Building Better with Brandon Bartneck

Latest Episodes:

#76 – Future of Mobility LIVE – Investing in Sustainable Mobility Solutions with Chris Thomas & Gabriel Scheer Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

This episode comes from the panel discussion portion of the first Future of Mobility LIVE virtual event, recorded on November 11, 2021. The conversation features Chris Thomas, Co-Founder and Partner at Assembly Ventures and Gabriel Scheer, Director of Innovation at Elemental Excelerator.

Future of Mobility LIVE is designed to bring together individuals who are working towards the common mission of making transportation safer and more sustainable. The event includes live networking sessions designed to plant the seeds for future collaboration, as well as a panel discussion focused on having a transparent discussion about the optimal path forward.

If you missed this event, make sure to follow me (Brandon Bartneck) on LinkedIn to catch the next LIVE event in early 2022.

For now, please enjoy the audio from the panel discussion.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/FoMLIVE1
Gabriel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielscheer/
Elemental Excelarator’s website: https://elementalexcelerator.com/
Chris’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherthomas/
Assembly Ventures Medium page: medium.com/assembly-ventures

Chris’s bio:

Chris Thomas is a Co-Founder of the Detroit Mobility Lab, an entity dedicated to helping Detroit become one of the world’s foremost future mobility ecosystems. He is also Co-Founder and Partner of Assembly Ventures. Prior to the Detroit Mobility Lab he co-founded Fontinalis Partners and worked to build it into one of the premier investment firms in next-generation mobility. While at Fontinalis, he participated in some of the largest exits in the mobility space, including nuTonomy, Karamba Security, ParkMe, Parkmobile, Life360, Ouster, and SmartKargo. Prior to Fontinalis Chris served in the U.S. Army as a Communications Officer in the U.S. and Iraq. Before joining the military, Chris worked as an Investment Banker at UBS within its Technology and Energy groups in New York and San Francisco.

Gabriel’s Bio:

Gabriel Scheer is Director of Innovation at Elemental Excelerator, working with the organization’s energy and mobility portfolio companies and partners. He leverages his deep experience with mobility, renewables, and energy efficiency to help companies grow and thrive, with the aim of shifting the global paradigm away from carbon-based solutions. Prior to Elemental, Gabriel worked for three different micromobility companies, and was on the founding team at Lime as the first government relations staffer. He has also previously served as General Manager for car-sharing company Zipcar. Additionally, he spent three years at Frog Design and built his own social innovation consultancy.

Future of Mobility:

The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, and equitable mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#75 – Pace Ralli | SWITCH Maritime - Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Ferries & Other Marine Applications Nov 07, 2021

Show notes

Key topics in this conversation include

The current state of propulsion system technologies for marine applications
Why SWITCH chose hydrogen fuel cells over battery electric, hybrid, or alternative fuel ICEs
Sea Change, the World’s First Commercial Ferry Powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cells
How larger marine applications can decarbonize

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/paceralli
Future of Mobility LIVE registration: https://www.linkedin.com/events/futureofmobilitylive-investingi6856659498245984256/
Pace’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pralli/
Pace’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/paceralli?lang=en
SWITCH website: https://www.switchmaritime.com/

Pace’s Bio:

Pace Ralli is an entrepreneur and impact investor in the maritime, transportation and energy sectors. He is co-founder of Clean Marine Energy, SWITCH Maritime, MidOcean Wind, and partner of MidOcean Marine Partners. He graduated with a BA from Middlebury College in 2002, and with a MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2009. Pace’s previous background ranges from corporate finance and business development to energy efficiency financing and utility renewables. Pace and his partners saw the opportunity to unlock wide-scale emissions reductions in the maritime shipping industry. He is now broadly focused on financing the path to zero emissions shipping while advancing innovative sustainable technologies. Current project areas include clean ship fueling infrastructure, offshore wind farm installation and zero-emissions passenger transport.

About SWITCH

SWITCH Maritime (“SWITCH”) is a U.S. maritime investment company constructing and owning North America’s first commercial fleet of zero-emissions maritime vessels. SWITCH believes electrification, using both hydrogen fuel cell as well as battery, has the potential to address “hard-to-decarbonize” high horsepower transportation sectors, including maritime shipping.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#74 – Vitaly Golomb | Drake Star Partners – Investment Banking, Mobility, & the Accelerated Startup Oct 31, 2021

Show notes

Vitaly M. Golomb is a tech investment banker with over 20 years of experience on all sides of the table as a venture-backed CEO, venture capitalist, M&A advisor

Key topics in this conversation include

The most promising mobility trends as of today
How new founders can accelerate their learning curve and growth
The role of investment banking in the rapidly evolving mobility ecosystem
Vitaly’s path from CEO to VC and now M&A advisor and tech investment banker
The importance of learning from biographies

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/vitalygolomb
Future of Mobility LIVE registration: https://www.linkedin.com/events/futureofmobilitylive-investingi6856659498245984256/
Vitaly’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalyg/

Vitaly’s Bio:

Vitaly M. Golomb is a tech investment banker with over 20 years of experience on all sides of the table as a venture-backed CEO, venture capitalist, M&A advisor. Vitaly is the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Partner at award-winning global M&A investment bank, Drake Star Partners. He has deep expertise in the transportation and mobility sector, in addition to experience in artificial intelligence, software/SaaS, and advanced materials.

Vitaly served as an advisor to Rimac Automobili (Bugatti Rimac), where he successfully secured its first major financing round and joint venture that established it as the world'stop brand in high performance electric vehicles. Some of his other notable clients include Fisker, Taiga Motors, HyperloopTT, Damon Motorcycles, and Polaris. He has contributed to TechCrunch and Boss Magazine, and authored the best-selling Accelerated Startup. He is an in-demand keynote speaker and trainer on startups, venture capital, and corporate innovation, as well the host of "Accelerated" Podcast.

About Drake Start Partners:

Drake Star Partners is a global investment banking firm serving the technology, media and communications sectors with offices in New York, London, Paris, Munich, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin, Geneva, Singapore and Dubai. The firm focuses on M&A and corporate finance for its clients worldwide. Drake Star Partners completed over 400 transactions since 2004, 70% of which are cross- border.

Future of Mobility:

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#73 – Sterling Anderson | Aurora – Autonomous Driving & Playing the Long Game Oct 24, 2021

Show notes

Sterling Anderson is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Aurora, the company delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly

Key topics in this conversation include:

Aurora’s decision to pursue several AD applications in parallel
How Sterling is thinking about partnerships and commercialization
How Aurora is working towards long term success rather than trying to display technology in specific, niche applications
How Aurora tests “smarter, not farther”
Similarities and differences for automating a class 8 truck and a passenger car application

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/sterlinganderson
Future of Mobility LIVE registration: https://www.linkedin.com/events/futureofmobilitylive-investingi6856659498245984256/
Sterling’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinganderson/
For more on Aurora, including partnerships with FedEx, Uber, Toyota, Volvo, and PACCAR, as well as their Aurora Driver Development Program, Safety Case Framework, product announcements, Fusion hardware kit, blueprint for ride-hailing, and more, visit their blog.

Sterling’s Bio:

Sterling Anderson is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Aurora, the company delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. A longtime developer of autonomous vehicle technology, Sterling developed the MIT Intelligent Co-Pilot, a shared autonomy framework that paved the way for broad advances in cooperative control of human-machine systems. In 2014, he joined Tesla, where he led the design, development, and launch of the Tesla Model X and then led the team that delivered Tesla Autopilot. Sterling holds several patents and over a dozen publications in autonomous vehicle systems and earned his Masters and Ph.D. from MIT.

About Aurora:

Aurora, founded by the leading experts in self-driving, is delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly with the Aurora Driver. The Aurora Driver is a platform that brings together software, hardware, and data services to safely operate any vehicle without a human driver. Backed by Amazon, Sequoia, and others, Aurora has partnerships with FedEx, Toyota, Volvo, Uber, PACCAR, and more. Aurora tests in the Bay Area, Pittsburgh, and Dallas, has offices in those cities and four other locations.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#72 – Moshe Cohen | Gravity - Urban EV Fleets and Fast Charging Infrastructure Oct 17, 2021

Show notes

Moshe Cohen is founder and CEO of Gravity Inc. and Gravity Technologies. Gravity, Inc is a sustainable mobility startup focusing on EV fleets and supporting infrastructure.

Key topics in this conversation include:

Moshe’s path from lawyer to economics and finance professor at Columbia, and now sustainable mobility solution founder
Why Level 2 charging doesn’t cut it in the city
The challenges of operating an effective and profitable EV fleet in an urban area
Gravity’s True Fast Charging site in Manhattan
Reinvigorating the famous yellow taxi with an all-EV fleet

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/moshecohencohen
Moshe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moshe-cohen-7b202399/

Moshe’s Bio:

Moshe Cohen is founder and CEO of Gravity Inc. and Gravity Technologies. Earlier in his career, Moshe was a finance and economics professor at Columbia business school, teaching MBA and PhD students courses in capital markets and investments and empirical corporate finance. With a PhD in economics from MIT and law degree from the Hebrew University, Moshe’s academic expertise includes structural estimation of large scale empirical industrial organization questions including network optimization, market structure, corporate strategy, discrete choice, new product introduction and regulatory structures. He lives in Manhattan.

About Gravity:

Gravity, Inc is a sustainable mobility startup focusing on EV fleets and supporting infrastructure. Gravity’s solutions bring together best-in-class equipment and integrated software, seamless customer interfaces and unique amenities that increase productivity. Gravity is opening Manhattan’s first and only True Fast Charging site later this fall and is preparing to launch a pioneering all-EV yellow taxi fleet, reinvigorating one of New York City’s most iconic brands. Gravity partners with building owners and parking operators to customize portfolio-wide conversions to electric vehicle charging, with the ability to support both individual EV drivers and large EV fleets. Learn more at GravityT.com.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#71 – Tomi Ristimäki | Kempower - Charging Technology for All Forms of Electric Vehicles Oct 10, 2021

Show notes

Tomi Ristimäki is the CEO of Kempower, which designs and manufactures DC fast charging solutions for electric vehicles and machines.

Key topics in this conversation include:

How DC charging works
Differences in charging requirements for various mobility applications
The role of software in optimizing the charging experience
Charging solutions for fleet owners
Why 150 kW charging might be enough (and why the charger isn’t the limiting factor for charging speed)

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/tomiristamaki
Tomi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomi-ristim%C3%A4ki-7719883/
DC Charger recycling release: https://kempower.com/information-center/news/kempower-announces-99-end-of-lifetime-recyclability-rate-for-its-dc-charger-commits-to-carbon-neutrality-by-2035/
Gibarco partnership release: https://kempower.com/information-center/news/kempower-launches-partnership-with-gilbarco-veeder-root-to-offer-ev-charging-solutions/

Tomi’s Bio:

Tomi is the CEO of Kempower, with over 20 years’ experience in electrification and more than 10 years’ involvement in the e-mobility sector. He has worked in cleantech throughout his career, specifically focusing on electrification and unlocking energy savings for all stakeholders. Tomi is passionate about making the world cleaner and more sustainable by enabling the electrification transition.
Tomi joined Kempower in 2019 and leads the company as it establishes itself as the market-leading provider of DC fast charging devices and services for electric cars, off-highway machines, marine vessels and commercial vehicles. Before joining Kempower, he spent nearly a decade at Danfoss Editron, with primary responsibility for business development in the company’s vehicle electrification business unit. Tomi also counts cleantech industry heavyweights in Vacon and Honeywell as previous employers.

About Kempower:

Kempower designs and manufactures DC fast charging solutions for electric vehicles and machines. The company comprises a team of electric vehicle enthusiasts with a deep understanding of the charging market and a hands-on mentality. Kempower's product development and production are rooted in Finland, with over 90% of its materials and components sourced locally. The company focuses on all areas of transportation, from personal cars and commercial vehicles to mining equipment, boats and motorsports. With 70 years of experience in perfecting power sources, Kempower sets the bar in engineering and user-experience design.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#70 – Nino Di Cara | Electric Autonomy Canada – The Optimal EV Charging Station & Why We Can’t Wait to Decarbonize Oct 03, 2021

Show notes

Nino Di Cara is the founder and president of Electric Autonomy Canada

Key topics in this conversation include:

Why Nino started Electric Autonomy Canada
How to think about the role of media and providing an accurate perspective on emerging technology
Why we need to move to decarbonize now if we want to save our way of life
The Electric Fueling Station of the Future: A Design Competition
Decarbonize of non-automotive applications

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/ninodicara
Nino’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshiav/
Electric Autonomy Canada website: https://electricautonomy.ca/
Design competition website: https://designawards.electricautonomy.ca/

Nino’s Bio:

Nino Di Cara is the founder and president of Electric Autonomy Canada. He is the past president of the National Media Awards Foundation and recipient of the EV Society’s 2020 Howard Hutt Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Electric Transportation.

About Electric Autonomy Canada:

Electric Autonomy Canada is the leading news publication reporting on the transition to electric vehicles, autonomous transportation and new mobility services.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#69 – Ameya Joshi | Corning – Reducing Emissions & Why We Need to Continue Improving the ICE Sep 26, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Ameya Joshi is the director of emerging technologies and regulations at Corning Incorporated

Key topics in this conversation include:

The importance of clearly defining our objective – to reduce CO2 and particulate emissions
What to do when science and public perception point in different directions
Why environmental justice is so critical as we clean up transportation
The disproportionate role of cold-start emissions, and technologies to address this
Regulations, including Euro 7, and the propulsion systems that will define our future
The downside of blanket bans on ICEs

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/ameyajoshi
Ameya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshiav/
Ameya’s Mobility Notes website and newsletter https://mobilitynotes.com/
Corning website: https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en.html

Ameya’s Bio:

Dr. Ameya Joshi is the director of emerging technologies and regulations at Corning Incorporated, where he follows advances in engines, emissions control technologies and electrification, for the company’s Environmental Technologies division. He provides credible technical guidance to engage regulators, customers and other automotive suppliers on the direction of emissions regulations globally and their impact on future technology choices.

Ameya currently serves as an associate editor for the SAE Journal of Engines, Publishing Editor for the journal Emission Control Science and Technology and Editorial Board Member of the Transportation Engineering Journal. He is also a reviewer for various projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office through the Annual Merit Review. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware in Mechanical Engineering.

About Corning:

Corning is one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, with a 169-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramics science, and optical physics, along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities, to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people's lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#68 – Tarik Bolat | GPR - Ground Positioning Radar as the Missing Piece for ADAS/AD Sep 19, 2021

Show notes

Tarik is co-founder and CEO of GPR.

Key topics in this conversation include:

The current state of assisted and automated driving
Why these technologies likely can’t excel using only the dataset that’s available to humans
GPR’s roots in military applications
How ground penetrating radar provides an additional, reliable dataset for accurate positioning of the vehicle
The importance of working towards a clear vision when tackling long-term, complex challenges

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/tarikbolat
Tarik’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarikbolat/
GPR website: www.GPR.com

Tarik’s Bio:

Tarik has a passion for building high-performing startups rooted in powerful scientific discovery. Most recently he was the Executive Vice President at Renewable Energy Trust where he helped build one of the leading independent solar and wind power producers in North America. He's also spent time as a venture investor and management consultant. Tarik holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Columbia University.

About GPR:

GPR, formerly known as WaveSense, is pioneering the safest and highest performing assisted driving and autonomous capabilities through its Ground Positioning Radar™. As the world's most precise and reliable vehicle positioning system, GPR allows vehicles to determine their precise location with centimeter-level accuracy, no matter how challenging road conditions become. Whether it’s on-road in challenging conditions like unmarked roads, poor weather, or urban canyons, off-road, or even underground, vehicles that incorporate Ground Positioning Radar™ are able to deliver a more robust, higher quality assisted and autonomous driving experience that other sensors can’t. GPR is working closely with OEMs and Tier 1 partners to help vehicles safely navigate where current ADAS sensors, including lidar and camera-based systems, fall short.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

#67 – Porter Harris | Power Global – Clean Energy Technology for the World & Electric Rickshaws Sep 12, 2021

Show notes

Porter Harris is CEO and founder of Power Global.

Key topics in this conversation include:

Comparing battery technology for space, automotive, forklift, and rickshaw applications
Why it’s so important to improve the sustainability of transportation in India and other parts of Asia
How Power Global chose swappable batteries on a subscription basis for their initial offering
Why Porter started Power Global

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/porterharris
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/porter-harris-39868312/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/porter_harris?lang=en
Power Global website: https://www.power.global/

Porter’s Bio:

Porter Harris is CEO and founder of Power Global. Having previously served as co-founder of Romeo Power Technology, chief battery engineer at Faraday Future and lead battery pack designer at SpaceX, Porter has worked on some of the most technologically advanced products of the decade. At Power Global, he leads the company's vision, battery design and product development.

Power Global Description:

Power Global is bringing access to affordable, reliable electric mobility solutions across the world, including emerging markets such as India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and others. With a mission to deliver cleaner air and a better quality of life in these markets, Power Global is re-engineering more sustainable light mobility vehicles such as auto-rickshaws, a $16B underserved market.

Future of Mobility:

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Building Better with Brandon Bartneck

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected