#27: - Andy Karsner, X (a division of Alphabet)

Andy Karsner is a true renaissance man! His entrepreneurial leadership has been associated with both venture capital and private equity portfolios throughout the past decade. With responsibilities in guidance and holdings for some of the most successful technology startups, from solar energy to biotech, Karsner is currently a senior strategist at X, the moonshot factory, where he brings an entrepreneurial focus to economic competitiveness, global security, and environmental sustainability. He was the Managing Partner at Emerson Collective where he founded and led Elemental, an environmental practice. He has also served in the US Department of Energy as the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. A board member at Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT) and Exxon Mobil ( NYSE: XOM) This conversation starts from the beginning of when he led Enercorp as a CEO. You'll hear in great detail the near-death experiences Andy had, why he felt he got a bad deal when he sold his company (even though it ended up being a very good one!), and his perspective as an investor, including the two most important things he looks for in an entrepreneur when he considers backing them. Listen to all this and more, including the advice he most often gives to the entrepreneurs that he mentors in this episode.To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!Learn more about Andy Karsner | LinkedInFor more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.comConnect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on Instagram: @alisacohn Twitter: @alisacohn Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/ Website: http://www.alisacohn.com Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from AmazonLove the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!