The Optimist Circuit

A carbon negative promise sounds like a headline until you’re on the team developing the plans to make it real. We sit down with Elizabeth Willmott, former Chief of Staff to Microsoft’s Chief Sustainability Officer, who helped write Microsoft’s carbon negative commitment, redesign their internal carbon fee, and launch early carbon removal efforts while the whole world watched and judged every move.We talk about what it takes to implement climate action inside a massive company when the roadmap is still forming. Elizabeth breaks down the practical “building blocks” of corporate decarbonization for the tech sector: renewable electricity procurement, cleaner onsite fuel for backup generation, low-carbon concrete and steel for data center expansion, sustainable aviation fuel, and high-integrity carbon removal for the toughest emissions. We also dig into why voluntary corporate commitments can create real markets, and why the measure of success isn’t necessarily perfect ton-for-ton accounting, but whether the work drives broader decarbonization across the economy.Then we zoom out to the human side. From solarpunk to climate dance parties to “yes, and” resilience, Elizabeth makes a case for optimism as a strategy that keeps people engaged and effective, especially as AI infrastructure grows and climate targets get harder. She also shares why she founded Earthrise Consulting, how she thinks about the resilience economy, and the candid coaching advice she gives to people considering a leap into a more self-directed career.Elizabeth has worked in sustainability and climate for over 20 years, across public, nonprofit, and private sectors.  From 2016 to 2024 she helped to lead the evolution of Microsoft's sustainability team.Today she has a thriving sustainability advisory practice and coaches climate professionals on work-life balance, values alignment, and entrepreneurship.  She loves helping people bring clarity, structure, and strategic alignment to environmental work.   To learn more or work with Elizabeth as a coach check out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-willmott-26b9734/ The Optimist Circuit Podcast is Building the Circuit Connecting AI, Tech, Nature, and People to Spark Optimism and Power Solutions for Society. Your hosts Francesca Fernandez and Ellen Spooner bring their optimism and decades of experience across sustainable communications, circular economy, decarbonization, and nature and biodiversity to the podcast every month.Subscribe now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of tech, AI, and sustainability.Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KtaOXRvcO2VFRtTSjDsWx Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-optimist-circuit-podcast/id1799872794 Follow The Optimist Circuit Podcast:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimist-circuit/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_optimist_circuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OptimistCircuit/shortsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoptimistcircuitSubstack: https://substack.com/@theoptimistcircuitpodcastIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people find the show.Support the show

Doom and guilt might get attention, but they rarely build the kind of sustained momentum we need for climate solutions. We sit down with Charlie Sellars, the award-winning author of What We Can Do: A Climate Optimist's Guide to Sustainable Living. Through his work, he focuses not only on empowering people to act sustainably in everything they do, but also on making sustainability more fun for all of us. Charlie is also a director of sustainability at Microsoft, working to embed sustainability into the company's cloud business after having done the same for its consumer hardware business.We dig into Charlie's "spheres of influence" framework and apply it to one of the hottest topics in tech right now: AI and data centers showing up in local communities. That means personal choices that drive digital demand, professional choices that turn everyday roles into climate jobs, and political engagement that create transparency, accountability, and responsible development, including practical examples like carbon-aware workloads that shift energy use to cleaner times on the grid.We also get into the Ocean Plastic Mouse, the power of design-led circularity, agrivoltaics that blend solar with farming and pollinators, and why cutting waste often unlocks the fastest cost savings. Plus, we wrestle with uncertainty in AI efficiency and energy demand, and why transparency and better measurement build trust even when the numbers evolve.The opinions expressed by Charlie Sellars in this episode are his own and do not reflect the views of Microsoft Corporation.Learn more about Charlie or buy his book here: https://www.charliesellars.com/If you want hopeful, concrete, and scalable sustainability ideas that don't rely on perfection, this conversation is for you. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, share the episode with a friend who needs a dose of optimism, and leave a review so more people can find the show.The Optimist Circuit Podcast is building the circuit connecting AI, Tech, Nature, and People to spark optimism and power solutions for society. Your hosts, Ellen Spooner and Francesca Fernandez, bring decades of experience across sustainable communications, circular economy, decarbonization, and nature and biodiversity to every conversation.Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KtaOXRvcO2VFRtTSjDsWx Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-optimist-circuit-podcast/id1799872794Follow The Optimist Circuit Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimist-circuit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_optimist_circuit/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OptimistCircuit/shorts TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoptimistcircuit Substack: https://substack.com/@theoptimistcircuitpodcastSupport the show

At The Optimist Circuit Podcast, we're building the circuit connecting AI, tech, nature, and people to spark optimism and power solutions for society. This episode is exactly that circuit in action.Peter Gilmer spent a decade at Web Summit helping scale one of the world's most influential tech gatherings to 70,000 attendees. When a Sylvia Earle documentary moved him, he walked away and came back with a new mission: proving that the people with capital, technology, and urgency could actually find solutions to our worlds greatest environmental problem and build something. He created PlanetTech inside Web Summit, secured the UN as a partner, and won the Global Sustainable Development Award from the global events industry association. Now as CEO of the Nest Campus, part of NYC Climate Week, the largest sustainability event in the US, he's making his biggest bet yet.That bet is NestX. Launching September 22-24, 2026 at Climate Week NYC, NestX is the first dedicated AI platform inside the world's largest resilience economy gathering, built in partnership with HumanX, the premier conference for AI decision-makers. It's a big deal because for the first time, the AI innovation community including startups, investors, enterprise buyers, and technology leaders is being brought into the climate conversation in a structured, commercially meaningful way. Not as a side conversation. As a center of gravity.As Peter puts it: "AI allows us to identify, finance, and scale the most effective solutions with unprecedented speed and precision. This is how we move from ambition to deployment and from incremental progress to exponential impact."We dig into what NestX actually looks like on the ground: AI startups showcasing breakthrough solutions, facilitated one-on-ones between founders and investors, and high-level programming across the six sectors driving the resilience economy including energy transition, AI and technology, cities and infrastructure, supply chains, food, water and natural capital, and risk and finance. We also get into the real-world AI tools already moving the needle: satellite-based ocean monitoring, deforestation prediction, grid optimization, emissions accountability, and why fusion energy is suddenly back in the conversation as AI drives electricity demand to new heights.Peter is clear-eyed that AI is not a silver bullet. Its energy demands are real, and deploying it irresponsibly carries risk. But it is already reshaping what's possible for the planet. NestX exists to make sure the right people are in the room shaping how it gets used.If you're working at the intersection of AI, climate, and capital, or you just want a grounded and optimistic look at what exponential impact actually looks like, this one's for you. Share it with someone heading to Climate Week NYC, and subscribe so you never miss an episode.Connect with Peter Gilmer: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petergilmerimpact/ The Nest Campus: https://www.thenestcampus.com NestX: https://www.thenestclimatecampus.com/nestxFollow The Optimist Circuit Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimist-circuit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_optimist_circuit/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OptimistCircuit/shorts TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoptimistcircuitIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people find the show.Support the show

The Optimist Circuit Podcast returns with Season Two, where we are Building the Circuit Connecting AI, Tech, Nature, and People to Spark Optimism and Power Solutions for Society.Season 2 features the pioneers and optimists driving real change at the highest levels of the tech industry.This season, we're diving into the minds of those turning ambitious climate goals into tangible solutions, from engineering global collaboration to leveraging AI for the UN’s sustainable development goals.These aren’t just theorists or cheerleaders; these are the trailblazers who’ve rolled up their sleeves and proven what’s possible when purpose meets action.Discover how a Fortune 50 company committed to going carbon negative, or how climate engineers are decarbonizing industries once thought impossible. Learn about innovative uses of Gen AI to accelerate global impact, and practical strategies for making green living an everyday reality. Instead of optimism rooted in naivety, these leaders are living proof that meaningful progress is within reach — if you know where to look and how to act. Season two of the Optimist Circuit Podcast is your ticket to insights that’ll reshape your approach to sustainability. Perfect for climate advocates, tech industry leaders, and anyone craving tangible solutions and inspiring stories of change.Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single episode — the tech and climate future is being built now, and these voices show you exactly how.Stay curious, stay optimistic.Follow The Optimist Circuit Podcast:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimist-circuit/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_optimist_circuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OptimistCircuit/shortsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoptimistcircuitIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people find the show.Support the show

Ever wondered why some brilliant startups never get funded? The answer might lie in unconscious biases that plague investment decisions. In this eye-opening conversation, we explore how Illumen Capital is revolutionizing access to capital through their innovative bias reduction program.🔍 What you’ll learn in this episode:The research behind bias in investing: How identical profiles with only the race of a photo changed investor decisions.Practical tools for reducing bias: From standardized first interview questions to multiple reviewers in hiring and investment processes.Real-world impact: Illumen’s portfolio has achieved gender parity across teams, proving that reducing bias isn’t just ethical—it’s profitable.A success story: A rural Texas founder nearly overlooked, who secured funding thanks to a fresh perspective that recognized opportunity others had missed.The human + tech balance: Why the most promising companies combine technological innovation with deep human understanding.Life & investing advice: How slowing down decision-making processes can actually accelerate long-term success.About our guestJoanna Kuang is the Senior Vice President of Product and Impact at Illumen Capital, where she leads efforts to dismantle systemic bias in investing and expand access to capital for underrepresented founders.📌 Connect with Joanne on LinkedIn: Joanna Kuang 🌐 Learn more about Illumen Capital: Illumen Capital WebsiteThis podcast was sponsored by EVCHARGE4U your partner for fast, reliable EV charging solutions for homes, businesses, and fleets. Powering a cleaner tomorrow, today.Support the show

What happens when communities invisible to the digital world suddenly appear on a map? Lives change. Resources flow. Possibilities emerge.Rebecca Firth, Executive Director of Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), leads a global movement that’s reshaping how we think about maps, data, and community agency. With 750,000 volunteer mappers across 90 countries, HOT has illuminated regions home to nearly a billion people—bringing them out of digital darkness.Maps aren’t just for navigation—they’re critical tools for disaster response, public health, climate resilience, and social equity. Yet millions remain unmapped, unseen by systems meant to support them.HOT is changing that by putting mapping power directly in the hands of local communities. Through initiatives like their FAIR project, they’re training neighborhood-specific AI models with communities, not on them—ensuring data reflects lived realities.From flood planning in Liberia to forest conservation in Guatemala, the results are transformative. In Sierra Leone, a map source reads simply: “I live here.”Rebecca shares how open data, community ownership, and ethical AI can shift the global map toward equity—and why mapping is one of the most powerful tools for justice today.🎧 Listen now to learn how you can help build a more resilient, inclusive world—one map at a time.👉 Start mapping or sign up for the newsletter at hotosm.org 🔗 Explore more links: linktr.ee/hotosm 📸 Follow along on Instagram: @_hotosmSponsored by EVCHARGE4U—your partner for fast, reliable EV charging solutions for homes, businesses, and fleets. Powering a cleaner tomorrow, today.Support the show

🎧 Building Health & Wealth Equity with Sydney Thomas of Symphonic CapitalWhat does it take to close the gaps in health and wealth access—and build a future where equity isn't just a buzzword, but a business model?In this episode of The Optimist Circuit, we sit down with Sydney Thomas, founder of Symphonic Capital, a trailblazing venture firm backing health tech and fintech companies working to dismantle systemic barriers. With a background shaped by lived experience and a sharp eye for resourceful founders, Sydney is rewriting the rules of early-stage investing—one values-driven startup at a time.💡 In this conversation, you'll learn:Why resourcefulness is the #1 trait she looks for in founders ("making a dollar out of ten cents")How companies like Flourish Care help moms access doula services through their insurance—solving not just care gaps, but information gapsWhy climate resiliency is the next frontier for both health and wealth equityHer measured take on AI as a tool—not a replacement—for human-centered decision-makingHow Sydney stays grounded and optimistic through community, storytelling, and listening to elders for historical context🎙️ Whether you're a founder, investor, or future-builder, this episode will leave you feeling energized, thoughtful, and ready to invest your time and values into something greater.Sydney is the Founder and General Partner of Symphonic Capital, an early-stage VC firm investing in the next generation of institutions serving overlooked and underserved communities. She has focused on this thesis for the past decade and is now on a mission to elevate the perspectives of founders, investors and LPs who have a diverse set of lived experiences and are dedicated to solving problems that impact the majority of people. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. Sydney is a proven fund builder and investor. She joined one of Silicon Valley’s first Pre-Seed funds and scaled it from a Solo Operating GP with 10 investments to a 3-person team with 400+ investments and $200M+ in AUM.👉 Follow Sydney on LinkedIn and explore her work at symphoniccapital.com.🔗 Stay connected with The Optimist Circuit:InstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeSupport the show

Season 1, Episode 2 – Informed Optimism: Harnessing AI for Sustainability and Social GoodEllen Spooner and Francesca Fernandez welcome you to The Optimist Circuit podcast, where they explore the powerful intersection of technology, sustainability, and social impact. This episode takes you behind the scenes of their vision for the podcast and introduces the co-hosts' impressive backgrounds.Ellen shares how Francesca has shaped environmental and community development programs for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 tech companies, including her work with innovation competitions like XPRIZE. Francesca reveals her journey from humanitarian work to sustainability, realizing that community prosperity depends fundamentally on healthy ecosystems. In turn, Francesca highlights Ellen's eight-year career in strategic communications, from leading ocean conservation campaigns in the South Pacific to her recent work exploring AI and sustainability.What makes The Optimist Circuit unique is its deliberate focus on solutions rather than dwelling exclusively on problems. While acknowledging the real challenges of AI—from energy consumption to potential social disruptions—Ellen and Francesca are committed to showcasing concrete examples of technology driving positive change. They spotlight innovations like Citrineio, which uses AI to invent new materials that solve specific sustainability challenges, and explore how major tech companies’ demand for energy could accelerate renewable infrastructure at unprecedented scale.The hosts embrace what they call "informed optimism"—acknowledging difficulties while actively highlighting pathways forward. As they explain, we're at a pivotal moment in the AI revolution where there's still time to shape how these powerful technologies evolve.Subscribe now and join a growing community that believes technology and nature can—and must—work together to create a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone.🎧 Follow and connect with us:LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @TheOptimistCircuit#AIforGood #SustainableTech #Podcast #TheOptimistCircuit #InformedOptimism #TechForChange #AIEthics #ClimateTech #InnovationForImpactSupport the show

In this episode of The Optimist Circuit, we sit down with Cheryl Goodman, a trailblazing tech executive and founder of Goodtech. With a career spanning Qualcomm, Sony, and Startup San Diego, Cheryl shares her insights on navigating the AI revolution, building influence in tech, and the power of strategic communications in emerging industries.From AI's role in reshaping brand storytelling to how non-tech professionals can thrive in an AI-driven world, this conversation is packed with insider wisdom, career strategies, and bold predictions for the future of technology.🎧 Tune in to discover:✅ How AI is transforming corporate communications✅ Strategies for making an impact in emerging tech spaces✅ The mindset shifts needed to succeed in the evolving digital landscapeSubscribe now and join the conversation on the intersection of AI, tech, and human innovation! 🚀✨Cheryl K. Goodman [email protected] CEO, FindGood.tech - Author - "How to Win Friends and Influence Robots" ebook & print Forbes | Technology Programming |  Certified AI Workforce Expert  Mind the Machine Podcast  Watch on Spotify  & Youtube or listen at Apple or anywhere you like to hear your podcasts. Support the show

Welcome to The Optimist Circuit podcast where we are Building the Circuit: Connecting AI, Tech, Nature, and People to Spark Optimism and Power Solutions for Society.The Optimist Circuit podcast is your gateway to exploring how human ingenuity—combined with AI, technology, and nature—is solving society’s most pressing challenges.Through compelling interviews with AI, tech, and business leaders, real-world case studies, and stories of groundbreaking innovation, The Optimist Circuit delivers insights and inspiring narratives that highlight how technology and nature can work together to create a better future.Join hosts Ellen Spooner and Francesca Fernandez as they spotlight the pioneers behind businesses, startups, and research, revealing the human ingenuity driving transformative ideas that connect communities and amplify human potential.Ellen Spooner, co-founder and cohost of The Optimist Circuit, brings over eight years of strategic communication experience with organizations like NOAA, the Smithsonian, and the Waitt Institute. Her expertise in making complex science accessible to millions and her passion for AI and tech drive the podcast’s commitment to impactful storytelling.Francesca Fernandez, co-founder and cohost of The Optimist Circuit, is a circular economy and sustainability strategist with over a decade of experience in circularity, decarbonization, and nature & biodiversity. She specializes in maximizing value and minimizing waste—whether in material flows, emissions, habitat loss, or social inequity. Francesca’s expertise in strategy, innovation, and human-centered research informs her passion for building a healthier planet and more equitable communities.Our mission is to empower changemakers, innovators, and thought leaders with stories and strategies that prove optimism, collaboration, and innovation are the keys to solving global challenges.Subscribe now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of tech, AI, and sustainability.Support the show