Green Success Stories got to chat with person of the week: Gordon Feller, who has worked in emerging technologies for three decades, most recently consulting to the executive office on projects that harness the power of data (whether in the cloud; via mobile networks from IoT-enabled end-points; other advanced technologies) to solve complex problems.
Tell us a little bit about you and your background:
I have worked for more than four decades at the intersection of environmental change and technology innovation. My aim has always been to accelerate the emergence of new ideas and tools that strengthen the sustainability of our communities.
Since arriving in Silicon Valley in 1983, working from inside the executive suite, I have developed ambitious projects aimed at solving some of the world’s most complex problems. Current/past clients include World Bank, EY, S&P, McGraw-Hill, Reed Business, HP, ThomsonReuters, IHS Markit, World Economic Forum, Ford Motor Co. Toyota, Gannett, Stanford University, Columbia University, Univ. of Calif., IBM, The Financial Times of London, The Economist Group, Apple, International Telecommunications Union, International Standards Organization, Lockheed, The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, UN, numerous national governments (Germany, Canada, US), Reuters, others.
From 2010-17, I served as Director of Urban Innovation at Cisco Systems HQ. I founded Meeting of the Minds in the 1990s, stitching together a global leadership network which is enabling urban transformation. I was appointed by the Obama/Biden White House to serve on the US Federal Comm. established by The US Congress. I now serve as a Global Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s Environmental Change and Security Program in Washington, D.C.
I sit on numerous corporate and non-profit boards. My first published article about our environmental future of appeared in the international journal published by the World Policy Institute (NYC) in 1979. Since then I have published 450+ articles.
What is a fun fact about you?
As a child, my successful recovery from cat-scratch-fever resulted in the formulation of today’s medical intervention with that disease.
Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?
Humanity’s evolution has always been shaped by our natural world relationships. Those constant interactions that link us with natural systems are now at an inflection point.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
With every passing day, technology innovation will play an increasingly important role in both ecosystem restoration and environmental protection.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
Embrace the common-sense wisdom while ALSO adopting the innovative solutions that come out of left field!
Thank you for sharing your work with us and the world, Gordon.
Green Success Stories is a television show, podcast, social media, and news platform, hosted by Dylan Welch, that highlights climate change scientists, renewable energy experts, and clean tech entrepreneurs by giving them a voice in the mainstream media. The Green Podcast highlights leading experts in cleantech, sustainability, media, finance, and real estate. Tune in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple or Spotify to listen to interviews with leading cleantech and sustainable experts. If you are interested in being featured on Green, click HERE.