A year ago, our CEO at Giant Machines announced that we are making a strategic bet on climate tech. Why? Because our vision is to make tech that matters and I can think of no issue more pressing and dangerous than climate change. Addressing this crisis goes far beyond climate; getting this right collectively also means addressing global poverty, hunger, health challenges, and socioeconomic and justice challenges.
This excited me immediately. I wanted to help steer our organization into this future.
What started as a straightforward research project to understand the landscape and identify the right opportunities for our company, turned into an ongoing, organization-wide effort to embed ourselves in the NYC climate tech community, and lead this important transformation through the development of innovative solutions at the intersection of hardware and software.
What I’ve personally learned in nine months is staggering. All it takes is one step in this direction, and there’s a whole community, a whole world, waiting for new people, ideas, and energy to join them.
I’ve learned that climate tech isn’t an industry as much as a fundamental reimagining of much of our economy and society today.
Almost every industry has a deep and urgent need to fight this crisis – whether it’s using lower carbon construction materials in the built environment, making cities more walkable, adopting smart farming technologies, or reducing the financed emissions of banks, to name just a few. As the climate tech recruiting firm Climate People says, “climate tech is about reinventing the traditional ways that we tackle everything.”
I’ve learned just how complex the challenges are, but that we’re already adapting existing technologies and exploring new solutions.
From mapping massive industry supply chains to help corporations account for their highly fragmented scope 3 emissions, to shifting the paradigm around EV charging solutions, and debating deep sea mining for important metals, challenges and conflicting ideas abound – but so do potential solutions. Exposure to these conversations has pushed me to apply a climate lens to more of my own decisions and actions – the businesses I support in my personal life, the kinds of clients I seek to partner with at work, the people I connect with and the communities I join. The more I learn, the more there is yet to learn.
Importantly, I’ve found pockets of optimism in the midst of the crisis.
There are more than enough stories of gloom and doom out there, but there are also individuals, companies, and whole communities taking things into their own hands. What’s different about these communities is how welcoming and action-oriented they are. They’re not about keeping people out based on where they live or their resume. They’re about embracing truly everyone – the climate experts who have been advocating and creating impact for decades, as well as the newbie who just started their journey and wants to be part of the change. They’re about giving everyone the tools – to learn, to find jobs at climate tech companies, or to simply connect with others. The spirit of giving is what sets the global climate tech movement apart from any other, and I’m grateful to have joined it along with my company.
This is just the beginning of Giant Machines’ contribution to the climate transformation, and I’m excited to see the impact we can create.
A few of my go-to resources for climate education and commitment
Podcasts
Communities
Newsletters
- GreenBiz general and topic-specific newsletters
- My Climate Journey
- Climate Tech Distillery
Books and Online Resources
- Project Drawdown
- Not Too Late by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua
Thought Leaders
