Watt It Takes

Emily Kirsch
  • 5.0 (101)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Watt It Takes

Watt It Takes tells the stories of founders who are building our climate-positive future — their upbringings, their risks, their failures, and their breakthroughs that are transforming our world. Hosted by Powerhouse Founder and CEO and Powerhouse Ventures Managing Partner Emily Kirsch. New episodes are released every month.

  1. JAN 14

    KoBold Metals Co-Founder and CEO Kurt House

    Kurt House is the Co-Founder and CEO of KoBold Metals. KoBold uses modern scientific computing to discover the critical materials needed for the energy transition. Emily spoke to Kurt about his journey; from growing up as an athletic nerd in Los Angeles, to his long and winding career through consulting, startups and academia, to his decision to co-found KoBold Metals, a company that employs more than 200 people, has over 60 active exploration projects across four continents, has raised $1B at a valuation of $3B, and in 2024 discovered the largest copper deposit in more than a decade.

    1h 15m

  2. 12/23/2024

    Stegra CEO Henrik Henriksson

    Henrik Henriksson is the CEO of Stegra. Producing green hydrogen, iron, and steel, Stegra’s purpose is to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries. Emily spoke to Henrik about his journey; from growing up in Sweden, to his over two-decade career in truck manufacturing, to his decision to take the leap from a stable career to leading the start-up Stegra, a company that now employs more than 350 people, has raised over $7.2 Billion, has Fortune 500 customers like BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Volvo, and is on track to begin producing green steel by 2026.

    1h 10m

  3. 10/08/2024

    Rondo Energy Founder and Chief Innovation Officer John O'Donnell

    John O’Donnell is the Co-Founder and CIO of Rondo Energy. The Rondo Heat Battery powers industrial processes with renewable electricity, cutting energy costs and eliminating emissions. Emily spoke to John about his journey; from his semiconductor work in the early days of computers, to the knowledge he gained from founding six startups, to how his interest and background in industrial solar heating led to his founding of Rondo Energy, a a thermal heat storage company that employs more than 150 people across five continents, has raised $198 million in less than five years, and has partnered with top companies including H&M, Rio Tinto, and Microsoft.

    1h 8m

  4. 09/12/2024

    AMP Founder and CEO Matanya Horowitz

    Matanya Horowitz is the Founder and CEO of AMP. AMP applies AI-powered sortation at scale to modernize the world’s recycling infrastructure and maximize the value of waste. Emily spoke to Matanya in front of a live audience for our summer recording of Watt It Takes at Powerhouse. Emily learned about his journey from growing up as a homeschooled kid in Denver, to discovering his late father’s leadership in the world of robotics, to his commitment to changing the world’s approach to waste management through his company AMP. With 120 employees, over $180 million raised, and 350 operating robots across recycling facilities, AMP has enabled 2.5 million tons of recycled material and counting.

    1h 8m

  5. 08/20/2024

    Amperon Co-Founder and CEO Sean Kelly

    Sean Kelly is the Co-Founder and CEO of Amperon. Amperon provides the highest precision electricity forecasting and analytics solutions to improve grid reliability, manage financial risk, optimize renewables, and accelerate decarbonization. Emily spoke with Sean about his journey, from growing up in Sugarland, Texas, to his 25 years of expertise in energy trading at firms like Tenaska, Lehman, EDF, and E.On, to founding Amperon, a company that raised $30 million, has over 100 employees, and operates in 19 countries across North America, Europe, and Australia.

    1 hr

  6. 07/30/2024

    LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren

    Jennifer Holmgren is the CEO of LanzaTech, a circular economy company that uses bacteria to transform carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into ethanol, the building block for materials like plastics, polyester, and jet fuel. Emily spoke with Jennifer about growing up in Columbia, her four decade career in renewable energy and fuels, her time as CEO of LanzaTech, which, in no small part thanks to her leadership, operates six commercial plants around the world, partners with industry heavyweights, and employs over 400 people worldwide.

    1h 1m

  7. 05/28/2024

    Lightship Co-Founder and CEO Toby Kraus

    Toby Kraus is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lightship, an electric vehicle company looking to revolutionize the recreational vehicle space with all-electric offerings, enabling zero-emission road trips so that we can explore nature while preserving it for generations to come. Emily spoke with Toby live during Powerhouse’s SF Climate Week event to talk about his journey from growing up in Boulder, Colorado, to joining Tesla and later Proterra, to meeting his Lightship co-founder and embarking on the road trip of a lifetime, to revolutionizing the RV industry with Lightship.

    1h 7m

  8. 05/07/2024

    Heirloom Co-Founder and CEO Shashank Samala

    Emily Kirsch sits down with Heirloom Co-Founder and CEO Shashank Samala to discuss his journey from growing up in Southeast India and experiencing the impacts of climate change firsthand, to attending high school in Maine, to founding his first startup Tempo, to finally pursuing his passion for climate by founding Heirloom, which has established the first DAC facility in the US and has sold more than 400,000 tons of forward-purchase carbon removal credits.

    1h 3m
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5
out of 5
101 Ratings

About

Watt It Takes tells the stories of founders who are building our climate-positive future — their upbringings, their risks, their failures, and their breakthroughs that are transforming our world. Hosted by Powerhouse Founder and CEO and Powerhouse Ventures Managing Partner Emily Kirsch. New episodes are released every month.

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Kirsch
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2021 Powerhouse
  • Show Website
    Watt It Takes

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