;let’s be honest. But you also have this side of you that is very focused on climate change and sustainability. How did you make that pivot in your career from finance to climate investing? Steyer: Well, I think it was two things. One is, I started to get involved in politics in California around environmental issues. I think I was one of the first people to come out against the Keystone Pipeline. That was one of the first times I went out and did grassroots politics. So I started to get involved in politics and then decided to start a political organization with my wife, Kat Taylor, to work on climate and energy policy in the United States. And then we started to take a look at, okay, we’re working on the policy side. What’s actually going to work? And we started to get involved in trying to invest in the clean energy transition. We made a bunch of investments that actually did very well. Brady: And where are you putting your money now? Steyer: Well, I’m co-chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, which is trying to do two things. One, invest in the clean energy transition, invest in companies that are actually producing the technology that’s going to get us to a clean energy future. And second, we’re trying to work on policy. We’re trying to make sure that policy makers have all the facts they need when they’re making decisions about energy, about climate change, about saving the planet. Brady: You mentioned earlier your book, and I just want to touch on it for a second because I think you do have a very unique perspective on this. And I think there’s a lot of people who are skeptical about the role that business can play in solving some of these global challenges. What do you hope people take away from reading your book? Steyer: I hope that people understand that this is a huge opportunity, that this is not just about doing the right thing. This is about making money. This is about creating jobs. This is about growing the economy. And I think that if people understood that, we would have a much bigger transition much faster. Brady: And you’re putting your money where your mouth is. Steyer: I am. Brady: All right. Well, Tom Steyer, thank you so much for joining us on Leadership Next. It’s been a pleasure. Steyer: Thanks for having me. Brady: That was Tom Steyer, co-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions. For more episodes of Leadership Next, you can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.
