converging - and why solving the power challenge will require far deeper collaboration across industry, utilities and policymakers.   For anyone curious about what it actually takes to power the next generation of compute, this is a conversation well worth your time. 01:04 - Introduction to Gene 03:38 - What connects the different chapters of your career - and what first drew you into the energy sector? 05:24 - How has your background shaped the way you think about powering data centres? 08:06 - What has surprised you most about the shift from generating power to securing and delivering power for mission-critical loads? 11:13 - How do you frame energy internally today: a constraint, a competitive differentiator, a risk function, or all three? 14:25 - How do you balance where customers want to be with where the grid can realistically support growth? 16:23 - What does CyrusOne’s renewable electricity procurement hierarchy mean in practice, and why did you choose that framework? 18:13 - Where do companies often get it wrong when they claim to be powered by renewables? 20:04 - If long-term PPAs can take one to three years to deliver new electrons, how do you bridge that gap while maintaining credibility? 21:54 - Texas has over 1,100 megawatts under contract to support CyrusOne facilities — what does that represent in terms of planning, risk, and infrastructure delivery? 26:02 - What energy mix is realistically needed to meet reliability, sustainability, and scale without creating backlash? 30:46 - Looking ahead a few years, what needs to change first for the US power system to keep up with digital infrastructure demand? 32:19 - If there’s one thing you’d like listeners to take away from today’s conversation, what would it be?   Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Gene Alessandrini, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    36 Min.

  8. 3. März

    Sue Ennis, Head of Investor Relations & Government Affairs at Hut 8: on Power Arbitrage, AI Demand & Turning Stranded Energy into Strategic Infrastructure | Season Ten, Episode Three

    Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!   This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled. In this episode, hosts Jenny Gladman and Isabella Rova are joined by Sue Ennis, Head of Investor Relations & Government Affairs at Hut 8 - a capital markets strategist turned infrastructure insider who has spent the last decade at the edge of disruption. What begins as a conversation about Bitcoin mining quickly becomes something much bigger: a story about stranded power turning into strategic leverage, about how yesterday’s overlooked assets became today’s AI lifeline, and about why the real currency of this decade may not be data, but electrons. Sue brings a rare perspective from inside the evolution of crypto, energy arbitrage and now AI infrastructure, cutting through media noise to unpack what’s actually happening across grids, capital flows and supply chains. From copper and cooling to tradespeople and transmission, this episode zooms out from hype and into fundamentals. If you’re curious about how capital markets thinking meets energy reality and how unexpected players are reshaping the AI race, this conversation offers a fresh and thought-provoking lens. 01:01 - Introduction to Sue 02:47 - Can you share a bit about yourself, your journey and how you ended up at Hut 8? 05:28 - Many still see Hut 8 as purely a Bitcoin mining company - how has the business evolved into AI data centre and power infrastructure? 09:58 - With reports of a 45-gigawatt US shortfall, how real is the AI-driven energy risk - and how concerned should we be? 12:16 - Why are Bitcoin miners uniquely positioned in an AI-driven energy landscape? 13:14 - What cooling innovations are enabling AI data centres to operate in hotter climates like Texas and Louisiana? 20:59 - What do you see entering the space over the next few years? 23:31 - How are supply chain constraints affecting public and private markets, and where are you seeing investment opportunities emerge? 26:04 - From an infrastructure fundamentals perspective, are we moving beyond the hype-driven phase of AI? 28:25 - Over the next two to three years, what’s exciting you most in this space? 29:11 - What did that jungle course experience ultimately teach you? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Isabella Rova, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Sue Ennis, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. This is a Loaded Hype production.

    34 Min.
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Conversations in Cleantech offers insight into the opportunities, challenges and rewards of working in the cleantech space from the investors, leaders, entrepreneurs, accelerators & technologists within it. We talk all things cleantech, sustainability, renewables, agritech, solar, wind, e-mobilty, hydrogen & energy storage. The time for cleantech is now – join the revolution and live your purpose.
 Conversations in Cleantech is bought to you by Brightsmith, the cleantech search specialists.

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