What The Funk? – Details, episodes & analysis

Jeremy sits down with Deanna Zhang, CEO of V1 Climate Solutions, to talk about her jump from banking into the fast-moving world of climate tech. Deanna shares how her Houston roots and Yale background shaped her view on global energy challenges, the “missing middle” in funding for early-stage hard tech, and how AI and industrial innovation are helping bridge that gap as the energy landscape continues to evolve.

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00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Who is Deanna Zhang
03:41 - Growing up in Houston
08:53 - Attending Yale University
12:52 - College Experience
18:38 - First Job After College
23:13 - Working for TPH During COVID
27:00 - TPH Energy Tech Practice Overview
30:05 - Starting EnergyTech Ventures
35:30 - B1 Climate Solutions Introduction
38:00 - What B1 Climate Solutions Does
39:10 - Acquiring Business Clients
40:50 - Current Market Trends
46:00 - Advice to Younger Self
49:20 - Personal Insights
53:34 - Where to Find Deanna Zhang

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Jeremy sits down with Ashley McCormick, founder of Rooted in Leadership, to talk about her journey from Nebraska to leading leadership development in the oil and gas world. Drawing from her time at Devon Energy and Paycom, Ashley shares a contrarian take on leadership centered on listening, empowerment, and coaching and how the right training, technology, and mindset can transform company culture, boost productivity, and help people thrive at work and beyond.

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Click here to view the episode transcript.

00:00 - Intro
01:13 - Who is Ashley McCormick
03:18 - Growing Up in Lincoln, NE
05:15 - Attending University of Nebraska
07:40 - Major in College
09:45 - Journey into Training
10:52 - Non-Technical Training Insights
12:28 - Benefits of Non-Technical Training
15:10 - Engaging People in Training
19:36 - Transition from Paycom to Devon
22:10 - Keeping Up with Technical Skills
24:10 - Managing Workplace Age Diversity
29:10 - Measuring Success in Training Role
32:20 - Training Approaches for Smaller Companies
36:25 - Starting My Own Company Journey
40:25 - Overview of Rooted in Leadership
40:41 - Hobbies Outside of Work
44:46 - Future Vision for My Business
48:48 - Connecting with Ashley McCormick
50:22 - Advice for New Professionals
50:26 - Online Presence of Ashley McCormick

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Jeremy sits down with Dominique Ferency, Data Engineering Sub-Chapter Head at Chevron, to explore her path from Seven Lakes to building a career in data and technology. They talk about Chevron’s approach to data engineering, Dominique’s early passion for tech, and why strong professional networks and continuous learning are critical in today’s evolving energy and data landscape.

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0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Who is Dom
6:48 - College
9:09 - Chevron
12:00 - Working in Bakersfield
19:30 - Starting Seven Lakes
22:00 - You leave Seven Lakes and go back to Chevron
27:15 - You go back to Chevron as a contractor
31:40 - You move to Houston and start working at corporate
35:00 - What do you do at Chevron
40:48 - Chevron's sustainability focus and how it impacts data
45:00 - Rapid Fire
53:52 - What Does Your Career Path Look Like
57:00 - Advice for your younger self

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Elizabeth DeStephens is Amazing ... For the uber talented Elizabeth DeStephens, life is about learning, helping people, and contributing to society. One might even call her the Mother Teresa of the oil & gas industry. I did once. We learn about going from Ohio to Florida to Houston to California (CRC)...From Upstream A & D to Tech Startups and Nonprofits, Elizabeth's versatility and overall approach makes her one of a kind. Super fun episode featuring Dr. Funk live from the Brown Palace, some technical mishaps, and even some off key singing. Enjoy!

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Yale. MIT. Speechwriting for the Secretary of the US Treasury. New Hampshire vacations. Tripping Over the Barrel. Folks, when Josh Adler goes in...he goes ALL in. Only the best of the best for the CEO of one of the hottest Energy Tech startups, "Sourcewater". Josh joins the fellas to talk about growing up in DC, working at tech startups in the 90s, entrepreneurship, summer homes, technology evolution, and disrupting mature markets. One of the brightest guests to ever come on the pod, T-Lo and the Doc had a blast with the Source of Sourcewater.

Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.
Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.
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Click here to view the episode transcript.

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Pardon us the political references, but Chris Robart is our first of back to back guests from the Washington, DC area. The dynamic Chief Customer officer of Ambyint takes us down a number of paths including: building incredible technology, views on Production optimization, and Working with your twin brother. PS: Video now.

Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.
Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.
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Click here to view the episode transcript.

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California: Big state, Big consumer. Big reserves. Big importer of Oil. Huh? Mike Umbro, investor, entrepreneur, and now aspiring energy producer joins TOTB to talk all things California, Oil & Gas, virtue-signaling vs greenwashing and his Big opinions. A San Diego native who went to Pepperdine, Mike enjoys ocean views, palm trees, "Anchorman", and his oil locally produced. Super lively episode.

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This week we were joined by our soviet compadres, Michael Maltsev and Nikolai Korniyuk from RigER. The guys were forced to hear Jeremy’s passport sob story (not fun), talk about their passion for Religion (hockey, fun), and dive into how a couple of Russian dudes ended up in Calgary, helping automate the way North American field rental companies do business. A unique episode with the leaders of a fast rising startup. Enjoy!

Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.
Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.
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Chad Spencer is a true renaissance man, guy does it all, including...waving knives around on LinkedIn?! Hanging with Chad, we learned about his deep Houston roots, his approach to investments, his passion for recruiting, his expertise in all social media...and that cold calling is live and well...Bonus: Remember that time when you were golfing, and lmost qualified for the US Open? Oh, that was Chad. My Bad. Enjoy!

Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.
Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.
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Becky and Sanjay sitting in a tree e-v-o-l-v-i-n-g. The Evolve Collective is a new age idea that will spawn many copycats. The collective is a worldwide “village” made up of a group of accomplished professionals, energy industry veterans, and somehow, Dr. Funkenstein. The goal is to help startups get the most out of their company. The variety of skillsets amongst the villagers has created a Swiss Army knife of options to assist. We talk about the collective, Sanjay and Becky‘s path to entrepreneurship, and why Sanjay‘s daughter chose Tufts over Brandeis.

Thank you to our sponsor, Sourcewater (sourcewater.com).

Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.
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