Everybody in the Pool

Molly Wood
  • 4.8 (225)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Enough with the "problem porn." We all know the climate crisis is a big deal. This podcast is entirely about solutions and the people who are building them. Entrepreneurs are inventing miracles; the business world is shifting; individuals are overhauling their lives; an entirely new economy is being born. Don't be the last one in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 12/18/2025

    E116: The Narnia box for critical minerals

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re diving into one of the biggest bottlenecks in the clean energy transition: critical minerals—the lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and precious metals we need for EVs, batteries, and the grid. The problem isn’t that we’re running out. It’s that extraction and refining are expensive, polluting, and increasingly constrained by geopolitics. My guest is Adam Uliana, co-founder and CEO of Chemfinity Technologies, a startup spun out of UC Berkeley that’s building a modular “metal-selective Brita filter” for refining. Chemfinity’s system takes messy inputs—like e-waste, catalytic converters, industrial wastewater, and even mine tailings—and separates out high-purity metals one at a time using tunable “nano-sponge” materials. In other words: a potential way to recover critical minerals with dramatically fewer steps, less energy, and a much smaller footprint. We get into:What “critical minerals” are and why the supply chain is such a vulnerabilityThe climate and human costs of mining—and why recycling and recovery matterHow Chemfinity’s process works (liquify the feedstock, then filter metals out in sequence)The real technical unlock: highly selective nanoscale materials that can distinguish near-identical metalsWhat scaling looks like: pilots now, modular systems later—including shipping-container deployments at mining sitesThe business model question: when Chemfinity sells equipment vs. when it makes sense to sell recovered metals Links:Chemfinity Technologies: https://www.chemfinitytech.com/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show:https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min

  2. 12/11/2025

    E115: Mast Reforestation and the carbon-credit glow-up

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re talking about one of the biggest blockers to real climate action: amazing solutions that never scale because no one pays for them. My guest is Grant Canary, founder and CEO of Mast Reforestation, a company rebuilding forests after catastrophic wildfires — and reinventing carbon credits so that reforestation can actually fund itself. Mast takes the most expensive part of post-fire recovery — dealing with hundreds of dead, unstable, methane-emitting trees — and turns it into a high-integrity carbon removal credit. The fire-killed biomass gets buried in engineered clay “vaults” that lock away carbon for centuries, and the revenue pays for restoring forests with native seed, nursery-grown seedlings, and good old human labor. It’s the super-sexy carbon accounting we desperately need. We get into:Grant’s origin story: the high-school teacher, the brutally honest friend, and the maggot factory (this is a true story)From DroneSeed to Mast: why drones weren’t enough and what really unlocks reforestationWhat high-severity “Mordor” fires do to ecosystems — and why invasives take overHow biomass burial works: clay soils, lasagna layers, 24/7 monitoring, and 5 different verification processesWhy high-quality carbon credits are hard — and why they matterWho buys these credits (tech, airlines, real estate, Shopify, consulting firms) and the incentives behind eachWhy relying on altruism won’t scale — but pricing ecosystem services willHow modern carbon accounting sets the stage for the actual holy grail: a price on carbon Link:Mast Reforestation: https://www.mastreforest.com/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show:https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  3. 12/04/2025

    E114: Everrati: electrifying your dream cars

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re starting in full aspirational mode (with one of my least climate-friendly obsessions) — with iconic classic cars rebuilt as state-of-the-art EVs. Think: vintage Porsches, Land Rovers, Pagodas, even a GT40… all stripped to bare metal, fully restored, and reborn as clean-air electric machines. Yeah, I’m dying over here. My guest is Justin Lunny, founder and CEO of Everrati, a company that electrifies beloved classic cars while also building a cutting-edge EV powertrain platform used by new low-volume automakers around the world. It’s a story about craft and circularity — giving existing cars a new, zero-emission life — and about how aspiration drives climate adoption. Wealthy early adopters (and their garages) help prove what’s possible, push down cost curves, and build social permission for the EV future. We get into:How Everrati “redefines” classic cars using full CAD modeling, advanced engineering, and hand-built restorationWhy their EV powertrains use motors and components normally found in hypercars and Formula EThe economics: donor cars, bespoke builds, and why the least-loved 964s are perfect candidatesWhy keeping old cars alive — electrically — is a circularity winThe B2B side: powering new sports cars and specialty vehicles for low-volume OEMsWhy electrifying halo cars helps drive broader consumer aspirationBattery modularity, future upgrades, and designing for long-term sustainabilityJustin’s personal journey from tech entrepreneur to climate-driven car nut Links:Everrati: https://everrati.com/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show:https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  4. 11/27/2025

    E113: Hyfe: Turning food waste into gold (metaphorically, that is)

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re talking about one of the least-visible but largest waste problems in the world: food processing waste. Every time fruits or vegetables are peeled, chopped, juiced, or processed, mountains of perfectly good plant material get thrown out or sold for pennies. It’s expensive, it’s inefficient, and it’s a huge climate problem. My guest is Michelle Ruiz, founder and CEO of Hyfe, a company unlocking the massive value hidden in this “waste.” Hyfe has developed a clean, water-based technology that can deconstruct food waste into high-value ingredients—like natural antioxidants that can replace carcinogenic petrochemical additives, fibers for gut health, and eventually the bio-based molecules that could power the broader bioeconomy. Instead of paying to get rid of waste, food processors can turn it into a whole new revenue stream — while reducing emissions and building real circularity into the food system. We get into:Why food processing waste is one of the biggest untapped feedstocks in the worldHow Hyfe’s process “unlocks” the compounds inside plant material without toxic solventsThe clean-label antioxidants that can replace petrochemical additives already being banned in multiple statesWhy fibers are booming — and how food companies want cleaner, more functional sourcesHow this technology could one day replace a chunk of the petrochemical industryThe business model: why food processors, not consumers, are Hi-Fey’s real customersMichelle’s journey from oil refinery engineer to World Economic Forum Tech PioneerThe role of circularity, resilience, and adaptation in the future food systemLinks:Hyfe: https://hyfe.tech/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  5. 11/20/2025

    E112: Sage Geosystems: The clean energy everyone loves

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, more power, right beneath our feet. Even as the United States has been attempting to stop or divest from renewable energy sources, there’s one kind of baseload power that doesn’t make anyone mad: geothermal. So this week we’re talking not just geothermal, but next-generation geothermal. My guest is Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, a company developing flexible, modular geothermal systems that can provide both baseload renewable power and incredible long-duration energy storage—all using the existing skill sets and drilling expertise of the oil and gas industry. We get into:Why geothermal is finally ready for prime time—thanks to new drilling techniques, better geologic modeling, and the lessons of shaleSage’s “heat harvesting” approach that works in far more places than conventional geothermalHow their Geopressured Geothermal System doubles as ultra-affordable long-duration energy storageWhy geothermal could be the clean firm power the grid desperately needsThe role the oil and gas workforce can play in building the energy transitionWhat it will take to finance and deploy geothermal at utility scale Links:Sage Geosystems: https://www.sagegeosystems.com/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show:https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  6. 11/14/2025

    E111: The Span Plan: grid infrastructure in your garage

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re examining the seemingly humble—but absolutely critical—piece of hardware that could accelerate electrification, unlock virtual power plants, and save homeowners thousands of dollars: the electrical panel. My guest is Arch Rao, founder and CEO of Span, a company building smart electrical panels that replace your old breaker box with real-time power management, whole-home circuit-level visibility, and the ability to electrify without a costly service upgrade. If you’ve ever been told you need a new 200-amp panel before installing a heat pump, EV charger, induction stove, or home battery… Span thinks you don’t. And utilities are starting to agree. We get into:Why most of America’s 100-amp homes don’t actually need expensive utility upgradesHow Span’s digital panel manages loads in real time—throttling certain appliances for a few minutes a year to avoid tripping limitsWhat changes when every circuit in your house is visible and controllable (down to the second)Span as grid infrastructure: how utilities like PG&E see smart panels as a cheaper alternative to billions in grid upgrades Links:Span: https://www.span.io/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  7. 11/06/2025

    E110: Simplifyber and a plastic-free textiles future

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re rethinking how clothes, shoes—and even car interiors—get made without plastic. My guest is Maria Intscher-Owrang, CEO and co-founder of Simplifyber. Her innovation takes plant fibers + water, then forms finished 3D shapes in a single step—skipping spinning, weaving, cutting, and sewing.  We get into:What’s broken about fossil-based textiles (cost curves, subsidies, and why polyester took over)How Simplifyber’s cellulose slurry + compression molding works—and why it cuts waste dramaticallyEarly results: an LCA showing up to 30× lower impact for shoe uppers vs. standard constructionPerformance and durability (including why these parts can survive sun/heat/humidity in car interiors)Unit economics: cost parity at scale via tooling (and why higher volumes matter)Beachhead products: GANNI “moon shoe” uppers and a Kia EV2 concept interior, now moving toward productionWhat this could mean for labor, local supply chains, and using regional feedstocks (cellulose everywhere) Links:Website Simplifyber: https://www.simplifyber.com/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-intscher-owrang-3278a07/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/ What you can do to help: Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    E109: 10-minute EV charging with Adden Energy

    This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re talking about one of the biggest hurdles in the clean energy transition — how to make electric vehicles as fast and easy to refuel as gas cars. Our guest is Will Fitzhugh, co-founder and CEO of Adden Energy, a Harvard spinout developing self-healing solid-state lithium metal batteries that could charge fully in under ten minutes. These next-generation batteries promise longer range, faster charging, and safer performance — all using existing manufacturing lines. It’s a fascinating look at the next leap in energy storage — and what it’ll take to make 10-minute charging a reality. We talk about:What makes solid-state lithium metal batteries different from lithium-ionHow Adden’s “self-healing” separator prevents the failures that have held this technology backWhy faster charging could finally electrify drivers who can’t charge at homeHow the company plans to use existing gigafactory infrastructure to scale productionWhat this breakthrough could mean for everything from EVs to robotics and aviation Links:Adden Energy: https://www.addenenergy.com/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ What you can do: Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool!Send feedback or become a sponsor: in@everybodyinthepool.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
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About

Enough with the "problem porn." We all know the climate crisis is a big deal. This podcast is entirely about solutions and the people who are building them. Entrepreneurs are inventing miracles; the business world is shifting; individuals are overhauling their lives; an entirely new economy is being born. Don't be the last one in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Molly Wood
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    120
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Molly Wood
  • Show Website
    Everybody in the Pool

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