The Underswell with Derek Sabori

Breaking the Mold: Nonlinear Careers, Climate Impact & Bold Moves

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🎧 In this episode, I sit down with the ever-curious and deeply accomplished Kirthika Padmanabhan—an operator, strategist, and climate-focused investor whose career journey spans continents, industries, and disciplines. We talk about what it means to embrace a nonlinear path, take bold leaps, and build a meaningful career rooted in impact. From hedge funds to YouTube, startups to climate tech, Kirthika’s story is a reminder that the best paths are often the ones we didn’t even know we could take.

🗣️ What We Talk About:

  • What a rhizome (yeah, I had to look it up too :) has to do with your career
  • Moving from engineering to finance, tech, and eventually climate
  • How imposter syndrome shaped her early decisions—and how she worked through it
  • The value of generalists in a world of specialists
  • How women are disproportionately affected by climate change and essential to solving it
  • The signals that tell you it's time to move on from a role
  • Being comfortable in uncertainty and building from scratch
  • Her new role investing in early-stage climate tech at Climate Capital

    • đź’ˇ Key Takeaways

    • Your career doesn’t have to follow a straight line. Growth in any direction is still growth.
    • Confidence often comes from others first—borrow it, then build your own.
    • Everyone has a role in climate action. You don’t need to be a scientist (or a sustainability lead) to make an impact.
    • Generalist skills are powerful. The ability to connect ideas is a superpower in complex, fast-evolving spaces.
    • Learn to fail fast. Staying too long in misaligned roles can drain your energy and momentum.

      • 🧠 Memorable Quotes

      “Sometimes the best paths are the ones you didn’t know you could take.”

      “The future favors the bold. Build the bridge as you’re crossing it.”

      🎯 Listen to This If You Are:

      • Exploring a career pivot and feeling uncertain about it
      • A generalist trying to find your place in a specialist-driven world
      • A woman (or ally) curious about the intersection of gender equity and climate
      • Someone trying to break into the climate space from a nontraditional background
      • Building something new, from scratch, and looking for inspiration

        • đź”— Links You Might Want to Check Out:

        • Follow Kirthika on LinkedIn
        • Learn more about Climate Capital
        • Jane Goodall, and the Jane Goodall Institute
        • Advice from Esther Perel

          • Music by LidĂ©rc.

          #careeradvice #careerpivot #climatetech #investor #nonlinearcareer #operator #strategy

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          The Underswell with Derek SaboriBy Derek Sabori