14. Dr. Phil De Luna - Being a Research Capitalist and How Engineers can Tackle Climate Change

Introducing Dr. Phil De Luna (Materials Science & Engineering PhD 2019, Expert at McKinsey & Company | Adjunct Professor at University of Toronto | Forbes 30 Under 30)

Dr. Phil De Luna is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Materials Science & Engineering Department at the University of Toronto and a mentor at the Creative Destruction Lab. After the episode recording in late June 2022, Phil started his role as an expert in sustainability at McKinsey & Company. His previous experiences include being the youngest-ever Director at the National Research Council (NRC) for Materials for Clean Fuels and serving as a candidate for Federal Member of Parliament Candidate for the Green Party in the riding of Toronto-St. Paul's. He is also a carbon tech cofounder Carbon XPRIZE finalist (1 of 10 globally). Phil graduated with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2019 and was named a Forbes Top 30 Under 30. 

Episode Breakdown

00:00:54 Phil introduces himself00:05:49 Phil talks about how his career in climate change evolved from working in a lab to industry to policy (technology readiness, career maturity levels)00:14:00 Phil talks about his experience running for office00:19:58 Phil talks about his 5 point plan to address climate change and hidden opportunities in climate change for young professionals00:27:07 How to transform ideas into his campaign00:35:48 Phil shares his criteria for accessing opportunities and experiences on how rejection hasn't stopped him from going after what he wants00:44:47 Advice for young professionals who want to work on climate change issues and resources for students

Notable Quotes

"I enter every conversation I have with empathy." - Dr. Phil De Luna"Recognize an opportunity and capitalize the opportunity." - Dr. Phil De Luna

Resources mentioned with Links

Dr. Phil De Luna's WebsiteIron & EarthGHGSAT - Greenhouse Gas SatelliteInternational Energy Agency: IEAThe Globe and Mail- NewsCorporate Knights- NewsGreenBiz - NewsWhat’s Next In - Podcast hosted by Dr.Phil De LunaBook: The Defining Decade - Dr. Meg Jay80,000 hoursMaRS Discovery District

How to get in touch with Dr. Phil De Luna

Email: phil@phildeluna.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phildeluna/

Corrections Notice

When this episode was first published on Monday, July 11, 2022, the About and Episode Summary sections mentioned Dr. Phil De Luna was the Director of NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and ran for the Ontario provincial election. He ran for the Federal election as a Federal Member of Parliament Candidate, not the Ontario provincial election. He was also the Director of the National Research Council (NRC), not NSERC.

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This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

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