Episodios

  • Grid Resilience, Pivots, and Radical Collaborations with Magnefy's Debbie Senesky & Joseph Kao

    Grid Resilience, Pivots, and Radical Collaborations with Magnefy's Debbie Senesky & Joseph Kao
    Nov 13 2025
    "I realized that it's not just about the technology. It's also the policy, the business model,” says Magnefy CEO Dr. Joseph Kao. “To really bring impact at a bigger scale to the world, we really need to understand interdisciplinary research and bring together different experts." Prof. Senesky is the co-founder of Magnefy, which uses AI to predict the needs of critical power assets like transformers, switchgear, and generators. In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure talks with her and Magnefy’s CEO, Dr. Joseph Kao, about: - Why interdisciplinary, “radical” collaborations between engineering labs and business students are critical for translating research into real-world impact - Why Magnefy pivoted from battery diagnostics to grid infrastructure - How the team navigated equity splits, conflict of interest, and building an interdisciplinary team as a faculty and MBA student Learn more: Magnefy Debbie Senesky Joseph Kao Sam McClure Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm This podcast was developed and published by Stanford Ecopreneurship
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    45 m
  • Batteries, AI, and Perfect Timing, with Mitra Chem’s Will Chueh & Vivas Kumar

    Batteries, AI, and Perfect Timing, with Mitra Chem’s Will Chueh & Vivas Kumar
    Nov 6 2025
    "The one thing that's almost impossible to change—or put another way, it's locked in on day one—is timing," says Stanford Professor Will Cheuh. "If you get the timing right, man, you are on a streak. But if you get the timing wrong, even with the same people, the same idea, nothing will happen." In this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, join our host Sam McClure and Will Chueh, Director of the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford and Vivas Kumar, CEO of Mitra Chem, as they delve into the founding journey of Mitra Chem, discussing: How their immigrant backgrounds shaped their entrepreneurial drive, and why Stanford is uniquely situated to bring together capital & talent How AI can compress battery development from years to months, balancing academic research with startup execution And why government support is essential for anyone looking to build an industrial company at scale, in any country About Mitra Chem: Mitra Chem is innovating and commercializing iron-based cathode materials to enable mass-market electrification in transportation and energy storage. Its founding team also includes CTO Chirranjeevi Gopal, who completed a post-doc in Prof. Chueh’s group. CEO Vivas Kumar also regularly guest lectures in 10+ classes each year across Stanford’s engineering and business schools, helping bridge the gap between academia and industry for the next generation of innovators. Learn more: Mitra Chem Will Chueh Vivas Kumar Sam McClure Produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm This podcast was developed and published by Stanford Ecopreneurship
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    49 m
  • The Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast | Trailer

    The Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast | Trailer
    Oct 30 2025
    Some of the world’s most powerful ideas start in a university lab. These innovations drive humanity forward and make our lives on Earth more sustainable. But how do we get those ideas out of the lab and into the real world? On the Stanford Ecopreneurship Podcast, Sam McClure sits down with academics, technologists, and policy leaders at Stanford to understand how they are building a resilient and sustainable future, using the disruptive force of entrepreneurship. New episodes of the 6-episode Academic Innovator Series will be released every Thursday, starting November 6. Follow the podcast
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    2 m