Optimistic Outlook

From Smartphones to Smart Factories

True to Steve Jobs' prediction, the iPhone really did change everything. But was it the device itself...or apps that made the digital world easier to access for non-tech experts? This episode explores a tech breakthrough that happened 15 years after Jobs' famous consumer product release, when Siemens launched a digital business platform with a different purpose: to help innovators transform industry, infrastructure and transportation. She's joined by Marshall Van Alstyne, who wrote all about the rise of platforms in the consumer world (the book's called "Platform Revolution," and it's a bestseller) to show you how the app principles letting us put data into action with the click of a button now apply to managing machines, grids, and trains. Plus, Peter Koerte, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Siemens, joins to highlight how merging the real with the digital could be our secret weapon in the fight against climate change. Turns out, the next big tech revolution isn't coming to your devices, but to the physical world all around you. 
Show notes: 
Siemens Xcelerator Press Release: https://xcelerator.siemens.com/global/en.html
Platform Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Revolution-Networked-Markets-Transforming/dp/0393249131 
Peter’s article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digitalization-decarbonization-two-megatrends-each-other-peter-koerte/?trackingId=Sg8Tf%2BSWT0%2B%2BRNFwc0fwMg%3D%3D&linkId=300000002456347 

The State of Sustainability: Insights from Climate Week NYC 2024

Join Barbara for an insightful episode taking listeners behind the scenes of Climate Week NYC, held September 22 to 29. This episode recaps conversations and highlights across a pivotal annual event gathering political and business leaders, innovative researchers, high-profile media, and local influencers from across the U.S. and the globe. Together, they discuss the current state of sustainability, evaluate climate action efforts, and explore cutting-edge technologies driving a net-zero future. Barbara speaks with Adam Lake, Head of Communications, North America, Climate Group; Shyla Raghav, Chief Climate Officer for TIME; and Kristy Drutman, Founder of Brown Girl Green. Discover what impressed them most about Climate Week NYC 2024 and their key takeaways from this influential event. 

Smart People Podcast: Guy Kawasaki on How Steve Jobs Taught Remarkable Thinking

We're bringing you an extra episode highlighting one of our favorite podcasts. Smart People Podcast is a biweekly, interview-based podcast that features today's most well-respected thought leaders engaging in authentic conversation. The show is an excellent binge, and in this episode, Guy Kawasaki delivers a practical, tactical, and sometimes radical discussion of how to make a difference in the world and live a fulfilling life.
 
If you like this episode, listen to Smart People Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or visit their website here. 

Busting Myths About Manufacturing Careers

More than 500,000 American manufacturing jobs remain unfilled. Are negative perceptions and myths about manufacturing holding young people and career seekers back from pursuing these high-paying jobs now attainable to people of all backgrounds? 
Terry Iverson, former owner of Iverson & Company and founder of CHAMPION Now!, an organization dedicated to improving the image of manufacturing among students, parents, and educators, joins Barbara to discuss: 
The roots of the worker shortage problem 
Common myths and misconceptions 
Inspiring career success stories 
Why newcomers are advancing quickly 
The case for ANYONE interested in manufacturing applying for open roles  
 
Show notes: 
CHAMPION Now!: https://championnow.org/about/ 

Navigating the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Transforming American Manufacturing

Digital innovation is breaking out of Silicon Valley and revolutionizing manufacturing plants across America. What vision do manufacturers have for these cutting-edge tools? How are they tackling digital transformation, cybersecurity, workforce development, and AI integration? Join Barbara as she speaks with Stephen Gold, President and CEO of the Manufacturers Alliance, to get an expert’s take on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the strides American manufacturers are making in adopting advanced technologies. 
 Show notes:  
Digital Transformation Report: https://www.manufacturersalliance.org/research-insights/digitalizationreport 

Encore: Brewing Innovations - Tapping Into Sustainable Beer Production

Barbara is joined by Maisie Devine, Executive Director of Sustainable Innovation at AB InBev and Founder of the 100+ Accelerator program. They dig into how strategic collaborations between large corporations and startups are not only speeding up net-zero strategies but also driving significant cost savings that reinforce the business case for sustainability - including in the beer brewing industry!  This episode originally aired August 8 2023.
Show Notes:
100+ Accelerator Program
Vertical Farming Initiative
 

Net-Zero Now: Making Sustainability Good for Business

In the race to meet sustainability objectives, corporate commitments are skyrocketing. The Net Zero Tracker reports a 40% increase in corporate net-zero targets since June 2022, now encompassing half of the world’s largest companies. This surge extends to broader sustainability goals, including biodiversity, nature, and equity. Yet, the pace must quicken, and the scale of action must expand. Join Barbara and her guest, Sabine Hoefnagel, Global Head of Sustainability & Risk at ERM, for an enlightening conversation. They’ll explore the trends fueling these corporate pledges and unpack the compelling business incentives driving private-sector investments in sustainability. Discover the tools that can help businesses fast-track their sustainability milestones.
Show notes:
ERM: https://www.erm.com/
Accelerate net-zero: https://www.siemens.com/us/en/company/sustainability.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5ea1BhC6ARIsAEOG5pxuGTkHSkmc8DPlU36ZrCAOEJrLfpG5UOTtXyMG1PVyeo9IZSm4QJYaAuGzEALw_wcB&acz=1&gad_source=1
  

Insights: The Search for Big Ideas in Sustainability

As the clock ticks down on critical climate goals, can we still turn the tide? Barbara reveals why she believes the answer is “yes” while drawing inspiration from the recent Breakthrough Energy Summit, which brings together global leaders focused on big ideas for net-zero technologies. In this episode, she explores how new breakthroughs in technology *partnerships* can help us to meet our climate targets. Discover how to decarbonize buildings, how to rapidly scale solar power, and much more.
Show notes:
Bronzeville microgrid: https://theoptimisticoutlook.podbean.com/e/the-overlooked-solution-to-scaling-clean-power
Breakthrough Report: https://transition.breakthroughenergy.org/

Encore: Charting a Path to Decline Greenhouse Gasses

Babara talks with Chad Frischmann, co-author of the New York Times best-seller "Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming," about what is possible in the arena of reducing greenhouse gasses.  They have some surprisingly positive insights based on existing and emerging technologies. 
They offer a vision of a future where atmospheric greenhouse gasses start to decline year after year and describe what a truly regenerative future might entail. This episode originally aired on September 16, 2022. 
Show Notes:
Regenerative Intelligence
Project Drawdown

The overlooked solution to scaling clean power

As AI data centers multiply electricity needs and grid transmission challenges linger, how will the United States produce enough affordable, reliable, and clean power? Can we continue to grow the economy without forsaking critical climate objectives? In this episode, Barbara spotlights a key solution: the opportunity to innovate at the "grid edge," where technologies can be applied to rapidly scale renewables. Barbara not only makes the case for how to transform the power grid; she presents an example in Chicago's South Side neighborhood Bronzeville, which recently switched on a powerful grid edge project in the form of America's first neighborhood-scale microgrid. Get ready to hear expert commentary on how microgrids supercharge utility services. This opens up new possibilities to accelerate the energy transition while also making grids more resilient to shocks and disruption in the face of more severe weather.  
Show Notes:  
News coverage of microgrid launch: https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2024/05/24/comed-bronzeville-microgrid-electric-power-energy-housing-authority 
ComEd press release: https://www.comed.com/news/news-releases/2024-05-24 
Accelerate Carbon Reduction: https://www.siemens.com/us/en/company/sustainability.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwp4m0BhBAEiwAsdc4aDgrEeye3t9H7I8CDD-Al8KysZS8NrUdjc5uY9SVTePmEkG4exRpqRoCwhIQAvD_BwE&acz=1&gad_source=1