Entrepreneurs for Impact - #216: Dr. Sarah Russell, CEO of Bellwether, MD at Alphabet's Moonshot Factory – TIME Magazine's "2024 Best Invention in Artificial Intelligence." The First Prediction Engine for the Earth.

#216: Dr. Sarah Russell, CEO of Bellwether, MD at Alphabet's Moonshot Factory – TIME Magazine's "2024 Best Invention in Artificial Intelligence." The First Prediction Engine for the Earth.

02/20/25 • 47 min

Bellwether is a climate prediction tool that uses AI to analyze Earth observation data and anticipate changes to the planet. It's used by the public and private sectors to help with disaster preparation and recovery.

How Bellwether works:

Uses simulation techniques to analyze Earth observation data
Predicts the likelihood of severe weather, like wildfires and floods
Identifies damage to critical infrastructure after a disaster
Helps deliver aid more quickly after a disaster

Dr. Sarah Russell is a startup founder, tech executive, and physician working at the intersection of business, planetary health, and machine learning.

In addition to her role as CEO of Bellwether, she is a Managing Director at X, the Moonshot Factory at Alphabet.

Previously, she held leadership roles at Venrock, the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, and Google, applying her expertise in healthcare, technology, and regulatory strategy.

In addition to her entrepreneurial and executive pursuits, she serves as an Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she remains dedicated to mentoring and advancing innovation in medicine and sustainability.

Here are some topics we covered:

How to navigate personal growth and identity shifts after selling a business
What is the significance of absolute risk scores in disaster preparedness and how they differ from relative risk scores
Why AI models are advantageous over traditional physics-based models in climate and weather event predictions
When to consider expanding a business model to offer comprehensive solutions, including vertical integration and AI-enabled services
How to maintain focus and remember that just because you can doesn’t mean you should
Why you should surround yourself with people way smarter than you and do the ego work to deal with that reality

🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS:

Sarah - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahrussellmd

Bellwether - https://x.company/projects/bellwether

📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re a community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. Apply here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📣 EFI’S NEWSLETTER:

I share lessons learned from working with 300 climate tech CEOs and investors, meditating for 25 years, teaching 90,000 students, and reading 50 books per year. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW:

To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, we appreciate this small gesture of your appreciation. Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🤔 PODCAST HOST:

Dr. Chris Wedding is the CEO of EFI (climate CEO peer groups and executive coaching), cofounder of Terraset (carbon removal), Senior Advisor at Javelin Capital (clean energy investment banking), Board member at World Tree (regenerative forestry), Board Advisor at DG Matrix (next-gen power electronics), Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, and super humble human being (as evidenced by this long bio).

How Bellwether works:

Uses simulation techniques to analyze Earth observation data
Predicts the likelihood of severe weather, like wildfires and floods
Identifies damage to critical infrastructure after a disaster
Helps deliver aid more quickly after a disaster

Dr. Sarah Russell is a startup founder, tech executive, and physician working at the intersection of business, planetary health, and machine learning.

In addition to her role as CEO of Bellwether, she is a Managing Director at X, the Moonshot Factory at Alphabet.

Previously, she held leadership roles at Venrock, the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, and Google, applying her expertise in healthcare, technology, and regulatory strategy.

Here are some topics we covered:

How to navigate personal growth and identity shifts after selling a business
What is the significance of absolute risk scores in disaster preparedness and how they differ from relative risk scores
Why AI models are advantageous over traditional physics-based models in climate and weather event predictions
When to consider expanding a business model to offer comprehensive solutions, including vertical integration and AI-enabled services
How to maintain focus and remember that just because you can doesn’t mean you should
Why you should surround yourself with people way smarter than you and do the ego work to deal with that reality

🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS:

Sarah - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahrussellmd

Bellwether - https://x.company/projects/bellwether

📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:

📣 EFI’S NEWSLETTER:

✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW:

🤔 PODCAST HOST:

Previous Episode

undefined - #215: Laura Pagliarulo, Co-Founder & CEO at SolaREIT – $3.5B in Solar and Storage Projects Supported. Land Investment in 19 States. Long-Term Commitments v. Constant Hopping. Mindful Leadership.

#215: Laura Pagliarulo, Co-Founder & CEO at SolaREIT – $3.5B in Solar and Storage Projects Supported. Land Investment in 19 States. Long-Term Commitments v. Constant Hopping. Mindful Leadership.

SolaREIT, established in 2020, specializes in providing flexible capital solutions for solar and battery energy storage real estate. By partnering with developers and landowners, SolaREIT facilitates the monetization of land assets through land purchases, lease prepayments, and land loans. Their streamlined approach and competitive pricing have enabled capital deployment for projects across 19 states, contributing to over $3.5 billion in solar and battery storage developments.

Laura Pagliarulo is the Co-founder and CEO of SolaREIT, bringing over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy sector. Before founding SolaREIT in July 2020, she served as Managing Director at CleanChoice Energy, where she led initiatives to expand access to clean energy solutions. Her extensive background also includes leadership roles at SunEdison and WGL Energy, where she focused on community solar and distributed generation projects.

Here are some key takeaways:

How to optimize capital efficiency in solar and battery storage projects by leveraging innovative land acquisition strategies
How they decide to structure their investment based on landowner and project owner perspectives
Why the solar and battery storage industry demonstrates resilience and adaptability amidst legislative changes and market fluctuations
When to consider long-term commitments within a company to fully understand its operations and foster personal growth
How to maintain health and focus through personal habits such as outdoor exercise, mindful presence, and balanced technology use

🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS:

SolarREIT: https://www.solareit.com

Laura's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-pagliarulo-4934aa5

📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re a community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. Apply here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📣 EFI’S NEWSLETTER:

I share lessons learned from working with 300 climate tech CEOs and investors, meditating for 25 years, teaching 90,000 students, and reading 50 books per year. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW:

To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, we appreciate this small gesture of your appreciation. Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🤔 PODCAST HOST:

Next Episode

undefined - #217: Ernst Sack, Partner at Blue Bear Capital – Over $350M for AI + Energy Investing Since 2016. How VC Investors Pick Great Founders. Ignore Your Many Weaknesses. Icy Showers.

#217: Ernst Sack, Partner at Blue Bear Capital – Over $350M for AI + Energy Investing Since 2016. How VC Investors Pick Great Founders. Ignore Your Many Weaknesses. Icy Showers.

Blue Bear Capital is a venture and early-growth equity fund focused on digital technologies for the energy industry. On their third fund, their companies harness IoT, machine learning, and cyber security across solar, wind, and the broader energy infrastructure.

Ernst Sack is a founding partner at Blue Bear. Previously, he spent nine years at Riverstone, a leading energy private equity firm that has invested over $45B since 2000, and worked on the Mergers & Acquisitions team at Citigroup. He has held board roles for over 15 energy and software companies, including Raptor Maps, Pani, Axiom Cloud, and Shoreline.

In this podcast, you’ll learn these takeaways and much more.

🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS:

Ernst - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernst-theodor-sack-056a5211a

Blue Bear Capital - https://bluebearcap.com

📈 JOIN EFI’S CLIMATE CEO PEER GROUP:

Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — Join North America’s top private peer group community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. We’re a community of 100 CEO Fellows and Mentors (investors and post-exit CEOs) representing over $40B of market value or financial assets for climate solutions. Apply here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📣 GET MY NEWSLETTER:

I share lessons learned from working with 300 climate tech CEOs and investors, meditating for 25 years, teaching 90,000 students, and reading 50 books per year. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✍🏼 LEAVE A PODCAST REVIEW:

To help more people discover the climate tech CEOs and investors we interview, please take one minute to review or rate this podcast. Since we don’t take any sponsors for this podcast, we appreciate this small gesture of your appreciation. Here are instructions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🤔 PODCAST HOST:

Dr. Chris Wedding is the CEO of EFI (climate CEO peer groups and executive coaching), cofounder of Terraset (carbon removal), Senior Advisor at Javelin Capital (clean energy investment banking), Board member at World Tree (regenerative forestry), Board Advisor at DG Matrix (next-gen power electronics), Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, and a super humble human being (as evidenced by this long bio).