In high school, two smart women discovered a new bacteria in a local river that specifically eats phthalates, a harmful plasticizer that never degrades. Since then, they have turned their discovery of plastic-eating bacteria into an innovative, award-winning business model. “We have not only shown that bacteria can be the solution to plastic pollution, but that also being open to uncertain outcomes and taking risks create opportunities for unexpected discoveries.”
Sometimes all it takes is someone to believe in your vision and solution. That was true for Ategeka, and now he’s created a platform to help entrepreneurs around the world.
A conversation between two veteran cleantech leaders about the role of investment, technology breakthroughs, and commercial scale up in driving innovation to mitigate climate change.
Climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing, air pollution. We’re up against huge threats. But history and the trends of technology show that we can turn the corner. As clean energy and clean transportation plunge in price, as biotechnology revolutionizes our understanding of the natural world, and as the developing world reaches the demographic transition, a world of greater prosperity with less impact on the planet becomes possible. Make no mistake: The state of the environment will get worse before it gets better.
Many corporations have failed in recent years. What can start leaders on a better path for the future?