What if one of the biggest opportunities to cut food waste isn't at the trash can, but before the food is even served?

In this episode of Climate Hive: What Do You Solve?, we sit down with Fengmin Gong, CEO of Metafoodx, to explore how artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensors, and better data could transform the way commercial kitchens plan, prepare, and serve food.

Globally, roughly 30% of food produced is lost or wasted somewhere between the farm and our plates. But Fengmin argues that preventing waste upstream is one of the most important opportunities.

The challenge?

Kitchens often don't have accurate, real-time information about what they're producing, how much people are actually consuming, portion sizes, food temperatures, or how demand changes from one day to another.

Metafoodx is building an AI-powered data layer designed to change that.

Fengmin takes us inside the technology, including a portable AI scanner that can recognize food, measure weight and food area, capture temperature information, and generate operational data in seconds, without asking already-busy kitchen teams to manually track everything.

We also explore why the human side of technology matters. Fengmin shares how feedback from chefs and kitchen operators changed Metafoodx's product design and why technology has to fit into existing workflows if it's going to create meaningful impact.

The conversation goes far beyond restaurants.

We discuss the potential applications across universities, corporate dining, healthcare, senior living, hotels, resorts, cruise ships, food suppliers, and eventually even cooking robotics.

Fengmin also shares his unexpected journey from cybersecurity and building technology companies to tackling food waste, and why he believes AI's next major chapter will happen when it moves beyond chatbots and deeper into the physical world.

In this episode:

• Why so much food is wasted before it ever reaches the consumer

• How inaccurate forecasting leads to overproduction

• Why food operations still contain major data blind spots

• How AI and computer vision can recognize and track prepared food

• Why preventing food waste matters more than simply managing it afterward

• How real-time data can improve kitchen planning and efficiency

• Why Metafoodx designed its technology around kitchen workers

• What universities and large-scale dining operations can teach food-tech companies

• The opportunity for AI across cruise ships and institutional dining

• How food consumption data could eventually improve the wider supply chain

• Why AI's biggest impact may come when it connects with the physical world

The future of food may not simply be about producing differently. It may be about finally understanding, in real time, what we actually need to produce.

Subscribe to Climate Hive for more conversations with the founders, scientists, operators, investors, and innovators working on some of the world's biggest climate challenges.

What Do You Solve? asks one simple question: What problem are you solving, and why does it matter?

Learn more

www.metafoodx.com

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/company/metafoodx/

What if the temperature data guiding critical business and city decisions isn’t nearly precise enough?

In this episode of Climate Hive: "What Do You Solve?*, we speak with Jay Sadiq, founder and CEO of FortyGuard, about why hyperlocal temperature intelligence will become increasingly important as the climate changes and extreme heat reshapes our cities, infrastructure, energy systems, and daily lives.

Jay explains the crucial difference between temperature data and traditional weather data—and why conditions can vary dramatically from one neighborhood, street, or building to the next. FortyGuard’s AI-powered technology transforms data from satellites, sensors, weather stations, and other sources into highly localized temperature insights that organizations can use to make smarter decisions.

We discuss:

• Why accurate temperature data is becoming critical climate infrastructure

• The business case for FortyGuard

• How FortyGuard’s temperature intelligence technology works

• Why hyperlocal data can reveal what traditional weather forecasts miss

• How heat affects energy, infrastructure, logistics, public health, and urban planning

• How Jay’s experience as a four-time founder led him to the temperature problem

• Why FortyGuard evolved from developing cooling materials into a data-driven technology company

• How the company is already engaging cities, businesses, developers, and other market stakeholders

As rising temperatures create new risks and costs, FortyGuard is working to turn heat from an invisible problem into actionable intelligence.

Learn more about FortyGuard:

https://www.fortyguard.com/

Connect with Jay Sadiq on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jihadsadiq/

Subscribe to *What Do You Solve?* for more conversations with founders, innovators, and leaders developing solutions for people and the planet.

#ClimateTech #TemperatureIntelligence #ExtremeHeat #UrbanHeat #ClimateAdaptation #ArtificialIntelligence #SmartCities #ClimateResilience #FortyGuard #WhatDoYouSolve

What does it take to move next-generation solar technology from a laboratory breakthrough to commercial manufacturing in the United States?

In this live, on-location episode of *What Do You Solve?*, we sit down with Tandem PV CEO Scott Wharton inside the company’s new 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fremont, California.

Scott discusses the challenges of reaching this milestone, what the factory means for the future of American solar manufacturing, and how Tandem PV’s breakthroughs in perovskite-silicon technology could transform the performance and economics of solar energy.

The conversation explores:

• Tandem PV’s journey from research and pilot production to commercialization

• How perovskite-silicon tandem panels capture more of the solar spectrum and generate more power from the same footprint

• The rapidly growing electricity demands of AI data centers and an increasingly electrified economy

• Why domestic manufacturing matters for energy security, supply-chain resilience, innovation, and job creation

• The challenges of turning promising laboratory results into repeatable manufacturing

• Tandem PV’s roadmap for customer validation, commercial production, and high-volume manufacturing

Tandem PV’s Fremont factory has approximately 40 megawatts of annual nameplate capacity and is designed to demonstrate reliable production of large-format tandem solar panels. The company has begun producing initial modules, plans to support customer validation trials, and is targeting high-volume manufacturing in 2028.

Tandem PV combines a thin perovskite light-absorbing layer with conventional silicon solar technology. The company has reported nearly 30% panel efficiency in internal testing, along with accelerated durability results showing less than 1% average annual power loss.

Recorded live inside the operating factory, this interview offers a firsthand look at the people, technology, equipment, and manufacturing infrastructure working to shape the next era of solar energy.

### Learn More About Tandem PV

Website: https://www.tandempv.com/

Factory announcement:

https://www.tandempv.com/news/tandem-pv-opens-california-factory-for-next-generation-solar-manufacturing

Partnership and general inquiries:

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Press inquiries:

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Tandem PV

3500 Gateway Boulevard

Fremont, CA 94538

Watch the full interview to learn how Tandem PV is working to restore U.S. leadership in advanced solar manufacturing while helping meet the world’s rapidly increasing demand for electricity.

#TandemPV #Perovskite #SolarEnergy #SolarManufacturing #USManufacturing #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #EnergyInnovation #AIDataCenters #RenewableEnergy #MadeInAmerica

What does it take to move next-generation solar technology from a laboratory breakthrough to commercial manufacturing in the United States?

In this live, on-location episode of *What Do You Solve?*, we sit down with Tandem PV CEO Scott Wharton inside the company’s new 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fremont, California.

Scott discusses the challenges of reaching this milestone, what the factory means for the future of American solar manufacturing, and how Tandem PV’s breakthroughs in perovskite-silicon technology could transform the performance and economics of solar energy.

The conversation explores:

• Tandem PV’s journey from research and pilot production to commercialization

• How perovskite-silicon tandem panels capture more of the solar spectrum and generate more power from the same footprint

• The rapidly growing electricity demands of AI data centers and an increasingly electrified economy

• Why domestic manufacturing matters for energy security, supply-chain resilience, innovation, and job creation

• The challenges of turning promising laboratory results into repeatable manufacturing

• Tandem PV’s roadmap for customer validation, commercial production, and high-volume manufacturing

Tandem PV’s Fremont factory has approximately 40 megawatts of annual nameplate capacity and is designed to demonstrate reliable production of large-format tandem solar panels. The company has begun producing initial modules, plans to support customer validation trials, and is targeting high-volume manufacturing in 2028.

Tandem PV combines a thin perovskite light-absorbing layer with conventional silicon solar technology. The company has reported nearly 30% panel efficiency in internal testing, along with accelerated durability results showing less than 1% average annual power loss.

Recorded live inside the operating factory, this interview offers a firsthand look at the people, technology, equipment, and manufacturing infrastructure working to shape the next era of solar energy.

### Learn More About Tandem PV

Website: https://www.tandempv.com/

Factory announcement:

https://www.tandempv.com/news/tandem-pv-opens-california-factory-for-next-generation-solar-manufacturing

Partnership and general inquiries:

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Press inquiries:

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Tandem PV

3500 Gateway Boulevard

Fremont, CA 94538

Watch the full interview to learn how Tandem PV is working to restore U.S. leadership in advanced solar manufacturing while helping meet the world’s rapidly increasing demand for electricity.

#TandemPV #Perovskite #SolarEnergy #SolarManufacturing #USManufacturing #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #EnergyInnovation #AIDataCenters #RenewableEnergy #MadeInAmerica

In this episode of Climate Hive: What Do You Solve?, we sit down with Emily Teitsworth, Executive Director of the Honnold Foundation, to explore how clean energy can transform lives, strengthen communities, and help address energy poverty around the world. ☀️🌍

Emily shares the story behind the Honnold Foundation, how it began through the vision of legendary climber and founder Alex Honnold, and how the organization has grown its global impact in under a decade. We talk about what it takes to build resilient, community-led clean energy projects, why energy access is so closely tied to opportunity, and the challenges facing communities still living without reliable power. ⚡

We also reference insights from the 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the Foundation’s expanding reach and the meaningful outcomes being created through its work. 📊

And yes, this episode includes a very special cameo from show co-host Mike Higgins’ senior pug, Eddie. 🐶✨

Learn more about the Honnold Foundation and their mission:

https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/#mission

In this episode:

☀️ The origin story of the Honnold Foundation

🧗 Alex Honnold’s vision for climate and energy access

🌱 How community-led clean energy projects create lasting resilience

⚡ The global challenge of energy poverty

📊 Highlights from the 2025 Impact Report

https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/news/2025impact

🐾 Eddie the pug’s unforgettable guest appearance

#ClimateHive #WhatDoYouSolve #HonnoldFoundation #CleanEnergy #EnergyAccess #ClimateAction #EnergyPoverty #AlexHonnold #Sustainability #Podcast #ClimateSolutions #RenewableEnergy

In this episode of Climate Hive’s What Do You Solve? Show, we sit down with Heather Cooley, Chief Research and Program Officer, and Nicole Wickenhauser, Chief Growth Officer, from the Pacific Institute — a globally respected, nonpartisan water think tank founded in 1987. For nearly four decades, the Pacific Institute has helped advance practical, science-based solutions to some of the world’s most pressing water challenges.

Together, we explore how water demand, supply, and management are changing in real time — and how governments, businesses, and communities can respond with resilience, equity, and action.

Heather and Nicole share how the Pacific Institute advises organizations and decision-makers, highlights success stories, and supports meaningful change across sectors. We discuss the Colorado River crisis, behavior change, international collaboration through the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate / Collective Action work, and how our personal relationship with water shapes broader climate resilience.

Throughout the conversation, one theme comes through clearly: water is not just part of the climate conversation — it is where climate change becomes visible, urgent, and deeply human.

Learn more about the Pacific Institute:

https://pacinst.org/

In this episode, we cover:

– How Pacific Institute supports governments, companies, and organizations

– Real-world shifts in water demand, supply, and management

– Lessons from the Colorado River crisis

– Global water stewardship and collective action

– Stories of behavior change and systems change

– Why water is central to climate resilience

– What gives the Pacific Institute hope

Featured guests:

Heather Cooley — Chief Research and Program Officer, Pacific Institute

Nicole Wickenhauser — Chief Growth Officer, Pacific Institute

About Climate Hive:

Climate Hive brings together leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers working on the most important climate challenges of our time.

#ClimateHive #PacificInstitute #WaterSecurity #ClimateAction #WaterStewardship #ColoradoRiver #ClimateResilience #Sustainability #WhatDoYouSolve

🌍 What Do You Solve? | Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV | Perovskite Solar & The Future of Clean Energy

In this episode of Climate Hive: What Do You Solve?, we sit down with Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV, to explore the future of Perovskite solar technology and its role in accelerating the clean energy transition.

Scott shares his journey from successful tech entrepreneur to clean tech innovator, explains why he joined Tandem PV, and breaks down what makes Perovskite solar such a promising advancement in renewable energy. We dive into his perspective on the current state of the energy transition, the challenges ahead, and what gives him hope for a sustainable future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:09 The Stanford Origins

04:05 Coming Full Circle to Solar

06:29 What is Perovskite Solar?

08:51 Solving for Durability

10:34 The "Holy Grail" of Solar

11:37 The 3-Phase Manufacturing Plan

13:39 The "Solar of Things"

15:28 Indoor Use & Abundant Materials

17:42 A Hopeful Global Outlook

19:35 Winning on Economics

23:34 China's Solar Deployment

25:43 How to Compete with China

28:18 Why Focus on Utility-Scale?

29:47 Innovation vs. "Doom-and-Gloom"

33:20 The "Valley of Death"

35:38 How to Help & Driving the Market Forward

👉 Topics Covered:

What is Perovskite solar technology?

Why Scott Wharton joined Tandem PV

How Tandem PV is changing the solar game

Scott’s entrepreneurial background

What gives Scott hope about the climate future

📌 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to stay updated on more interviews with leaders tackling the climate crisis.

🔗 Learn more about Tandem PV: https://www.tandempv.com/

Scott Wharton

CEO

Scott is the CEO of Tandem PV, a disruptive solar panel company based in Silicon Valley.

Prior to Tandem, Scott was the Vice President and General Manager of Logitech for Business, a division that generates ~$2 billion in annual revenue and includes all products, software, and services for business and enterprise customers. Before leading the B2B group, Scott drove 25x growth in the Video Collaboration division, starting as a small player in 2015 ($62m) to over $1 billion in revenue, becoming the global market leader for video equipment. Under his leadership, Logitech has developed award-winning products recognized by CES, iF Design, Red Dot, and IDA for design innovation. For product excellence, the honors include TIME Best Inventions in 2022 and 2024 and Fast Company Next Big Thing in Tech for two consecutive years.

Scott has held market-leading roles throughout his career in the communications space including as the founder of Vidtel, a pioneer in cloud-based video conferencing services. Vidtel had a successful exit in 2013.

Scott was an early executive at BroadSoft (IPO; acquired by Cisco) and VocalTec (IPO) where he spearheaded numerous groundbreaking initiatives, including the development of the first commercial VoIP product, the creation of the cloud PBX market, and the VoIP service provider industry. Scott holds an MBA from Yale University.

#PerovskiteSolar #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #ScottWharton #TandemPV #EnergyTransition #Entrepreneurship #WhatDoYouSolve #ClimateHive #SustainableFuture

🌍 What Do You Solve? | Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV | Perovskite Solar & The Future of Clean Energy

In this episode of Climate Hive: What Do You Solve?, we sit down with Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV, to explore the future of Perovskite solar technology and its role in accelerating the clean energy transition.

Scott shares his journey from successful tech entrepreneur to clean tech innovator, explains why he joined Tandem PV, and breaks down what makes Perovskite solar such a promising advancement in renewable energy. We dive into his perspective on the current state of the energy transition, the challenges ahead, and what gives him hope for a sustainable future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:09 The Stanford Origins

04:05 Coming Full Circle to Solar

06:29 What is Perovskite Solar?

08:51 Solving for Durability

10:34 The "Holy Grail" of Solar

11:37 The 3-Phase Manufacturing Plan

13:39 The "Solar of Things"

15:28 Indoor Use & Abundant Materials

17:42 A Hopeful Global Outlook

19:35 Winning on Economics

23:34 China's Solar Deployment

25:43 How to Compete with China

28:18 Why Focus on Utility-Scale?

29:47 Innovation vs. "Doom-and-Gloom"

33:20 The "Valley of Death"

35:38 How to Help & Driving the Market Forward

👉 Topics Covered:

What is Perovskite solar technology?

Why Scott Wharton joined Tandem PV

How Tandem PV is changing the solar game

Scott’s entrepreneurial background

What gives Scott hope about the climate future

📌 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to stay updated on more interviews with leaders tackling the climate crisis.

🔗 Learn more about Tandem PV: https://www.tandempv.com/

#PerovskiteSolar #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #ScottWharton #TandemPV #EnergyTransition #Entrepreneurship #WhatDoYouSolve #ClimateHive #SustainableFuture

What does it really take to drive behavior change in construction and industrial operations?

In this episode of What Do You Solve?, we sit down with Bevan Hurlbert of Sunbelt Rentals to explore how electrification is reshaping jobsites, improving worker health and safety, and changing the way companies think about equipment ownership.

We dig into why buying equipment can sometimes lock organizations into yesterday’s technology — and why renting creates a unique opportunity to experiment with electric equipment, reduce risk, and accelerate innovation.

Bevan also shares insights from his own professional journey, how Sunbelt Rentals is approaching sustainability at scale, and what the future of cleaner, quieter, safer jobsites could look like.

Topics covered include:

Behavior change in construction and industrial operations

The health and safety impact of electric equipment

Why rental models can accelerate innovation adoption

The hidden risks of long-term equipment ownership

Electrification trends in construction

Sustainability goals at Sunbelt Rentals

Bevan Hurlbert’s career journey and perspective on industry transformation

If you're interested in construction innovation, sustainability, electrification, fleet strategy, or the future of industrial operations, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about Sunbelt Rentals:

https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/

Connect with Bevan Hurlbert:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bevanhurlbert/

#Construction #Sustainability #Electrification #EquipmentRental #Innovation #SunbeltRentals #CleanTech #IndustrialInnovation #BehaviorChange #WorkplaceSafety

Water is everywhere — yet somehow absent from many of our biggest climate conversations.

In this episode of Climate Hive: What Do You Solve?, we sit down with Alexis Morgan, Global Water Stewardship Lead at WWF (World Wildlife Fund), to explore why the future of climate resilience, business, food systems, AI infrastructure, and human wellbeing all depend on how we rethink our relationship with water.

Alexis opens by challenging a critical idea: the shift from water management to water stewardship. What does stewardship actually mean? And how do companies, governments, communities, and industries work together at the scale needed to solve global water challenges?

This conversation goes far beyond drought headlines and water scarcity statistics.

We unpack:

Why water may be the most underestimated climate issue

How the global water crisis is already showing up around the world

The hidden connections between water, food, ecosystems, and economic stability

Why sediment matters more than most people realize

The growing tension between AI data centers and water demand

Why collaboration — not isolated action — is essential for meaningful impact

How your personal “water story” shapes the way you see the world

Alexis brings a rare systems-level perspective to one of the most urgent and misunderstood challenges of our time. If you care about climate, sustainability, business, innovation, or the future of society, this episode will change how you think about water.

🌍 Learn more about WWF’s water stewardship work:

https://www.wwf.se/english/hm-partnership-results/water/

Subscribe to What Do You Solve? for conversations with leaders solving the world’s toughest challenges through innovation, collaboration, and systems thinking.