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Most Americans support solar. Most are interested in it. But most people can’t afford it because of cost. And 63% of renters say the only reason they don’t have it is that they’d have to go through their landlord. Balcony solar, also called plug-in solar, is solving both of those problems.

In this episode of Future in Bloom, Steph sits down with Cora Stryker, co-founder of Bright Saver, a non-profit organization seeking to expand access to clean energy by paving the way for a low-cost, renter-friendly, plug-in solar energy solution. She answers questions about how to reduce the cost of solar options in the US, where balcony solar is expanding, and why she wants members, not just customers.
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Supply chains are made up of thousands of interconnected pieces, each with their own customers, suppliers, and responsibilities. In a global economy, how can any one company, let alone one person, understand where a product is really coming from?

In this episode of Future in Bloom, Steph sits down with Peter Swartz, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Altana, an AI-powered platform that provides governments and companies with visibility deep into their supply chains, for a conversation about the ever-complex trade system, the disruptions it’s experienced, and how generative AI is making an impact.
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Most climate solutions don’t fail because the science is wrong. They fail because the market around them doesn’t get built. So, who is building more markets, and how?

In this episode of Future in Bloom, Steph sits down with Brandon Middaugh, General Manager of Microsoft’s Sustainable Markets and Climate Innovation Fund, for a conversation about climate investing and community-first AI. From measuring blades of grass in a marsh to leading one of the largest climate finance initiatives in the world, Brandon talks about the importance of data-driven decision-making in every aspect of her career. She answers questions about how and when to invest, how to work meaningfully with communities, and how to support the organizations who are building solutions for the future.

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7 out of 10 Americans don’t want a data center in their backyard, and it’s hard to blame them. But we’re also seeing backlash increase against clean energy infrastructure, which is definitely hurting our ability to transition off of fossil fuels.

Columbia’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law found 498 contested renewable energy projects in 2025, a 32% increase from the prior year. They also found a 16% increase in local laws restricting renewable energy development.

Resistance has been at the heart of every environmental movement. You look at the history, you understand the harm, and you fight to make sure it doesn’t repeat.

But building the clean energy we desperately need takes something resistance alone can’t deliver. It takes openness to the still-imperfect solutions that represent a huge improvement over the status quo for planetary health.

Building climate tech means understanding multiple truths. No development should harm. But no development at all means we fail to address climate change urgently.

My guest today, Dawn Lippert, has protected the environment for decades and understands industrial tradeoffs. Now she’s calling for an environmentalism which centers on innovating and building faster.