The Wharton Current

The Wharton Current
  • 5.0 (3)
  • EDUCATION

Podcast by The Wharton Current

  1. Scaling Direct Air Capture -- Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom

    4D AGO

    Scaling Direct Air Capture -- Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom

    What does it actually take to pull carbon out of the air — and turn it into a scalable business? In this episode, we sit down with Shashank Samala, CEO & Founder of Heirloom Carbon, to unpack the reality of building one of the world’s most ambitious direct air capture companies. We dive into commercializing DAC at scale, raising climate infrastructure capital, navigating policy and 45Q, and partnering with buyers like Microsoft, Stripe, and Frontier to bring first-of-a-kind projects to life.

    39 min

  2. JAN 28

    Scaling Storage in an Era of Explosive Load Growth — Colby Hastings, Senior Director of Residential Energy, Tesla

    We sat down with Colby Hastings, Senior Director of Residential Energy at Tesla, to unpack how battery storage and distributed energy resources are reshaping the grid. Drawing on nearly a decade at Tesla, Colby walks us through the evolution of Tesla Energy—from the early days of Powerwall and grid-scale storage to today’s Megapack deployments and large-scale virtual power plants.

    30 min
  3. The Power of Data Center Flexibility — Aroon Vijaykar, SVP of Strategy and Commercial, Emerald AI

    10/08/2025

    The Power of Data Center Flexibility — Aroon Vijaykar, SVP of Strategy and Commercial, Emerald AI

    In this episode, Aroon shares insights on why data center flexibility is critical to protecting energy affordability, grid reliability and the broader economy amidst the AI boom.

    40 min

  4. 06/18/2025

    Bridging the Valley of Death — Brandon Corts, Senior Director of Product, Newlab

    We were thrilled to speak with Brandon Corts, Senior Director of Product at Newlab — a venture platform accelerating the commercialization of critical technologies. Between early-stage VC funding and late-stage infrastructure capital, hard technology companies face a “valley of death” where many fail. This challenge is not new but it is intensifying. According to Sightline Climate, in 2024, there was a 10% drop in Series B deals, and it took over two years on average for companies to advance from Series A to Series B, up from 20 months in 2023. In the latest episode of the Wharton Current, Ian Miller and Lilly Chadwick sat down with Brandon to discuss Newlab’s venture platform and the creative pathways hard tech companies can follow to successfully overcome the valley of death.

    41 min
  5. Small Scale, Big Impact: Nuclear Microreactors -- James Walker, CEO of Nano Nuclear Energy

    05/13/2025

    Small Scale, Big Impact: Nuclear Microreactors -- James Walker, CEO of Nano Nuclear Energy

    Small Scale, Big Impact: Nuclear Microreactors -- James Walker, CEO of Nano Nuclear Energy by The Wharton Current

    43 min
  6. Energy Geopolitics in Transition — Dr. Benjamin Schmitt, Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

    03/28/2025

    Energy Geopolitics in Transition — Dr. Benjamin Schmitt, Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

    Energy Geopolitics in Transition — Dr. Benjamin Schmitt, Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Kleinman Center for Energy Policy by The Wharton Current

    47 min
  7. Why Advanced Geothermal is Heating Up -- Jason Peart, GM of Strategy & Development @ Sage Geosystems

    02/11/2025

    Why Advanced Geothermal is Heating Up -- Jason Peart, GM of Strategy & Development @ Sage Geosystems

    Geothermal energy may be the biggest dark horse in the clean energy transition. And it's bipartisan. At Deploy24, Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm gave a strong endorsement of geothermal, calling it her "personal favorite" power source. Recently confirmed Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said he is “optimistic about advancing geothermal technology deployment." Sage Geosystems is helping turn that vision into a reality. By adapting advanced drilling techniques from oil and gas, Sage is unlocking hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal -- a breakthrough that could dramatically expand geothermal's reach well beyond traditional hotspots. In the latest episode of The Wharton Current, Ian Miller and Siddharth Challani sat down with Jason Peart, General Manager of Strategy & Development at Sage Geosystems, to discuss: - Scaling Geothermal Beyond Current Limits: Geothermal has always been constrained to a few specific regions -- until now. Learn how HDR technology could capture geothermal potential across the U.S. and increase its power capacity by orders of magnitude by 2050. - Serving Critical Customer Needs: Sage is working with major utilities, the Department of Defense and top tech leaders to make geothermal a go-to solution for clean baseload and long-duration energy storage. Explore how Sage's customers are integrating HDR geothermal into their energy strategies. - Building an Impactful Career in Energy: Hear how Jason's focus on community, adaptability, and lifelong learning has shaped his dynamic career and opened doors in the fast-evolving energy sector. If you have any feedback, please reach out to ianmill@wharton.upenn.edu

    47 min
  8. The Future of Clean Energy Under Trump — Dr. Jen Wilcox, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary @ the Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

    11/13/2024

    The Future of Clean Energy Under Trump — Dr. Jen Wilcox, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary @ the Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

    What’s next for clean energy under a Trump administration? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Wilcox. Now a Penn professor, Dr. Wilcox led the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management under the Biden Administration. Named one of the Time 100 in Climate in 2023, she had a front row seat as Biden’s pro-clean energy policies spurred growth in the industry, and she provides unique insight on what lies ahead under Trump. In the episode, Dr. Wilcox joined hosts Ian Miller and Lilly Chadwick to discuss: - Clean Energy Winners and Losers: Which technologies will have the most and the fewest roadblocks under Trump, and how Elon Musk may affect the outcome - Agencies and Policies at Risk: How the conservative majority in the Supreme Court and the Senate will facilitate Trump’s ability to advance his agenda, and which environmental agencies and policies are most at risk - Reasons for Optimism: Despite foreseeable challenges, why to feel hopeful about the future of clean energy over the next four years If you have any feedback, please reach out to ianmill@wharton.upenn.edu

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Podcast by The Wharton Current

Information

  • Creator
    The Wharton Current
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Wharton Current

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