Candice Ammori on Community Building, Climate Tech, and Accepting Reality
In this episode I speak with Candice Ammori (https://www.linkedin.com/in/candiceammori/), founder and CEO of Climate Vine (https://www.climatevine.co/), a professional networking organization for climate tech professionals. Candice brings a unique perspective as an Iraqi-American from the Chaldean Catholic community who has navigated data science, international development, and now climate tech community building. We discuss:
* How her upbringing in a close-knit Chaldean Catholic community of 60+ first cousins in Metro Detroit shaped her approach to building communities in climate tech.
* The parallels between AI and climate change as systemic disruptions that capitalism in its current form may not survive.
* Why 80% of successful community building is about filtering and selecting the right people, while only 20% is programming and events.
* Her journey from studying AI ethics and biostatistics to focusing on climate after the 2018 IPCC report.
* The importance of breaking down silos between technologists, activists, policy makers, and Global South perspectives in addressing climate change.
* How accepting reality rather than fighting it has become central to her spiritual practice and approach to climate work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.discern.earth (https://www.discern.earth?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
15 Jul 2025
Grant Mulligan on Absurdism, Wildlife Biology, and Positive-Sum Environmentalism
In this episode I speak with Grant Mulligan (https://x.com/gtmulligan?lang=en), a wildlife biologist by training who has worked across conservation finance, impact investing, and environmental progress. He currently writes the newsletter Progress Accumulation (https://www.grantmulligan.com/) and is fellow at The Roots of Progress Institute (https://rootsofprogress.org/). Grant brings a unique perspective as an atheist deeply committed to environmental stewardship, drawing on Camus's absurdism to find meaning in conservation work. We discuss:
* How his atheist worldview, grounded in Camus's absurdism, shapes his joyful approach to environmental work and finding meaning through action rather than belief.
* His journey from counting endangered species in the Arizona desert to working on conservation finance at The Nature Conservancy.
* Why the shift from zero-sum to positive-sum thinking is essential for effective environmentalism that includes human flourishing.
* How spending summers watching birds with his grandparents in Wisconsin led to discovering Aldo Leopold and a career in wildlife biology.
* The critical role of economic thinking in conservation, from groundwater banking to renewable energy siting.
* Why courage and incremental action, not grand ideas, are the limiting factors in environmental progress.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.discern.earth (https://www.discern.earth?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
1 Jul 2025
Silas Mähner on Catholicism, Climate Tech Recruiting, and Stewarding Earth
In this episode I speak with Silas Mähner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/silasmahner/), founder of ErthTech Talent (https://www.erthtechtalent.com/), a recruiting firm focused on placing talent in early-stage climate tech companies. He's also the co-host of the Clean Techies Podcast (https://cleantechies.substack.com/). Silas brings a unique perspective as a devout Catholic working in climate tech, combining his faith-driven values with entrepreneurial ambition. We discuss:
* How his Catholic upbringing in rural Wisconsin shaped his worldview and approach to work as service to others.
* His journey from insurance sales to founding his own climate tech recruiting firm, driven by a search for meaningful work beyond financial success.
* The challenge of being openly Catholic in a climate tech space often associated with progressive politics and secular worldviews.
* Why climate tech founders often fail to learn from history, repeatedly attempting solutions that failed in Clean Tech 1.0.
* How to balance human flourishing with environmental stewardship from a Catholic perspective that rejects both unchecked capitalism and anti-human degrowth ideology.
* The importance of finding God in nature while avoiding making an idol of environmentalism itself.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.discern.earth (https://www.discern.earth?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
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