Candice Ammori on Community Building, Climate Tech, and Accepting Reality

In this episode I speak with Candice Ammori, founder and CEO of Climate Vine, a professional networking organization for climate tech professionals. Candice brings a unique perspective as an Iraqi-American from the Chaldean Catholic community who has navigated data science, international development, and now climate tech community building. We discuss:

* How her upbringing in a close-knit Chaldean Catholic community of 60+ first cousins in Metro Detroit shaped her approach to building communities in climate tech.

* The parallels between AI and climate change as systemic disruptions that capitalism in its current form may not survive.

* Why 80% of successful community building is about filtering and selecting the right people, while only 20% is programming and events.

* Her journey from studying AI ethics and biostatistics to focusing on climate after the 2018 IPCC report.

* The importance of breaking down silos between technologists, activists, policy makers, and Global South perspectives in addressing climate change.

* How accepting reality rather than fighting it has become central to her spiritual practice and approach to climate work.

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