It is with great pleasure that I continued the conversation with my colleague Yves Tiberghien for this episode on ‘Shaking the Global Order’. After a short break I continued the discussion with Yves as to the current state of relations with the US and China. I was also able to extend our examination to include the impact of this competition on the …

It is with great pleasure that I have invited my colleague Yves Tiberghien back into the Virtual Studio for this episode on ‘Shaking the Global Order’. The US-China relationship has been marked by continuing competition and rivalry. So, I sat down again with Yves Tiberghien to examine what the current state of the US-China relationship is today whi…

Subscribe to our Clean Energy Africa newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/dc168bd41a97/sign-up-here InfraCo Africa is one of the few financiers that provides equity investments in large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa. Typically investing in projects in the early stages of their development, all the way through construction and operational stages…

It is with pleasure that I was able to invite my colleague Gregory T Chin into the Virtual Studio to discuss all matters related to the BRICS+. Greg has been an observer of the BRICS for some time, and its main institutional creation the New Development Bank (NDB).I was keen to explore the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa now t…

Subscribe to our Clean Energy Africa newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/dc168bd41a97/sign-up-here Recorded live during the Energy Access Investment Forum in May, this 2 part mini-series covers the African Mini-Grid Program (AMP). The AMP is a USD 50 million country-led technical assistance program designed to stimulate the solar-battery mini-grids mark…

It is with great pleasure that I welcome back into the Virtual Studio, Homi Kharas. I wanted to explore with him the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the halfway point for their completion. I was looking for his assessment of current progress especially after he, John W McArthur, and Odera Onyechi published a new Report at Brookings: “How…

Nico joins us this week to share from his two decades of experience deploying Decentralized Renewable Energy projects, consulting governments on off-grid electrification policy, and what the emerging trends mean for financiers looking into Sub-Saharan Africa. This episode has already been published on "The Mini-Grid Business" podcast hosted by Nico…

Arnergy is a renewable energy company providing solar solutions to residential and commercial customers. Combined, Arnergy has raised $12M in a Series A and bridge round and is now gearing up for a big Series B fundraiser. In this episode, we speak with the company's CFO, James Fabola Jr., about operating in a difficult market and exciting growth o…

The US-China relationship has been marked by growing competition and rivalry. Nevertheless, the two have made efforts to stabilize the relationship notably with the meeting between Presidents Xi and Biden at the margins of the APEC Summit in San Francisco in 2023. More recently, the ministers of defense have met at the margins of the Shangri-La Dia…

It is with great pleasure that I have invited Elizabeth Sidiropoulos into the Virtual Studio for this episode of ‘Summit Dialogue’. With South Africa’s national and provincial elections just concluded and with South Africa about to take the Presidency of the G20 after the conclusion of Brazil’s hosting it seemed like an opportune moment to speak wi…

SolarAid is an international development charity working alongside communities in the most rural and hard-to-reach areas of sub-Saharan Africa to tackle poverty and the climate crisis through access to clean, safe solar lights. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7, which advocates for universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable…

So it was a real pleasure to invite CEIP’s Stewart Patrick back into the Virtual Studio to talk about this critical UN Summit – the Summit of the Future (SoTF). This Summit will take place this year on September 22nd -23rd. The effort leading to this Summit began with the 75th UN anniversary and the call for the Secretary General (SG) to prepare re…

GridCrux is a technology and power infrastrucure company that develops, engineers, finances and deploys alternative energy solutions to the unserved and underserved segments of the African continent. The company's solutions leverage existing technology, primarily multiple energy management systems, as a means of delivering optimized energy solution…

It is with great pleasure that I have invited Feliciano de Sá Guimarães into the Virtual Studio for this episode of ‘Summit Dialogue’. Feliciano is currently the Academic Director and Senior Researcher at CEBRI. I hope, with Feliciano’s help to explore Brazil’s hosting of the G20. What designs and hopes does Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, or Lula as he…

Odyssey's mission is to accelerate the clean energy transition in emerging markets. The Odyssey platform connects financiers, solar companies and equipment suppliers in one place to facilitate transactions, streamline processes and scale investment into distributed renewable energy. Financiers use Odyssey to source and manage deals, solar companies…

Founded in 2010, Persistent Energy is Africa’s Climate Venture Builder and a leading investor. The company provides essential support including finance, strategic guidance, governance, technical and legal expertise to early-stage companies committed to creating sustainable impact. They have developed and deployed an interesting venture building mod…

Dr. Marc-David Munk discusses some themes from his new book, URGENT CALLS FROM DISTANT PLACES: An Emergency Doctor’s Notes About Life and Death on the Frontiers of East Africa. Guest Bio: MARC-DAVID MUNK a Canadian/American, has emerged as a prominent figure in healthcare, driving change in emergency medicine and healthcare management across the U.…

It is with great pleasure that I have invited my colleague Bruce Jones into the Virtual Studio for this episode on ‘Shaking the Global Order’. ‘The US-China relationship has been marked by growing competition and rivalry but leaders did gather for a Xi-Biden Summit on November 15th that took place near San Francisco at the margin of the APEC Summit…

In the eighth and final episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Henok Assefa - Founder and Managing Partner at PRECISE, and Dr. Paul Yillia - COO and Technical Advisor, TENN to find out how policy design and finance go hand-hand in ensuring that farmers in rural communities can afford their energy needs fo…

It is with great pleasure that I have invited my colleague Yves Tiberghien back into the Virtual Studio for this episode on ‘Shaking the Global Order’. ‘The US-China relationship has been marked by growing competition and rivalry. This increasing tension seemed to reach a dramatic moment when a high-altitude balloon originating from China flew acro…

In the seventh episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Anshul Ojha - Founder and Principal anchor for the Desert Resource Center, and Ralph Roothaert - Principal Investigator of – Veggies 4 Planet & People (V4P&P) Project and Country Director – of Kenya Eastern and Southern Africa. This series is hosted by…

In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of the landmark $10M partnership between Crossboundary Access (CBA) and Mobile Power–a partnership that promises to unlock energy access for over 300,000 people within Nigeria. CrossBoundary is an investment firm focused on unlocking capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets…

It is with great pleasure that I welcome back to the Virtual Studio, Homi Kharas. In September during the High-Level Week at the UN General Assembly heads of state and government gathered at the invitation of the Secretary General to examine at the halfway point the progress made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I wanted to ge…

In the sixth episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Nirmita Chandrashekar a licensed architect and Senior Program Manager with SELCO Foundation in India, and Bijal Brahmbatt from the Mahila Housing Trust or MHT, a non-profit that was selected as a Women Changemakers India Fellow by Womanity Foundation. In…

In the fifth episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we continue our conversation from the last episode of the series joined by Shweta Narayan from the India-based NGO "Health Care Without Harm", and Shri Ram Kumar S, IAS - Project Director of the Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project (MEGHSSP). This series is hos…

The week of September 18th was the central week for UN activity – the High Level Week - with the opening of the 78 UNGA’s. Many Heads of State attended and there was a series of summits during the week including the High Level Panel Forum’s (HLPF) SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Summit, the Climate Ambition Summit and a ministerial gathering fo…

Finding a great Global Health partner in your efforts to serve and make an impact is incredibly important. In this episode, I talk about the benefits of partnering up as well as what to look for in a global health partner. Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason. Intro/Outro Music by Westin WongAv Dr. Mark

Donor-funded catalytic capital has been an integral part of the growth of the off-grid energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa by de-risking new technologies and business models. David Arinze joins us in this episode to discuss the ecosystem impact and growth of projects funded by catalytic capital and how it is allowing organizations to scale enough t…

In the fourth episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Rachita Misra - Associate Director of Knowledge and Advocacy with SELCO Foundation in India, and Heather Adair-Rohani - Acting Head of Air Quality, Energy and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss the energy and health nexus. Focusing…

The need for interpretation is common and critical in global medicine. Student doctor Michael Johnson joins the podcast to discuss the nuances of the vital service that helps deliver quality care to our patients. Co-Host/Guest Information: Michael Johnson is an osteopathic medical student at Rocky Vista University in Southern Utah and hails the Uni…

In the third episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Supriya Gowda - Project Manager of Agriculture for the SELCO Foundation, and Makena Ireri - former Director of Clean Energy Access Research at CLASP to discuss distributed energy for agriculture in the Global South, focusing on small-hold farmers in Indi…

In the second episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Ganesh Neelam-Director of Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI) and Huda Jaffer-Director of SELCO Foundation to discuss how improving access to clean affordable energy and energy efficient equipment & services is critical for small an…

Have you heard of Deep Ecology? On this episode, student doctors Jess Vergara and Nicole Blekhter dive into the connection between our environment and our health. Co-Host/Guest Information: Nicole Blekhter is a first-generation American from Moldova and Lithuania and currently an Osteopathic Medical Student at Rocky Vista University. She has known …

As part of our Reflection Series, Student Doctor Antonella Lozano shares some of her thoughts and lessons learned through her personal experiences in Global Medicine. Co-Host/Guest Information: Antonella Lozano is a medical student passionate about women's health and pediatrics. Growing up as a minority, raised by a single mother, and not having he…

In the first episode of the Distributed Energy For People & The Planet series, we are joined by Harish Hande: founder of SELCO Foundation, and Gauri Singh: Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to discuss the important role that policy and innovation plays in ensuring equitable outcomes in the push towards SDG…

Student Doctor Brogan Crockett walks us through Dracunculiasis: Guinea Worm Disease. Dracunculiasis: Hard to say...hard to eradicate...but we are making progress! Co-Host/Guest Information: Brogan Crockett OMS, MS, MHA, NR-P is a medical student at Rocky Vista University and first-generation graduate student. A Utah native, he is an alumnus of The …

Happy Earth Day! I thought reviewing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals would be a great way to celebrate Earth Day with you all! This info can be found in more detail on the official website: https://sdgs.un.org/goals You can also download their SDGs in Action app for more tips and connections: https://sdgsinaction.com/ Disclaimer intro by Clair…

Student Doctors Mia Panlilio and Maison Evensen-Martinez guide us through a discussion on what Podoconiosis is and what is being done about it. Co-Host/Guest Information: Mia Panlilio is a second year medical student originally from Walnut Creek, California. She did her undergrad at San Diego State University and then completed a post-bacc program …

In this sustainability episode, Allie Wallace, Arielle Navarro, and Lauren Weber join Dr. Mark discussing Fast Fashion: what is it, why is it bad for us, and what can we do to lessen the problem. Co-Host/Guest Information: Allie Wallace is a current OMS-II at Rocky Vista University in Southern Utah. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology …

Dr. Mark, welcomes back Student Doctors Walker & Walker to discuss the World Mosquito Program's Wolbachia Method and its efforts to control Dengue and other mosquito borne illnesses. Co-Host/Guest Information: Ellison Barlow Walker is currently an OMS-III at Rocky Vista University. She is passionate about global outreach and women's health and hope…

Student Doctors Walker & Walker join host Dr. Mark discussing the basics of the ins and outs Dengue and Severe Dengue. Co-Host/Guest Information: Ellison Barlow Walker is currently an OMS-III at Rocky Vista University. She is passionate about global outreach and women's health and hopes to be the best physician possible. She currently lives in sunn…

Join podcast host, Dr. Mark, as he does a Current Events Episode discussing the whirlwind of winter respiratory illnesses hitting the northern hemisphere this season, what you can do to protect yourself and others, and what to do if you do get sick. Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason. Intro Music by Westin Wong Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason. I…

COP15 was designed to to agree on a new set of goals to guide global action through the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) post-2020 framework process to halt and reverse nature loss. Nature is critical to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. So I was happy to bri…

So, it was my great pleasure to sit down again with my colleague, Colin Bradford in the Virtual Studio to talk about the Indonesian G20 Summit and beyond. Colin has voiced concerns recently over the prospects for progress at this G20 Summit and beyond with the tensions over Russia’s war in the Ukraine and growing geopolitical rivalry between the US…

I was so pleased to invite Oliver back into the Virtual Studio to discuss the Brazilian Presidential run off. That second round resulted in a narrow victory for the former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula over the current President Jair Bolsonaro. This podcast explores the Lula’s Presidential victory, and Bolsonaro’s loss, and the…

I was pleased to invite Jessica Chen Weiss into the Virtual Studio to discuss the outcomes of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held from October 16 to October 22, 2022. I was interested in exploring with her the consequences of the 20th on Chinese foreign policy and in particular on the US-China relationship. Jessica …

I was pleased to invite into the Virtual Studio former Chilean Ambassador Jorge Heine to discuss, first, the state of politics in Chile following the September 4th rejection of the proposed constitution and then to assess the impact on this rejection on the current government of Gabriel Boric of the Left in Chile. Finally, I wanted to assess the st…

I am pleased to invite Zachary Paikin into the Virtual Studio to discuss the state of EU foreign policy. While the major countries in Europe – France, Germany and Italy maintain national foreign policies, the EU has continued to strive to promote an EU foreign policy under the leadership of the current High Representative of the European Union for …

I was pleased to invite Elizabeth into the Virtual Studio to discuss the state of South Africa both its foreign policy in the midst of the Russian War against Ukraine, its participation in the BRICS and the state of its politics under the continuing governance by the ANC.Elizabeth Sidiropoulos is the chief executive of the South African Institute o…

It was great to invite Peter Draper back into the Virtual Studio to discuss the state of the WTO following conclusion of the WTO 12th Ministerial that took place in June finally after several lengthy delays. It was an opportunity to examine whether the WTO Ministerial had been able to make progress in resolving the many issues challenging this mult…