Greening the Built Environment; Anneli Tostar, Tangible Materials

What would it be like to be a mammoth brought back from extinction—without your consent?This conversation with the visionary Wendi Yan radically expanded my mind 🤯We talked about:- How storytelling shapes which science gets funded and built- The liminal space where fiction and science converge- How dystopian cultural narratives risk becoming self-fulfilling if technologists and artists remain siloed- Why collective imagination might be our most critical toolAnd much more on simulating alternative futures through art and science! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

An interview with Douglas Guilbeault, Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. We explore how AI and large language models might teach us about our own collective humanity, drawing connections between the engineered and algorithmic world and the complex, cultural, and living. Douglas uses computational social science to study social structures, with fascinating implications for everything from content moderation to climate policy to the spread of behaviors like mask-wearing during COVID. What if LLMs weren't replacements for human intelligence, but instead portals into our collective cultural knowledge that depends on our continued creativity and agency?Episode OutlineBridging humanities, sciences, and computational methods [6:00 - 13:55]Computational Social Science and Meaning [14:00 - 22:05]Research methodologies and applications for understanding meaning in digital age [22:05 - 27:00]Case studies on group size, gender, and macro distortions [27:00 - 33:45]Content moderation and policy implications [33:45 - 47:45]Collective Intelligence [47:45 - 55:00]Complex Contagions [55:00 - 1:07:40]LLMs as Cultural Technologies [01:07:40 - 01:20:35]Optimistic Perspective on AI [01:20:35 - 01:25:35]Scientific discovery revealing greater complexity [01:25:35 - 01:32:45] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

In this episode, we explore how the Eden Forest Collective is applying syntropic principles—where diversity and complexity create harmonious outcomes—in their land cultivation as well as in their cultural and community practices. Eden is an operating (abundantly!) food forest, educational nonprofit, and event center whose mission is to heal the story of separation through regenerative cultural practice. Eden’s mission centers on healing the story of separation through reconnection with nature and regenerative land practices. Among many things, we discuss visions of abundant futures, the importance of inner work, and having the creative process itself embody the values we seek to cultivate more of — joy, patience, connection. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

Tangible's mission is to decarbonize buildings. Their software tool helps identify, manage, and track sustainable building materials. Co-founder, Anneli Tostar, walks us through her unexpected journey from Harvard, to Sao Paolo, Sweden, London, and finally to San Francisco.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

Matt Plante is the president and co-founder of Voltus, a distributed energy resources platform whose mission is to fulfill the promise of the energy transition. Voltus’s technology platform, VoltApp, connects any distributed energy resource, from energy efficiency to demand response, to any wholesale market in North America. In this episode, we discuss the electric grid of the future, the DER technology and policy to get us there, lessons learned from the Texas and California blackouts, and what makes Voltus special. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

Sy Bohy is the co-founder of Seam, a startup offering a device- and brand-agnostic API for developers to control homes and buildings. Seam’s IoT platform enables organizations to control building devices, like opening door locks, controlling thermostats, turning off lights, and more. Sy and his co-founder Dawn bring years of expertise from Nest and Sonder to progress the burgeoning building management industry. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

SteamaCo enables utilities to sell energy anywhere on the planet. Their data-efficient energy management system helps overcome cost and infrastructure barriers to underserved energy customers in 10 African countries. This episode covers why last-mile connectivity is such a challenge, how SteamaCo augments and automates preexisting smart metering and cloud technology, and three frameworks around limiting beliefs, procrastination, and motivation to succeed as an entrepreneur.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

Angelo Campus is the founder of BoxPower, a startup offering small scale renewable microgrids in 20-ft shipping containers. They are expanding energy access to rural, often-low income, communities that are off-grid or recovering from a natural disaster. They also provide back-up power to critical infrastructures like hospitals in California that are experiencing more blackouts than ever before. Angelo started learning about solar PVs and battery systems as a kid when homeschooled and never looked back. This episode dives into microgrid technology, entrepreneurship, and how to carve your own path when none of the visible paths are what you want. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

Wendy Owens is the founder and CEO of Hexas, a clean-tech startup producing and distributing sustainable, plant-based biomass. Their giant grass, called Xanograss, replaces wood biomass and is an exceptional climate-change fighting species because of its low-cost sustainable building material, energy fuel, and carbon sequestration properties. Wendy brings over a decade of materials and biotech experience to Hexas and in this episode shares insights on the future of sustainable construction and renewable energy sectors, her experience as a founder, and her general philosophy for success.     Books mentioned:  An Introduction to Mathematics by Alfred North Whitehead  The Art of War by Sun Tzu This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com

Bettina Grab, founder and President of Impact B2B, helps climate tech start-ups have a bigger, impact faster through growth and effective sales & marketing strategies. She is also a Zero Waste blogger, speaker & activist. The first part of the episode focuses on Bettina’s shift from corporate marketing to climate-focused marketing and why there is such a need for it today. She offers many great tips for current and aspiring founders, so take a listen if that applies to you! The second part focused on zero waste living, what she has learned from living a plastic-free life, and some surprising facts about why recycling is really the last resort. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesthis.substack.com