Conversations in Cleantech

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

Neither Melissa nor Lisa followed a conventional route into the data centre industry. Melissa once imagined a career in biomedical engineering, while Lisa began her journey in the sector as an executive assistant. Both found their direction because someone recognised potential beyond their experience on paper and opened a door they might never have considered.

Years later, they're doing the same for others. What began as a LinkedIn introduction has grown into a friendship and professional partnership, despite working for different businesses. They exchange ideas, navigate challenges, and advocate for one another, demonstrating how much stronger an industry can become when collaboration extends beyond company boundaries.

The conversation explores the importance of transferable skills, the balance between experience and potential, and how representation, mentorship, and meaningful connections can help more people find their place in a rapidly growing sector.

From unexpected introductions to careers transformed by the people we meet, this episode is a reminder that building the future of an industry is also about the doors we open for others.

Connect with your hosts, Chloe England and Bailee Hagar, on LinkedIn.

Find your guests, Melissa Razo and Lisa Stevens, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Vinnie Campo, Co-Founder & CEO at Haven Energy, a climate tech company working to make electricity cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable through residential solar and battery systems.

Some careers are built around knowing exactly what comes next. Vinnie’s has been shaped by being comfortable when nobody does. From leaving energy trading to help build Uber’s early Texas operations, to launching Bulb in the US and eventually co-founding Haven, he has repeatedly found himself drawn to the opportunity to build, experiment, and figure things out along the way.

That same mindset sits behind Haven’s approach to one of energy’s biggest challenges. A battery in somebody’s home might seem small against rising electricity demand, grid constraints, and enormous new data centres. Multiply it by thousands, however, and the picture changes. Vinnie explores how connected home batteries could become genuine distributed infrastructure, keeping power on for homeowners while giving the wider grid greater flexibility when it needs it most.

Building something new also requires people who are comfortable without a ready-made playbook. As Haven’s model has evolved, so have the roles, skills, and capabilities within its team. Vinnie shares why curiosity is one of the hardest qualities to hire for - and one of the most valuable - alongside the importance of low ego, high accountability, and learning from the things that don’t work.

From a battery in the garage to the future of the US grid, this episode is ultimately about what becomes possible when people are willing to build before all the answers are obvious.

01:18 - Introduction to Vinnie

02:22 - What first attracted you to the energy industry, and what did energy trading teach you about electricity markets?

03:44 - What prompted you to leave energy trading and join Uber during its early expansion?

05:53 - What did Uber teach you about launching, scaling, and learning from failure?

08:50 - What attracted you back to energy to help launch Bulb in the US?

11:00 - What did Bulb teach you about getting consumers to engage with energy differently?

13:35 - What problem did you and your co-founders set out to solve with Haven Energy?

15:55 - How does Haven work from a homeowner’s perspective?

17:18 - How can solar and home batteries make electricity cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable?

19:15 - What is a virtual power plant, and how can thousands of home batteries operate as one power resource?

23:23 - Why is collaboration between utilities and distributed energy companies so important?

24:00 - What role can residential batteries play as electricity demand and pressure on the grid increase?

25:39 - How could distributed residential energy help meet growing power demand from AI and data centres?

27:57 - What does Haven’s recent funding allow the business to do next?

29:21 - How has Haven’s rapid growth and evolving business model changed its talent needs?

31:10 - What qualities do you look for when hiring, and how do you protect an entrepreneurial culture as you scale?

33:08 - What does success for Haven look like by 2030?

34:47 - What advice would you give your younger self about taking risks and making career decisions?

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Vinnie Campo, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman is joined by Sandhya Mutreja, Global Head (VP) of People at Yondr Group, whose career has taken her from software development to leading people and transformation across technology, financial services, and the rapidly growing data centre industry.

Sandhya began her career writing code. Then came an opportunity that changed its direction entirely: helping support a national workforce initiative as the UAE worked towards becoming a knowledge-based economy. It left her with an idea that has shaped the two decades since - technology may be built through architecture, but organisations grow through people.

That distinction matters in an industry experiencing extraordinary growth. Data centres need more talent, but repeatedly competing for the same limited pool of people isn't a sustainable answer. Sandhya argues that the next challenge is to create talent rather than simply recruit it, while making sure onboarding, knowledge, culture, and development aren't sacrificed in the race to scale.

The conversation also looks at what happens to culture when a company outgrows its startup roots, why transformation begins and ends with people, and how AI could redraw the boundaries between technology and human capability. For Sandhya, that future makes judgement, empathy, trust, and integrity more important, not less - and places people leaders much closer to the heart of business strategy.

In an industry busy building the infrastructure for an AI-powered world, this episode asks an equally important question: who are we building to deliver it?

01:20 - Introduction to Sandhya

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Sandhya Mutreja, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, our hosts Jenny Gladman and Kate Treacher are joined by Jordan Robison, Chief Executive Officer and Jill McWhirter, Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer at Natura Resources, a Texas-based advanced nuclear company developing liquid-fuel molten salt reactor technology.

Building first-of-a-kind technology means confronting first-of-a-kind problems. As Natura works towards deploying its demonstration reactor and bringing its commercial technology to market, there isn't always a precedent to follow - whether that's in legal and commercial strategy or finding people with the exact experience required.

Jordan and Jill explore why that makes looking beyond traditional nuclear backgrounds essential, and what other industries can bring to a sector entering a new era of growth. Their own unconventional career journeys reflect that thinking, alongside a shared belief in adaptability, curiosity, and remaining open to opportunities you couldn't have planned for.

Because proving the technology can work is only part of the challenge. The industry also needs the people and organisations capable of deploying it at scale.

01:27 - Introduction to Jordan and Jill

03:00 - Jordan, how did your career journey ultimately lead you into advanced nuclear and Natura Resources?

04:25 - Jill, how did you go from nuclear engineering to law and eventually back into nuclear?

06:30 - Jill, how did an unexpected phone call from Natura founder Doug Robison bring you into the business?

07:30 - Do we need to get better at showing people that careers don't have to be linear, particularly in nuclear?

10:20 - What is Natura Resources building, where is the company today, and what are you trying to change about how nuclear energy is deployed?

13:20 - Does today's renewed momentum around nuclear feel fundamentally different from previous nuclear renaissances?

16:50 - What does it take to build a company when the legal, commercial, financing, and regulatory playbooks are also first-of-a-kind?

20:10 - How do you balance challenge and governance without becoming the person who always says no?

21:25 - Is talent becoming as significant a constraint on nuclear deployment as capital, regulation, and technology?

23:50 - What should businesses look for when someone doesn't have the perfect nuclear background on paper?

26:25 - How important is attracting people who historically haven't seen nuclear as a career path?

28:00 - What leadership qualities will Natura need as it moves from demonstration towards commercial deployment?

29:50 - What does advanced nuclear need to get right over the next five years to ensure talent enables growth rather than creating gridlock?

32:00 - What does success look like for Natura, from its demonstration reactor to commercial deployment and scale?

33:35 - Jill, what advice would you give someone at the beginning of a career in the industry?

34:50 - Jordan, what advice would you give the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders taking advanced nuclear forward?

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Kate Treacher, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Stephanie Ahearn, Director of Talent at Scale Microgrid Solutions, a business developing distributed energy infrastructure for commercial and industrial customers while expanding into the rapidly evolving world of AI and data centre power.

When people talk about scaling the energy transition, the conversation usually centres on technology, investment, or policy. But every ambitious growth plan eventually runs into the same question: who's going to build it?

For Stephanie, talent isn't simply an HR function operating behind the scenes. It's one of the biggest competitive advantages a business can have. Drawing on nearly two decades in recruitment, she explains why hiring quickly isn't the same as hiring well, why protecting culture becomes harder as organisations grow, and why accountability, communication, and adaptability often matter more than the perfect CV.

The conversation explores what it means to build teams during periods of rapid expansion, from navigating shortages of specialist engineering talent to identifying transferable skills in unexpected places. Stephanie also shares how Scale's evolution into AI and data centre infrastructure is reshaping hiring priorities, why leaders should resist compromising on culture under pressure, and how AI is already changing both sides of the recruitment process.

Ultimately, it's a reminder that every microgrid, battery project, and data centre begins long before construction starts. It begins with the people capable of making it happen.

01:30 - Introduction to Stephanie

02:30 - What prompted your move from agency recruitment into an in-house talent leadership role?

04:430 - Which lessons from agency recruitment still shape the way you lead today?

05:30 - What attracted you to Scale Microgrid Solutions, and what stood out about the opportunity?

07:25 - What does Scale Microgrid Solutions do, and what makes the business different within distributed energy?

09:00 - How has your hiring strategy evolved alongside the company's rapid growth?

10:00 -  How do you attract talent in one of the industry's most competitive hiring markets?

12:00 - How do you preserve company culture while scaling so quickly?

14:25 - What hiring mistakes do leaders commonly make during periods of rapid growth?

17:05 - Where are the biggest talent challenges facing the energy industry today?

18:25 - Which technical and leadership skills have become most valuable in recent years?

21:45 - How has EQT's investment influenced Scale Microgrid Solutions’ growth and talent strategy?

23:35 - Why is Scale Microgrid Solutions expanding into AI infrastructure and data centres?

24:42 - What new skills and experience have become priorities for your dedicated data centre team?

26:00 - Are you seeing talent move naturally between energy and digital infrastructure, and where are the biggest opportunities over the next few years?

27:47 - How is AI transforming recruitment and talent acquisition?

32:26 - What is one interview question everyone should ask?

33:05 - What is the best piece of career advice you've ever received?

33:35 - If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self starting out in recruitment, what would it be?

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Joe Riley are joined by Dr John Heinlein, Chief Marketing Officer at Sonatus, a company developing AI-enabled technology for software-defined vehicles.

John's career didn't follow the path his qualifications might suggest. With a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford, he began by leading engineering teams before a CEO spotted something John hadn't yet recognised in himself: he was a natural marketer. That unexpected intervention changed the direction of his career.

It's a story that opens up a much bigger conversation about how we recognise talent. What happens when leaders look beyond the job someone is doing today and consider what they could become? And how can people be given the space to test unexpected strengths without making every career move feel like an irreversible leap?

John reflects on the mentors, critics, and opportunities that have shaped his own journey, from learning to find value in difficult feedback to deliberately remaining a student as his career has progressed. He also explores why diversity of thought produces better answers, why storytelling matters when bringing complex innovation to market, and why technical and human skills are far from competing strengths.

Against the backdrop of AI and the rapidly evolving automotive ecosystem, the conversation is a reminder that innovation depends on more than technology. Sometimes, it begins with someone recognising potential that hasn't yet found its job title.

01:28 - Introduction to John

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Joe Riley, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Tony Burkart, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Public Affairs at Beale Infrastructure - a leader helping shape how digital infrastructure is developed, communicated and integrated into local communities.

As demand for data centres continues to grow, Tony argues that success depends on far more than power, land, and capital. The future of infrastructure will be determined by trust: how developers engage with communities, communicate their purpose, and create lasting local value long before construction begins.

The conversation explores why workforce development, community partnerships, and public policy have become essential parts of infrastructure delivery, and why attracting the right talent means looking beyond technical expertise alone. From skilled trades to public affairs, Tony explains why people remain at the heart of every successful project.

This episode offers a fresh perspective on one of the industry's biggest challenges: as digital infrastructure scales at pace, how do we ensure the communities hosting it grow alongside it?

01:34 - Introduction to Tony

07:19 - Beale takes a community-first approach - what's changed that makes early community engagement so essential?

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Tony Burkart, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Karl Andersen, Founder & CEO of Lektra - an entrepreneur operating at the intersection of AI, energy, and digital infrastructure.

As excitement around AI continues to accelerate, Karl poses a different question: what happens when our energy systems can no longer keep up? He argues that the future of AI won't be limited by computing power, but by something far more fundamental - access to electricity.

The conversation explores why ageing grids are struggling to support the next wave of technological growth, why decentralised energy could reshape the way communities interact with power, and what a more resilient 'Grid 2.0' might look like. But beyond the technology itself, this episode is ultimately about people: the leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers needed to build entirely new systems from the ground up.

Karl also shares a refreshingly human perspective on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the importance of bringing together diverse thinkers who are willing to challenge assumptions and embrace complexity.

This episode offers a thought-provoking look at one of the biggest questions facing the energy transition: if AI is moving at extraordinary speed, can our infrastructure - and our workforce - evolve quickly enough to support it?

01:18 - Introduction to Karl

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Karl Andersen, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!

After spending more than two decades in financial markets, Arne made the move into renewables to help build something tangible and impactful. He reflects on that career transition, the lessons learned from leading in highly regulated industries, and the realities of scaling a growing business in a market defined by constant change.

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Paul Mazalov, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Arne Weinig, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Welcome to Season Ten of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we’re deconstructing digital infrastructure - one of the fastest-growing and most influential parts of the energy transition. From hyperscalers and AI demand to talent, capital, software and sustainability, we’ll explore how data infrastructure gets built, powered, financed, staffed and scaled.

John shares the story behind Soluna’s model: co-locating modular data centres with renewable energy projects to utilise otherwise curtailed power behind the meter. By bringing compute directly to stranded renewable generation, Soluna is helping unlock new economics for clean energy while supporting the rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure.

The conversation explores grid congestion, renewable-powered compute, the growing energy demands of AI, and why data centres could become a catalyst for accelerating clean energy deployment rather than competing with it.

John also reflects on his journey from Intel and multiple successful technology ventures to building Soluna, alongside his views on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the importance of diversity within the technology sector.

As Season Ten comes to a close, this episode offers a fascinating look at one of the industry’s most ambitious intersections: the future of energy and the future of compute.

01:13 - Introduction to John

Connect with your host, Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, John Belizaire, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.