My path to climate tech

I receive many meeting requests from people who want to learn about my career path. Unfortunately, I can’t say yes to everyone, so I thought I would take the time to write a post about it.?

The early days

I’ve always felt drawn to nature. The weather, in particular, was a constant source of curiosity for me, and I ended up studying for my bachelor’s in Geography at Buffalo State University (then Buffalo State College) because I saw an opportunity to minor in weather and climate. Geography as a discipline is like a fantastic toolbox. It incorporates physical and social science to answer questions about the world, and I had so many questions.?

I started really getting excited about research when I took my first paleoclimatology course. The field was incredible to me. These scientists were using ancient records trapped in ice, sediment, tree rings, corals, and more to piece together the past climates, and that was helping us understand the magnitude of the changes we experience today. I was hooked.?

From then on, I took on any opportunity to expose myself to research. I sorted through packrat middens in my department’s paleoclimate lab, spent a summer analyzing satellite images of clouds over the Great Lakes, and even took on an assistant editorial role at a small academic journal. Eventually, my hard work paid off, and I was accepted into the Master’s program in Geography at 美国俄亥俄州立大学 . At OSU, I worked as a research assistant at the ice core paleoclimatology research group in the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center .

The researchers at Byrd Polar were rock stars to me. My supervisor, Ellen Mosley-Thompson, and her husband, Lonnie Thompson, taught me so much about research, but they also taught me about the importance of science communication. At a time when many climate researchers were getting death threats and envelopes of white powder in the mail, they were standing up and talking about climate change. I wanted to do that too.?

Narrowing in on communications

My primary interest was still how climate affects people, so I jumped at the chance to do a PhD project incorporating archaeology and paleoclimatology, and in 2012, I moved to Sweden to study at 瑞典斯德哥尔摩大学 . While studying, I became increasingly frustrated that so much of the incredible science around me was dying on the shelf. There needed to be a link between academia and the rest of the world, so I started exploring science communication. I searched for every possibility to experience communication in action. I volunteered at conferences, took courses in public speaking, wrote articles, and even got to go to Paris and observe the COP21 negotiations as a representative of the American Association of Geographers .

When I finished my degree, I set out to become part of the communications world.?It wasn’t easy. I was in a country where I wasn’t a native speaker and came from a pretty pure research background. I eventually found someone willing to take a chance and teach me the ropes at a tech startup called Mapillary . They were working with geospatial data, and I could trade my knowledge and love of maps for a crash course in communications and marketing. Mapillary was a computer vision company and very research-focused, so working there was an amazing opportunity to learn how to create compelling and easily understandable content from highly technical material. So about a year after finishing my PhD, I started an internship.

I worked my way up at Mapillary, enough so that I was able to eventually set off on my own to run communications at another organization, The Case for Her .?The Case for Her is a philanthropic investment portfolio that invests in underserved and stigmatized women's health issues like menstruation, female sexual pleasure, and abortion care. I’ve always been very passionate about gender equality and sexual health, so this was an incredible opportunity. I actually worked at Planned Parenthood as a peer educator in high school, but that is another story for another day. I learned so much about advocacy working with that team and really grew into my own as a communications professional, but the goal was always to return to climate someday.?

So that brings me to where I am now, heading up climate insights at Pale blue dot . I get to use my background in climate science research and experience in communications to help guide investment decisions. I spend much of my time digging into the research and science behind climate tech innovations to help determine the potential for impact.

That’s my story. I think I have a pretty unique background, but it is a result of following my curiosity and being very, very, determined. I didn't go straight from academia into climate tech, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible, and I have seen other people make the leap. I think the most important thing to do is to take stock of your skills and see where there are needs.

If you're interested in doing research and insights for venture capital, I recommend that you nurture your communications skills. As important as it is to be able to understand the science, you also need to be able to synthesize, simplify, and communicate it.

Good luck out there!