Learning How to Pivot (Part 2 of our Conversation‪)‬ Game Changers GIM Institute

“To face the problems confronting the energy challenges of tomorrow, industry and academia are going to have to learn how to pivot”: Part 2 of a conversation with former Assistant Secretary of Energy, Charles McConnell.

Charles D. McConnell is Executive Director of Rice University's Energy and Environment Initiative. In Part 2 of our conversation, McConnell discusses the urgent need for companies and academics working on issues related to energy to be ready and able to change quickly when the market demands that change. That urgency is derived from the fact that energy isn’t just a commodity: it’s a public good. As challenges related to growing demand put pressure on an energy supply that must grow both in output as well as in the means of production (to include renewables, for instance), the public good can be put at risk. McConnell’s innovative work at Rice focuses on reducing that risk as much as possible as we transition to a new energy paradigm over the next 50 years. Read McConnell’s latest opinion piece on strategic approaches to reducing carbon emission in The Hill.

Interview Highlights:
5:15 It’s ok be both good for business and good for the environment
6:15 You can’t take reliable energy for granted
9:05 Innovation at Rice University: to be impactful, you have to be relevant
12:15 The need for interdisciplinary, cross-functional teams
14:15 Industry and academia are going to have to learn how to pivot
15:12 Rice is looking for places to connect with marketplace challenges and opportunities
16:00 The ultimate goal is to make the world a better place