Episode Description

What if solving climate change wasn’t about sacrifice, but about building a more abundant, prosperous future?

In this episode of Mission Driven You, I talk with entrepreneur and storyteller Josh Dorfman—founder of Supercool and co-founder of Planted—about why we’ve entered a new era he calls climate adoption. The debate is no longer if we’ll make the transition, but how fast.

Josh shares stories of breakthrough companies and cities already leading the way: electrifying thousands of port trucks, reinventing the yellow school bus, deploying AI that cuts energy use in skyscrapers, and creating carbon-negative building materials from fast-growing grass. These aren’t marginal experiments—they’re profitable, scalable solutions changing how we live.

This conversation will shift how you think about climate—from doom and despair to innovation, economics, and hope.

Show Notes

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Josh believes we’ve entered a new era of climate adoption
• The global investment surge—over $2 trillion annually—in clean energy
• How solar’s decades-long cost curve points toward a future of abundant, cheap energy
• The story of Planted: turning perennial grass into carbon-negative building materials and partnering with D.R. Horton, America’s largest homebuilder
• Examples of “supercool” climate solutions already scaling:
• Forum Mobility electrifying heavy-duty port trucks
• BrainBox AI cutting building energy use by up to 20%
• Zum reimagining school bus fleets with electrification and efficiency
• Why the most successful climate companies don’t sell “climate”—they sell cost savings, reliability, and better customer outcomes
• The role of profit motive as a catalyst for environmental change

Resources & Links:

• 🌎 Explore Supercool: supercool.earth
• 🌱 Learn about Planted: plantedmaterials.com
• 📺 Listen to Josh’s podcast, Supercool: Spotify link
• 📘 Josh’s earlier work, The Lazy Environmentalist: Amazon link

What does it mean to bear witness in a world where silence often feels safer?

In this episode of Mission Driven You, I sit down with Ross Halperin, author of Bear Witness, to explore the extraordinary story of Kurt Ver Beek and Carlos Hernández—two men who risked everything to confront gang violence and systemic corruption in Honduras. Together, they built a model of justice rooted in presence, bravery, and faith, showing that true change often begins when we refuse to look away.

But this story isn’t just about Honduras. As Ross explains, the problem of impunity—the failure to hold perpetrators accountable—exists right here in the United States, where most shootings go unsolved. What lessons can we learn from Kurt and Carlos’s journey, and how can their example shape our own pursuit of justice, community, and legacy?

Show Notes

In this episode, we discuss:

• The unlikely friendship between Kurt Ver Beek and Carlos Hernández—and why they chose to live in one of Honduras’ most dangerous neighborhoods.
• How their faith led them to embrace a theology of justice and bravery rather than comfort and safety.
• Why they moved beyond charity work to confront gangs and a broken justice system head-on.
• The moral gray areas they faced working with corrupt police and the personal cost of bearing witness.
• How their model helped reduce homicide rates—and eventually led them into national police reform.
• The striking parallels between impunity in Honduras and unsolved violence in U.S. cities like Chicago.
• What Ross learned through years of reporting, and how we might apply these lessons to our own leadership and communities.

Resources & Links

• Ross Halperin’s book: Bear Witness
• Connect with Ross: rossahalperin.com

Episode Description

What if the biggest challenge of our lifetime isn’t external at all — but whether we’ll bring out what’s already inside of us?

In this episode of Mission Driven You, I sit down with Steven Puri — technologist, entrepreneur, and creative visionary — to explore how we can live and lead from a place of authentic creativity in a culture designed to steal our attention.

Steven shares insights from a career that spans Academy Award–winning films, startups at the edge of innovation, and his own experiments with flow and human potential. We talk about how to reclaim our focus, why small daily steps matter more than grand gestures, and how building a life that truly matters means aligning with the creativity and greatness that already lives within us.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, distracted, or uncertain whether your contribution matters, this conversation is a reminder: what’s inside you is enough — but it’s on you to get it out.

Show Notes

In This Episode with Steven Puri:

• Why the central question of our lives is whether we’ll bring out what’s inside of us.
• Lessons from Steven’s journey at the intersection of technology, creativity, and human potential.
• The danger of living in a culture built to capture and monetize our attention.
• How flow states help us unlock our best work — and how anyone can access them.
• Why creativity isn’t optional; it’s essential to building a meaningful life.
• The power of small steps: why opening the front door and taking action matters more than waiting for the perfect plan.

Why This Conversation Matters:

Mission Driven You is about living from the capital “S” Self — creating from a place of authenticity rather than chasing shallow wins or algorithmic approval. Steven embodies that mission, showing how creativity, discipline, and flow can help us live lives that are both personally fulfilling and publicly impactful.

Follow & Connect:

• Subscribe to Mission Driven You on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
• Watch full episodes and video essays on YouTube.
• Join me on Substack at drwillsamson.substack.com
• Connect with me on LinkedIn for ongoing leadership insights.