John Doerr is a top Silicon Valley investor who was among the original funders of some of the most successful tech companies in the world, such as Amazon, Google and Macromedia. Ryan Panchadsaram was the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States during the Obama administration. Their focus is now on climate change and the technologies, transformations and solutions needed to confront this existential crisis. In “Speed & Scale“, the new book they co-authored, they lay out a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions before it’s too late, accompanied by goal-setting techniques and an invitation to act with ambition and urgency. 

They will be interviewed remotely by Bruno Giussani, the Switzerland-based Global Curator of the TED Conferences, and answer questions from the audience.

Speed & Scale action plan

John is an engineer, venture capitalist, the chair of Kleiner Perkins, and the author of bestsellers Measure What Matters and Speed and Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now. For over 40 years, John has served entrepreneurs with ingenuity and optimism, helping them build bold teams and disruptive companies. He was an original investor and board member at Google and Amazon and has helped to create more than a million jobs. A pioneer of Silicon Valley’s cleantech movement, he has invested in zero-emissions technologies since 2006. Outside Kleiner Perkins, John works with social entrepreneurs who are tackling systemic issues across climate, public health, and education.

Ryan Panchadsaram is an engineer and investor focused on solving systemic societal challenges. At Kleiner Perkins, as technical advisor to the chairman, Ryan invests in founders and technologies that aim to change the world. Ryan is the co-author of national bestseller Speed & Scale and previously collaborated on the number-one bestseller Measure What Matters. In March 2020, Ryan co-founded US Digital Response, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps governments and organizations respond quickly and efficiently to support the critical needs of the public. Under President Obama, as Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Ryan championed entrepreneurship, innovation, and open data.

5:30 pm
Doors open

6:00 pm  
Welcome address
Martin Vetterli, President of EPFL

6:10 pm
Remote interview
“Speed & Scale: A Plan for Confronting Climate Change Now“
John Doerr, Chairman of Kleiner Perkins
Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman
Bruno Giussani, Global Curator of TED (Moderator)

6:40 pm 
Panel on innovation for the climate
Christoph Frei, Partner, Emerald Technology Ventures; Titular Professor at EPFL
Sophia Haussener, Associate Professor at EPFL
Mario Paolone, Full Professor at EPFL

7:00 pm 
Q&A