Alexis Ringwald – Balancing between the Certainty and the Madness: Changing the World
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Pre-Conference Notes
Abstract
The green energy revolution is upon us, and clean tech is finally beginning to penetrate our lives: solar roofs, CFLs, biodegradable packaging and more. But what if we could speed it up?
What if you were just crazy enough to run a mad experiment in real life to turn your greentech dream into a reality? I was. I organized a Climate Solutions Road Tour to travel 2,400 miles across India in a caravan of solar plug-in electric cars and biofuel trucks with a solar rock-band, a troupe of Bollywood dancers and a team of clean technology activists. We carried with us a number of eco-products and documented top tech innovations along the way. Our trip garnered much publicity across 400 Indian news media, a Tom Friedman NY Times article, and a visit with the President of India.
In planning and executing the trip, however, our team had to deal with extremely challenging technical and social risks. During this talk, we will walk through the real-life lesson in experimental design, including our young team’s assumptions, pre-testing, the data, and the conclusions of this experiment. Most importantly, I’ll share my experience in risk mitigation while launching a social movement using technology.
We all have to take on technological challenges when we don’t know all the answers. The key is what if you could find a way to balance between the certainty and the madness?
About the Author
Alexis Ringwald is a leading young entrepreneur in clean energy and education. She was Co-founder and Director of Business Development at Valence Energy, an energy efficiency software start-up company that was recently acquired by Serious Materials, a cutting-edge green buildings technology firm. She is also Co-founder of SmartPowerEd.org, an educational network training students on smart energy technologies. Recently, Fast Company magazine selected Alexis as one of the “Most Influential Women in Tech.”
Prior to Valence, Alexis was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to India researching cleantech and climate change at The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) for her book “Momentum for Renewable Energy in India” (VDM 2008). Alexis also co-directed the Climate Solutions Road Tour traveling 2,400 miles across India in solar plug-in electric cars. Before moving to India, Alexis worked at the German Parliament with the Environment Committee and at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.
Alexis has a dual B.A. and M.E.M. (Master of Environmental Management) from Yale University in 2006. She has lectured at Stanford University, Yale University, TEDx, been featured in the NY Times, and been invited as a guest to the White House. You can follow her on Twitter at @alexisringwald.
Session Notes
Blogs and Twitter
Follow Alexis Ringwald on Twitter at @alexisringwald
