Podcast
Smart Society Show
Hosted by Smart Society Ventures · EN
Join former UK Energy Minister Chris Skidmore and Venture Capital investor Brynne Kennedy as they explore cutting-edge climate technology and policy. This bi-weekly show features interviews with global climate leaders and innovators, offering insights on climate and technology markets. Discover the companies and visionaries shaping the world's largest economic opportunity and driving the path to Net Zero. Whether you're a policy maker, entrepreneur, investor, or climate enthusiast, The Smart Society Show brings you the latest in climate innovation. Brought to you by Smart Society Ventures.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Power Prices, Grid Intelligence, and the Future of Energy with Dave Easton (Generation IM) and Sean Kelly (Amperon)
Mar 1700:55:57Tap to summarizeElectricity has become one of the defining economic and political issues of our time. In this episode, Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore unpack the growing pressure around power prices in the US and UK, the urgent need for grid modernization, and why on-site generation, storage, and smarter forecasting are becoming essential as demand surges.They are joined first by Dave Easton, Partner on the Growth Equity Team at Generation Investment Management, who explains how Generation’s research-led “roadmap” approach helps identify where value will accrue across sustainability themes before the market fully catches on. He shares why the collision between AI and energy has been visible for years to those paying attention, why sustainable investing is simply best-practice investing, and why the next decade could create more opportunity in energy technology than the last hundred years combined.In the second half, Sean Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Amperon, explains how his Houston-based company built an AI-powered electricity forecasting platform now operating across 24 countries. Sean shares how Amperon helps traders, utilities, and grid operators navigate a more volatile, renewable-heavy power system through better demand, generation, and price forecasting — and why AI-driven forecasting is becoming critical infrastructure in its own right.From electricity prices and storage to AI adoption and grid reliability, this episode explores the technologies, business models, and investment themes shaping the future of energy.
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S2E4: Digital Infrastructure, AI at Scale, and Industrial Robotics with Tomas Lamanauskas (Deputy Secretary General, ITU) and Fredrik Isler (CFO, ANYbotics)
Jan 2200:49:57Tap to summarizeThis week, Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore speak with two leaders shaping the future of digital infrastructure, AI, and industrial energy systems: Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) at the United Nations, and Fredrik Isler, CFO of ETH Zurich spin-out ANYbotics.Brynne and Chris open with a discussion on how geopolitics, energy security, and AI are increasingly intertwined. They explore the shift from carbon-centric narratives toward cost, sovereignty, and competition for electrons and molecules, the implications of AI-driven electricity demand for grids and consumers, and why hyperscalers are being pushed toward behind-the-meter and co-located power solutions.Tomas Lamanauskas reflects on his journey from telecom regulation across multiple continents to shaping global digital policy at the ITU. He explains how AI and connectivity can reduce emissions through smarter networks, grids, and cities, while also addressing the growing footprint of digital infrastructure itself. Tomas shares insights into the ITU’s Green Digital Action agenda, including standards-based approaches to sustainable data centers, AI-enabled efficiency, early warning systems, and integrating sustainability into next-generation technologies.Fredrik Isler discusses how ANYbotics is bringing AI into the physical world through autonomous inspection robots deployed across energy and industrial environments. He explains why robotics is becoming essential infrastructure for asset monitoring, safety, and operational efficiency, how certification unlocks adoption in regulated industries, and why Switzerland’s ETH and EPFL ecosystems are producing globally competitive deep-tech scale-ups.
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S2E3: COP30, AI-Driven Power Demand, and On-Site Energy Innovation with Catherine McKenna (Former Canadian Climate Minister) and Shannon Miller (Co-Founder & CEO, Mainspring Energy)
Dec 1100:45:11Tap to summarizeThis week, Brynne Kennedy and Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE speak with two leaders shaping global climate policy and the future of on-site power: Catherine McKenna, former Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Chair of the UN Net Zero Expert Group, and Shannon Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Mainspring Energy.Brynne and Chris discuss the key outcomes from COP in Brazil, the rising strain between AI-driven electricity demand and grid capacity, and the renewed focus on nuclear power as clean baseload. They examine how geopolitics, permitting, and implementation are now central to the energy transition.Catherine McKenna reflects on her path from negotiating the Paris Agreement to defining global net-zero standards at the UN. She outlines what drives real climate action today: credible regulation, pricing climate risk, ending public fossil fuel finance, and ensuring policy certainty for investors.Shannon Miller explains how Mainspring’s linear generator technology delivers reliable, fuel-flexible on-site power for data centers, industrial users, and logistics hubs. She highlights deployments with partners like Prologis and utilities, showing how microgrids and modular systems are accelerating clean, resilient power where it’s needed most.
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Energy Security, Global Infrastructure Capital, and the Rise of Flexibility Markets with Sir Danny Alexander (CEO, HSBC Infrastructure Finance & Sustainability) and John Diklev (Founder & CEO, Flower)
Nov 1800:43:55Tap to summarizeIn this new episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore speak with two leaders at the forefront of global infrastructure and AI-enabled clean power: Sir Danny Alexander, CEO of HSBC Infrastructure Finance & Sustainability, and John Diklev, founder & CEO of Flower.Brynne and Chris begin with insights from COP and the rising pressure on global power systems—from AI-driven electricity demand to the growing focus on energy security, sovereignty, and the practical challenge of building reliable, affordable, clean power at scale.In our Climate Leaders segment, Sir Danny Alexander reflects on his experience in UK government and multilateral development finance, sharing how blended finance, stable policy, and smarter regulation can unlock capital for the energy transition across global markets.In the Chasing Unicorns segment, John Diklev explains how Flower is creating AI-optimised clean power by combining renewable assets with flexible storage and real-time trading. He introduces Green Baseload, Flower’s model for delivering reliable, affordable clean energy to data centers and industry.
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S2E1: Energy Leadership and Meeting AI’s Power Demand with Boris Johnson (Former UK Prime Minister) and Greg Jackson (Founder & CEO, Octopus Energy)
Oct 3000:58:12Tap to summarizeIn this Season 2 premiere of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore sit down with two leading voices in policy and energy, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Greg Jackson, founder & CEO of Octopus Energy.Brynne and Chris open the episode with a discussion on the shifting dynamics of global energy, from the surge in power demand driven by AI and data centers, to how industrial policy and energy sovereignty are becoming central to economic strategy. They explore why the focus has moved beyond emissions targets to the real-world challenge of delivering affordable, reliable, and abundant power.In our Climate Leaders segment, Boris Johnson reflects on his time in office and at COP26, sharing his perspective on how to sustain public support for net zero. He discusses the need to pair technology and growth with affordability, ensuring the green transition creates jobs, investment, and long-term economic competitiveness.In the Chasing Unicorns segment, Greg Jackson explains how Octopus Energy’s recently spun-off software platform, Kraken, is redefining how energy systems work - using AI and automation to optimize grids, integrate renewables, and reduce costs for households and businesses worldwide. He offers a vision for a future where technology makes clean energy not just possible, but better and cheaper for everyone.
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S1E16: Shifting Energy Politics, Holistic Venture Building, and Scaling Solar Fuels with Oliver Libby (Managing Partner, H/L Ventures) and Gianluca Ambrosetti (CEO, Synhelion)
May 2700:42:18Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore explore how political shifts, from local UK elections to U.S.-Gulf partnerships, are redrawing the map of global energy leadership. They unpack the growing divide between fossil fuel resurgence and clean energy acceleration, the geopolitical weight of AI-powered data centers, and the outsized influence of Gulf capital in shaping America's energy future. In our Climate Leaders segment, Oliver Libby, Managing Partner of H/L Ventures and CityRock Venture Partners, joins to discuss how his firm is redefining early-stage venture capital with a deeply engaged, mission-aligned model. He shares why impact and diversity are not just values but return drivers, how H/L structures daily active support for founders, and why the firm is betting on pragmatic, scalable climate solutions over moonshot bets.In the Chasing Unicorns segment, Gianluca Ambrosetti, CEO of Synhelion, shares the journey behind building a game-changing sustainable aviation fuel company out of Switzerland. He explains how Synhelion is turning solar heat into liquid fuel, why Swissair’s early adoption matters, and what it takes to cross the chasm from deeptech promise to gigaton-scale impact.
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S1E15: Global Shifts, Climate Investing, and the Future of Cultivated Meat with Christophe Defert (Head of Climate Growth Partners, HSBC) and Jeff Tripician (CEO, Meatable)
May 6, 202500:43:17Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore break down how shifting geopolitics, from the Canadian election to UK and Chinese climate commitments, are reshaping global climate leadership and energy investment strategies. They discuss how national security, energy sovereignty, and populism are now central to the climate transition, with implications for everything from EV supply chains to investor confidence.In our Chasing Net Zero segment, we’re joined by Christophe Defert, Head of HSBC Climate Growth Partners, who shares insights on navigating climate investing through political volatility, why software-driven supply chain sustainability may be the biggest overlooked opportunity, and how HSBC is balancing resilience, scalability, and transatlantic growth.In the Chasing Unicorns segment, Trip Tripician, CEO of Meatable, discusses how cultivated meat is poised to transform the $2 trillion global meat industry. He explains how Meatable is blending scientific innovation with practical go-to-market strategies, navigating global regulation, and building industry partnerships to scale alternative proteins that meet rising global demand while reducing harm to the planet.
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S1E14: Tariffs, Climate Investing Trends, and Distributed Energy with Greg Wasserman (Head of Private Climate Investing, Wellington Management) and Alexandra Rasch (Founder & CEO, Caban)
Apr 17, 202500:59:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore dive into the latest geopolitical shifts affecting the energy transition. They unpack the implications of new U.S. tariff announcements and growing trade tensions on clean energy supply chains, domestic manufacturing, and the accelerating global race for critical minerals. They also discuss what this means for the future of the energy transition and how investors, operators, and governments are responding to an increasingly fragmented global landscape.In our Chasing Net Zero segment, we’re joined by Greg Wasserman, Head of Private Climate Investing at Wellington Management. Greg shares insights from nearly two decades in climate investing, discussing how capital is moving into later-stage climate solutions, the importance of adaptation, and why overlooked sectors like logistics, automation, and digital infrastructure are central to the decarbonization story.In the Chasing Unicorns segment, Alexandra Rasch, Founder and CEO of Caban, walks us through how distributed energy infrastructure is evolving across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. She unpacks the policy tailwinds and headwinds shaping energy storage markets, the importance of local manufacturing and software, and how Caban is building a decentralized power network to fuel the next generation of telecom, data, and AI systems.
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S1E13: CERA Week, AI's Energy Demands, and Climate Investing with Hampus Jakobson (GP, Pale Blue Dot) and Blaine Mathieu (CEO, Pratexo)
Mar 28, 202500:52:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore unpack key insights from two major global forums, CERA Week in Houston and the Baku Global Forum in Azerbaijan. From the rise of "energy realism" to the explosive intersection of AI and energy infrastructure, they explore how hyperscalers, oil majors, and grid operators are responding to rising demand, carbon constraints, and geopolitical shifts. They also discuss what this means for climate policy, corporate strategy, and investment across regions.In our Chasing Net Zero segment, we’re joined by Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, who shares lessons from investing in early-stage climate tech. He discusses why behavioral change isn’t a viable strategy, how to back companies that win regardless of climate beliefs, and why storage, reindustrialization, and adaptation are the next big frontiers.In Chasing Unicorns, Blaine Mathieu, CEO of Pratexo, dives into how edge computing can unlock decentralized energy systems. He explains how their platform enables industrial players to evolve at the speed of software, manage distributed power assets, and build more resilient infrastructure—all while supporting the AI-powered future.
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S1E12: The EU Omnibus, Circular Design, and Agrivoltaics with William McDonough, CEO of McDonough Innovation and Nicolas Weber, Co-founder and CEO of Voltiris
Mar 10, 202500:51:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore break down the latest shifts in climate markets, including the EU Omnibus and its far-reaching impact on sustainability reporting and investment trends. They explore what these regulatory changes mean for businesses, investors, and the future of climate finance.In our Chasing Net Zero segment, we welcome William McDonough, renowned architect and sustainability pioneer, to discuss circular economy principles, Cradle to Cradle design, and how innovative thinking can transform the built environment for a regenerative future.In Chasing Unicorns, Nicolas Weber, CEO of Voltiris, joins us to talk about the company’s breakthrough agrivoltaic technology, which allows greenhouses to generate solar power without compromising crop yields. He shares insights on scaling clean energy solutions in agriculture and the role of innovative startups in the energy transition.
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