Climate Masterminds brings together experts and industry players who are developing new technologies and ideas in confronting our climate challenges and ushering in sustainability solutions.
If you are looking to learn more about innovations in combating climate change from a wide variety of industry and academic professionals who are dedicated to make a difference; or want to share your knowledge about this exciting industry, then this event is for you!
Who should attend?
- Sustainability professionals
- Startups
- Academics
- Students
- Developers
- Insurers
- Venture capitalists/private capital investors
- Investment bankers
- Speakers and hosts
Meet our Hosts
Theodore Waddelow, Head of Sustainability & Mobility Policy at Visa Global Government Engagement Team
Prior to working at Visa, Theodore advised multinational businesses on government relations and communications strategies at Albright Stonebridge Group, where he also served as an adviser and researcher for the firm’s Chair, former U.S. National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger. Theodore graduated with high honors in history and politics from Oberlin College and completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Bahrain.
Jeffrey Gantner, Innovation Manager at Swisscom
With a focus on sustainability, Jeffrey leads the deal flow for startups, helping Swisscom and its enterprise customers achieve net-zero. Jeffrey holds a B.Sc. in electrical engineering and an M.B.A. from Hult International Business School, and has international work experience in strategy and business development, program management and entrepreneurship.
Alayna Van Dervort, Founder and CEO of The Big Wild
The Big Wild brings data to life for nature-based solutions. New Zealand born, Alayna is a Technology for Good Adviser, visual artist, international speaker and dedicated wildlife conservationist. She started her field-conservation career in New Zealand as a Project Jonah Marine Mammal Medic and went on to work with wolves, dolphins, bears, big cats and more. Alayna is a strong vocal advocate for disruptive innovation and non-competitive collaborations for measurable impact on wildlife conservation and the UNSDGs.
Meet our Co-Hosts
Dinesh C, Founder and CEO of ADAPT
At ADAPT, Dinesh develops a sustainable mobility platform for organizations to decarbonize their transportation-related impacts. He is a globally recognized thought leader and innovator throughout the mobility industry. Dinesh is also a boardmember of Japanese Community Young Council (JCYC), one of the largest San Francisco nonprofit educational institutions serving 7,000 children and youth annually from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Dinesh started his career with IBM after graduating from Brown University in Computer Science and Business Economics, and later pursued his Master’s in Sustainability at the Harvard University. Obsessed with using technology to bring better lives for human beings around the world, Dinesh has been teaching entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley Extension since 2015.
Tony Keslinke, Founder of Veritel Energy
At Veritel Energy, Tony works to decarbonize the electrical grid and democratize renewable energy in at-risk communities. He is passionate about the power of using intelligent development in the built environment to deliver improved outcomes for communities and residents of workforce housing. Prior to his current venture, Tony worked in traditional real-estate development, creating hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private value during the past three decades. He is a UC Berkeley Golden Bear lifetime alumnus member and a proud father of a third-year UC Berkeley mechanical engineering student.
Details
Monday, Nov. 14, 2022
6-8 pm (Pacific Time)
UC Berkeley Extension San Frnancisco Campus