There was thunder over Boulder this evening, which Third Derivative (D3) colleagues and I heard from opposite sides of the same town while dialing into the same Zoom. Masaki joined from Benin, where it was already past midnight. Most of the rest of the room was in Japan, where it was already tomorrow morning. EightContinue reading “Moonshots, Nanotubes, And Climate Tech Pitch Tips For New York Climate Week”
Category Archives: Leadership & Entrepreneurship
Moonshots in the Mountains: Speaking at CU’s Boulder Climate Ventures
Yesterday I had the pleasure of visting CU Boulder, as a guest in the Boulder Climate Ventures entrepreneurship course. Boulder is my backyard, and programs like this one – combining entrepreneurship education with a genuine climate mission – are exactly what I want to support. I grew up going to work with my mom atContinue reading “Moonshots in the Mountains: Speaking at CU’s Boulder Climate Ventures”
Liftoff: DexMat Closes Oversubscribed Seed Round
I am beyond elated to share that DexMat has closed an oversubscribed Seed funding round, bringing our total equity funding to $10 million! This milestone represents far more than capital—it validates our exponential trajectory, recognizes our incredible team, and accelerates our mission to drive a materials revolution that the energy transition desperately needs. Taking theContinue reading “Liftoff: DexMat Closes Oversubscribed Seed Round”
DexMat Wins Trellis Climatetech Startup Of The Year
Last week in San Jose, DexMat was crowned Trellis Climatetech Startup Of The Year—a true honor selected by my peers and fellow travelers in the climatetech community. It’s been quite a journey from nomination to this moment, and I’m thrilled to share the story. From Nomination to Recognition Earlier this year, one of our partners,Continue reading “DexMat Wins Trellis Climatetech Startup Of The Year”
From TJ Alumni to Climatetech CEO: My Journey on the Alumni Blast from the Past Podcast
I recently joined Mark Grey Mendes on the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Alumni Blast from the Past podcast to discuss my journey from student-athlete to climatetech entrepreneur leading DexMat‘s nanomaterials revolution. You can watch the full TJ alumni interview on YouTube, but I want to share some conversation highlightst aboutContinue reading “From TJ Alumni to Climatetech CEO: My Journey on the Alumni Blast from the Past Podcast”
Climatetech Crowdfunding Strategies: Insights from My Recent Panel
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion about effective climatetech crowdfunding strategies, speaking from my perspective as an investor in many crowdfunded climatetech ventures. I was particularly excited to join this conversation as it was hosted by Third Derivative, the climatetech innovation ecosystem that I founded and led as CEO forContinue reading “Climatetech Crowdfunding Strategies: Insights from My Recent Panel”
Empowering Rice Engineers with an Entrepreneurial Mindset
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of Masters in Engineering Management and Leadership students at Rice University—my own alma mater. Stepping back onto campus, now as a mentor rather than a student, felt like a full-circle moment, especially since this seminar was hosted by RCEL, where many yearsContinue reading “Empowering Rice Engineers with an Entrepreneurial Mindset”
Why Our Climate Moonshot Requires – And Inspires – Optimism
This piece originally appeared on the DexMat blog during Climate Week NYC. Reposting here for the readers of this blog, who have been putting up with my moonshot metaphors for well over a decade. From mastering fire, to developing life-saving medicines, to sending humans to the moon, it is in our DNA to imagine newContinue reading “Why Our Climate Moonshot Requires – And Inspires – Optimism”
Building a Feedback Culture at a Startup
How I built a thriving feedback culture at a rapidly growing startup in less than one year
Chief Storyteller, Chief Listener
Anyone who has met me for more than about ninety seconds knows that I am not short on words. So, when Rice Engineering reached out to talk about communication, I braced myself for a gentle roast. Instead, we ended up in a conversation I have been chewing on ever since, and the result is nowContinue reading “Chief Storyteller, Chief Listener”