Activate’s Commitment to Science Leaders: An Interview with our CEO
This month, we sit down with our new CEO, Cyrus Wadia, to discuss his history with our organization, his vision for Activate’s future, and how our fellows continue to create impact beyond the companies they build.
How were you introduced to Activate?
I’ve been a part of this community from the start. Primarily, I was a mentor to some of our earliest fellows, even back when Activate was called M37. I worked with Ilan Gur, Activate’s founder and previous CEO, on and off for years. We actually first met as research scientists at UC Berkeley. As a graduate student, I had a dream to commercialize my research in nanotech. That’s why I have such a personal connection to the mission of Activate and the experience of our fellows.
What drew you to taking on the role of Activate CEO?
There are many factors when making these types of decisions but I think I can distill it down to two things: Activate’s mission and my personal desire to get back to entrepreneurship and invention. I’ve spent the last two decades of my career in sustainability and climate. Being given the opportunity to be part of an organization catalyzing the careers and future potential of scientists working on these problems is exciting. Activate is pushing the boundaries of what science leaders can accomplish and that is something I was drawn to immediately. It’s been inspiring getting to know the talent of the organization as well as the talent in our community. That includes our fellows, partners, funders, and a vast network of supporters. This really is about the Activate community in the broadest sense of the term.
“I believe that creating a healthy culture, sustaining, and evolving it, is the hardest job of a leader”
What is a key takeaway from your time working in the Obama administration that will help Activate and fellows’ companies to make an impact?
The White House taught me many things about leadership. But one of the most important skills I learned is the ability to lead through influence. When leaders take part in indirect influence, they exert a soft authority. They can move resources, inspire people, and affect change even when they don’t have direct control.
“ Activate is pushing the boundaries of what science leaders can accomplish and that is something I was drawn to immediately.”
This style of leadership is important to the success of all of our fellows, and for that matter, anyone working in sustainability, development, or other global systemic change agendas. Leaders in these spaces are already faced with an uphill climb because of a lack of market or government incentives that support change and faster technology adoption. We need more leaders who can navigate through that uphill climb and soft authority becomes one of their most powerful tools. As fellows scale their leadership, they must cultivate influence and generate followership to mobilize the resources needed. This is hard. But our fellows are leading in this way. One example that comes to mind is Leah Ellis of Cohort 2020, CEO of Sublime Systems. She recently testified to the U.S. Senate advocating for a bigger role of government in the decarbonization of heavy industry.
What would you say is one of the most important elements an organization needs to succeed?
Culture. No question. In my experience, an empowering culture that reinforces your core values helps fuel organizational success. This is especially true in any organization leading innovation. I would say Activate is in that category.
I believe that creating a healthy culture, sustaining, and evolving it, is the hardest job of a leader–and it’s natural to underinvest. My advice to all our fellows–don’t! When you’re starting a company, there is pressure to deliver results and get things off the ground, but postponing investment in defining your core values, the company culture, and ways you as the leader will reinforce that culture in the flow of business will limit success.
You have a vision of scientists as leaders in diverse areas of public life, not just laboratories. Can you elaborate on this vision?
“When leaders take part in indirect influence, they exert a soft authority. They can move resources, inspire people, and affect change even when they don’t have direct control.”
At Activate, our fellows are not only making an impact in the lab, but also in business, government, and other critical sectors. I believe our society benefits from science-fluent leaders in positions of power. Every day, all around us, decisions of high consequence to society are made. I’m noticing an underrepresentation of the type of thinking and evidence-based decision-making at the table where these decisions are being made and believe more scientists need a seat to lead toward greater societal good. This is an oversimplification but it goes to the heart of what Activate is doing. Our fellows are just the kind of balanced leaders and visionaries who can bring necessary scientific knowledge to these critical sectors and help us all move faster in making real progress in sustainability and climate change.