Watt It Takes
with Ryan Popple

In this episode: Emily’s conversation with Ryan Popple, President and CEO of Proterra, the pioneering Silicon Valley–based electric bus manufacturer. Prior to Proterra, Ryan was a partner at Kleiner Perkins and the Senior Director of Finance at Tesla Motors.

 
 
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Ryan Popple

President & CEO
Proterra

 

 
Popple was an alumnus of the College of William & Mary and Harvard University, as well as an officer in the U.S. Army. He joined Tesla Motors’ finance department in 2007 and worked his way up to senior director of finance. He was named a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in 2010, a firm focused on cleantech investments in mobility and transportation. Popple was named CEO of Proterra in 2014 and in the first year of his tenure, the company doubled manufacturing capacity. Popple transitioned from the role of CEO in 2020 and was named co-founder and executive director. He passed away in 2021.
 
 

Watt It Takes is our monthly podcast that tells the stories of founders who are building a carbon-free future — their upbringings, their risks, their failures, and their breakthroughs that are transforming our world.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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