 |
|
|
|||||
The climate tech sector is at a crossroads. We have the tools we need to fight climate change, but the real challenge is scaling and deploying them. This is where climate-curious outsiders play a crucial role. At Epic Cleantec, a company I cofounded to tackle water scarcity through innovative reuse technology, none of us came from an environmental background. That outside perspective turned out to be a huge advantage. When I began this journey, I didn’t know much about water. I wasn’t a trained environmental or civil engineer, which meant I never even learned about how things were traditionally done. This lack of traditional expertise freed us from being tied down by how things were “supposed” to work, allowing us to find fresh solutions to persistent problems. My path to climate tech was anything but linear. I had flirted with a wide range of disparate career paths spanning veterinarian, chef, club promoter, historian, political lobbyist, and lawyer. I even briefly entertained becoming a rabbi, until my own rabbi convinced me not to take that path. Unsurprisingly, I often faced skepticism at conferences and industry events, where our company’s unconventional approach was met with doubt. But here’s the key takeaway: Solving the climate crisis isn’t just about creating new technology. It’s about turning these innovations into practical, widespread solutions. That’s where operational know-how comes insomething outsiders often bring to the table. People who’ve run businesses, managed complex regulations, and scaled global operations have the experience to make climate solutions a reality. Why climate tech needs outsiders The climate tech industry has largely been driven by environmental scientists and policymakers. But solving the climate crisis calls for more than just scientific advancesit requires major business transformation. To truly deploy climate solutions on a global scale, we need the same expertise that turned industries like fintech, e-commerce, and cloud computing into giants. Investors get it. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink predicts the next wave of unicorns will come from climate tech. But to build these companies, we need more than passion. We need professionals who understand scalingproduct managers who can push out software, operations experts who can optimize supply chains, and strategists who know how to drive rapid market adoption. The idea that climate tech needs deep environmental knowledge is a misconception. Whats truly needed are professionals who know how to turn great ideas into sustainable, scalable businesses, all while navigating complex regulations. The future of climate impact depends on commercial success. The solutions are ready, they just need deployment A lot of the technology needed to curb emissions and build climate resilience is already here. From energy storage to electrification, water reuse to regenerative agriculture, many solutions are ready to go. So, the challenge isnt really about innovation; its about implementation. Just look at how SaaS and fintech industries scaled quickly by leveraging automation, networks, and efficient capital use. If we applied those same strategies to climate tech, we could meet our climate goals much faster. Imagine applying the lessons learned during the rapid growth of ride-sharing or cloud services to solar energy, battery tech, or industrial decarbonization. Climate tech isnt just about better tech; its about changing systems. It requires navigating complex regulations, aligning with ever-changing corporate sustainability goals, and getting entrenched industries on board. Outsiders who have scaled companies in heavily regulated fields like healthcare, finance, and transportation are particularly equipped to drive this change. A crucial moment for climate tech Climate tech isnt a niche anymoreits becoming one of the most exciting frontiers of innovation. As more professionals from traditional tech and business sectors seek out purpose-driven careers, climate tech offers a unique blend of meaning and market opportunity. The influx of outsiders isnt just helpful, its essential. For climate tech to thrive, we need to embrace professionals with diverse and wide-reaching expertise. Industry leaders must actively recruit people with transferable skills, and investors must see the value in teams that blend technical knowledge with business acumen. Solving the climate crisis isnt just about inventing new technologiesits about getting them into the world at scale, fast. The opportunity is huge, but the urgency is even greater. To meet global climate goals, we must think outside the box and bring in the people who are ready to challenge the norms. For those climate-curious, theres never been a better time to dive in because climate tech isnt just the future of innovation, its the future of business. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
Think back to the shifting tech landscape of 2015. Uptown Funk was blaring on digital music outlets, Snapchat filters were laid over every selfie, and hoverboards were all the rage. At the same time, marketing teams were facing an uphill battle to prove ROI as new digital marketing opportunities, like the rise of video content marketing and the shift towards mobile, led to changing tactics, and budgets came under more scrutiny. Now, a decade later, human resources teams are facing similar circumstances. Just like marketing leaders had to establish their digital campaigns values, HR pros now need to demonstrate how their tech-forward people programs drive business results. The good news? Marketing teams have already nailed this shift and their journey can offer a blueprint for HR leaders facing the same pressures. The rise to power Going back to 2010, digital marketing was the latest innovation and became the fastest path to rapid growth for companies. Later, the advent of new marketing tactics and an increased focus on social channels thrust marketers into the spotlight in a way they hadnt been before. These new channels gave marketers new access to real-time data, requiring more resources to be successful and leading to increased scrutiny of how they were using those resources. And the results mattered more than ever. Along with the pressure, that limelight also brought opportunity. In 2009, when I worked at Gaps newly formed digital division, the finance team set benchmarks for success in e-commerce. There were a lot of conversations around the right metrics to track, which gave us a say in how to measure our results. This was crucial at the time. Asking marketing about metrics versus handing down an answer that didnt match expected outcomes meant we could better align our goals with actual business priorities. In recent years, HR has faced a similar opportunity. In 2020, when COVID hit, people became the scarcest resource for many companies, and HR became the most powerful function overnight. For the first time, HR had a real seat at the table. All of a sudden, employee safety, well-being, and retention at all costs were part of HRs already heavy workload. Now, in 2025, the impact of AIs rapid advancement and employee skills gaps due to demographic shifts have put HR leaders front and center once again to drive workforce transformation for their businesses. As with the rise of marketing a decade earlier, leaders should be asking how they can most effectively track success. The measurement reckoning 2015 marked the year of ROI as a key determining factor of success for marketing leaders. This was when delivering on goals no longer felt like a nice to have, but a career make-or-break. Marketing overhauled how the organization viewed them. With increasing numbers of data and channels, there were limitless ways to target customers, and lots of wrong answers. The C-suite started expecting quantitative results from campaigns that they couldnt do before. Today, HR teams are taking on more: driving workforce transformation, keeping pace with AI, employee wellness, and a general imperative to do more with less. Similar to its marketing predecessor, HR now needs to report results tied to business objectives in concrete ways that were previously unquantifiable. Increased scrutiny over cost efficiency is putting HR pros under the microscope, and results are no longer only about a vibe check and building company culture. When HR leaders think about the outcomes theyre driving for the business, they should think of stakeholders as paying customers that matter to their organizations bottom line. Employees are as important as customers in this regard, and need the KPI treatment in todays era. In 2025, the employers who align their people investments with business objectives are the ones who will stay competitive and build future-proof talent pipelines needed to evolve and advance their organization. The rebalancing Today, successful marketing programs require a blend of coordinated strategies for maximum impact. Brand building efforts, technology solutionsincluding AIand targeted campaigns must work in tandem to influence growth. Tomorrow, HR leaders will need to employ a similar symphony of tools, measurements, and experiences to create the cocktail of appropriate conditions for their people to thrive and maximize their potential. Just as marketing evolved from simple advertising to a sophisticated, data-driven industry, HR is transforming from personnel management to truly owning its C-suite seat. The future demands an integrated approach where technology augments teams capabilities, where analytics inform but don’t make decisions, and where employee experience is crafted with the same intention as customer experience. Luckily, smart business leaders now realize that it takes a mix of art and science to get it right. Striking the perfect balance will generate strong business results, and be the element that separates thriving companies from surviving companies. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that growing a business isn’t about one magic solutionit’s about mixing different marketing approaches that work together, a true portfolio approach. By learning from marketing’s journey and combining data-driven insights with human-centered approaches, HR leaders can build the foundation for organizations to thrive. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
In March, women are at the forefront of the cultural conversation. Recently, on March 8th, International Womens Day was recognizeda moment that originally sprung from a movement to fight against child labor and sweatshop working conditions. This years theme was accelerating action, and I feel fortunate in my role as chief philanthropy officer at UNICEF USA, that I can support girls around the worldour future leaders, scientists, engineers, mothers, entrepreneurs, and more. What are the barriers standing in their way? And how do we accelerate action? Right now, its estimated that we wont see full gender parity until 2158. I dont want to wait for my great-great-great grandchild to live in a world where girls have a fair shot at life. As a mother of three girls, this is also personal. We need the next generation of girls and women everywhere to be catalysts for lasting change. Female genital mutilation still occurs Last month, I traveled to Senegal to see UNICEFs work firsthand. I visited a program that provides emergency assistance to young victims of violence and abuse, I met with a womens teachers network that champions education for girls, and I visited programs equipping girls and young women with skills in leadership, communication, and entrepreneurship. At an adolescent training center in Kolda, we met Khadidiatou D. Khadi, who performed a slam poem about female genital mutilation (FGM), a dangerous procedure she underwent as a child. Khadi uses what shes learned at the center to advocate with local leaders and parents to prevent other girls from experiencing the mental and physical suffering due to FGM. We also spoke with Sally S., who learned skills to support herself and her family. She makes and sells dyed cloth, sanitary napkins, and soap from local plants like moringa, lemon, and aloe vera. In addition to running her own small business, Sally pays it forward by training girls in Kolda who have disabilities like her. Sally’s disability is the result of FGM, which over 2 million girls and women in Senegal have experienced. Before joining the adolescent center, Sally was hesitant to even leave her house because of the stigma of her disability, which she thought would prevent her from joining the center. When the head of the center asked her to join, she was surprised to be invitedmuch less encouragedto join. Address root causes of exclusion My time in Senegal reminded me that championing gender equality requires us to address root causes of exclusion. Violence like Khadi and Sally enduredas well as child marriage, lack of menstrual hygiene, and teenage pregnancyare some of the barriers girls and women around the world face. Sobering data from other regions illustrate the prevalence of gender-based violence. For example, our new report shows that 221 rape cases in Sudan against children have been recorded since 2024 began. Total cases are likely higher, as survivors and their families often dont come forward due to challenges accessing services or out of fear of retribution. But there is hope. A recent report issued by UNICEF, Plan International, and UN Women indicates that FGM is declining. Nations like Burkina Faso and Liberia are cutting the share of girls subjected to the practice over the last 30 years by half. This progress is promising, but we need to go 27 times faster to entirely meet our 2030 target FGM eradication goal entirely. Education is vital We must protect girls. But protection is not enough. They need opportunities to learn and pursue their goals. An estimated 129 million girls are not in school, globally. In some cultures, families favor sons over daughters when investing in their childrens education. In Afghanistan, girls are barred from high school and college classrooms due to national restrictions. Around the world, girls aged 10-14 are twice as likely to spend excessive hours on household chores than boys of the same age; often fetching water from faraway sources because of poor water and sanitation systems. Unpaid work all too often falls to girls and women, pushing education farther out of their reach. Despite challenges, we are making progress in Senegal and all over the world. In Senegal, the government increased resourcing for FGM elimination in 2023 by 50%. Further, FGM in Senegal hit its lowest point in 2023. And progress is possible when it comes to education as welltoday, 50 million more girls are in school globally compared to a decade ago and completion rates have ticked up too. These encouraging results, and what I saw in Senegal, gave me not only hope but the energy to continue to advocate and steward support for programs that will truly change the lives of girls and young people who simply want a chance at living a life they dream about. Milestones like International Womens Day allow us to take a moment to stop and see how far weve come, and remind us how far we still have to go. Philanthropy exists to advance pathways to opportunity. Progress is possible; but a future of possibility for girls like Khadi and Sally exists only if we remain steadfast in doing our part to break down barriers and accelerate action. Michele Walsh is executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of UNICEF USA. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||