Shows
InevitableAre Renewables Enough? Stanford’s Dr. Mark Jacobson Thinks SoDr. Mark Jacobson is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Atmosphere Energy Program at Stanford University, where he’s been one of the most vocal advocates for powering the world entirely with wind, water, and solar energy. No nuclear, no carbon capture, no fossil fuels of any kind. His research team has created 100% renewable energy roadmaps for all 50 U.S. states and 149 countries, helping shape policies like New York’s clean energy mandate. In this episode, Dr. Jacobson shares his perspective on where we are in the renewables adoption curve and explains why h...2025-07-1547 min
InevitableThis Giant Aircraft Aims to Break Wind Energy’s Size LimitsMark Lundstrom is the founder and CEO of Radia.Radia is developing the WindRunner, the world’s largest aircraft, specifically designed to transport massive offshore wind turbine blades—some reaching the length of football fields—to onshore sites. This capability, termed "GigaWind," could redefine the scope and scale of onshore wind projects. Radia isn’t stopping at building these groundbreaking aircraft; they also plan to develop wind energy projects to catalyze the GigaWind transformation. This episode dives into Radia’s verticalized approach to addressing a major challenge in wind energy: the physical limitations of transporting turbine bla...2024-11-1443 min
InevitableFrom the White House to Climate Frontlines with Brandon HurlbutBrandon Hurlbut, our guest on this episode, wears multiple hats. He's co-founder at Boundary Stone Partners, a climate change focused government affairs firm created in 2013 that operates at the intersection of technology, finance, and policy.He's also co-founder of Overture, an early stage climate tech venture capital firm that recently announced a $60 million debut fund, and he is an operating partner at NGP, a private equity fund focused on energy with billions of dollars under management. Among other activities, Brandon also serves on the board of directors of the Sunrise Movement, The Solutions Project, co-founded by Mark...2024-03-1855 min
InevitableCapital Series: Mark Berryman and Nick Flores, CaprockThis episode is part of our Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. On today’s MCJ Capital Series, we have two guests: Mark Berryman, Managing Director of Impact Investments, and Nick Flores, Managing Director of Impact Investing and Client Advisor for Caprock. Caprock is a multifamily office that prov...2023-11-0153 min
InevitableSkilled Labor Series: Manufacturing Careers in Climate TechThis episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.Mark Martin is the regional director for advanced manufacturing for the Bay Area Community Colleges. He works with community college manufacturing programs to help build upon and develop innovative approaches to train students in meeting the needs of the local manufacturing industries. A veteran of the industrial manufacturing sector...2023-07-0636 min
InevitableCapital Series: Mark Robinson, WAVE Equity PartnersThis episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by MCJ partner, Jason Jacobs. This series will explore a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we'll take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Today’s guest is Mark Robinson, Founder and Managing Director at WAVE Equity Partners, an impact investing firm that seeks to maximize returns for investors, growth for portfolio companies, and impact for all. WAVE ach...2023-04-2656 min
InevitableCamila Thorndike, Climate Policy CampaignerToday’s guest is Camila Thorndike. Most recently, Camila managed Senator Bernie Sanders' portfolio on climate, energy, environment, territories, and tribes. The focus of her tenure was the Build Back Better Act passed in 2021 out of the Senate budget committee and House of Representatives. The majority of the bill's climate policies were retained in the subsequent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by the Senate in 2022. Camila is also co-founder of Our Climate, a youth advocacy nonprofit. Camila and Jason cover the IRA, what she’s celebrating, where it missed the mark, and where we should go fro...2022-09-191h 18
InevitableEp. 169: Thomas Jonas, Founder & CEO of Nature's FyndToday's guest is Thomas Jonas, Co-Founder & CEO of Nature's Fynd.Nature’s Fynd is a Chicago-based food company creating versatile alternative proteins to nourish the world’s growing population while nurturing the planet. Born out of research conducted for NASA on microbes in Yellowstone National Park, the company’s breakthrough technology produces Fy™. Before Nature's Fynd, Thomas was President of Beauty & Personal Care and Home & Garden at MeadWestvaco, a packaging corporation based in Virgi...2021-08-0954 minInevitableEp. 140: Mark Frayman, Head of BHP Ventures at BHPToday's guest is Mark Frayman, Head of BHP Ventures at BHP.BHP is an Anglo-Australian mining company that is based in Melbourne. One of the biggest mining companies in the world, they extract oil & gas and process minerals, such as coal, copper, and iron. Mark is part of the new Venture Investments group which is the trading arm of BHP.As the world hurtles towards the Paris Accord goals, mining companies are facing massive challenges, yet at the same time, are an essential part of the clean energy transition. It is fascinating to hear from...2021-01-1850 minInevitableEp 104: Mark Lewis, Global Head of Sustainability Research at BNP Paribas Asset ManagementIn today’s episode, we cover:The focus and work of BNP Paribas Asset ManagementMark’s role in sustainability researchSectors of focus for Mark’s teamHow ESG is used as a lens to analyze different sectorsBNP Paribas Asset Management’s track record of Social Responsibility InvestingAsset management industry’s shifting focus into more SRI and ESG investmentsThe thesis that ESG investing will yield a greater return over the long termHow his firm has applied ESG into how the firm and fund managers operateHis firm’s ESG asset rating assigned to companiesHow his firm balances return objectives, values, and sustainabili...2020-05-1847 minInevitableEp 98: Ken Caldeira, Atmospheric Scientist at the Carnegie InstitutionIn today’s episode, we cover:Ken’s journey from making money on Wall Street to making meaning as a scientistThe perceived “information deficit” problem in public policyHow Ken distinguishes his role as a concerned citizen from his work as a scientistHow getting past social identities is a major challenge to effecting changeBill Gates’ support and patronage of Ken’s workThe various climate change research, pursued by Ken’s post-doc graduate studentsThe prospect and viability of a 100% renewable energy modelBill Gates’ notion of a “green premium”Carbon pricing solutionsThe problem of split-incentivesThe viability of geoengineering as a solutionThe need to reframe the...2020-04-131h 02InevitableEp 25: Rob Day, General Partner at Spring Lane CapitalToday’s guest is Rob Day, General Partner at Spring Lane Capital.
Spring Lane Capital partners with strong management teams who are selling or using distributed assets with compelling customer economics in the energy, water, food and waste sectors. In these sectors, they focus on solutions that have significantly positive impacts on the sustainability of our natural resources, which they believe offer advantaged long-term benefits economically and socially. They’ve found that in practice, most such solutions have major physical components – “distributed assets” are those solutions using equipment or facilities smaller and less concentrated than traditional project finance ca...2019-08-0543 minInevitableEp 13: Bret Kugelmass, Managing Director at the Energy Impact CenterIn this episode, I interviewed Bret Kugelmass, the Managing Director of the Energy Impact Center.
We covered a number of topics, including Bret’s background and what led him to focus so passionately on nuclear, his atypical entry point and tremendously successful podcast, the work he is doing at Energy Impact Center, and his ultimate vision for what Energy Impact Center can become and the mark he wants to leave on the world.
Out of all of the people I’ve met so far in my journey, Bret is the closet to my spirit animal - re...2019-06-2447 min