Waking the Frog: Investor Tom Rand Keynotes Showcase

Entrepreneur, investor, author and philosopher Tom Rand shares solutions for “climate change paralysis” at CleanTech Innovation Showcase. 

The latest speaker to join the 2018 CleanTech Innovation Showcase line up is venture capitalist Tom Rand. Rand is managing partner at ArcTern Ventures, as well as a well-known cleantech investor, advisor, speaker, author and entrepreneur. ArcTern Ventures is based in Canada invests in breakthrough startups solving climate change and sustainability to generate out-sized financial returns.  The group has supported companies specializing in energy data analytics, advanced materials, alternative fuels and more.

“Tom has a fresh and engaging view of the cleantech sector and its salience at this moment in our history,” said J. Thomas Ranken, CEO of CleanTech Alliance. “His real world business approach to solving large, philosophical  problems resonates with the CleanTech Alliance mission, and the work of many of our members and Showcase attendees.”

Waking the Frog: Solutions for our Climate Change Paralysis

During his keynote, Rand will explain how climate disruption might just be our very own pot of hot water. He considers the question: are we the frog paralyzed in our inaction? Exploring contemporary psychology, economics, business, and finance, Rand explains our stasis in the face of one of the most fundamental problems of our time. His account goes beyond pointing fingers at the bad guys by diving deeper into our motivations, institutional lethargy, and deeply buried assumptions about market economics. Rand’s engaging, bare-knuckled speaking style is as much about solutions as it is an account of our present paralysis. Attend Showcase to hear his perspective on how our ingenuity, technology, capital, and policy can work together to turn down the heat while also enabling the largest economic opportunity of the 21st century. Clean energy technologies have an important role to play in that future.

“It’s the next generation of clean energy technologies that will generate continued price reduction – and utility – of low-carbon energy,” Rand said. “When that happens, markets accelerate. Bottom line is we’re collectively working on the stuff that can bend that horrible global temperature curve down to something more manageable.”

After a number of years as a successful software entrepreneur Rand now focuses his efforts on carbon mitigation. He’s active in Cleantech venture capital, technology incubation & commercialization, and public advocacy. Rand is Managing Partner of ArcTern Ventures and a Senior Advisor at the MaRS Discovery District, an organization that brings educators, researchers, social scientists, entrepreneurs and business experts together to grow innovative companies. He also sits on the board of a number of clean energy companies and organizations. In addition, Rand developed Planet Traveler, a low-carbon hotel project in downtown Toronto. The first book Rand published, Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit, won the 2011 Whitepine Non-Fiction award. His second – Waking the Frog – became a bestseller in Spring 2014.  With a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo, a master’s in philosophy of science from the University of London and LSE, and a master’s and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Toronto, Rand brings a unique perspective to the sector. In addition, he is an Action Canada Fellow, and was recently appointed to the Government of Ontario’s Climate Action Group. Rand is a regular contributor on Canada’s leading op-ed pages and is a regular contributor on CBC’s On the Money (and prior The Exchange).

Register for CleanTech Innovation Showcase Before Prices Go Up

Held June 25, 2018, at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle, the CleanTech Innovation Showcase is the region’s premier one-day conference focused on technology and business innovation. The early bird registration rate will go up on May 2, so make sure to register today to take advantage of the low price!  The event convenes 400+ cleantech industry leaders, investors, policymakers and media. Dr. Sunita Satyapal, director of the DOE Fuel Cell Technology Office will also keynote at the event, in addition to company/organization presentations, the Cascadia CleanTech pavilion, exhibitor floor and more to come!

Additional branding opportunities are available through several 2018 CleanTech Showcase Sponsor and Exhibitor Packages. Contact Sharon Schierle if you have questions about sponsoring or exhibiting at sharon@cleantechalliance.org or 206-389-8662.