Consensus in Conversation

Data is one of the most critical, and underused, tools for combating climate change – the more information we have about our impact, the better decisions we can make towards managing it. Lauren Dunford, co-founder of revolutionary startup Guidewheel, is on a mission to place that tool in the hands of manufacturers, offering a unique, data-driven system for monitoring factory operations, reducing energy costs, and improving efficiency.

CEO Lauren launched the startup in 2018 with co-founder and current CTO Weston McBride, leading Guidewheel’s development of its core product, the FactoryOps platform, a system they describe as “Fitbit for Factories.” With funding from major ESG players like Breakthrough Energy Ventures and the Decarbonization Partners fund, and brand name customers like Coca-Cola FEMSA and Igloo, Guidewheel’s cutting-edge approach to sustainable manufacturing operations is turning heads across the industry.

Lauren received a degree in Sustainability in Global Environment and Health at Stanford, where she also co-founded the Stanford Green Fund and ran the Students for a Sustainable Stanford program. After completing a Fulbright scholarship studying supply chain in India, Lauren worked her way up to chief of staff at the B-Corp Revolution Foods, where she saw firsthand just how impactful data could be for operational efficiency and sustainability, developing the idea for what would soon become Guidewheel.

Hear Lauren discuss her passion for studying environmental impact, why better data can help industries cut costs and bolster sustainability, and how the practical approach of picking low-hanging fruit could make a significant impact in the long run.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Lauren Dunford on adding sustainability into existing workflows
• 00:52 Conor Gaughan introduces Lauren and Guidewheel
• 04:28 Bay Area background, impact driven entrepreneurship, and Stanford
• 13:12 Fulbright Scholarship, Revolution Foods, and supply chain logistics
• 18:06 The lightbulb moment, business school, and launching Guidewheel
• 26:00 The potential market, manufacturing inefficiencies, and hidden economies
• 34:46 Adoption from big brands, pitching to investors, and implementing AI
• 44:27 Aligning profit and purpose, the future of data, and defeating defeatism
• 50:49 Exciting climate innovations and leaving a legacy
• 53:30 Where to learn more and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Anne Coghlan of Scope3 on the Philosophy of Math, Decarbonized Media, and the Future of Digital Ads

More on Lauren Dunford and Guidewheel:

• guidewheel.com 
• linkedin.com/in/lauren-dunford-6887ab7 
• linkedin.com/company/guidewheel

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone 

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

In the more than a century since humans first took to the skies with powered flight, still only about 20% of the world’s population has actually flown on an airplane. But that demand is on the rise, and air travel’s CO2 emissions are set to triple by 2050. So Benjamin Stabler and Heart Aerospace have a groundbreaking solution: decarbonize and democratize flight for all.

Ben, who joined Heart as CTO earlier this year, has been leading technical work on the ES-30, an innovative, battery-electric hybrid regional aircraft. Heart Aerospace is building a system of decarbonized, short-haul aircrafts that are cheaper to operate and more energy-efficient than traditional air travel. Founded in 2019, the startup has raised over $140 million to date developing and scaling its revolutionary technology, which is not only more sustainable, but, given its significant reduction in direct operating costs per trip, potentially more profitable too, allowing for the development and revitalization of regional air travel networks that help create a more connected world.

Prior to leading technical development for Heart’s newly established North American operations, Ben received an M.S. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, led software and hardware teams for the SpaceX Crew Dragon program, and co-founded Parallel Systems, an automated, battery-electric freight rail vehicle startup.

Hear Ben talk about his lifelong love for aviation, how the ES-30 actually works, and why electrified, short-distance flights could change the future of aviation as we know it.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Benjamin Stabler on decarbonizing short distance flights 
• 00:49 Conor Gaughan introduces Ben and Heart Aerospace
• 05:28 Passion for airplanes, Stanford engineering, and SpaceX
• 16:07 Origin of Heart Aerospace, joining as CTO, and electric aviation
• 26:39 Hybrid electric regional aircraft, efficiency, and the U.S. markets
• 30:17 Decarbonizing flight and democratizing air travel
• 38:11 Rising aviation demand, the long-term horizon, and exciting climate tech
• 45:43 Remaining optimistic and where to learn more
• 49:48 End credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Forrest North and Jason Marks of TELO Trucks on EVs, Mini Pickups, and Autonomous Tech

More on Ben Stabler and Heart Aerospace:

• linkedin.com/in/ben-stabler 
• linkedin.com/company/heart-aerospace 
• heartaerospace.com

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone 

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is in love with climate solutions, and her new book, What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures, offers a refreshing, inspiring look at what our best possible climate future could look like through contributions and conversations with leading voices in art, poetry, economics and science.

Ayana studied environmental science and public policy at Harvard University, where she also forged a lifelong friendship with host Conor Gaughan. She later received a Ph.D. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography before co-founding Urban Ocean Lab, a non-profit think tank for the future of coastal cities that she still leads today. Ayana, the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College, has co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save, co-founded The All We Can Save Project, and even co-created and co-hosted the How to Save a Planet podcast.

More recently, she has co-authored a roadmap for integrating the ocean into climate-related policy called the Blue New Deal, developed U.S. federal ocean policy at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and served on the board of directors for both Patagonia and GreenWave. Honestly, listing all of her climate-focused initiatives, policies, and accomplishments would take an entire podcast itself.

Hear Ayana talk about falling in love with the ocean, the secret importance of being good at attending cocktail parties, and how she’s merging science, policy, culture, and social justice to envision our best possible climate future.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson on visions of climate futures.
• 00:53 Conor Gaughan introduces Ayana
• 03:57 Early interests, Harvard University, and passion for the ocean
• 14:32 Designing a fishing device, Caribbean conservation, and How To Save a Planet
• 24:16 Founding Urban Ocean Lab and the core ideas of What If We Get It Right?
• 34:21 Problems and possibilities, reimagining infrastructure, and actionable climate policy
• 45:24 Climate tech unicorns, looking for local solutions, and being an optimistic realist
• 51:47 Conclusion and where to learn more
• 52:52 End credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Allison Wolff of Vibrant Planet on Beneficial Fire, Sustainable Software, and Nature-Based Climate Solutions

More on Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, What If We Get It Right?, and Urban Ocean Lab:

• ayanaelizabeth.com 
• getitright.earth 
• urbanoceanlab.org 
• allwecansave.earth

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone 

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Knowing whether or not to invest in a startup isn’t easy – it’s a skill that makes VCs like Zal Bilimoria extremely valuable. And Zal, the co-founder and solo GP of seed-stage VC firm Refactor Capital, is leveraging his knowledge to build a portfolio of human and planetary health-focused startups merging profits, sustainability, and technology.

Zal honed his skills and eye for the market working for tech industry giants like Microsoft and Google through pivotal moments in their history, and even created a new role for himself at Netflix, pioneering their dedicated mobile platform, before turning his hand to investing at a16z. It was there that he recognized his passion for health, biotech, and other impact-oriented industries, and in 2016, Zal struck out on his own to launch Refactor Capital. The firm has since invested in over 100 companies – four of which have gone on to reach unicorn status – and recently finished raising its fourth $50M fund.

Hear Zal share key insights from his time at tech and VC behemoths, the importance of believing in founders over ideas, and which startups and technologies could literally change the world for the better.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Zal Bilimoria on super responsiveness
• 00:44 Conor Gaughan introduces Zal and Refactor Capital
• 07:03 Early passion for computers, UPenn, and Microsoft
• 11:36 Google, head of mobile at Netflix, and product management
• 18:05 Biotech and health, angel investing, and shifting investment strategy
• 21:49 Launching Refactor Capital, being a solo GP, and hard tech
• 28:47 Getting deals done, communication, and managing portfolios
• 36:20 Aligning profit and impact, exciting tech, and sci-fi vs science reality
• 42:53 Climate tech and human health, urgency, and Checkerspot
• 47:42 Aether Biomachines, founder dinners, and entrepreneurship
• 52:15 Leaving a legacy and defeating defeatism
• 56:01 Conclusion and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Pavle Jeremic of Aether Biomachines on Rearranging Atoms, Scaling Deep Tech, and Defeating Scarcity

More on Refactor Capital and Zal Bilimoria:

• refactor.com 
• linkedin.com/company/refactor-capital 
• linkedin.com/in/zalzally

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone 

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Soli Organic grows approximately 120,000,000 units of fresh herbs and greens every year, making it the number one grower of fresh, organic, culinary herbs in the U.S. That’s an impressive agriculture story on its own, but Soli has an even more amazing twist – they grow it all indoors! Led by CEO Matt Ryan, former head of brand management at Disney and chief marketing officer at Starbucks, the company is taking the indoor agriculture sector by storm (or rather, soil) with its commercial-grade organic growing systems and sustainable soil-based technology.

Founded over 30 years ago as Shenandoah Growers, the Virginia-based company has grown under Matt’s leadership to serve over 20,000 retail locations across the country while developing an integrated platform of farms, production, and logistics facilities. As the only controlled-environment producer to use soil-based technology, Soli is still growing rapidly, even launching a 140,000-square-foot soil-based vertical farm in Texas earlier this year.

Hear Matt Ryan share his business wisdom from game-changers like Disney and Starbucks, the revolutionary potential of precision fertilizers for indoor, soil-based growing, and how Soli is working to make flavorful, nutritious, and affordable organic produce available to all.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Matt Ryan on indoor organic technology
• 00:46 Conor Gaughan introduces Matt and Soli Organic
• 05:30 Harvard studies, history, and passion for business
• 09:47 Working at Disney and marketing at Starbucks
• 13:57 Joining Soli’s board, becoming CEO, and its origin
• 17:30 The elevator pitch, soil tech, and precision organic fertilizer
• 24:10 Defining organic, sustainability in farming, and climate tech
• 29:57 Raising capital, critical storytelling, and the triple bottom line
• 36:03 Community engagement and leaving a legacy
• 38:20 Where to learn more
• 39:23 Conclusion and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Nicolas Pinkowski of Nitricity on Lightning-Powered Fertilizer and the Decarbonized Future Of Food

More on Soli Organic and Matt Ryan:

• soliorganic.com 
• linkedin.com/company/soliorganic 
• linkedin.com/in/mattryanceo

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone 

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

60 billion board feet of wood products are used in the U.S. every year, a majority produced by fresh logging and shipped from across the globe, while simultaneously, millions of tons of local wood waste ends up in landfills off-gassing carbon as it rots. But that inefficiency could rapidly change thanks to Cambium and its CEO and co-founder, Ben Christensen, who are revolutionizing lumber supply chains with their Carbon Smart Wood™ and Traece operating system.

Cambium reclaims fallen or removed trees that would typically end up in landfills and turns them into a locally sourced, carbon negative material that could potentially cut global carbon emissions by 4%. The firm is also using new technology to better track the trees during the supply chain process, increasing transparency, traceability, and sustainability. Cambium is also just getting started, partnering with mega brands like Microsoft and Patagonia in recent years and continuing to develop their clean technology and expand their markets.

Ben Christensen is an accomplished ultra marathon runner, so it’s probably fitting that the company he runs is built with long-haul sustainability and scalability in mind. Surrounded by forests and the outdoors as a child, Ben went to Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies to pursue his passion, and it was there that the idea for Cambium first took root. Not long after, Ben and his co-founder, Theo Hooker, a childhood friend and fellow ultra marathon runner, were racing to transform waste wood into valuable building materials.

Hear Ben share how his love for the outdoors turned into a revolutionary sustainable materials startup, why wood waste is such a massive problem (and also a potential market), and what carbon smart wood means for the future of lumber, supply chains, and our planet.

Episode Highlights

• 00:00 Ben Christensen on wood waste 
• 00:51 Conor Gaughan introduces Ben and Cambium
• 06:34 Early passion for wood, a childhood co-founder, and ultra running
• 16:37 Yale’s Forestry Program, natural climate solutions, and carbon sinks
• 22:42 Launching Cambium, wood’s waste issue, and carbon smart materials
• 29:09 The potential market, building with scalability in mind, and evaluating impact 
• 35:33 Brand partnerships, remaining unique, and aligning purpose with profits
• 44:37 Innovations to watch, the blue carbon space, and staying optimistic 
• 49:20 Leaving a legacy and where to learn more
• 51:57 End credits

If you liked this, listen next to our episode with Jasmine Crowe-Houston of Goodr on Being A Voice For Hunger And Why Food Waste Is All About Logistics.

More on Cambium and Ben Christensen:

• cambiumcarbon.com 
• linkedin.com/company/cambium-carbon 
• linkedin.com/in/btchr

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone.

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really does make a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

C-Zero and Zach Jones, its co-founder and CEO, are using innovative thermocatalysis technology to convert natural gas into zero-emission hydrogen, offering the tantalizing potential to decarbonize major industries while scaling the fuel of the future.

Hydrogen is one of the most promising sources of clean energy in existence, and a key component in alternative fuels capable of decarbonizing hard-to-electrify industries like heavy shipping. But there’s a catch: the current processes used to extract hydrogen from hydrocarbons like natural gas create a rather unsustainable byproduct – carbon dioxide.

Hard-tech firm C-Zero has the answer: a revolutionary method to convert natural gas into hydrogen and a solid carbon byproduct instead, which could have industry, or even world-changing, implications. And Zach, a biomedical engineer, multi-time founder, and venture capital investor with a lifelong passion for hydrogen, is perfectly positioned to take this technology to the next level, having spent his entire career in and around the innovation economy.

Hear Zach share how his interest in hydrogen led him to the idea that would become C-Zero, why “turquoise hydrogen” is the secret to Hydrogen 3.0, and why thermocatalysis could decarbonize the future of energy.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Zach Jones on turquoise hydrogen
• 00:54 Conor Gaughan introduces Zach and C-Zero
• 06:05 Ranch life, interest in chemistry, and Duke University
• 10:39 Entrepreneurial bug, business school, and investing career
• 18:17 The hydrogen thesis, origin of C-Zero, and the TAM
• 25:42 Turquoise hydrogen, transport, and public private partnerships
• 34:32 Pitching investors, global markets, and the long-term horizon
• 44:19 Fighting climate change, future scale, and exciting innovations
• 50:16 Staying positive and leaving a legacy
• 52:29 Where to learn more
• 53:09 End credits

If you liked this, listen next to our episode with Dr. Seonghoon Woo of Amogy on Materials Science, Decarbonized Transport, and Alternative Fuels

More on C-Zero and Zach Jones:

• czero.energy 
• linkedin.com/company/c-zero 
• linkedin.com/in/zachjones06

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

A favorite soda can be a huge part of people’s identity – roughly half of the American population drinks at least one soda on a daily basis – which is why OLIPOP is completely reimagining the soda industry with its healthier, prebiotic, low sugar alternative that tastes as good – if not better – than its traditional counterparts. 

Ben Goodwin has spent his entire career building the beverage industry and business skills needed to conjure great tasting flavors from great-for-you ingredients. Ben is not only OLIPOP’s co-founder, CEO, and formulator, but also a huge reason why the innovative B Corp Certified startup’s bright-colored cans are already in stores across the country. 

At just 20 years old, he helped ferment (launch) a kombucha company, later founded and worked as lead formulator for kefir-based probiotic soda brand Obi, and then launched OLIPOP in 2017 with co-founder David Lester. 

Hear Ben share OLIPOP’s “15-year overnight success story,” the science behind the benefits of prebiotics vs probiotics, and his lifelong quest to disrupt the soda behemoths with a sustainable, healthy alternative – which IS still a soda! 

Episode Highlights

00:00 Ben Goodwin on creating functional soda 

00:54 Conor Gaughan introduces Ben and OLIPOP

04:42 Rough upbringing, passion for health, and dropping out of college

11:23 Founder mythologies, key habits, and first beverage formulation 

17:57 Learning to tinker, microbiology, and building a first beverage brand

25:51 What is OLIPOP, the 3rd wave of soda, and making healthy taste good

32:13 First 4 flavors, scaling to stores nationwide, and the science of microbiomes

44:40 B Corp Certification, doing good and doing well, and defining positive impact

52:52 Where to learn more (and find the closest store with OLIPOPs near you!

53:41 End credits 

If you liked this, listen next to our episode with Joey Zwillinger of Allbirds

More on OLIPOP PBC and Ben Goodwin:

• drinkolipop.com
• drinkolipop.com/pages/store-locator 
• linkedin.com/company/olipop-pbc
• linkedin.com/in/ben-goodwin-646a9376 

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

The world currently removes less than .0001% of the carbon required to meet the IPCC’s 2050 goal – so there’s A LOT of work to be done – which is what makes Graphyte’s ready-to-go solution all the more valuable.

Barclay Rogers, a former environmental lawyer, mechanical engineer, and multi-time founder, is bringing his unique set of experiences and leadership skills to making scalable, affordable CO2 removal an immediate reality with his new startup, Graphyte. 

Rather than rely on energy-intensive and still-developing technology like Direct Air Capture, Barclay and his team realized that they could use nature’s own hyper-efficient carbon capture process – photosynthesis – to leverage natural resources in their revolutionary Carbon Casting process, a first-of-its-kind technique that traps carbon in easy to store bricks forged from the biomass waste generated by farms, logging camps, and paper mills. 

With their world-leading carbon removal operations already underway at their Pine Bluff, Arkansas facility, Graphyte is able to offer durable carbon removal that's scalable, affordable, and, maybe most importantly, ready right now. 

Hear Barclay Rogers talk about Graphyte’s origin story, the importance of scalability for climate solutions, and why his native Arkansas is the perfect home for biomass-based carbon removal.

Episode Highlights

00:00 Barclay Rogers on carbon removal in the heartland

00:32 Conor Gaughan introduces Barclay Rogers and Graphyte

04:37 Arkansas roots, natural resources, and mechanical engineering

09:36 Environmental law, government, and pivot to entrepreneurship 

19:20 Startup career, the carbon industry, and the potential of biomass 

25:25 The origin of Graphtye, durable carbon removal, and scalability

33:43 Innovation curves, public policy factors, and the value of carbon

40:24 Breakthrough Ventures, climate change, and growing a community 

46:11 Leaving a legacy and finding motivation

47:43 Where to learn more and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Dr. Vince Romanin of Gradient on Heat Pumps, Zero-Carbon Infrastructure, and the Triple Bottom Line

More on Graphyte and Barclay Rogers:

• graphyte.com 
• linkedin.com/company/graphytecarbon 
• linkedin.com/in/barclayrogers 

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected] 

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Tom Neyhart founded PosiGen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help the families and communities most impacted by the disaster rebuild their homes, save money, and boost energy resilience through solar power. He not only succeeded, but created an entirely new market by providing affordable solar and energy efficiency to low and middle income families. 

Tom, who moved from CEO to Executive Chairman of the Board last year, pioneered a new era of solar development years ahead of other firms, positioning B Corp Certified PosiGen as a key leader in the industry. An inspirational leader, successful businessman, and serial entrepreneur, he held leadership roles in construction and retail before starting PosiGen in 2011. Tom grew the innovative company as CEO over the next twelve years, expanding from Louisiana to other states, skyrocketing its revenue, and receiving numerous recognitions, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Blue Ribbon Award and Department of Defense’s Patriot Award. 

Hear Tom Neyhart talk about how a desire to help others led him to revolutionize solar power as we know it, what makes PosiGen’s unique model so affordable, and why prioritizing impact benefits people, the planet, and profits. 

Episode Highlights

00:00 Tom Neyhart on rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina

00:48 Conor Gaughan introduces Tom and PosiGen3

05:25 Louisiana roots, serial entrepreneurship, and teamwork 

14:44 Hurricane Katrina, helping others, and the origin of PosiGen

23:19 Selling solar savings, PosiGen’s unique model, and building trust

29:50 Pitching investors, B Corp status, and maximizing impact 

39:59 The future of renewable services, public policy, and scaling solar

46:38 What’s next for PosiGen, exciting innovations, and leaving a legacy

50:19 Where to learn more and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Michael Chanin of Cherry Street Energy on Scaling Solar, Utilities, and Market Competition

More on PosiGen and Tom Neyhart:

• posigen.com 
• linkedin.com/company/posigen 
• linkedin.com/in/thomasneyhart 

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at [email protected] 

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference! 

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.