Session 2
Leadership and Climate Change – “The Frog in the Hot Water Effect”
Keynote Speaker: Tom Rand; Managing Director, MaRS Cleantech Fund I LP
Every school-kid knows the story of the frog, the pot of water, and the stove. It's a metaphor, but a powerful one. Are we that frog? Venture capitalist, entrepreneur, engineer and philosopher Tom Rand explains why climate disruption might just be our warming pot of water. In a highly-readable account, Rand looks to the worlds of psychology, economics, business and finance to explain why we appear paralyzed on one of the most fundamental problems facing modern civilization. Rands’ account is not limited to pointing fingers at the bad guys, but going one level deeper – to our motivations, institutional lethargy, and deeply buried assumptions about market economics. Hot Water is bare-knuckled, sometimes funny, but hard-hitting. Not satisfied with just pointing fingers, Rand also explains how we might get out of that pot. Tom will discuss solutions and will paint an enticing picture of how our minds, technology, capital and policy tools might come together to turn down the heat.
