About the Smart Society Show
Join former UK Energy Minister Chris Skidmore and VC Brynne Kennedy as they explore cutting-edge climate technology and policy. This bi-weekly show features interviews with global climate leaders and innovative tech founders, offering insights on climate and technology markets. Discover the companies and visionaries shaping the world's largest economic opportunity and driving the path to Net Zero. Whether you're a policy maker, entrepreneur, investor, or climate enthusiast, The Smart Society Show brings you the latest in climate innovation. Brought to you by Smart Society Ventures.
Brynne Kennedy
Kennedy leads Smart Society Ventures' global strategy, investments, and investor relations from thir Genvea HQ. Kennedy is an experienced investor and entrepreneur, as well as a former investment banker and private equity investor across the US, EMEA and APAC. She serves as Board Director and Investment Lead to renewable energy company Caban Energy, edge computing platform Pratexo, enterprise AI and blockchain platform Casper Labs. Kennedy also serves as Lead Independent Director for enterprise software platform TaskHuman.
Kennedy previously founded and led as CEO global enterprise software company Topia between London and Silicon Valley with SSV Partner Steve Black and ran for US Congress on an innovation and decarbonization platform. She has been recognized with numerous awards for leadership including London Business School’s Distinguished Alumna Award, Management Today’s 35 Under 35 and the Women of the Future, Women in IT, Stevie Awards and CloudNOW Awards Entrepreneur of the Year honors. Kennedy holds a B.A. in History from Yale University, where she was a Division I and Ivy League championship gymnast, and an MBA from London Business School with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Management. She speaks English, French and Mandarin Chinese, and is a Swiss resident and dual UK and US citizen.
Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE
Chris was the UK Energy Minister attending Cabinet responsible for signing the UK’s net zero commitment into law— becoming the first G7 country to do so. He also helped secure the UK’s Presidency of COP26. In 2022, Chris was appointed by the UK Government to chair the Net Zero Review, publishing the widely-acclaimed Mission Zero report in January 2023, which was described by Lord Nicholas Stern as ‘a remarkable and important piece of work’ (Mission Zero | Biteback Publishing). The Net Zero Review was the largest engagement exercise on net zero in the UK, engaging with over 2,800 businesses. For his work, in 2023, Chris was awarded Politician of the Year at the UK Green Business Awards, and Political Figure of the Year at the British Renewable Energy Awards 2023.
Chris was Member of Parliament for Kingswood between 2010-2024, during which time he also served as Minister for the Constitution, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation and Minister for Health. He also was Chair of the All Party Group on the Environment. He resigned from Parliament in January 2024 in protest at new legislation promoting additional oil and gas licences.
Between 2021-2023 Chris was a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and in 2023-24 a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University. He is currently a Professor at Bath University.
Chris is currently Chair of the Climate Action Coalition, launched by Secretary John Kerry in June 2024, and a founding partner of Desmos Capital Partners, an advisory investment bank that supports new technologies and sustainable businesses. He is also Chief Operating Officer of Better Earth, and a founding advisor of Smart Society Ventures.