Obvious Ideas

In this special episode, Host Andrew Beebe speaks to one of the greatest living writers of science fiction, Kim Stanley Robinson,They discuss the technologies, societal shifts and governmental interventions detailed in Stan’s most recent ‘climate fiction’ novel The Ministry For The Future, and examine how many of those ideas mirror the solutions being explored in the real world today.Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

For this bonus episode, we’re flipping the script. Host Andrew Beebe sits down with Emily Brady, Editorial Director at Obvious Ventures. They discuss his takeaways from the season…and, of course, the obvious ideas of the future that may seem crazy today. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Cathy Zoi is the CEO of EVgo, America’s largest fast charging network for electric vehicles. She’s been a leader in climate for over three decades, previously serving as Chief of Staff in the White House Office of Environmental Policy during the Clinton Administration, and as a Director at the US EPA, where she pioneered the Energy Star program. During the Obama Administration, she oversaw over 30 billion dollars in energy investments. Cathy also co-founded Odyssey Energy Solutions, and served as CEO of SunEdison Frontier Power, the Alliance for Climate Protection, and the Sustainable Energy Development Authority in Australia. In this episode, Cathy shares the biggest misconceptions people have about EVs, and what it will take for electric vehicles to take over. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Dr. Rachel Slaybaugh is a nuclear expert and investor at DCVC, where she focuses on climate tech. She was Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley for 8 years, served as Program Director at the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, and founded the Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp. Rachel also serves as board chair of the Good Energy Collective, which she co-founded. She began her career as a nuclear reactor operator in University Park, Pennsylvania. In this episode, Rachel shares the biggest misunderstandings that people have about nuclear power, why we need it to solve the climate crisis, and the innovations she’s most excited about. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Nan Ransohoff is Head of Climate at Stripe. As part of her role, Nan leads Frontier, an advance market commitment for carbon removal, which is funded by companies like Stripe, Alphabet, and Meta. Frontier aims to buy over $900 million of permanent carbon removal by 2030. In this episode, Nan breaks down why a company like Stripe is so committed to solving the climate crisis. She also shares what companies of all sizes are asking for when it comes to joining the climate fight. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Molly Wood is an investor at the early stage venture firm LAUNCH, and co-host of This Week in Startups. She was a journalist for over two decades before joining LAUNCH at the beginning of this year, most recently serving as host and senior editor of Marketplace Tech, and a contributing writer at WIRED. In this episode, Molly shares what prompted her to take the leap from journalism to investing, and the biggest blind spots we have when it comes to climate solutions. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Tony Fadell led the teams that brought us the iPod, iPhone, and the Nest thermostat. He’s currently Principal at venture firm Future Shape, which invests in “foundational technology to make a future that is greener, healthier, and safer.” Tony’s been named one of TIME Magazine’s "100 Most Influential People in the World", and has authored over 300 patents during his 30 plus years working in consumer electronics. His book “Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making” just came out.In this episode, Tony shares what it means to invest in “stuff that matters,” how he works with scientists and engineers to bring that stuff to market, and the potential of design to drive high-impact climate solutions.Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Jason Jacobs is the creator and host of My Climate Journey, a podcast that demystifies climate change and helps people make a difference. Before diving into climate, Jason’s entrepreneurial background included being Founder and CEO of Runkeeper, which was acquired by ASICS.In this episode, Jason shares the unusual backstory behind the MCJ Collective climate tech fund, and reveals throughlines through his conversations with over 200 leaders in climate, science, and technology.Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

Maria Fujihara is Founder & CEO of SINAI Technologies, the world’s leading enterprise software platform to measure, analyze, price, and reduce emissions. In this episode, Maria shares why and how she works with the world’s biggest carbon emitters, and her advice for taking the leap into working in climate. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

To begin the series, we speak with Jigar Shah, Director for the Loan Programs Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. He’s worked in clean energy for more than two decades, previously serving as President and Co-Founder of Generate Capital, founding CEO of the Carbon War Room, and Founder and CEO of SunEdison. In this episode, Jigar and Andrew discuss the highest impact opportunities in climate tech today, drawing on Jigar’s background as a climate tech founder through to his current role as a senior government leader. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.

In hindsight, all great ideas are Obvious. The big ideas of today will become market-leading companies in the near future, reimagining every sector of the economy for the better: climate, healthcare, food, transportation, housing, energy, and more. Obvious Ideas explores the transformation of the fundamental building blocks of life and society. Obvious Ventures’ Andrew Beebe hosts this eight-part series on climate. We’re digging into the biggest opportunities for founders - and professionals in any industry - to tackle our climate crisis. Obvious is a venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven founders reimagining trillion-dollar industries.