For those looking to build a meaningful career at the intersection of climate and artificial intelligence, we’ve collected insights from our series of Climate Rising podcast episodes on climate and AI with leaders in the field.

1. Emphasize Quality and Partnership

Alyssa Whitcraft, Executive Director of NASA Acres and Founder of Harvest SARA, advises scientists to step out of the lab and engage directly with the people they are trying to help, such as farmers. For business professionals, she encourages focusing on quality over speed and partnering with people who are similarly invested in creating long-term, trustworthy solutions. Listen to the full episode here.

2. Be an Active Learner and Networker

Pasi Miettinen, CEO of Sagewell, emphasizes the lessons he learned from his HBS professors, Bob Burden and Bob Kaplan, and their concepts of option pricing and activity-based costing. Applying these concepts helps identify which activities generate the highest margins and navigate the economic changes happening in the sector. Pasi also emphasizes the importance of networking, attending industry conferences, and using platforms like LinkedIn to connect with people. Reaching out for advice from those with connections to you is a powerful way to gain insights and learn from others' experiences. Listen to the full episode here.

3. Focus on Impact and Profitability

Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Dryad, highlights the crucial balance between making a difference and building a sustainable business. For aspiring entrepreneurs, he suggests that a climate company must identify a significant problem and a marketable solution. He emphasizes the importance of quantifying impact, to ensure that your efforts are not only good for the planet but also financially viable, which is essential for long-term success. Listen to the full episode here.

4. Become a Master of Teamwork

Logan Ward, Deputy Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, simplifies the advice to its core: become good at working on a team. Complex problems like those in climate and AI are collective problems that no single person can solve alone. Whether you work in a national laboratory, in industry, or independently, the ability to collaborate effectively is the single most important factor for making progress quickly. The future of these fields is built on collective effort, and your ability to contribute to a team will be your most valuable asset. Listen to the full episode here.