Climate Capital: Investing in the Tools for a Regenerative Future - TOM CHI, Google X Co-founder, Founding Partner At One Ventures

Climate Capital: Investing in the Tools for a Regenerative Future - TOM CHI, Google X Co-founder, Founding Partner At One Ventures

Author: Mia Funk April 16, 2026 Duration: 1:27:27

“In the book I spend a bunch of time basically teaching skills and teaching frameworks of thinking. Not to indoctrinate, it's not a framework like an ideology where you need to believe exactly these things. This is a lot more about how does one use their minds effectively to solve problems that have been solved before. Of course, I work on things that have to do with investment and climate and the future of the economy and automation. The main things I'm trying to teach in the book are skills around creativity, critical thinking, community compassion and frameworks around how to go and use that on problems that should be relatively portable to a bunch of problems that are meaningful to you. The way that education needs to change is that people need to actively be working on things that truly matter to them so that over time they end up being able to go make that difference.”

Tom Chi is a physicist, designer, inventor, and investor whose work has shaped everything from Google Glass and rapid prototyping at Google X to some of the most ambitious climate technologies being built today. He’s now the founding partner of At One Ventures, where he invests in deep-tech companies focused on a bold goal: a world where humanity is a net positive to nature.

Tom’s new book, Climate Capital: Investing in the Tools for a Regenerative Future, reframes economics itself—not as a fixed law, but as a design discipline that can be reimagined to align with the physical realities of our planet. Drawing on science, systems thinking, and lessons from nature, the book offers a grounded, practical framework for moving beyond both climate doom and empty optimism—and toward real, regenerative solutions. Today’s conversation is about what Tom calls the 4Cs: Capital, Compassion, Climate, and Community—but also about agency, responsibility, and what becomes possible when we stop treating the future as something that happens to us and start designing it deliberately.

(0:00) Overcoming Powerlessness through Creativity, Critical Thinking, Community Compassion

Why broad hopelessness about the future is a purposeful tactic to maintain the status quo

(7:16) How average temperature metrics fail to communicate the true danger of extreme climate volatility.

(11:54) Economics as Design

(17:11) Multi-disciplinary Learning Centered on Real-World Impact

(26:12) Local Resilience

(31:15) Tax & Capital Misallocation

(36:52) Build Integrity

(45:32) AI and Robotics in Agriculture

(51:08) The First Honeybee Vaccine

(56:11) The Entropy Curve of Pollution

(1:15:31) Human-Centric AI

Flipping the priority of automation to serve the collective good rather than enriching a select few

(1:20:59) Thinking in Pictures

How learning to communicate and problem-solve without language fueled a career in deep tech invention

Episode Website

www.creativeprocess.info/pod

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Hosted by Mia Funk, The Creative Process delves into the inner workings of the artistic mind. This podcast is built on intimate conversations with a remarkable range of voices-from authors and filmmakers to dancers, scientists, and activists. Each episode moves beyond the finished product to explore the life, discipline, and unique practice that shape a creator's work. You'll hear from recipients of the world's highest honors, including Oscars, Emmys, and Pulitzer Prizes, as they share unfiltered experiences and hard-won wisdom. The discussions naturally span a wide spectrum of human expression and concern, touching on books, film, theatre, and music, while also engaging with critical themes like social justice, climate change, and technology. What unites these conversations is a deep curiosity about how creativity functions not just in the studio, but as a force in culture and society. Listening feels like being a fly on the wall for a thoughtful, meandering talk where the focus is always on the person behind the craft. It’s a chance to understand how diverse thinkers navigate challenges, find inspiration, and contribute to the broader dialogue through their art and advocacy. This isn't about quick tips or superficial interviews; it's a sustained look at the motivations and methods that drive meaningful creative work across disciplines.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

The Creative Process · Arts, Culture & Society: Books, Film, Music, TV, Art, Writing, Creativity, Education, Environment, Theatre, Dance, LGBTQ, Climate Change, Social Justice, Spirituality, Feminism, Tech, Sustainability
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