Take Charge Podcast

Discover how Fourth Power is reimagining energy storage, by storing the sun in a box and beating natural gas at its own game.​Hear Christina Belsito, VP Corporate Affairs, reveal the secrets behind breakthrough thermal battery tech, startup team magic, and scaling clean energy for the future.This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in energy innovation, climate tech, or the future of the grid. Christina unpacks Fourth Power's mission to provide affordable, safe and domestically sourced energy storage at utility scale. The conversation spans rigorous R&D; Fourth Power’s rapid prototype-to-pilot journey; and the strategy to surpass even natural gas in cost-competitiveness - without the fire or supply chain risks of conventional batteries. Christina also offers unique perspectives on start-up team-building and capital formation in cutting-edge cleantech.​Christina’s strategic vision, real-world start-up learnings and commitment to a more reliable, clean-powered future make her an inspiring and insightful guest our Take Charge community.Take Charge is community by Strativ Group. Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TakeChargePodcast/videosFollow our host, Blaze Gardner on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaze-gardner-576522179/

We’re absolutely thrilled about our latest episode of the Take Charge podcast featuring Rick (Eric) Luebbe, CEO and Co-Founder of Group14 Technologies.Our new host, Blaze Gardner, had the incredible opportunity to dive into Rick's journey, from the birth of Group14—born out of a bold belief in silicon's potential for batteries—to how the company is transforming energy storage today.What excites us most is how Rick and his team cracked the historic challenge of silicon expansion, creating a ground-breaking battery material that is faster-charging, longer-lasting, and more energy-dense than traditional options. We also explore their global scaling strategy, including their recent acquisition of a factory in South Korea, and their ambitious plans to meet the world's energy needs sustainably.This episode is packed with insights about the future of silicon batteries, the incredible opportunities ahead, and what truly motivates Erik and his team to push the boundaries of clean energy. Whether you're an investor, innovator, or just passionate about the future of energy tech, you won’t want to miss this conversation.Join us as we uncover how Group14 is leading the charge toward an electrified, sustainable future.This series is part of the Take Charge community, which is powered by the talent solutions company Strativ Group.

It’s GO TIME for Energy Storage!With stress on the grid continuing to increase, there are predictions that demand will double by 2050 in the USA. As a result, we’re seeing a lot of movement in the energy storage market! This is why we were keen to welcome a true veteran in the field, Christopher Johnson, who clears up some misconceptions, answers our community questions and give us a real insight into the future of energy storage. We hope you enjoy!This podcast is created by global Cleantech talent solutions specialists, Strativ Group. Our episodes are hosted by the experienced recruiter, Jamie Sheard.

Welcome to the decoding of the Battery Talent Census delivered by our partners at the Volta Foundation! Our guests today, Wendy Papakostandini and Andrew Weng have done something that’s never been done before by collecting critical data, which is invaluable for both employers and employees in the battery field! Wendy’s full time position is the Principal of Talent at Anzu Partners, whilst Andrew with a rich history at Tesla, is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan, so I have no idea how they’ve found time as Program Directors at the Volta Foundation to run this census and present the subsequent data, it’s a prime example of people Taking Charge to make a difference and do good! There are some super interesting and surprising takeaways which we discuss in this episode, with even more to come later in the year. We hope you enjoy!This form links to The Battery Report 2024 - Talent Section, which contains excerpts from the full report to be released later this year. Those interested in accessing the full report can optionally complete the form so we can notify them when the full report is released later this year.

Will we ever see batteries that are 100% made in North American? With tariffs and the ever increasing geopolitical tension, comes the increasing pressure to create a robust, domestic supply chain to do so. Battery Materials is naturally a huge element to achieving this, which is why I was proud to welcome NOVONIX to Take Charge, with both their Anode (Harrison Kreafle) and Cathode Mark McArthur) Technology Directors joining me to shine a light on how we can create a domestic materials supply chain in North America. We hope you enjoy!

Over the past year-18 months, it’s fair to say that investment in the battery space has been dynamic to say the least. With the US battery industry facing headwinds due to recent tariffs and more geopolitical issues, we were keen to welcome Foothill Ventures to the podcast, who are arguably the most active seed-round investor in the US battery industry. Eric Rosenblum joins me, who is a true thought leader in the space, as he sheds some light on the industry, giving guidance on investment rational and talking about the future of the industry. This was truly an illuminating conversation, and it was a true honour to welcome Eric to Take Charge. We hope you enjoy!This podcast is created by Strativ Group - the people experts of the Battery industry.

Half a century of Take Charge episodes, with Penelope Jones, the Founder and CEO of Byterat taking charge for our 50th! We'd like to give Paul Sinclair a special shout out, who is the CCO of Byterat and the EVP of Development at the Volta Foundation, as he’s been a true supporter of Take Charge since day one. He kindly connected us with Penelope to talk all things battery data, analytics and AI. We hope you enjoy!

It’s March 2020, the world is shook in so many ways, one of those was the working dynamic, with many businesses and employees turning to remote working for the very first time. It quickly became the norm and widely accepted, but fast forward to the present day, and there seems to be a shift back to office. In this episode, we cover this trend, clearing up a lot of myths and facts and talking about employee flexibility versus employee collaboration, and on all of these topics, our guests provides advice for employees and employers on how you can better manage this transition. Our guest, Angie Williams is the Director of HR at Invinity Energy Systems, and has 15 years of international HR experience, navigating many shifts in the working world, with a passion for building change resilience. Change is part of our history and our future, and being resilient to change is essential to thriving in your life and career. I’ve no doubt that everyone watching this episode can take something from it. We hope you enjoy!

Women make up 16% of the battery industry… with even fewer in leadership roles. This isn’t something we're particularly proud of.So, to address this and showcase that the battery space is a viable and incredible option for women… Our community lead, Lauren Allanson, hosted a webinar for #InternationalWomensDay: During this ep, you'll discover: 👉 Key barriers preventing gender diversity and how to overcome them. 👉 Successful case studies from companies taking the lead. 👉 Practical actions and frameworks that can accelerate progress in your organization. These insights are shared by an incredible panel of leaders: Christin-Marie Boudgoust, Chief Commercial Officer | Morrow Batteries Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes, Former US Deputy Director for Batteries and Critical Materials. Denise Gray, Corporate Board Director. Whether you're an executive, manager, or advocate; this webinar will provide you with the tools, inspiration, and network to make a meaningful impact. #AccelerateAction