Leaders in Cleantech David Hunt

What’s it all about?

eScooters, eBikes, last mile solutions and all things Micro-mobility. Great to see how design thinking and innovation applies not just to technology, but to company cultures and business models. This week I talk about the challenges and opportunities for micro-mobility and mobility as a service across cities in various parts of the world, and how building an innovative company culture has helped Acton grow rapidly and globally.

About Janelle Wang: 

Co-Founder and CEO of Acton, Janelle is a Designer turned Entrepreneur with 15 years of Strategic Planning, New Category Creation & Design Thinking for Fortune 500s to Start Ups, bringing breakthrough Innovation and Sustainability to reality. She is leading the charge to help shape a new, more efficient, vibrant and livable urban environment. She holds 50+ patents in micromobility and sustainability solutions. Janelle has an M.S. in Industrial Design from Purdue University.

Janelle was selected as one of “19 Influential Women In Mobility” in 2019, she was awarded Female CEO of the Year in 2016, and has been featured in WSJ, FastCompany, CNN, VOGUE, BBC, and more..

About Acton:

ACTON, headquartered in Silicon Valley, offers Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) solution packages from multimodal vehicles to advanced IoT to move people and goods efficiently & intelligently. ACTON partners with automakers, cities, ride-share operators, and private property owners. Together, we make our cities better places to live.

ACTON is unique in its range of mobility solutions on offer. ACTON has won numerous awards and has been featured in various media, internationally. ACTON creates excellence in riding dynamics, safety, serviceability, ease of use, design aesthetics, and sustainability. With over 100 patents, more than 100 cities globally, tens of millions of rides, ACTON is leading the way.

Social links: 

Janelle Wang on LinkedIn: (61) Janelle Wang | LinkedIn
Acton website: ACTON | Supercharging City 3.0 | California
Acton on LinkedIn: (61) ACTON: Overview | LinkedIn
Acton on Instagram: ACTON (@actonallday) • Instagram photos and videos

About Hyperion Cleantech Group:

Hyperion Cleantech Group is the holding company for businesses focused exclusively in cleantech talent acquisition, retention, leadership development. working with some of the most innovative cleantech companies in the world, helping to find extraordinary talent to enable their growth and success. Partnering with leading cleantech VCs, as well as directly with founders and entrepreneurs in the sector. With our clients we are transforming business and growing a strong and prosperous cleantech economy. We work across EMEA and NORAM, with teams based in the UK, Germany and the US.

EPISODE LINKS

Acton’s latest acquisition hints at the future of docked micromobility Acton’s latest acquisition hints at the future of docked micromobility – TechCrunch
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die: Chip Heath, Dan Heath: 8601410083830: Books: Amazon.com
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't Amazon.com: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't (Audible Audio Edition): Jim Collins, Jim Collins, HarperAudio: Audible Books & Originals


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If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated.

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What’s it all about?
Electric Flight!! We had just before Christmas an episode on battery flight, we turn our attention again to fuel cell Hydrogen powered flight. This is one of the use cases in transport I do see hydrogen having a big part to play. I talk technology, timelines, talent, and territory ( I like alliteration!) with CEO and Co-Founder Alex Ivanenko of Hypoint, developing the powertrains for regional electrified aviation. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Dr. Alex Ivanenko: 
Dr. Alex Ivanenko is the co-founder and CEO of HyPoint, the NASA award-winning Silicon Valley startup pioneering air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell systems for aviation and urban air mobility. Prior to founding HyPoint, Alex held senior sales roles at both 3M Corp. (NYSE: MMM) and Owens Corning (NYSE: OC). He attended Saratov State Technical University, where he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees, both in engineering, as well as a Ph.D. in electrochemistry. He splits his time between HyPoint locations in Menlo Park, California, and Sandwich, England.

About HyPoint:

HyPoint develops industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell systems for zero-emission aviation, aeronautics, and urban air mobility. Its NASA award-winning system features an innovative "turbo" air-cooling and oxygen supply system to deliver unprecedented energy density and specific power performance compared with existing battery and hydrogen fuel cell systems, dramatically increasing zero-emission aircraft operational time, utilization rate, and flight range at a lower total cost of ownership. HyPoint is backed by leading venture capital firms and has offices in Silicon Valley and the United Kingdom.

Social links: 

Dr. Alex Ivanenko LinkedIn:
HyPoint Website: HyPoint - we make zero emission air transport possible
HyPoint on LinkedIn: (55) HyPoint: Overview | LinkedIn
Hypoint on Twitter: HyPoint (@hypointinc) / Twitter

About Hyperion Cleantech Group:

Hyperion Cleantech Group is the holding company for businesses focused exclusively in cleantech talent acquisition, retention, leadership development. working with some of the most innovative cleantech companies in the world, helping to find extraordinary talent to enable their growth and success. Partnering with leading cleantech VCs, as well as directly with founders and entrepreneurs in the sector. With our clients we are transforming business and growing a strong and prosperous cleantech economy. We work across EMEA and NORAM, with teams based in the UK, Germany and the US.

Hyperion Executive Search is a retained search firm operating at Board, NED, C-Suite, VP and Heads of… level www.hyperionsearch.com

Fully Charged Recruitment is a contingent recruitment firm operating in the Mid/Senior level. www.fullychargedrecruitment.com

EPISODE LINKS

Follow us online, write a review (please) or subscribe
I'm very keen to hear feedback on the podcast and my guests, and to hear your suggestions for future guests or topics. Contact via the website, or Twitter.

If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated.

Twitter https://twitter.com/Cleantechleader
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DavidHuntCleantechGuide
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What’s it all about?

Wireless charging!! We accept this as obvious for our smart phones, but less so for cars and vehicles of all types, but it was a flat phone battery that inspired the technology behind wireless charging leader Wi-Tricity. I speak with CEO Alex Gruzen about the technology, applications, and how close we are to simply driving over a charge pad, walking away, and coming back to a full battery. It’s far closer than you may think.

About Alex Gruzen: 

Alex Gruzen is the CEO of WiTricity, the industry pioneer in wireless power transfer over distance and founder of electric vehicle wireless charging technology. 

Before WiTricity, Gruzen co-founded Texas-based Corsa Ventures, where he focused on building leading technology companies via early-stage investments. Prior to Corsa, he was the Senior Vice President of the Consumer and Small Medium Business Product Group at Dell, and previously led the company’s global notebook computer business. His experience spans product development, global sales and marketing, operations and growth through mergers and acquisitions, having also held leadership roles at Hewlett Packard, Compaq and Sony. Gruzen holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a S.M. and S.B. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

About Witricity:

WiTricity is the global industry leader in wireless charging, powering a sustainable future of mobility that is electric and autonomous. WiTricity’s patented magnetic resonance technology is being incorporated into global automakers’ and Tier 1 suppliers’ EV roadmaps and is the foundation of major global standards developed to support wide-scale adoption. Advancements like dynamic charging of moving vehicles, and the charging of autonomous robots and vehicles without human intervention all depend on WiTricity technology
The WiTricity Halo™ upgrade for electric vehicles will deliver 11 kW wireless charging, enabling a charge rate that provides up to 35-40 miles of driving range per hour of charging time, a speed and efficiency on par with today’s Level 2 AC plug-in chargers.
WiTricity’s wireless EV charging technology has made it possible to charge the Genesis GV60 without a plug by simply parking and charging over the charging pad.

FAW showcased its HongQi E-HS9 parking and charging autonomously built on WiTricity’s magnetic resonance wireless charging.

Social links: 

Alex Gruzen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-gruzen-b809a97/
Witricity on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiTricity
Witricity onTwitter: https://twitter.com/witricity
Witricity on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/witricity-corporation
Witricity on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/witricity
Witricity on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WiTricityCorp

Hyperion Executive Search is a retained search firm operating at Board, NED, C-Suite, VP and Heads of… level www.hyperionsearch.com

Fully Charged Recruitment is a contingent recruitment firm operating in the Mid/Senior level. www.fullychargedrecruitment.com

EPISODE LINKS

The Coldest Winter, David Halberstan- The Coldest Winter: Amazon.co.uk: Halberstam: 9781509852116: Books

Follow us online, write a review (please) or subscribe
I'm very keen to hear feedback on the podcast and my guests, and to hear your suggestions for future guests or topics. Contact via the website, or Twitter.

If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated.

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What’s it all about?

Never a more important time than to think about where you spend your time (working time) and where you put and spend your money. This week I speak to serial cleantech investor and entrepreneur Duncan Grierson about his new venture, Clim8 Invest, and cleantech/fintech company making ESG investing readily available and much more transparent. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Duncan Grierson

Duncan has 20 years as a cleantech entrepreneur and venture investor. He is now building another company with a big mission, Clim8, a fintech focused on investing into companies making an impact on climate change. As Founder CEO raised over £100m in venture capital from Goldman Sachs, Fidelity et al, built several cleantech companies in waste-to-biofuel, plastics recycling, solar battery storage, wind turbine composites and invested in many others especially in digital solutions for the energy transition. Winner of EY Entrepreneur of Year Cleantech award. Started in venture capital with top tier venture fund TCVC in London, Silicon Valley and Paris.

About Clim8 Invest

The Clim8 platform provides a simple way to invest into a targeted portfolio of publicly listed companies that are already making an impact in tackling climate change. Sectors covered by Clim8 include clean energy, clean technology, sustainable food, smart mobility and recycling. They have raised £12 million in funding to continue extending the app, and their investors include Channel 4 Ventures and a venture capital fund backed by the British Business Bank

Social links

Duncan Grierson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncangrierson/
Clim8 Invest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clim8invest/
Clim8 Invest Twitter: https://twitter.com/clim8invest
Clim8 Invest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clim8invest/
Clim8 Invest Website:  https://clim8invest.com/

About Hyperion Executive Search

Hyperion are a specialist executive search firm working with some of the most innovative cleantech companies in the world, helping to find extraordinary talent to enable their growth and success. Partnering with leading cleantech VCs, as well as directly with founders and entrepreneurs in the sector. With our clients we are transforming business and growing a strong and prosperous cleantech economy. We work across EMEA and NORAM, with teams based in the UK, Germany and the US.

If you want to grow your team, or move forward your career, visit www.hyperionsearch.com, or email info@hyperionsearch.com

EPISODE LINKS

Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08GKYJVL1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
Follow us online, write a review (please) or subscribe
I'm very keen to hear feedback on the podcast and my guests, and to hear your suggestions for future guests or topics. Contact via the website, or Twitter.
If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated.

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What’s it all about?

I love how Jeff and Dan have built Key Capture Energy to be a leading player in the utility scale energy storage sector since founding not many years ago. I first met and worked with Jeff Bishop three years ago, and we recorded one of the early episodes of the podcast. So much has changed in the business and the sector I wanted to share that journey, and Jeff’s thoughts and insights for energy storage for the next three to five years, and his insights into important leadership and diversity challenges in the sector.

About Jeff Bishop

Jeff Bishop is a clean energy entrepreneur and a leader in the US energy transition, focusing on the intersection of finance, commercial, technology and policy.

Jeff is the CEO and co-founder of Key Capture Energy, one of America’s largest owner/operators of stand-alone battery storage projects. Prior to founding Key Capture Energy, Jeff held senior positions at Brookfield Renewable and EDP Renewables – two of the largest renewable energy companies in the United States. In these roles, he was responsible for financial analysis, corporate development, and market design -- focusing extensively on building new markets for renewable energy to compete in. Jeff got his start in renewable energy working for a wind energy developer in Morocco in 2002.

Jeff has served on, and often led, the boards of clean energy advocacy organizations at the federal, regional, and state level -- including the Energy Storage Association, Renewable Energy Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition, the Maine Renewable Energy Association, and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.

Jeff holds a MBA from Chicago Booth and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University. He is currently on leave from his Masters in Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Utah. As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Jeff spent a year researching renewable energy failures in Uganda and Botswana. Jeff was a Forbes Thirty Under Thirty – Energy award winner in the program’s inaugural year in 2011.

Jeff is a mediocre skier and a tenacious bicycle commuter (and includes in his public transportation advocacy a previous board membership at BikeHouston). Jeff and his partner, Boyu, live in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jeff is active in the broader LGBT equality movement; he served on the board for the Montrose Center, a non-profit empowering Houston’s LGBT community, as well as co-chaired the Rice University LGBT Alumni Association.

Social links

Jeff Bishop LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-bishop/
Key Capture Energy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/key-capture-energy/
Key Capture Energy Twitter: https://twitter.com/Key_Capture
Key Capture Energy Website:  https://www.keycaptureenergy.com/

EPISODE LINKS

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00U6SFUSS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1451692293/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Follow us online, write a review (please) or subscribe

I'm very keen to hear feedback on the podcast and my guests, and to hear your suggestions for future guests or topics. Contact via the website, or Twitter.

If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated.

Twitter https://twitter.com/Cleantechleader
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More energy dense, faster charging batteries. Batteries, or any energy storage of all natures, are so critical to the ongoing energy and mobility transitions. One of the areas that doesn’t get much thought, but is so critical, is material science, the materials which enable bigger, better, faster, more efficient batteries. This week I speak to Francis Wang, CEO of Nanograf. From PhD to entrepreneur and CEO, he has a great story to tell, and some superb insights into both the startup entrepreneurial journey, and the whole battery industry. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Francis Wang: 

Francis serves as the Chief Executive Officer for NanoGraf Technologies, a leading advanced materials company in the energy storage space. He brings over 20 years of experience in technology innovation and commercialization in the energy storage and clean energy spaces. Prior to NanoGraf Technologies, Francis was a founder and Director of Energy Storage Center at the National Institute of Clean Energy in Beijing, China from 2010-2015. Francis’s experience in energy storage spans a range of magnitudes from very small (uW-mW) forms of storage for portable electronics and medical applications to very large (kW-MW) for transportation and the grid. He has held positions in some of the world's largest battery, consumer products and energy companies, including Duracell, Proctor & Gamble, Gillette, Boston Scientific and the Shenhua Group. Francis received his Ph.D. in 1998 from the Department of Chemistry at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the author of over 45 US and International patents, over 20 scientific publications and a recipient of the National Thousand Talents award in Energy Storage.

About Nanograph:

NanoGraf is an advanced battery material start-up and spinout of Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory whose novel silicon-graphene anode battery material enables a quantum leap in lithium-ion battery energy and power density. NanoGraf’s patented battery material enables longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power, lithium-ion batteries for electronics ranging from consumer electronics to electric vehicles to grid-scale energy storage.

Social links: 

Francis Wang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-wang-3643273/
Nanograf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinode-llc/
Nanograf Twitter: https://twitter.com/NanoGrafTech
Nanograf website: https://www.nanograf.com/

About Hyperion Executive Search:

Hyperion are a specialist executive search firm working with some of the most innovative cleantech companies in the world, helping to find extraordinary talent to enable their growth and success. Partnering with leading cleantech VCs, as well as directly with founders and entrepreneurs in the sector. With our clients we are transforming business and growing a strong and prosperous cleantech economy.

If you want to grow your team, or move forward your career, visit www.hyperionsearch.com, or email info@hyperionsearch.com

EPISODE LINKS

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

Follow us online, write a review (please) or subscribe

I'm very keen to hear feedback on the podcast and my guests, and to hear your suggestions for future guests or topics. Contact via the website, or Twitter.

If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated.

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