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Progress is felt in everyday life: more comfortable homes & hospitality spaces, better insights powered by AI, better-designed materials & products that simply work, for people & for the planet.
Life, Upgraded brings together founders & operators focused on execution. Leaders who have scaled breakthrough solutions through thoughtful product design, strong partnerships, & creative go-to-market strategies.
Sustainable design as foundation for a better life
Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator, Eames Institute
What can climate founders learn from the legacy of Charles Eames?
A conversation on how enduring products are built: where craft, iteration, & systems thinking create solutions people genuinely want to live with & that are good for the planet.
From breakthrough material to brand adoption
Julia Marsh, Co-Founder & CEO, Sway
Sway is redefining plastic alternatives with seaweed-based, high-performance materials already adopted by leading fashion brands. From lab to distribution network, Julia will unpack how Sway aligned science, storytelling, & strategic partnerships to move from innovation to industry integration.
Electrified comfort, from homes to hospitality
Paul Lambert, Co-Founder & CEO, Quilt
Molly Wood, Technology Journalist & Climate Podcast Host
How design-forward heat pumps become a category-defining product. From residential installs to boutique hotel partnerships, Paul shares lessons in distribution strategy, brand positioning, & commercial expansion.
Heat people, not spaces: Rethinking hospitality for efficiency & comfort.
Raj Tilwa, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Focal
Elizabeth DePalmer, Managing Partner of Atomic Workshop Restaurant Group
Focal replaces gas patio heaters with energy-efficient, beautifully designed electric systems that warm people directly, not empty air. A conversation on delivering savings for hospitality leaders, better comfort for employees & guests, & lower emissions for the planet.
When sustainable materials earn consumer trust
Amir Afshar, Co-Founder, Shellworks
Shellworks is building plastic-free materials designed to disappear safely back into nature, without compromising performance or aesthetics. In conversation with a distribution partner, Amir will explore what it takes for new materials to win shelf space, secure retail trust, & integrate into existing supply chains.
Raising capital in a changing market
Shaun Abrahamson, Managing Partner, Third Sphere.
Claire Veuthey, Managing Partner, Rizoma
The rules of climate investing are shifting. This conversation explores how founders can extend runway, rethink fundraising, & pursue creative paths to growth & exits beyond the traditional playbook of large venture rounds & IPOs.
Brand workshop: creating desire from day one
Natalia Kowaleczko, Founder, Pact Studio
Danielle LaRoy, Co-Founder, Goodside Studio
A practical, founder-level playbook on how early-stage startups build trust & demand through brand, visual systems, & storytelling.
Product Showcase
Touch, test, & experience the solutions reshaping daily life . from the bedroom to the patio.
Featuring seaweed packaging from Sway, electric heaters from Focal, regenerative bedding from Knotted Weaves, recycled textiles from Rhea's Factory, & plastic-free packaging from Shellworks.
Closing reflections
About your host
Veronique Lafargue, Founder of Maison Lafargue & Marketing Advisor
Mark Grozen-Smith, Founder, CEO, Thresh Power
Xooglers in Climate is a community of former & current Googlers united by a shared mission: accelerating climate tech solutions. Part of the 35,000+ member global Xoogler network, the community brings together founders, investors, & operators who are building, scaling, & investing in the future of climate.
Thanks to our sponsors
Goodwin Procter is in the business of building authentic, long-term relationships with our clients, who are some of the world's most successful & innovative investors, entrepreneurs & disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology & financial industries, & where they converge. Our immersive understanding of these industries - combined with our expertise across high-stakes litigation & dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance & advisory services, & complex transactions - sets us apart.
Pilot provides expert bookkeeping, tax, & CFO services tailored to startups & small businesses. Headquartered in San Francisco, Pilot combines U.S.-based finance experts with powerful software to deliver trustworthy financials.
Rizoma Advisors is a specialty investment bank for sustainability companies. We provide specialized M&A advisory services, enabling our clients to capture the strategic value of decarbonization. Our mission is to help scale the businesses that help humanity thrive by delivering results for the people who build & invest in them.
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