Propeller at SFCW 2025 "What does it mean to lead in this climate?"
“In the ocean, no two waves are the same, and no two days are the same.”
Wise words from professional big-wave surfer Greg Long and that was just one of many lessons learned from a life in the ocean that are extremely relatable for what it means to be a leader in today’s climate. Greg went on to discuss risk-taking, ego, near-death and resurrection, and how he now acts with greater intention in and out of the water.
So many gems in there for all of us to relate to… I’m still reflecting on his talk, my time at SF Climate Week – and the tone and tenor of the broader #climatetech ecosystem – but above all, it was a real privilege to co-host this discussion on behalf of Propeller and in collaboration with my friend Scott Atkinson and his team at Heidrick & Struggles.
It is so special and so rare to gather together with such a great crew of smart, committed founders, investors, and operators working toward a collective planetary good.
Thank you again to our excellent panelists for your insights and inspiration --
Founders Panel: Kelly Zheng of hum.ai, Jess Adkins of Calcarea, and Stuart Landesberg of Grove Collaborative.
Investor Panel: Colin le Duc of Generation Investment Management, Saloni Multani of Galvanize, Suzanne DiBianca of Salesforce, and Steven Mandel of TPG Rise Climate.
And most importantly, thank you to all who attended. Time is precious, and we’re grateful to the folks who spent some of their time with us last week. We hope you’re all back at it this week, as inspired as I was from the discussion.