Podcasts about innovation fund

Send me a messageIn this week's episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I'm joined by Bryan Parkes, Head of Innovation Acceleration at Zespri, the world's largest marketer of kiwifruit. Bryan shares how Zespri is taking a bold, practical approach to climate resilience through its Zespri ZAG Innovation Fund - an annual US$2 million commitment to agricultural innovation funding.We dig into why Zespri is using a venture clienting model—not venture capital—to attract global solutions for the kiwifruit industry. Instead of taking equity, they offer grants and technical support to agri-tech startups, making it easier to pilot and apply new ideas quickly.From using moth-inspired biosensors to detect rot early, to field trials of biochar for long-term carbon storage and soil health, Bryan outlines how they're making sustainable agriculture grants work in the real world. We also discuss how this work aligns with Zespri's ambition to become carbon positive by 2035, and how many of the solutions being tested could be transferable across other crops and food systems.If you're involved in agri-tech, sustainability, or food innovation, this conversation offers deep insights into one of the most hands-on approaches to funding for agri-tech startups. It's a look into a funding model that prioritises environmental sustainability grants and scalable impact over PR hype.Keywords: Zespri ZAG Innovation Fund, agricultural innovation funding, sustainable agriculture grants, kiwifruit industry innovation, climate resilience funding, funding for agri-tech startups, environmental sustainability grants, agri-tech funding opportunities, Innovation Fund, agritech support.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters: Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. CreditsMusic credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

Jeannette Henderson, co-lead for Innovation at Ofwat shares some of the winners of the latest round of funding from the 5th Water Breakthrough Challenge.Hear some of the projects that are embracing drones, robotics and AI as Ofwat share £42m across 16 projects aiming to radically innovate within the water sector in England and Wales.Jeanette shares how Ofwat are working with other regulators to also drive  innovation in the way they regulate.Finally find out what the future holds for the Innovation Fund, aiming to share £600m across by 2030.Find out more about the 16 winning projects here: waterinnovation.challenges.org Planet Possible is sponsored by BMA, Macklay and MWH Treatment Credits Presented & Produced by Niki RoachExecutive Producer Andy Taylor - Bwlb LimitedWith thanks to Alastair ChisholmHonorary Executive Producer Jane Boland

What is the better place to launch a circular statup, the US or Europe? In this episode, Maya Hassa, Principal at Circular Innovation Fund, discusses regional differences in circular business models and stresses the possibilities a fund can offer startups when working with corporate limited partners. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

In this episode of Innovation Storytellers, part of our Nordic Visionaries Pocket Podcast series, we explore that connection with Ari Jónsson, COO of Identifier Technologies and Director at the NATO Innovation Fund. Ari's journey began with a PhD in AI at Stanford in the early 90s, when artificial intelligence was far from mainstream. What started as a passion for robotics evolved into software agents that supported decision-making in complex environments, including spacecraft operations at NASA. After a decade at NASA, Ari returned to Iceland just as the 2008 financial crash devastated the country's economy. While many saw a crisis, Ari saw an opportunity. Iceland's talent, previously locked into banking, was suddenly available, and a new wave of innovation began.  As President of Reykjavik University, Ari helped build a tech-focused academic culture that partnered closely with government and industry. His leadership on Iceland's national policy council for science and technology led to significant reforms and a two-year collaboration with MIT to build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem. Today, Ari is working on some of the toughest challenges in tech. Identifier Technologies uses AI to track and manage visual content, from stopping the spread of child abuse material to identifying deepfakes and helping brands and newsrooms manage their content more securely. At NATO, he is part of a bold effort to support deep tech with dual-use potential, investing in companies working on everything from space launches to quantum computing and advanced materials. This is a wide-ranging conversation about resilience, collaboration, and how Iceland has consistently punched above its weight in innovation. Ari also reflects on what Americans can learn from Nordic trust-based systems, why we should stop waiting for silver-bullet climate solutions, and how AI and infrastructure can combine to support a sustainable future.  

Frontier IP Group PLC (AIM:FIPP) CEO Neil Crabb talked with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the company's half-year results and how its portfolio has continued to attract investment and commercial traction despite difficult market conditions. Crabb highlighted a €25 million funding round for 2D Photonics (formerly CamGraphIC), backed by major names including Sony, Bosch, NATO's Innovation Fund, and Italy's CDP. The company is developing graphene-based technology to enhance silicon performance in data centres and potentially defence applications. He noted broader progress across the portfolio, including funding raised by DeakinBio for its novel materials, and commercial wins for Alusid, such as new floor tile launches with Topps Tiles. GraphEnergyTech has partnered with institutions in Taiwan on graphene electrode technology, a move Crabb described as “a really broad spectrum of interest.” Crabb also emphasised the importance of cost-efficiency alongside innovation, noting, “It's a cost that's at the heart of this.” Frontier IP looks for technologies that can deliver real-world economic benefits, from solar panel efficiency to energy-saving USB-C power tech by Pulsiv. He also pointed to companies like Cambridge Raman Imaging and Nandi Proteins as part of a portfolio seeing strong investor interest, with corporate VCs, public sector groups and angel networks all engaging. For more updates, visit Proactive's YouTube channel. Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel, and enable notifications for future content. #FrontierIP #NeilCrabb #2DPhotonics #GrapheneTechnology #VentureCapital #DeepTech #CambridgeStartups #SustainableTech #GraphEnergyTech #AIMstocks #GreenInvesting #Semiconductors #InnovationFunding #TechInvestment #EnergyEfficiency

Überblick: Problem am Gasmarkt: Winterpreise höher als Sommerpreise, Für die Energiewirtschaft relevante Maßnahmen aus dem Sondierungspapier, Erste Erkenntnisse aus der zweiten EHB-Auktion, BNetzA hat Konsultationsphase zur Festlegung eines Regulierungsrahmens für Übertragungsnetzbetreiber gestartet, Acer macht einen Vorschlag für einen Flex-Netzwerk-Code, Ab 2027 soll eine Großwärmepumpe auf dem Gelände des städtischen Klärwerks für grüne Fernwärme sorgen, Laut Shell soll bis 2040 die LNG-Nachfrage stark steigen, Lesetipps Lesetipps: Ariadne (2025): Ariadne-Report zeigt kosteneffiziente Pfade zur Klimaneutralität 2045 in Deutschland Bruegel (2025): European natural gas imports E.ON (2025): The Energy Playbook DNV (2025): ENERGY TRANSITION OUTLOOK DEUTSCHLAND 2025 Frontier Economics (2025): Das Dilemma der Speicherverpflichtung im Gasmarkt: Ursachen und Optionen für ein optimiertes Marktdesign UBA (2025): Verteilung der Netzkosten der Energiewende - Darstellung möglicher Ansätze einer fairen Netzkostenverteilung Quellen: Bundesnetzagentur (2025): Rahmenfestlegung ÜNB CDU, CSU, SPD (2025): Sondierungspapier Der Spiegel (2025): Gas: Warum für den Sommer die Preise steigen und das Heizen im Winter teuer werden könnte European Commission (2025): Over-subscribed European Hydrogen Bank auction receives 61 bids for Innovation Fund support, including 8 maritime projects Handelsblatt (2025): Shell: LNG-Nachfrage wird bis 2040 rasant steigen Heat & Power (2025): Enercity startet Bau einer Großwärmepumpe am Klärwerk Hannover Kontakt: X (redispatch_pod), LinkedIn (Redispatch)

National Farmers Union launched the Farmers Capital Fund, a $25 million investment initiative dedicated to supporting early- and growth-stage companies that accelerate agricultural productivity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month we're discussing the Ofwat Innovation Fund and we're joined by Ofwat director for environment and innovation Jo Jolly alongside representatives of two companies who have been part of innovations that have been boosted by the fund: Royal HaskoningDHV UK water sector director Paul Lavender and Changemaker 3D CEO and cofounder Natalie Wadley. The chat starts with a focus on how the Innovation Fund was set up and how it is helping to overcome issues that are being faced in the UK water sector. It then broadens into how it is encouraging greater collaboration between different parts of the sector and we hear firsthand from both Paul and Natalie about how their innovations have come together and how they are being put to use. We then look ahead at the future of the Innovation Fund, what's next for the initiatives that have been developed through it and the bigger picture of how they will help long-term water security in the UK. You can find out more about the initiatives brought forward by the Innovation Fund through the learning reports at waterinnovation.challenges.org/insights Prior to the Ofwat section, host Rob Hakimian is joined by NCE senior reporters Tom Pashby and Thomas Johnson to talk about their recent reporting on plutonium stockpiles and groundwater flooding respectively.

Healthcare heavyweight investor, Bill Taranto, President of Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, joins us to share his investment strategies.  Taking a patient-first approach, he looks for use cases that need solved, and finds aligned organizations to create an integrated solution that will positively impact patients.  This interview is an absolute can't-miss!! Bill shares how he evaluates opportunities, the relationship between CVC investors and tech investors, the regulatory environment, and shares some career successes. Topical time codes: 1:41 - Ecosystems are better for patient care - evaluating opportunities 3:17 - Use cases- patient access example  6:00 - Investment in pharma  8:20 - CVC investors and Tech investors  12;04 - Access considerations 15:56 - The regulatory environment  19:08 - AI and drug discovery  20:46 - A successful, long-term venture  Connect with Bill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-taranto-1b039b/   Learn more about Merck Global Health Innovation Fund: https://www.merckghifund.com   Connect with Sherri Douville: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdouville/   Learn more about TTIC: https://medium.com/@news_52674/about 

In part 2 of my discussion with Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise, and sponsor of Financial Samurai, I ask him about how an open-ended venture capital fund works.  If I'm going to build a $500,000+ position in an open-ended fund to gain more exposure to private AI companies, I want to fully understand how the fund operates. Here are some of the questions I asked during our discussion: What happens to a private company that successfully goes public, and how does this impact the fund? Is it harder to identify a promising company or to actually invest in that company? How does Fundrise and other venture capital firms compete to gain access to invest in private companies? How does Fundrise approach risk management in its investments? What's the process for writing checks to invest in companies? If you don't have cash on hand, how do you secure a line of credit to invest in a company? How do you provide liquidity to investors in the Innovation Fund? How do you determine the size of a fund you want to run? Related post: Why I'm Only Investing In Open-Ended Venture Capital Funds Going Forward Join 60,000+ readers and subscribe to my free weekly newsletter here. My goal is to help you reach financial freedom sooner, rather than later. 

The nature of war is changing. $10 million tanks in Ukraine are being disabled by $10,000 drones — and many cutting-edge battlefield technologies today come from private companies rather than governments. Few people know more about harnessing commercial tech for the military than Raj Shah, who led the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit before founding his own venture capital firm. Now he's on the board of the NATO Innovation Fund. On the show today, he speaks with POLITICO deputy tech editor Daniella Cheslow to talk about how to translate leading technology to the battlefield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Baumel is Managing Director at Ohio Innovation Fund. He is a seasoned venture capitalist who spent more than 20 years investing in Silicon Valley before returning to his home state to found the Ohio Innovation Fund in 2016. His investment areas include SaaS, big data, cybersecurity, and medtech, and his past investments have resulted in 5 IPOs and 15 major acquisitions. Bill has been recognized as one of the Venture 100 Top VCs based on exits. In this episode, we talk about: - Bill's story and how he started investing - Why he moved from Silicon Valley to Ohio - How has the Ohio startup ecosystem evolved over the years - How he evaluates startup deals - Having a very hands-on approach to helping portfolio companies succeed - Perceived impact of recent Fed's rate cuts on venture capital & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Ohio Innovation Fund website - https://www.ohioinnovationfund.com/ Follow Bill on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbaumel

Faith, culture, and sexual health: Two leaders share how they're changing the conversation in Muslim communities.In this episode, I sit down with Nadiah Mohajir and Sahar Pirzada, leaders from Heart, an organization focused on advancing sexual health and reproductive justice within Muslim communities. Nadiah shares her personal story, growing up in a South Asian Muslim family, and how it led her to start Heart. She talks about the cultural and religious barriers women face regarding sexual health and gender-based violence, and how Heart is working to create safe, open spaces for these crucial conversations.Sahar, who's been with the organization for nearly a decade, reflects on her journey from teaching sex education in Singapore to leading grassroots movements at Heart. Together, they dive into the complexities of addressing sexual health in faith-based communities, highlighting the importance of centering marginalized voices, such as queer and trans Muslims.They also introduce their latest reproductive justice campaign, which aims to provide Muslims with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions about their health, all while staying true to their faith. Tune in for a conversation that blends faith, community, and health in a refreshing and insightful way.Highlights:Nadiah's upbringing in a traditional South Asian Muslim family and her path to founding Heart.Sahar's experience bringing sex education to Muslim communities and advocating for reproductive justice.The unique challenges of tackling gender violence and sexual health in faith-based communities.Heart's new reproductive justice campaign and its efforts to empower Muslim women and marginalized groups.How the organization blends Islamic values with public health education to offer holistic support.Nadiah's Bio:Nadiah Mohajir is a lifelong Chicagoan, Pakistani-American-Muslim, mother of three, public health professional, reproductive justice activist, and anti-sexual assault advocate.She is the Co-founder and Executive Director for HEART Women & Girls. For over a decade, she has led the organization to provide reproductive justice, sexual health education and gender-based violence awareness programming and advocacy to thousands of individuals, organizations, and campuses across the country. HEART ultimately aims to dismantle the stigma, silence, and systems that prevent individuals from seeking information, healing, and justice.Nadiah has worked in public health and reproductive justice for over twenty years in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to research, academics, policy, and community health. Her past work includes projects such as redesigning teen pregnancy programs, improving pregnancy outcomes in low-income communities in Chicago, running sex education programming for vulnerable youth, and evaluating innovative cross-sector partnerships in public health.She earned her Master's degree in Public Health in 2009 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Bachelor's degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago. Nadiah has also participated in a number of fellowships, including the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, Germanacos Fellowship, is a recipient of the Women's Innovation Fund and was selected to...

Raj Shah is a former US Air Force F-16 pilot and was the head of the Defense Innovation Unit, Experimental.  He now leads Shield Capital, an early stage venture capital firm investing in technologies that will secure America's future.  Raj is the author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War.  In this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, we discuss Raj's journey from small town Georgia to becoming an Air Force pilot, his experience leading the Defense Innovation Unit, the founding and mission of Shield Capital, and his new book Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War, which explores the evolving nature of the Department of Defense's acquisition of cutting-edge technology for the warfighter. This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Josh Pickering.   Full Bio:  Raj Shah is the co-founder and managing partner of Shield Capital, an investment firm focused on technologies applicable to both the commercial and defense markets. He is also the chairman of Resilience, a cyber-security start-up and a commissioner on the Department of Defense's Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution Reform (PPB&E).  Raj also serves on the Board of Directors to NATO's Innovation Fund. Most recently he was the managing partner of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), reporting to the Secretary of Defense. Raj led DIUx in its efforts to strengthen U.S. armed forces through contractual and cultural bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon. He is the author of the book, Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War. Previously, Raj was senior director of strategy at Palo Alto Networks, which acquired Morta Security, where he was chief executive officer and co-founder. Raj serves as an F-16 pilot in the US Air Force and has completed multiple combat deployments. He holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Brothers Global Founders Drew and Jonathan Scott of the 'Property Brothers' TV series, discusses the launch of their Healthy Home Innovation Fund and the goals of their new venture. They spoke to Bloomberg's Vonnie Quinn and Romaine Bostick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund allows non-governmental and community organisations to access support on a matched-funding basis that starts at $250,000. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The future of IVF will focus on making clinics more patient-friendly and accessible, especially for those who can't afford it or live far away. In this episode, Dr. Eduardo Hariton discusses how his dual training in medicine and business has shaped his innovative approach to enhancing patient engagement, efficiency, and cost reduction in fertility care through technology like AI. He also addresses challenges in IVF accessibility, patient education, task automation, and outcome measurement for improved patient-centric care. Tune in and learn how innovative approaches and technology can transform healthcare delivery, particularly in fertility care! Resources: Connect and follow Dr. Eduardo Hariton on LinkedIn. Follow US Fertility on LinkedIn. Discover US Fertility's Website! About Memora Health: Memora Health, the leading intelligent care enablement platform, helps clinicians focus on top-of-license practice while proactively engaging patients along complex care journeys. Memora partners with leading health systems, health plans, and digital health companies to transform the care delivery process for care teams and patients. The company's platform digitizes and automates high-touch clinical workflows, supercharging care teams by intelligently triaging patient-reported concerns and data to appropriate care team members and providing patients with proactive, two-way communication and support.

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie is joined by Bruegel fellow Ben McWilliams and Johanna Schiele, a Policy Officer at the Innovation Fund in the European Commission, to discuss the benefits and challenges of hydrogen as a clean energy source. Throughout this episode, they explore whether hydrogen could be used as alternative to the extracting and burning of fossil fuels, explaining the hurdles that need to be addressed for it to become a mainstream energy solution. With strategic support and investments, hydrogen could play a significant role in the transition to a sustainable energy future.

A NASA researcher is trying to prove that an aircraft design, developed decades ago, could meet today's requirements for an atmospheric planetary probe.

Polkadot's EVM-compatible parachain, Moonbeam, gets a facelift and is investing serious funds into the gaming and RWA applications, targeting global gamers and Latin America.

Summer rewind: As demand for electricity increases, the need to diversify supply also rises. In Episode 120 of thinkenergy, Lesley Gallinger, CEO of Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), unpacks what's driving the transformation of the province's power system, the potential opportunities, and the obstacles standing in the way. From hydrogen innovation to resource procurement, listen in to learn how the IESO is helping Ontario navigate to a cleaner, reliable, and affordable energy future. Related links ● Lesley Gallinger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-gallinger-784a194/ ● Lesley Gallinger on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lmgallinger ● IESO website: https://www.ieso.ca/ ● Hydrogen Innovation Fund: https://www.ieso.ca/en/Get-Involved/Innovation/Hydrogen-Innov ation-Fund/Overview ● Powering Ontario's Growth report: https://www.ontario.ca/page/powering-ontarios-growth ● Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-8b612114/ To subscribe using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405 To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited Check out our cool pics on https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa More to Learn on https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa Keep up with the Tweets at https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod Transcript: Trevir Freeman: Everyone, well, it's officially summer. And it's been about four months since I took over the mic as the host of the think energy podcast, which is kind of hard to believe. It's been really fun having great conversations with great people in the energy sector. I now mostly know my way around the recording equipments and the software, and really feel like we're kind of just getting started and looking forward to where we go from here. That said, the think energy team is taking a break to recharge over the next few months, but also to plan our content for the fall. So, stay tuned for some great episodes in the fall. Not to worry though, we still have our summer rewind to keep you engaged. This is where we pick out some of the great past episodes that we've done and repost them. So, whether you're lucky enough to be sitting on a dock or going on a road trip, or if you're just keeping up with your commute through the summer, it's a great time to revisit our past content. You will hear past episodes from my predecessor and the host chair Dan second, as well as a couple of mine from the past few months. And you're welcome to check out your own favorite past episodes as well wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you have an amazing summer and we'll be back with new content in September. And until then, happy listening. Daniel Seguin: This is Think Energy, the podcast that helps you better understand the fast changing world of energy through conversations with game changers, industry leaders and influencers. So join me, Dan Seguin, as I explore both traditional and unconventional facets of the energy industry. Hey everyone, welcome back. In 1902 electrical pioneers met for the first time in Berlin now Kitchener, Ontario to discuss wiring Ontario's customers together to form a provincial electricity grid. Ontario's electricity grid, like all grids around the world was designed as a one way street, to generate, transmit, and deliver electricity to customers. It's no secret that nowadays new technologies are shaking up the way we produce and use electricity. Back then, these pioneers likely couldn't have imagined that the electricity grid would become a two way interactive system capable of supporting variable supply from renewable energy or accommodating electric vehicles, energy storage, home generation, and a host of other innovations. As the demand for electricity grows, Ontario's supply is diversifying, evolving and transforming at a speed we haven't seen in this industry. One thing is for certain, it's going to be one electrifying ride. On today's show, we're diving into the heart of Ontario's power system and shining a light on the organization that manages the province electricity sector. As we mentioned before, we are at the forefront of a power revolution. Of course, we need someone driving the ship to provide guidance on how Ontario's power system adopts a cleaner and more interactive machine. So here's today's big question. What is driving the transformation of Ontario's power system? And what are the potential opportunities and challenges? Joining us today is Lesley Gallinger, president and chief executive officer of the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator. Under her leadership, the IESO oversees the safe and reliable operation of Ontario's bulk electricity system, ensuring affordable electricity is available when and where people need it. Lesley, so great to have you join us today. Now, your knowledge and experience of the electricity industry is extensive. Can you talk to us a bit about what drew you to a career in energy sector? And what led you to your current role? _____________________________________________ Lesley Gallinger: Well, thank you for that, Dan. It's great to be here, and I have spent the majority of my career in the electricity sector after spending the first third in a different sector. I certainly benefited from working all across North America and in Europe, for some very sophisticated multinational organizations with very talented team members. However, I always had this interest in electricity. And just for a funny story, my first grade school in Ontario was Sir Adam Beck, so I wonder if that was a bit of foreshadowing. But in reality, I had friends and colleagues in the sector who spoke quite passionately about the impact they were making with the work they were doing. And I was attracted to that. And sure I had some skills that I thought would be transferable. And the role that I have now embodies all of that, as we at the IESO are helping inform and execute on energy policy on electricity policy, specifically that will support Ontarians as we transition to an electrified and decarbonized future. I honestly couldn't imagine a better role to be in at this moment. Daniel Seguin: At a high level Lesley, what is the Independent Electricity System Operator and what is it responsible for with respect to Ontario's power system? Lesley Gallinger: The IESO works at the heart of Ontario's electricity system, ensuring that electricity is available where and when it is needed. We monitor Ontario's demand in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, balancing supply and demand and directing the flow of electricity across the provinces transmission lines. We also oversee the electricity market, which includes putting mechanisms in place to increase competition and ensure cost effective supply. And finally, we also plan the electricity system by working with indigenous communities, with municipalities and stakeholders to forecast demand and secure enough supply to meet Ontario's needs as far as 20 years out. Daniel Seguin: Okay, very interesting. Finally, looking forward to your answer on this one here. Can you walk us through how you oversee and manage the electricity systems such as determining the type of supply required to meet demand for electricity in the province? In the short, medium, and long term? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, thanks that that is a good and big meaty question. So we've spoken a lot about where we are now. So after having years of surplus electricity, Ontario is entering a period of growing electricity needs and demand is expected to increase by an average of 2% annually over the next two decades due to electrification and economic growth in various sectors, including residential, agricultural, and mining. One way that the IESO helps meet these growing needs is by securing new supply. In the short term, we have the annual capacity auction that we conduct that allows existing resources to compete. This is cost effective and allows the IESO to adapt to changing supply and demand conditions on a year by year basis. We also look at three to five year commitments for other resources, this timeframe provides more certainty while ensuring it doesn't get locked into commitments that no longer reflect those changing needs of electrification. And finally, in the long term, we look 20 years out to secure resources that require significant upfront investments in order to give suppliers the confidence they need to make those investments. So it's a bit of a layer cake with those three timeframes. Daniel Seguin: Great segway here. Okay. What do you see as the IESOs role in the future planning of the evolving electricity grid and your role in supporting the changing energy needs of the decarbonized economy? Lesley Gallinger: As Ontario's electricity system planner, we certainly have the long view. Our role is to ensure that Ontario's current and future energy needs are met both reliably and affordably. Our corporate strategy calls out three main ways in which we do this we ensure system reliability while supporting cost effectiveness, we're driving business transformation within the IESO and also driving and guiding the sector's future by working closely with indigenous communities, municipalities and stakeholders. On the decarbonisation front, our main role is to enable technologies that will help us decarbonize. There's lots of emerging energy resources that can help us build a zero emissions electricity grid and the IESO ensures that these resources can all participate in Ontario's electricity system and markets. We're procuring new resources under our flexible resource adequacy framework. We recently announced the procurement of over 800 megawatts of energy storage, which is the largest energy procurement energy storage procurement in Canada to date, that combined with 250 megawatts of the Oneida battery storage project, the IESO, with these projects, is taking steps to integrate this valuable and flexible resource. And in last December's publication of pathways to decarbonisation, we explored ways in which Ontario can move forward to an emissions-free electricity system. The Ministry of Energy consulted on our pathways report, and recently on July 10, very recently, announced a series of actions in its report powering Ontario's growth. And those actions include collaborating with Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation on pre development work to to consider potential new nuclear generation reporting back on the design of our second long term procurement, which will acquire new non-emitting resources supporting a Ministry of Energy consultation on a post 2024 Conservation Demand Management Framework and assessing additional transmission needs to support new and growing generation and demand in the province. So quite a list of workforce ahead that we're very excited to undertake. And as our system operator for the province, we're certainly at the center of all of this. There'll be a continuing need for coordination with the broader electricity sector in order to plan an orderly transition to a decarbonize grid, there will also be an increased need to revisit how we plan the electricity system. The IESO is looking forward to working with the electrification and energy transition panel to identify ways to adapt and evolve existing frameworks in order to increase transparency and ensure communities and stakeholders are more aware of what we're doing and why. This work, the work of the EETP also takes a broader economy wide view, which reflects how the electricity sector is becoming increasingly dependent on other sectors like industry and transportation. So you know, in short, a lot of work and some very exciting work ahead. Daniel Seguin: Follow up question here for you. Now, some Ontarians are concerned about moving to variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar, while others are concerned about continuing use of natural gas. What have you uncovered in your work about these issues? And what would you like residents of Ontario to know? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah great question Dan, every type of generation has its own strengths and drawbacks based on its unique attributes, which is why Ontario maintains a diverse supply mix that can adapt to changing system conditions quickly. Renewables such as wind and solar are not emitting when they generate electricity, but they're also intermittent, meaning how much electricity they produce can change rapidly in response to weather conditions. And to help with this, the IESO is looking into hybrid facilities that combine renewables with energy storage. By 2026 we'll also have about 1300 megawatts of energy storage on the grid, which will help more efficiently integrate renewables. We're also going to start designing our second long term procurement which will focus on acquiring non-emitting resources and we'll be engaging on this with stakeholders and communities as we go. Natural gas, for example, has the main advantage that it can respond quickly to change in demand and system conditions, making it an important resource for us as we seek to maintain reliability. Ontario's demand fluctuates constantly throughout the day, and having access to natural gas can help us respond to sudden changes and maintain a balance across the system. It's also very important to recognize and something I'd like to emphasize for your listeners that overall emissions from Ontario's electricity sector are extremely low, the sector accounts for about 3% of the provinces total emissions. While this may increase slightly in the future, the continued existence of natural gas on the grid is an important resource to help us transition and it'll enable the near term electrification of other sectors which in total will drive down Ontario's emissions. Daniel Seguin: Okay Lesley, how will the efficiency upgrades at existing natural gas facilities contribute to meeting the growing demand? And what is the plan for these facilities as emerging technologies mature and the reliance on natural gas decreases? Lesley Gallinger: Yes, and as I mentioned in my earlier remarks, Ontario's definitely entering a period of increased demand and so with many existing contracts expiring, and nuclear plants undergoing refurbishment or scheduled to be decommissioned, coupled with increasing electrification of other sectors, the province is going to need more power in the immediate future and the natural gas expansions can help with this. In our pathways to decarbonisation report, we looked at the questions the minister posed to us, we looked at a moratorium scenario that would phase out natural gas over time as newer non-emitting resources come online, and in the report we concluded that we could be less reliant on natural gas in Ontario by the year 2035 and completely phased out by 2050. Efforts were made to align this report with clean electricity regulations, and that recognizes that the contribution of natural gas may be restricted over time, but for the meantime, we have you know, the important transitional resource needs, the natural gas fulfills. Daniel Seguin: Okay. In May of 2023, the IESO announced that it was moving forward with the largest procurement of energy storage in Canada. What can you tell us about these storage projects and their benefits? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, this was a very exciting announcement for us the energy storage projects we announced in May were for grid connected battery storage systems, which will be an important step towards the transition to a non-emitting supply mix, and will support grid reliability. The procurement was the culmination of the work we've done over the last several years to understand the potential of battery storage to provide supply and reliability services to the grid. The biggest advantage of energy storage is that it can charge during off peak hours when the provincial electricity demand is low and then inject energy back into the grid during peaks when demand is high, which makes it very flexible and a resource that can help us optimize the efficiency of other resource types. And we also see battery storage as a key enabler of decarbonisation. It will help us to integrate more renewables such as wind and solar onto the system, but also get more out of our current nuclear and hydro fleet. By charging during these off peak hours energy storage can use up any surplus green power from Ontario's existing nuclear and hydro facilities. Daniel Seguin: Now, how does this procurement help ensure system reliability during nuclear refurbishment and support the overall energy transformation in Ontario, Lesley Gallinger: The procurement will help with the transition away from natural gas and it's certainly about maintaining reliability at a time when multiple refurbishments are underway. In particular, the Pickering generating station is scheduled to go out of service mid decade and so right around that time, those energy storage projects are expected to be online. Certainly the timelines of the procurements were aligned understanding what the system conditions would be at that time, Lesley, I'd like to dig into your fascinating pathway to decarbonisation report just a bit. Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity system in North America, contributing only 3% to the provinces greenhouse gas emissions, that doesn't sound like a lot. So why is it important to eliminate the remaining 3% of emissions from the grid? Yeah, another another really interesting question and the subject of a lot of conversations we've been having we know that electricity use is going to increase in the coming years driven by an economic growth and electrification across other sectors. Transportation is becoming increasingly electrified as our industrial processes such as steel smelting, and as the pace of electrification speeds up the efforts and investments being made by businesses and households to electrify will increase society's reliance on electricity as a fuel and electricity is only as clean as the resources we use to make it. So that 3%, if we don't tackle that remaining 3%, we will see an increased reliance on less clean generating sources. I mean tackling climate change is certainly an economy wide effort and clean electricity is a fundamental enabler of those climate change solutions. Daniel Seguin: Thanks for that, Lesley. Now, I have a follow up question for you. The IESO presents two scenarios to address decarbonisation, what are they and what key assumptions and drivers were discovered with your analysis? Lesley Gallinger: So our first scenario was the moratorium scenario where the IESO so looked at restricting the procurement of additional natural gas. And this assessment showed that a moratorium would be feasible beginning in 2027, and that Ontario could be less reliant on natural gas by 2035. At that point, the system would not require additional emitting generation to ensure reliability provided that other forms of non-emitting supply could be added to the system in time to keep pace with demand growth. The second scenario is our pathways to decarbonisation scenario, this scenario assumed aggressive electrification of the transportation and industrial sectors, and that attaining a completely decarbonized grid would be possible by 2050, while balancing reliability and costs, so you can see a lot of variables came to play in that second scenario. Daniel Seguin: Perfect. Thanks, Lesley. Now, what are your thoughts on where Canada stands on its road to meet the 2035 and 2050 targets?  Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, I think that's, you know, that's what we're all looking towards and bridging the work of today with the needs of a futurized decarbonized world will be challenging and complex, a collaborative approach across all sectors of the economy will certainly be necessary to achieve this. From Ontario's perspective, we're in a strong starting position, our electricity system is already close to 90% emissions free, most of the generation coming from Hydro and Nuclear resources. And in our pathways report, we identify that for Ontario, at least, a moratorium on natural gas could be possible by 2035, and a fully decarbonized electricity system by 2050 provided that new non-emitting supplies and surfaces online. So we certainly had those goals in mind for Ontario as we created that pathway so decarbonisation work. Daniel Seguin: Now Lesley, in your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the electricity industry in Canada today? And what are the biggest opportunities? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, I anchor on the word orderly because I've used it a lot. The biggest challenge I see is managing the significant transformation that's underway. And doing it in an orderly fashion, electrification is requiring the electricity system to expand and produce more power, while decarbonisation puts pressure on the grid to rely more heavily on low carbon resources, many of which are still in their early days of development. Across the country. Every province is faced with similar challenges. The recently formed Canadian Electricity Advisory Council will provide advice to the Minister of natural resources on ways to accelerate investment and promote sustainable, affordable, reliable electricity systems. And I have the privilege of being on this panel. It's exciting work with colleagues from across the country, many of whom come from provinces in very different stages of decarbonisation. We're sharing best practices and all working towards similar goals. For Ontario, we're entering a period of emerging electricity system needs starting in the 2020s. These electricity and energy capacity needs will continue through to 2040. So demand is expected to increase at nearly 2% per year as I mentioned earlier. All of this presents incredible opportunities for Ontario's communities, new technologies are creating economic growth opportunities and setting the stage for Ontario to build a highly skilled workforce to push to decarbonize will have significant impacts on economy wide emissions reductions, and building the electricity grid of the future also presents opportunities to collaborate and strengthen relationships with indigenous communities and municipalities. Back to my first comment, the pace of this change is a vital consideration. We need to strike the right balance between decarbonizing the grid, while it's still ensuring electricity and energy remain reliable and affordable. If we go too fast, the cost may impede electrification, if we go too slow, we're not going to have the supply available as demand increases. So it really is about thinking this through orderly and it's an all hands on deck challenge. Daniel Seguin: Okay, moving along here, maybe you could walk us through some of the scope for what's required to decarbonize Ontario's electricity system. What does an achievable pathway to net zero look like? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, that's the work of the IESO on a regular basis. I mean, I can't underscore my last point enough, which is that it's vital that the transition occurs in an orderly manner, we absolutely need to act but we need to act in a carefully managed way that balances decarbonisation with reliability and affordability. Large infrastructure such as hydroelectric plants and nuclear facilities and transmission lines can take 15-10 years, sometimes more to build, significant investments in capital and materials and labor will be required to build out a fully decarbonized system. And one study I read estimated that 14,000 strong labor force participants, that are that are currently working on our electricity infrastructure would need to increase by a factor of six. So you know, that's a huge investment in training and getting people ready to build all the things we need to build. Indigenous communities and municipalities also have a voice in how and where new infrastructure is located. So meaningful and transparent discussions about siting and land use will be needed. And while many technologies will be needed to decarbonize the grid already known, some are not known and not commercialized yet. And so those are low carbon fuels small modular reactors still in development. At this point, it'll be important for Ontario and for Canada to continue to invest in these and other other innovations as well in supporting the pathway. We need energy plans to be approved and new infrastructure needs to be planned, permitted and cited. Regulatory and approval processes such as the environmental impact assessments need to be resourced, appropriately and streamlined to enable all of these builds to happen. We also need the supporting transmission infrastructure to be planned and built on on similar timelines as demand growth and as new supply comes online and underlying all of that we need to carefully manage the costs to ensure the actual impact on total energy costs is affordable, and that they do not diverge significantly, Ontario from those of our neighbors in Manitoba and Quebec and in the US. So lots of again, lots of facets, but work that can be itemized now and definitely plan forward. Daniel Seguin: Cool. What are some of IESO's, no regret actions that can be taken to help meet those growing demands? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, I think the minister anchored on some of those in his Powering Ontario's Growth report, Ontario can certainly continue to acquire new non-emitting resources and incentivize energy efficiency through our Save on Energy programs. sector partners can also begin planning and citing for new potential projects, partnerships between municipal, provincial and federal governments will also be key and we need to continue to develop those relationships now, while we're also revisiting the regulatory frameworks that may hinder and prevent progress. Last but certainly not least, we must track our progress in an open and transparent way. There's no one way we can say decarbonisation happens. It's a gradual change that will take place over many years, and will require lots of little steps to make progress. And certainly the government's recent response to our reports puts in motion some of those actions including asking us at the IESO to explore opportunities to enable future generation in northern Ontario and reducing the reliance on natural gas generation in the GTA. The ministry has also asked the IESO to begin consultations on a competitive transmitter selection framework for future lines with electricity supply expected to continue to grow over the next 20 to 30 years, you know, that's what we're doing now, you know, in terms of planning, but we're also we're also working to secure new capacity and leveraging our existing assets. So that is through our very thorough resource adequacy framework, which was put in place that outlines our strategy to get that new supply in the short, medium and long term. A key piece of this is competitive procurements and the processes that have been used to date including the annual capacity auction, and but you know, there's also work being done that we're leveraging by our energy efficiency and demand response programs that that get back to what individuals and what individual businesses can do to support decarbonisation. We've got market renewal going on. We've got medium and long term procurements. So lots of action underway. All of them no regret that can that can be continued to to meet this demand.  Daniel Seguin: Now Lesley, with electricity supply expected to grow the next 20 to 30 years, what is the IESO doing to secure new capacity? And how is it leveraging existing assets? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, great question. So in terms of generating new supply or acquiring new supply, that's really our resource adequacy framework. It outlines, you know, the work we're doing both in the short, medium and long term to competitively procure new resources. We've recently done the procurements for batteries and for natural gas, upgrades and expansions. We'll be launching our next procurement very shortly and designing the one after that. So it's that layer cake approach that I mentioned. We've also, you know, can can anchor back in the strides we've taken in the current procurements to secure we've had great resources come to bear and participate in those procurements, so we're very hopeful that future procurements will also be very successful Daniel Seguin: Now hoping you can help demystify this next one for our listeners. What is the Hydrogen Energy fund? What is special about hydrogen, and how do you think it will support Ontario's reliability needs and decarbonisation? Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, it is, it is a new word and a new way of thinking for for a lot of folks. So let me dig into that. But the goal of our hydrogen Innovation Fund is to investigate, evaluate and demonstrate how low carbon hydrogen technologies could be integrated into the grid. The new program will enable the IESO to test the ability of hydrogen to support grid reliability and affordability, but also the role it can play in broader decarbonisation. Hydrogen has the potential to reduce electricity sector emissions, but it could also be used as a replacement fuel in other more fossil fuel intensive industries such as transportation.  From the electricity sector's perspective, hydrogen has the potential to provide several essential services, it can smooth the output from renewable resources such as wind and solar, it can be blended into natural gas to reduce total emissions and could be used to offer several services such as peaking generation, grid efficiency and storage. But all that being said, it's not an ultimate solution. While hydrogen can be used to generate electricity producing it also requires electricity. So the integration of hydrogen like all new resources will require a balanced approach, one that can make more efficient use of our existing electricity system assets which the Hydrogen Innovation Fund will help with the interest in the fund has been very high. The IESO has received more than 25 applications. The projects are in flight now are undergoing review right now. And we should be in a position to announce the successful projects in September. Daniel Seguin: Lesley. Let's now look globally, what are other countries doing right, that Canada should consider emulating or even adopting?  Lesley Gallinger: Yeah, I think I think this is, you know, very important. We very much focused on on Canada or in you know, in our case, Ontario for answers. And the IESO is just one of many electricity system operators worldwide. And I certainly am always keeping an eye on what other countries are doing. However, every jurisdiction has unique circumstances, which include laws, regulations, geography and politics that can sometimes make comparisons difficult. In North America, specifically, Ontario is a leader in many ways and the pathways report is a very well thought out approach. And so I think that's an area of interests that others have looked to us, that, coupled with our experience of phasing out coal fired generation, we're in a good position really to set examples for other jurisdictions looking to do similar work, and certainly in conversations with my IESO counterparts around North America, we're having robust discussions and learning from each other.  Daniel Seguin: Well, looking to the future of this industry and Canada's approach, what is giving you hope? Lesley Gallinger: Well, electricity is being looked at to support decarbonisation of other sectors and to support economic growth. That's hugely exciting to see the broad impact our industry is having on society. And as we engage with broader audience, the collaborative spirit across the sector, across the province and across the country, we're seeing... certainly gives me hope that Ontario can achieve decarbonisation through an orderly transition that balances that decarbonisation desire with reliability and affordability that are at the heart of our mandate.  Daniel Seguin: Lastly, Lesley, we always end our interviews with some rapid fire questions. Are you ready?  Lesley Gallinger: I'm ready. These were some of the more difficult questions, Dan. So I'm certainly ready for these.  Daniel Seguin: Okay. What are you reading right now?  Lesley Gallinger: So I just finished reading a really great book, how big things get done by bent flyvbjerg. And I think it's making the rounds really good book on large projects, and what we can learn from past failures in large projects, which will be important information for Ontario.  Daniel Seguin: Cool. Thanks for sharing. Now, what would you name your boat if you had one? Or do you have one?  Lesley Gallinger: Well, I have a very, very small boat, and I have yet to name it. But now now that you've got me thinking about that the wheels are turning. At the moment, it's new, so I'm just learning to park it. And when I say park, my my partner rolls his eyes and says "you mean dock" and I say no, Park. So next time we speak Dan, I'll have a name for the boat.  Daniel Seguin: Very good. Who is someone that you truly admire?  Lesley Gallinger: I think this was the most difficult question. There are people I admire in many aspects of my life. And I certainly wouldn't want to single out anyone or miss out on another person. But if I can be a bit general, given the role I'm in, I'd have to say it's the people who have the vision and foresight to see what's coming in the future and to plan and build those large projects and large infrastructure investments needed to get there.  Daniel Seguin: What is the closest thing to real magic that you've witnessed? Lesley Gallinger: Well, I am a lover of being outdoors, so perhaps for me it would be on the morning after a deep snowfall on the trails around my friend's property being the first snow shoes out on the trails on a Sunday morning. It's so quiet and so beautiful and it just feels magical.  Daniel Seguin: Now what has been the biggest challenge to you personally, since the pandemic began? Lesley Gallinger: I think for me, it would be helping my mom stay connected to to our community as as an elderly widow in her own home. It was a lot of one on one contact for me with her and making sure that I could connect her to a broader social network. So she didn't feel so isolated. And I think that was, you know, well worth the challenge. But it was a it was a challenge.  Daniel Seguin: Okay. We've all been watching just a little bit more TV or even Netflix lately. What is your favorite show?  Lesley Gallinger: So I spend very little time watching TV and when I do or, or Netflix, and when I do, it's mostly documentaries. I want to give a call out for a course I'm taking right now online, which is the closest thing to TV, I'm taking the University of Alberta's indigenous Canada course, which has been for me tremendous value in helping me understand indigenous worldviews and perspectives. But I did just watch a Netflix series on the Tour de France, which was a fascinating look at the teams and tactics as well as the effort that the athletes endure over that 21 days.  Daniel Seguin: Okay, cool. Now, lastly, what is exciting you about your industry right now?  Lesley Gallinger: Oh, my goodness. My teams have heard me use this before everything everywhere all at once. We have an opportunity as an industry right now to guide generational change and to have an impact on the environment and the economy far past our working lives. And that is incredibly exciting.  Daniel Seguin: Well, Lesley, this is it. We've reached the end of another episode of the Think Energy podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today. If our listeners wanted to learn more about you, or your organization, how can they connect?  Lesley Gallinger: Thank you. Yes. www.ieso.ca. Our website has a wealth of resources to help listeners become more energy literate. And to understand the work we do. And you can find me on LinkedIn at Lesley Gallinger.  Daniel Seguin: Again, thank you so much for joining us today. I hope you had a lot of fun. Cheers.  Lesley Gallinger: I did! The questions were tough, but very interesting and they certainly got to the heart of the work that we do at the IESO. Thank you, Dan, for for your interest in our work and for asking those questions that allow me to speak and highlight the work of the incredible professionals that work at the IESO. Daniel Seguin: Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the Think Energy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. And to find out more about today's guest or previous episodes, visit think energy podcast.com. I hope you will join us again next time as we spark even more conversations about the energy of tomorrow.  

The Roberts Innovation Fund was launched in 2022 to provide funding, mentoring, and strategic support for Yale faculty-led projects to assist in the commercialization of breakthrough inventions that solve real-world problems. New methods to purify our water, advance quantum computing, democratize artificial intelligence, and deliver life-saving drugs are just some of the projects funded by the 2024 Roberts Innovation Fund Awards, providing $1 million in accelerator funding to support 10 new inventions led by faculty from Yale's School of Engineering & Applied Science. Director Claudia Reuter shares her insights on how to commercialize emerging technologies, how to innovation within a large organization.

Making Waves in Health Tech is brought to you by California Health Care Foundation's Innovation Fund. It is created and hosted by Hilda Martinez and Janet Boachie. Special thanks to Rachel McCrickard and everyone at Motivo Health.Today's program was produced by Zosha Warpeha and Grace Norman of Mission Boom. Audio engineering is by Zosha Warpeha. Music was composed and performed by Cameron Kinghorn. Art by Moritat and design by Paula Ginsborg. Special thanks to Eric Antebi, Melissa Buckley, Vincent James, the Innovation Fund team, Holly Minch, and Amanda Kim. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. Learn more at CHCF.org.This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

Making Waves in Health Tech is brought to you by California Health Care Foundation's Innovation Fund. It is created and hosted by Hilda Martinez and Janet Boachie. Special thanks to Josh Golomb and everyone at Hazel Health.Today's program was produced by Zosha Warpeha and Grace Norman of Mission Boom. Audio engineering is by Zosha Warpeha. Music was composed and performed by Cameron Kinghorn. Art by Moritat and design by Paula Ginsborg. Special thanks to Eric Antebi, Melissa Buckley, Vincent James, the Innovation Fund team, Holly Minch, and Amanda Kim. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. Learn more at CHCF.org.This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

Scaling a deep tech startup from an IP or university spin-out to a global unicorn is a daunting journey. It requires navigating complex challenges, making bold strategic bets, and executing relentlessly on a groundbreaking vision. Founders must possess unwavering determination and the grit to make tough decisions in a fiercely competitive landscape. That is why we are honored to present our second 2024 Masterclass episode with Andrea Traversone, Managing Partner at the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF). Andrea has been investing in deep tech companies for more than 25 years and shares a wealth of insights and practical tips in this conversation. The NATO Innovation Fund is notable for being the world's first multi-sovereign venture capital fund, and it aims to invest in startups developing innovative technologies that address defence and security challenges. Under his leadership, the fund focuses on leveraging commercial innovation for critical defense applications and promoting the adoption of emerging and disruptive technologies across the Alliance. This Masterclass was powered by BCG and Bizplace. Unlocking the potential of those who advance the world is crucial for BCG, and this purpose has been leading the firm for 60 years now. Over that time BCG has supported companies and organizations in their process of growth and strategic transformation. BCG supports start-ups and scale ups with the same care, to help them scale faster. If you're a founder and are interested in working with them you can email MILtheseeds@bcg.com. BizPlace is a boutique financial consultancy specializing in the VC world. Since 2017, it has been supporting innovative startups and SMEs, offering entrepreneurs strategic consulting services, fundraising, and facilitated finance to enhance and grow their business ideas. BizPlace positions itself as a catalyst in the growing Italian VC ecosystem. If you are a founder or an investor interested in collaborating with them, you can reach them at ⁠info@bizplace.it⁠. Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@madeit.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@madeitpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Known for her ‘active ETF's' enormous returns during the pandemic, thanks to big bets on the likes of Zoom and Tesla, Cathie Wood is synonymous with bold investing. But, while she has many accolades, her style and bold takes have not gone without criticism. The fund's performance has been mixed, witnessing huge swings up and down since its inception, which some critics blame on her heavy reliance on instincts and poorly timed exits. In this episode, Dave Baxter and Cathie discuss those criticisms alongside the automated vehicle space in the US and China, digital wallet companies, and what it would take for Ark to buy more of the Magnificent 7.Timestamps 1:15 Tesla 9:05 How sensitive is the Innovation Fund to AI euphoria12:42 Risks in some of the stocks & Tesla's risks in China15:18 Digital wallets ie. Coinbase & Robinhood20:24 Zoom23:57 The Magnificent 7 & what happens next29:46 Cathie's take on inflation and interest rates31:53 How much politics is influencing stockpicks 34:11 The Innovation ETF's focus on the US and looking further afield37:38 Merit to regulation39:04 Controversy around intellectual property and AI 41:58 Criticism of Ark's approach and how the funds are run47:32 Poorly timed exits & NvidiaClaim your first 12 weeks of Investors' Chronicle Print + Digital for just £12. You will get instant access to our website and app, plus the magazine delivered to your door every week. To start your trial, visit www.investorschronicle.co.uk/podcasttrial *After your 12-week trial you will pay just £62 every 13 weeks by direct debit. If you're not entirely satisfied, you can cancel up to 5 business days before your renewal date and only pay the £12 already debited. This offer is for UK subscribers only. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making Waves in Health Tech is brought to you by California Health Care Foundation's Innovation Fund. It is created and hosted by Hilda Martinez and Janet Boachie. Special thanks to Josh Golomb and everyone at Hazel Health.Today's program was produced by Zosha Warpeha and Grace Norman of Mission Boom. Audio engineering is by Zosha Warpeha. Music was composed and performed by Cameron Kinghorn. Art by Moritat and design by Paula Ginsborg. Special thanks to Eric Antebi, Melissa Buckley, Vincent James, the Innovation Fund team, Holly Minch, and Amanda Kim. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. Learn more at CHCF.org. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

One million lives in communities across Ireland have been transformed by social innovation backed by Rethink Ireland, as the organisation marks the impact of a €109 million milestone fund built over seven years. Since 2016, Rethink Ireland has partnered with companies like Google.org, Bank of America, and IPB Insurance as well as families, individuals and foundations to build a €109 million social innovation fund. The €109 million fund has reached over one million people, launched 58 funds, backing 448 innovative projects, supporting 137,134 learners, creating 998 jobs in the non-profit sector and supporting 3,309 people into employment. At a celebration with donors and awardee organisations, Rethink Ireland launched the report that documents the transformative impact on one million people. The event was hosted by supporting partners, including the Family Business Network. Mr. Joe O'Brien T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Department of Social Protection and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said: "I am delighted to be here today to celebrate and mark the impact of Rethink Ireland's work. The Department of Rural and Community Development and Rethink Ireland have forged a phenomenal working relationship, working together towards a more just, equal, and sustainable Ireland for all. "This collaborative approach has seen the growth of philanthropic donations and Government match-funding, that have today reached over €109 million in funding being provided for social innovation community-based programmes and projects. Through their work, and more importantly, the impact that they have on communities all across the country, Rethink Ireland advocates and highlights the power of Philanthropy." Deirdre Mortell, CEO, Rethink Ireland, commented: "Our impact has been felt so much greater and further than we could ever have dreamed by reaching one million people in our communities. This is about Philanthropy fuelling innovation - our unique venture philanthropy model helps strengthen and advance non-profits resulting in scale and, critically, systems change. "While we are marking a €109 million social innovation fund milestone, we are, crucially, focused on the long-term goal of a just, equal and sustainable Ireland, and we are committed to accelerating funding in the next five years to harness the momentum built. "We are deeply grateful to the Government of Ireland, and the businesses, families, and individuals who partner with us to catalyse change in the areas of equality, education, health, social enterprise and the green transition. "This first one million people reached is just chapter one in our story of the impact social innovation is making. We're looking forward to writing the next chapter as we continue to Rethink Ireland." One organisation backed by Rethink Ireland, Sensational Kids, is a social enterprise providing vital front-line therapeutic supports for children with additional needs. Funded by Rethink Ireland to scale over four years, Sensational Kids grew its presence from a base in Kildare, to operate in every province, changing the lives of more than 10,000 children and saving their families over €2.5 million in therapy fees. Another organisation, Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) demonstrates the importance of equality and systems change. The Centre promotes the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in education and society, providing the opportunity to participate in a higher education programme designed to enhance their capacity to fully participate in society as independent adults. The proven success of the TCPID model, as an exemplar of best practice, has persuaded the government to introduce a pathfinding pilot programme providing funding supports to ten higher education institutions in Ireland for expanded access to education for people with intellectual disabilities. Chair of Rethink ...

Back in 2022, the Government of Western Australia issued a global challenge for a world-leading medical research and innovation solution to resolve a pressing problem of health service delivery in the remote Pilbara region.Ten projects were selected as finalists and given 12 months proof of concept funding to deliver their solution on the ground in the Pilbara. With the competition ending in October, the best solution will be selected to take home the $5 million prize supported by WA government's Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, Rio Tinto and BHP. To give us an update, we catch up with the WA Minister for Medical Research, the Honourable Stephen Dawson MLC and RioTinto's Dampier Salt General Manager Operations, Laura Thomas.Joining Caroline Duell on the podcast is co-host Dr Tracey Wilkinson, MTPConnect's Director of Stakeholder Engagement in WA at the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub. To find out more about The Challenge and the ten finalists visit the website. 

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, T.D., the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O'Donoghue, T.D., and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary, T.D., today launched Call 7 of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF). The aim of the Fund is to encourage collaborations by industry and research sector into the development and commercialisation of ground-breaking technologies. €500m Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund The launch took place in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath at the offices of Ostoform Ltd, the lead partner in a DTIF Call 3 project. Ostoform are working with two other project partners - Ross Polymer Ltd and Technological University Shannon - to develop an innovative ostomy pouch, used in the treatment of digestive and urinary conditions, which directs corrosive output away from the skin and improves patient wellbeing and quality of life. Launching Call 7 Minister Burke said: "I am delighted to announce the seventh Call of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. The Fund is an important Government initiative which is helping to future-proof Ireland at a time of geo-political turbulence, economic uncertainty and supply chain disruption. "The Fund is seeking to encourage collaborative projects utilising cutting-edge technologies that will contribute to the achievement of Ireland's economic growth. We want projects that will make a real difference to people's lives, especially in helping us to improve our level of digitalisation and achieve our climate action targets. "The Irish enterprise and research sectors have regularly demonstrated their resilience and ability to adapt to challenges. We want to foster these capabilities by de-risking some of the costs associated with the development of truly disruptive, innovative projects." Patrick O'Donovan, TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science said: "In announcing the seventh Call for the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, we aim to maximise the impact of our investment in Irish research institutions," explained Minister for Innovation, Patrick O Donovan. "The Fund can play a major role in delivering on Government research and enterprise objectives, as outlined in policy documents such as the recent Quantum Technologies Strategy and the White Paper on Enterprise. "We're focusing on areas like quantum technologies, where breakthroughs can truly make a difference. By fostering collaboration between companies and research facilities, our goal is to not only drive innovation but also create more job opportunities for graduates in the future." Dara Calleary, TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation also welcomed the DTIF funding: "The Government is committed to supporting companies in improving their digital capacity through targeted investment, with a view to positioning Ireland as a leading global digital hub. "DTIF has already demonstrated its role as a catalyst in bringing about digital transformation by supporting projects that will develop unique applications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. It is notable that 46 projects involving artificial intelligence were awarded €162.5m across the six DTIF Calls to date. This significant investment in disruptive technologies is giving enterprises the support needed to incorporate digitalisation into their business processes and driving Ireland's adoption of digital technologies." Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, who administer the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, said: ''Enterprise Ireland is pleased to continue to support the reopening of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund on an open rolling basis, replacing the previous closed call approach. This will enhance the user-friendliness of a fund that has already demonstrated its value in deepening innovation capability across t...

Making Waves in Health Tech is brought to you by California Health Care Foundation's Innovation Fund. It is created and hosted by Hilda Martinez and Janet Boachie. Special thanks to Janet Boachie for sharing her story.Today's program was produced by Zosha Warpeha and Grace Norman of Mission Boom. Audio engineering is by Zosha Warpeha. Music was composed and performed by Cameron Kinghorn. Art by Moritat and design by Paula Ginsborg. Special thanks to Eric Antebi, Melissa Buckley, Vincent James, the Innovation Fund team, Holly Minch, and Amanda Kim. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. Learn more at CHCF.org.This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Dr. Pae Wu of IndieBio and SOSV, corporate venture capitalists Brandon Middaugh from Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Taehong Huh from GS Futures, and Aditya Sharma from Honda Innovations discussed their strategies for investing in climate tech startups.They emphasize the importance of early engagement with startups, strategic alignment with corporate goals, and the necessity for startups to understand their market and competition.They highlight the challenges of scaling up technology in the climate sector, particularly the capital intensity and longer timelines associated with hardware innovations.They advise startups on navigating corporate structures and leveraging intellectual property effectively.The conversation underscored the evolving role of corporate venture capital in fostering innovative climate technologies and the collaborative approach required to drive significant advancements in decarbonizing industries.The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.SpeakersBrandon Middaugh, Senior Director, Climate Innovation Fund, MicrosoftTaehong Huh, Managing Partner, GS FuturesAdity Sharma, Principal, Honda InnovationsModeratorDr. Pae Wu, CTO, IndieBio; General Partner, SOSVCreditsProducer: Ben Joffe Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben JoffeIntro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs Intro Music: EL WailiKeywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonizationHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Having benefited from social services and the kindness of community members growing up as a first-gen immigrant, Jonathan had a lot of empathy and drive to build a company that centers around providing resources and hope for those without a home. California Health Care Foundation invested in his early-stage start-up, which leverages a mobile app, an online community, and financial technology to empower people experiencing homelessness to meet their health care, housing, and other immediate needs. Over time, Samaritan built a business with multiple funding streams, including corporate philanthropy, health care and social service providers, and Medicaid. Since then, Samaritan has grown to help cities across the nation. Samaritan shows that purpose and profit coexist in startups. We learn about the company's business model, including the vision, challenges, and opportunities. Jonathan also offers advice for other social entrepreneurs getting started in the healthtech space. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

In this episode, I catch up with Ben Miller, Co-founder and CEO of Fundrise about artificial intelligence and the latest investments by the  Innovation Fund. We discuss how company valuations are calculated in the fund, a defense AI investment, and so much more.  The Innovation Fund is an open-ended venture capital fund with only a $10 minimum. You can see what the fund is investing in before you decide to invest and how much. Unlike traditional closed-end venture capital funds, you can gain liquidity if you want in one quarter. Check out the Innovation Fund here. Financial Samurai is an investor in Fundrise and Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai.  Personally, I'm bullish on artificial intelligence and will be building $500,000 worth of exposure to AI companies and funds that invest in artificial intelligence over the next five years. In 20 years, I don't want my children asking me why I didn't invest in AI near the beginning.  Related post: Artificial Intelligence: How To Protect Yourself And Benefit Financially  Subscribe To Financial Samurai To achieve financial independence sooner, Join 60,000+ others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, rate, and review. Every review means a lot as each episode takes hours to produce. 

Making Waves in Health Tech is brought to you by California Health Care Foundation's Innovation Fund. It is created and hosted by Hilda Martinez and Janet Boachie. Special thanks to Josh Golomb and everyone at Hazel Health.Today's program was produced by Zosha Warpeha and Grace Norman of Mission Boom. Audio engineering is by Zosha Warpeha. Music was composed and performed by Cameron Kinghorn. Art by Moritat and design by Paula Ginsborg. Special thanks to Eric Antebi, Melissa Buckley, Vincent James, the Innovation Fund team, Holly Minch, and Amanda Kim. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. Learn more at CHCF.org. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

Wingless, unpowered aircraft could be the ticket to gathering atmospheric data on giant planets with thick atmospheres.

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.Iran vows response after strike it blames on Israel demolishes consulate in SyriaSummary: Following a strike—which has been widely attributed to Israel—on Iran's consulate in Syria on Monday, which reportedly killed two top Iranian generals and five officers, Iran's government and representatives from one of its proxies, Hezbollah, have said they will respond.Context: Israel semi-regularly takes out Iran's assets, human and infrastructural, using these sorts of strikes, and they seldom take credit for or comment on them, so it's difficult to definitively say that they played a role in them, but it's generally assumed that they launched this attack, that Iran's government will be very angry about it, that, bare-minimum, Iran's proxies like Hezbollah will launch retaliatory attacks against Israeli assets, possibly including their own regional consulates, and that there's a chance this could serve as a spark that makes the conflict in Gaza regional—though Iran has made pretty clear so far that they're trying to avoid that, so there's a chance they'll stick with proxy counterattacks for the time being.—The Associated PressOne Sentence News is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Germany shuts down 15 coal-fired power plantsSummary: Germany shut down 15 of its remaining coal power plants on Sunday and Monday, the country's Economy Minister saying that they weren't necessary or economical to keep online, and that this will help them achieve their goal of phasing out all such plants by 2030.Context: The German government decided to keep a bunch of coal power plants online in 2022 because of a surge in energy prices resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine—they were heavily reliant on fossil fuels imported from Russia, and when those supplies were targeted by sanctions, the country scrambled to keep enough energy flowing to support their population and their power-hungry manufacturing base; coal plants, then, despite conflicting with their emissions goals, were kept online as a just-in-case measure, but they ultimately weren't necessary, in part because of liquified natural gas imported from the US; even after these shutdowns, coal remains Germany's second most vital energy source, accounting for about 26% of their total electricity generation.—EuractivUN picks Saudi Arabia to lead women's rights forum despite ‘abysmal' recordSummary: The UN's Commission on the Status of Women, which is the body's commission for promoting gender equality and empowering women, has elected the Saudi ambassador to the UN as its chair after he ran for the position unopposed and without dissent at the group's most recent meeting.Context: Human rights groups are decrying this decision, as Saudi Arabia has one of the world's worst records for gender equality, Saudi women enjoying few of the rights men are granted by law and tradition; this is being seen as an effort by the Saudi government to burnish its reputation on this matter as it invests in all sorts of tourism efforts, hoping to pull in huge crowds of people from around the world, their treatment of women and other traditionally oppressed groups reportedly limiting them in that regard.—The GuardianThe director of the US Congressional Budget Office has warned that new projections suggest the country's debt burden is heading into unprecedented territory, which could spark a market selloff of the kind the UK saw in 2022, tipping the economy and government into crisis as soon as 2026.—Financial Times$43 billionValue of the European Union's Innovation Fund, which is an investment vehicle meant to help the bloc compete with “green” incentives provided to businesses making things like batteries and solar panels by the US's Inflation Reduction Act.The EU aims to provide their own competing incentives to keep European businesses from investing in new assets in the US instead of within the bloc, but the Innovation Fund hasn't had as much success as they'd hoped for, thus far, raising questions about the Union's efforts to hit its 2040 emissions targets.—BloombergTrust Click Get full access to One Sentence News at onesentencenews.substack.com/subscribe

Making Waves in HealthTech takes a deep dive into innovative tech startups that balance purpose and profit. Podcast hosts Janet Boachie and Hilda Martinez speak with diverse healthtech founders and learn how they create and sustain businesses for social good. Many of them are drawing on their lived experiences to solve some of the most pervasive problems in health care. This podcast is a production of the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need. We are an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. The Innovation Fund partners with emerging companies to bring innovations and technology to California's health care providers, payers, and patients.

The most expensive cities in America include cities like New York City, San Francisco, and San Jose. However, these expensive cities could actually be the cheapest due to all the income and investment opportunities. Let's explore the reasons why. Related post: Income Required To Afford A Typical Home In The Top 50 Cities Recommendations 1) Check out Fundrise, my favorite private real estate platform with over $3.3 billion under management for 500,000+ investors. With mortgage rates coming down and the stock market strong, the demand for real estate is building.  2) To invest in artificial intelligence and other private growth companies, check out the open-ended Innovation Fund. You can see what the fund invests in before you invest and how much. The investment minimum is only $10.  Financial Samurai is an investor in Fundrise funds and Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai.  Subscribe To Financial Samurai To achieve financial freedom sooner, join 60,000+ others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, rate, and review. Every review means a lot as each episode takes hours to produce. 

In this episode, I talk to my wife about what it's nice to own the nicest home we can afford five months after moving in. Although I am no happier, I do feel more satisfied.  Related post: Climbed To The Top Of The Property Ladder  Recommendations 1) Check out Fundrise, my favorite private real estate platform with over $3.3 billion under management for 500,000+ investors. With mortgage rates coming down and the stock market strong, the demand for real estate is building.  2) To invest in artificial intelligence and other private growth companies, check out the open-ended Innovation Fund. You can see what the fund invests in before you invest and how much. The investment minimum is only $10.  Subscribe To Financial Samurai Join 60,000+ others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, rate, and review. Every review means a lot as each episode takes hours to produce. 

Vanessa Villaverde, Senior Program Investor at the California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) Innovation Fund, discusses her work in creating pathways for underinvested founders in the healthcare industry. She emphasizes the need for more diversity and inclusion in digital health and highlights the challenges faced by founders of color in accessing venture capital. Villaverde also mentions the importance of leveraging government funds and charitable organizations to support companies addressing health equity. She discusses her role in the CHCF and her work with the nonprofit organization Founders and Funders of Color, which aims to connect and support organizations addressing health equity challenges. Villaverde encourages listeners to stay tuned for the organization's national tour in 2024 and provides contact information for those interested in learning more.

This week's theme on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast is: What I'm reading…stories and articles I've come across that I find relevant and hopefully useful for you, my lovely audience.  Today…I'm talking about The Death Spiral of The Ark Innovation Fund https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/why-cathie-woods-ark-is-one-of-the-worst-fund-groups-in-america https://www.wealthmanagement.com/etfs/top-15-wealth-destroying-funds-last-decade

Since 2009, when I began Financial Samurai, I've noticed some people are too afraid to invest or get easily shaken out whenever there is economic or stock market turbulence. Then, these investors get left behind as the economyc, stock market, real estate market, and other markets eventually recovery. To help you overcome your fear of investing, I suggest coming up with an investment thesis. An investment thesis is your north star and will help you hold strong during difficult times. For more details, see the post: An Investment Thesis Is The Key To Making More Money Long Term Investing Thesis For 2024 And Beyond 1) A recovery in the real estate market as it plays catchup to the stock market. Check out Fundrise, my favorite private real estate platform with over $3.3 billion under management for 500,000+ investors.  2) A boom in artificial intelligence that will boost profits and economic growth. To invest in AI and other private growth companies, check out the open-ended Innovation Fund. You can see what the fund invests in before you invest and how much. Subscribe To Financial Samurai Join 60,000+ others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, rate, and review. Every review means a lot as each episode takes hours to produce.   

Season 4 of Electrify This!  kicks off the new year to unpack a big question: “What's really needed to cut U.S. emissions faster this decade?” Guests Ed Rightor and Sue Tierney are co-authors of a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions, which evaluates how we can successfully implement current decarbonization policies and what else is  needed to reach U.S. emission targets in 2030. Tune in to learn more about the critical role that electrification will play in achieving these goals and what policymakers should consider in the transition to an equitable, climate safe future.  Guest Bios Ed Rightor is the Principal of Rightor Consulting. As an independent consultant, Ed supports his clients in the areas of industrial decarbonization, identification of unmet market needs, and sustainability.  Previously, he served as the Director of the Center for Clean Energy Innovation at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Director of the Industrial Program for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).  Ed also held several leadership roles at Dow Chemical during his 31-year career. He earned a PhD in chemistry from Michigan State University and a BS in chemistry from Marietta College. Susan Tierney is a Senior Advisor at Analysis Group and an expert on energy and environmental economics, regulation, and policy, particularly in the electric and gas industries. She has consulted to businesses, federal and state governments, regional grid operators, tribes, environmental groups, foundations, and other organizations on energy markets, economic and environmental regulation and strategy, and energy projects.  She has testified before Congress, state and federal regulatory agencies, and federal and state courts.  Previously, she served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Secretary of Environmental Affairs in Massachusetts, a Commissioner at the MA Department of Public Utilities, Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and Executive Director of the Energy Facilities Siting Council. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in regional planning at Cornell University. To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources: Analysis GroupRightor Consulting National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (Report) – Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Innovation Amplifiers: Getting More Bang for the Buck on GHG Reductions (Information Technology & Innovation Fund) ** We want to hear from you! Please take our brief survey and give us your ideas, thoughts, and suggestions for the podcast! Be a part of shaping this show.  **Contact us at electrifythis@energyinnovation.org. 

Happy 2024 everyone! Here are some of our goals and financial predictions for 2024. Overall, we're optimistic about the year. Related posts: 2024 S&P 500 Forecasts 2024 Housing Price Forecasts 2024 Financial Samurai Goals Explaining All The Surprise Capital Calls Investing In 2024 If you'd like to invest in the rebound in real estate in 2024, check out Fundrise, my favorite private real estate platform with over $3.3 billion under management for 500,000+ investors.  To invest in AI and other private growth companies, check out the open-ended Innovation Fund. You can see what the fund invests in before you invest and how much.  

BIO: Steve Faktor is a former Fortune-100 executive—turned entrepreneur, futurist author of Econovation, and podcaster. As Managing Director of IdeaFaktory Innovation, he helps tech, financial services, and consumer goods clients see and build the future.STORY: Steve joins the My Worst Investment Ever podcast again, this time sharing advice on how investors can see and build their investment futures.LEARNING: Try to understand the future by differentiating between noise and legitimate signals. Don't let others impose on your story. Act in principle. “I would like to see more people acting in a principled way because even if you win, but you do it without principle, you will have lost because those same unprincipled methods will come back to haunt you.”Steve Faktor Guest profileSteve Faktor is a former Fortune-100 executive—turned entrepreneur, futurist author of Econovation, and podcaster. As Managing Director of IdeaFaktory Innovation, he helps tech, financial services, and consumer goods clients see and build the future.Steve is a LinkedIn Influencer with over 750,000 followers and has been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He's a popular keynote speaker at major events and numerous corporations.The McFuture Podcast features Steve's provocative predictions and prescriptions, as well as guests like Larry King, comedian Jim Jefferies, Governor Jesse Ventura, Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz, former ACLU President Nadine Strossen, Megachurch Pastor AR Bernard, and many more.Previously, Steve launched multiple $150m+ loyalty, payments, and e-commerce products & services as head of the American Express Chairman's Innovation Fund, SVP at Citi Ventures, VP of Strategy & Innovation at MasterCard, and management consultant at Andersen.Steve joins the My Worst Investment Ever podcast again, sharing advice on how investors can see and build their investment futures. Listen to his previous episode: Take the Risk and Pursue Your Dreams.Understanding the future as a long-term investorIf you want to invest in three to ten-year opportunities, Steve says you need to know what the future will look like or at least have an idea of what that might be. However, as we try to understand the future, Steve says most of what we are reacting to is noise. You therefore, need to learn how to filter out what is signal and what is noise. Once you've identified which opportunities are legitimate signals and not noise, ask yourself where they could go. You'll never know for sure. But again, that's where you assign probabilities and say, this is likely to happen or more likely than something else. Now that you have an idea of where these things might go and what this future might look like, ask yourself how you'll act in that future.Steve adds that there's another equal danger to listening to noise, which is deafness. So there's the hearing of everything that may not be relevant or important, and then there's complete deafness. Steve says the vast majority of people are deaf. And so they're not even hearing and understanding the signals or the noises. Such people are complete pawns in...

As October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month, host Kanika Chadda Gupta meets with March of Dimes Director of Maternal & Infant Health Shadie Tofigh to discuss how to reduce risks and complications, learn more about the groundbreaking technology led by the Innovation Fund, and how we can alleviate the health inequities around black maternal health. She also sits down with Erika Nolting Young, an advocate who suffered infant loss and honored her child's legacy. Meet My Guest: WEBSITE: MarchofDimes.org

Featured Guests: Pete Flint, general partner, NFX | Antonio Avitabile, managing director, Sony Innovation Fund: Africa Marc Andreessen makes the case against regulating technological progress in his “Techno-Optimist Manifesto,” Sony establishes its newest Innovation Fund in Africa, and Tucker Carlson's new media company is backed by an ‘anti-woke' venture firm.

Master Brewers wants to fund your next innovation. Hear how the program works, as well as an overview of several projects that have already been funded. Special Guests: Doug Wilson, Kurt Driesner, Lauren Torres, Mark Jaeggi, Mike Billon, Molly Browning, Ryan Bross, and Tom Shellhammer.

I speak to Ben Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise about why his company started a new tech Innovation Fund. We explore why Ben thinks his firm has a competitive advantage, the most promising areas where the fund is investing, and the mechanics of investing in a private venture fund by Fundrise. For more, read my Fundrise Innovation Fund Review post.  To invest in the Innovation Fund, with an investment minimum of only $10, CLICK HERE. Fundrise is a long time sponsor of Financial Samurai. In 2016, I recognized Fundrise's investment thesis of investing in heartland real estate was exactly like mine. So we formed a business partnership that has now lasted for years.