The Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast

Stanford University

Some of the world’s most powerful ideas start in a university lab. These innovations drive humanity forward and make our lives on Earth more sustainable. But how do we get those ideas out of the lab and into the real world? On the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure sits down with academics, technologists, and policy leaders at Stanford to understand how they are building a resilient and sustainable future, using the disruptive force of entrepreneurship.

Episodes

  1. Mapping Poverty from Space, Food Security, and the Deep Learning Revolution with Prof. David Lobell

    12/18/2025

    Mapping Poverty from Space, Food Security, and the Deep Learning Revolution with Prof. David Lobell

    Stanford Professor David Lobell was using satellites to measure things like crop efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions when he was approached by fellow Profs. Marshall Burke and Stefano Ermon. “Marshall came to me and said, I know you're doing all this cool stuff in agriculture with remote sensing, but I'm trying to get information on poverty, and it seems like you should be able to tell me something about poverty when you're looking from space,” Prof. Lobell recalls. He, Burke, and Ermon went on to found Atlas AI, which applies satellite data and artificial intelligence to deliver insights on food security, poverty, and sustainability. In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Prof. Lobell talks with Sam McClure about: - How satellite data unlocked new frontiers in measuring food security and poverty in developing regions - Why all three co-founders stayed on faculty — and what they wish they'd known before they started - And how Atlas AI functions as a public benefit corporation, or PBC Atlas AI David Lobell ⁠Sam McClure⁠ Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod⁠ This podcast was developed and published by ⁠Stanford Ecopreneurship

    55 min
  2. Nature’s Financial Value, GEP, and Scaling an Initiative to 75 Countries with Prof. Gretchen Daily

    12/11/2025

    Nature’s Financial Value, GEP, and Scaling an Initiative to 75 Countries with Prof. Gretchen Daily

    "Our economic systems are blind to the values of nature," says Stanford Prof. and world-renowned ecologist Gretchen Daily. "We could assume that nature was infinite and that's what was assumed for the most part. But now, everybody's waking up to reality." As the co-founder and faculty director of the Stanford Natural Capital Project, Prof. Daily has redefined how we understand and value nature’s role in human well-being. Her work has united economic thinking and policymaking with the science of conservation, with the goal of transforming society to secure people and nature. In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, she talks with Sam McClure about: - How Costa Rica turned around rampant deforestation and inspired a global movement - How Gross Ecosystem Product, or GEP, measures what GDP misses, and how cities like Shenzhen are using it to guide billions in investment - And how the Natural Capital Project scaled from modest beginnings to work in 75 countries, developing software used by more than 190 nations Natural Capital Project Gretchen Daily Sam McClure Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod This podcast was developed and published by Stanford Ecopreneurship

    53 min
  3. Battery Breakthroughs, Academia-Industry Feedback Loops, and Accelerating Impact with Prof. Yi Cui

    12/04/2025

    Battery Breakthroughs, Academia-Industry Feedback Loops, and Accelerating Impact with Prof. Yi Cui

    “Usually, it takes the founders — the inventors — really strong faith to say, I believe this is so important,” says Stanford Prof. Yi Cui. “There's many challenges ahead of me, but I'm willing to put in my multiple years of life to be so dedicated to making it into the real world.” Prof. Cui grew up in China but has spent most of his life in the US, where he founded several companies, including the high-energy battery company Amprius, and 4C Air, which uses nanotechnology to filter out hazardous particles. Today, he is the faculty co-director of Stanford Ecopreneurship and a founding director of the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator. In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, he talks with Sam McClure about: - What academics can learn from becoming entrepreneurs - The role of Stanford's new sustainability initiatives -And the global transition to sustainable energy Learn more: The Stanford Sustainability Accelerator Yi Cui ⁠Sam McClure⁠ Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠ This podcast was developed and published by ⁠⁠Stanford Ecopreneurship

    52 min
  4. A $2T Market, Inefficient Cows, & Great Culture with Impossible Foods Founder Pat Brown & Nick Halla

    11/20/2025

    A $2T Market, Inefficient Cows, & Great Culture with Impossible Foods Founder Pat Brown & Nick Halla

    "There's just no way I could not do it," says Impossible Foods founder and former CEO Pat Brown. "I felt like there's nothing more important I could do in terms of really having a positive impact on the world." Brown is also an active professor emeritus of biochemistry at Stanford, and the co-founder of the Carbon Ranch in Arkansas. In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure talks with him and GigaClimate CEO Nick Halla — who was Impossible’s first employee — about: - How Pat's sabbatical transformed into a mission to replace the world's most destructive technology, animal agriculture - Mission-driven leadership and staying scrappy to sustain impact - And how Pat and Nick are still turning scientific breakthroughs into market-ready innovation in their latest endeavors Learn more: Impossible Foods The Carbon Ranch GigaClimate Pat Brown Nick Halla Sam McClure Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod.fm⁠ This podcast was developed and published by ⁠Stanford Ecopreneurship

    42 min
  5. Grid Resilience, Pivots, and Radical Collaborations with Magnefy's Debbie Senesky & Joseph Kao

    11/13/2025

    Grid Resilience, Pivots, and Radical Collaborations with Magnefy's Debbie Senesky & Joseph Kao

    "I realized that it's not just about the technology. It's also the policy, the business model,” says Magnefy CEO Dr. Joseph Kao. “To really bring impact at a bigger scale to the world, we really need to understand interdisciplinary research and bring together different experts." Prof. Senesky is the co-founder of Magnefy, which uses AI to predict the needs of critical power assets like transformers, switchgear, and generators. In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure talks with her and Magnefy’s CEO, Dr. Joseph Kao, about: - Why interdisciplinary, “radical” collaborations between engineering labs and business students are critical for translating research into real-world impact - Why Magnefy pivoted from battery diagnostics to grid infrastructure - How the team navigated equity splits, conflict of interest, and building an interdisciplinary team as a faculty and MBA student Learn more: Magnefy Debbie Senesky Joseph Kao Sam McClure Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm This podcast was developed and published by Stanford Ecopreneurship

    45 min
  6. Batteries, AI, and Perfect Timing, with Mitra Chem’s Will Chueh & Vivas Kumar

    11/06/2025

    Batteries, AI, and Perfect Timing, with Mitra Chem’s Will Chueh & Vivas Kumar

    "The one thing that's almost impossible to change—or put another way, it's locked in on day one—is timing," says Stanford Professor Will Cheuh. "If you get the timing right, man, you are on a streak. But if you get the timing wrong, even with the same people, the same idea, nothing will happen." In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, join our host Sam McClure and Will Chueh, Director of the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford and Vivas Kumar, CEO of Mitra Chem, as they delve into the founding journey of Mitra Chem, discussing: How their immigrant backgrounds shaped their entrepreneurial drive, and why Stanford is uniquely situated to bring together capital & talent How AI can compress battery development from years to months, balancing academic research with startup execution And why government support is essential for anyone looking to build an industrial company at scale, in any country About Mitra Chem: Mitra Chem is innovating and commercializing iron-based cathode materials to enable mass-market electrification in transportation and energy storage. Its founding team also includes CTO Chirranjeevi Gopal, who completed a post-doc in Prof. Chueh’s group. CEO Vivas Kumar also regularly guest lectures in 10+ classes each year across Stanford’s engineering and business schools, helping bridge the gap between academia and industry for the next generation of innovators. Learn more: Mitra Chem Will Chueh Vivas Kumar Sam McClure Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm This podcast was developed and published by Stanford Ecopreneurship

    49 min

  7. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    The Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast | Trailer

    Some of the world’s most powerful ideas start in a university lab. These innovations drive humanity forward and make our lives on Earth more sustainable. But how do we get those ideas out of the lab and into the real world? On the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure sits down with academics, technologists, and policy leaders at Stanford to understand how they are building a resilient and sustainable future, using the disruptive force of entrepreneurship. New episodes of the 6-episode Academic Innovator Series will be released every Thursday, starting November 6. Follow the podcast

    2 min

Trailer

About

Some of the world’s most powerful ideas start in a university lab. These innovations drive humanity forward and make our lives on Earth more sustainable. But how do we get those ideas out of the lab and into the real world? On the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure sits down with academics, technologists, and policy leaders at Stanford to understand how they are building a resilient and sustainable future, using the disruptive force of entrepreneurship.

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