Podcast Episodes
#159 – Combining Robotics and Mass Timber For Modular Urban Buildings with Intelligent City
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Oliver David (OD) Krieg, president of Intelligent City, about how prefabrication, automation, and mass timber are reshaping the future of housing. He explains how a “product platform” approach, standardizing manufacturing while allowing for design flexibility, can make construction faster, more efficient, and scalable. The conversation explores the role of robotics and data-driven processes in increasing output without eliminating labor, the benefits and challenges of mass timber as a building material, and why the housing crisis is as much about systems, financing, and policy as it is about construction methods.
#158 – A More Sustainable Way to Build Community with Alan Willett
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Alan Willett, one of the original residents of Ecovillage at Ithaca, about what it means to intentionally design for community. Drawing on nearly three decades of experience living in what is known as “intentional communities,” Alan explains how physical layout, like shared spaces, pedestrian pathways, and common infrastructure, shapes daily interactions and fosters connection. The conversation also explores the realities of consensus-based decision-making, including the challenges of conflict, the importance of communication and governance structures, and how communities navigate complex decisions like shared investments. Alan also reflects on resilience, emphasizing that strong social bonds are as critical as sustainability initiatives like local food systems and renewable energy.
#157 – Rethinking Home Climate Control with Quilt
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Paul Lambert, CEO and co-founder of Quilt, about rethinking one of the most overlooked systems in the home: heating and cooling. What starts as a conversation about heat pumps quickly expands into a broader look at how comfort, efficiency, and design can work together. Paul shares why the future of home energy isn’t about sacrifice, but about better living, where smarter systems deliver both improved quality of life and meaningful energy savings.
#156 – Ammonia: The Compound That Could Power a Cleaner Planet with Ammobia
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Karen Baert, CEO and co-founder of Ammobia, to unpack the role ammonia plays in modern society and how it could evolve into a cleaner fuel and energy carrier. As one of the most produced chemicals in the world and a key input to global agriculture, ammonia underpins food systems while also contributing significantly to global emissions due to its energy-intensive production process. The conversation explores ammonia’s potential as a maritime shipping fuel, its role as an energy carrier, and the technical breakthroughs enabling more efficient production. Karen explains how Ammobia is reengineering ammonia production to reduce cost, energy use, and emissions — a solution that also won them the top prize at Women in Cleantech & Sustainability’s Pitch Competition in 2025.
#155 – How Sustainable Aviation Fuel is Taking Off with Universal Fuel Technologies
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Alexei Beltyukov, CEO and co-founder of Universal Fuel Technologies (Unifuel), to unpack why sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has emerged as the most practical near-term pathway for reducing aviation emissions. Alexei explains the structural challenges facing SAF adoption, from the logistics of transporting alternative feedstocks to the cost of replicating in hours what nature took millions of years to produce. He also discusses Unifuel’s Flexiforming technology, a chemical process that converts a wide range of feedstocks into drop-in fuels compatible with today’s aircraft. The conversation explores why feedstock flexibility matters, what it takes to qualify new aviation fuels under rigorous industry standards, and how emerging technologies could significantly lower SAF costs.
#154 – The Hidden Life of Wearable Technology with James Gilmore
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with James Gilmore, Associate Professor of Media and Technology Studies in the Department of Communication at Clemson University, and author of The Bringers of Order: Wearable Technologies and the Manufacturing of Everyday Life, about the promises and pitfalls of wearable technology. From Fitbits and Apple Watches to smart glasses, implantables, and Disney’s MagicBand ecosystem, James explores how wearables shape behavior, collect data, and blur the line between convenience and surveillance. The conversation looks at what these devices actually measure, why their outputs can be misleading, how shame and self-optimization can become built into the user experience, and why stronger public literacy, informed consent, and policy conversations are urgently needed as wearables become more embedded in daily life.
#153 – The Portable Solar Revolution with Gismo Power
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Antonia Ginsberg-Klemmt, CEO of Gismo Power, to explore a deceptively simple idea that could reshape access to clean energy: portable solar infrastructure. Antonia explains how her company’s MEGA (Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance) turns a standard parking space into a solar-powered EV charging station using a foldable, mobile solar carport. Originally inspired by her own experience charging an EV in a sunny Florida parking lot, the system is designed to remove the biggest barrier many people face in the energy transition—the need to own a home or rooftop.
#152 – The Future of Drone Delivery with Flytrex
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Yariv Bash, CEO and co-founder of Flytrex, about how autonomous drone delivery is becoming a scaled commercial reality. With more than 200,000 completed deliveries in U.S. suburbs and major partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats, Flytrex is helping redefine last-mile logistics. The conversation explores FAA certification beyond visual line-of-sight approval, unit economics, safety protocols, restaurant integration, and what it takes to build a fully autonomous delivery stack from drone manufacturing to cloud-based air traffic coordination.
#151 – Decarbonizing Industry Without Starting From Scratch with Petra Power
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Aaron Goodman, CEO and co-founder of Petra Power, to explore a practical bridge solution for hard-to-abate sectors like trucking, shipping, and defense. As hydrogen infrastructure remains limited, Aaron explains how solid oxide fuel cells can convert diesel or hydrogen directly into electricity without combustion, and even reverse the process to generate hydrogen from electricity. We discuss why Petra Power is targeting auxiliary power units (APUs) on heavy-duty trucks rather than replacing engines outright, how support from the Department of Defense helped accelerate development, and why incremental efficiency gains may be more realistic than sweeping infrastructure overhauls in the next decade.