176: What Cleantech Storytelling at Deloitte Can Teach Us About Innovation

In this episode, David Schatsky, a retired Research & Innovation Executive from Deloitte, shares his profound insights on leveraging narrative to champion big ideas and foster widespread adoption of innovative technologies. His experience at Deloitte, designing and leading cutting-edge research programs and creating an acclaimed online course in artificial intelligence, has positioned him as a luminary in translating complex innovations into actionable strategies. David dives into the challenges that often accompany climate tech solutions—ranging from skepticism about climate change to the intricacies of corporate buy-in. He elaborates on the methodology employed by Deloitte's futurists to identify viable commercial opportunities, emphasizing the critical role of open innovation and strategic storytelling in overcoming these hurdles. During our conversation, David discusses his pivotal role in launching a climate tech advisory service at Deloitte. This initiative aimed to fill a crucial gap in professional services, extending beyond basic compliance and reporting to actively facilitate emissions reductions through advanced technologies like carbon capture, energy storage, and sustainable production methods. We explore how David and his team developed a comprehensive taxonomy of climate technologies to aid clients in understanding and navigating this complex field. This taxonomy, covering hundreds of technologies and innovators, serves as a foundational tool for technology scouting, techno-economic analysis, and facilitating partnerships that drive meaningful environmental impact. Tune in to learn how storytelling can not only convey the urgency and feasibility of embracing climate tech but also inspire corporate leaders and innovators to invest in solutions that can shape a sustainable future.  

Om Podcasten

Did you ever wonder how an innovation got to its finish line? How innovators saw the future, made a product, and created change – in our world and in their companies? I did. Innovation Storytellers invites changemakers to describe how they created their innovation and just as important – THE STORIES – that made us fall in love with them. Come learn how great innovations need great stories to make them move around the world and how to become a better storyteller in the process. I’m Susan Lindner, the Innovation Storyteller. But I wasn’t always. I’ve been a wannabe revolutionary, an epidemiologist at the CDC and an AIDS educator in the brothels of Thailand helping to turn former sex workers into entrepreneurs. Trained as an anthropologist and the Founder of Emerging Media, I’ve spent the last twenty years working with innovators from 60+ countries. Ranging from cutting edge startups to Fortune 100 companies like GE, Corning, Citi, Olayan, and nine foreign governments, helping their leaders to tell their stories and teaching them how to become incredible advocates for their innovations. Great innovation stories make change possible. They let us step into a future we can’t see yet. I started this podcast to shine a light on our generation of great innovators, to learn how they brought their innovation to life and the stories they told to bring them to the world.