Episode #91: Blue Flame Thinkers: Ernest Scheyder
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
In this Blue Flame Thinkers episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Drew Wandzilak sits down with award-winning journalist and author Ernest Scheyder to explore the high-stakes global battle for critical minerals. Scheyder shares insights from his book, The War Below, tackling supply chains, resource extraction, and energy security.
Episode #91 – Blue Flame Thinkers: Ernest Scheyder
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This week on the Tech Optimist podcast, join Alumni Ventures’ Drew Wandzilak and author Ernest Scheyder as they discuss his book, The War Below. They will dive into the tough questions around supply chains, resource extraction, and the trade-offs we must navigate in the push for energy security.
- Global Mineral Battle – Drew Wandzilak and journalist Ernest Scheyder discuss the race to secure critical minerals like lithium and copper for the clean energy transition.
- Challenges & Trade-Offs – They explore the geopolitical, environmental, and economic complexities of resource extraction and supply chains.
- Insights from The War Below – Scheyder shares key takeaways from his book, examining the tough questions around energy security and innovation.
This episode offers an inspiring look at how these innovations are shaping the future of science, technology, and human collaboration.
Watch Time ~35 minutes
The show is produced by Alumni Ventures, which has been recognized as a “Top 20 Venture Firm” by CB Insights (’24) and as the “#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the US” by Pitchbook (’22 & ’23).
READ THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Creators and Guests
Drew Wandzilak
Senior Associate, US Strategic Tech FundDrew has worked in high-growth industries as both an investor and operator, focusing on how people and technology interact within organizations. His venture experience began at AV’s Seed Fund, identifying and supporting early stage founders across a variety of industries. This experience led him to join Holistic Industries, a leading private multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation facilities and dispensaries, where he focused on business intelligence, corporate development, and M&A. Prior to rejoining AV, he worked with the founding team of Mirage, an NFT marketplace and view layer for augmented reality assets. Drew has a BS from Northwestern University in Education and Social Policy with concentrations in Learning & Organizational Change and Entrepreneurship. He is also an ambassador of Northwestern’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a member of Chicago Inno’s 25 under 25.
Ernest Scheyder
Journalist and AuthorErnest Scheyder is a journalist for Reuters and author whose work chronicles the people and places at the center of our global energy transitions. His book, "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives" (One Signal/Simon & Schuster, 2024), was longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction and the Financial Times/Schroders Business Book of the Year. It was also named the American Energy Society’s Energy Book of the Year. Scheyder’s work has also been featured in NPR, TIME, Fast Company, Marketplace, On Point, Barron’s, ABC News Live and other outlets. He is a frequent moderator and panelist at a range of conferences.
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