Watt It Takes

Oct 08 2024 80 ep. 56 mins 129
Watt It Takes Podcast artwork

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.

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Rondo Energy Founder and Chief Innovation Officer John O'Donnell

Oct 08 2024 67 mins  
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 indus

AMP Founder and CEO Matanya Horowitz

Sep 12 2024 67 mins  
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 l

Amperon Co-Founder and CEO Sean Kelly

Aug 20 2024 59 mins  
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 Tena

LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren

Jul 30 2024 60 mins  
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 p

Lightship Co-Founder and CEO Toby Kraus

May 28 2024 66 mins  
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 u

Heirloom Co-Founder and CEO Shashank Samala

May 07 2024 63 mins  
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

Odyssey Energy Solutions Co-Founder and CEO Emily McAteer

Apr 03 2024 51 mins  
According to the World Economic Forum, emerging markets are the key to reaching a carbon-neutral future as most GHG emission growth will come from developing economies.. And yet, these markets only capture one fifth of clean energy investments. Emily McAteer is the Co-founder and CEO of Odyssey Energy Solutions. Their platform connects financiers, equipment providers, and project d

WattBuy Co-Founder and CEO Naman Trivedi

Feb 15 2024 61 mins  
Residential energy use accounts for about 20% of greenhouse emissions in the U.S., making it one of the most important sectors to decarbonize. As the world electrifies and consumers become more climate-conscious, energy will become one of the next consumer engagement frontiers. The WattBuy platform connects clean energy providers with residential customers, helps consumers save m

SustainCERT Co-Founder and CEO Marion Verles

Jan 30 2024 59 mins  
Some experts are calling 2024 the “make or break year” for the voluntary and compliance carbon markets, which were rocked by a shaky 2023. To usher in a new era of effective and impactful carbon markets, the verification process needs a major tech update and a serious credibility boost. Marion Verles founded SustainCERT to be the first fully digital carbon project verification

Ebb Carbon Co-Founder and CEO Ben Tarbell

Dec 13 2023 70 mins  
On November 17th, 2023 the average global temperature was temporarily 2 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrialization, an event with ominous climate implications. To slow global climate change, we need to find ways to supercharge natural carbon removal processes like ocean alkalization, and do it in a way that is good for the planet. That’s exactly what this month’s Watt