Battery Future with Jill Pestana

EP 2: Avoiding the Next Big Battery Fail - What History Can Teach Us

In this episode of Battery Future, host Jill Pestana unpacks one of the battery industry’s biggest blind spots: internal breakdowns that lead to external failures. From the Boeing Dreamliner battery fires to massive disasters like the Challenger explosion and Deepwater Horizon spill, Jill explores what these historical failures reveal about communication, culture, and accountability in high-stakes engineering environments — and how these same dynamics are threatening today’s battery projects. She shares lessons from her early days at Boeing, connects the dots between aerospace and battery safety, and breaks down 8 actionable strategies battery companies can implement right now to avoid becoming the next headline. Whether you’re building battery tech, managing gigafactories, or scaling a clean energy startup — this is essential listening. 🧠 Learn why technical problems are often people problems 🧰 Get a framework to improve communication and cross-functional alignment 🚨 Understand what not to do by studying failures from other industries 🎓 Explore training resources for your team at BatteryCourses.com 💼 Work with Jill for consulting and custom training at PestanaSolutions.com Subscribe, share, and stay tuned — because how we communicate today shapes the battery future we build tomorrow.

EP 1: Flying the Kite: Leading Through Volatility in the Battery Industry

In this kickoff episode of The Battery People Podcast, host Jill Pestana shares the driving vision behind the show—and makes a compelling call to action for anyone working in or around the battery industry. With the battery world in a state of rapid growth and constant volatility, Jill compares our current moment to flying a kite in strong wind: it’s chaotic, unpredictable, and easy to lose control. But if you stay focused, keep tension on the line, and work with the wind instead of fighting it, you can rise. That’s how we need to show up in this industry—grounded, intentional, and ready to catch the wind when it comes. She breaks down the four critical ways people can help steer this industry in the right direction: 1. Get out of your own way – focus on solving the real challenges, not chasing hype. 2. Collaborate instead of compete – because no one builds the future alone. 3. Lead with passion – your “why” is fuel for long-term impact. 4. Tell stories – because stories are what connect us, build trust, and bring others in. Whether you’re deep in battery research or just getting started, this episode will remind you why your work—and your voice—matters. 🎙️ Listen now and join the movement of people powering the energy transition. Watch Jill's video on the Li-Bridge Industry Report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oauxnAlZI8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oauxnAlZI8] Learn more about battery technology at Nanoverse Battery Courses: www.BatteryCourses.com [http://www.BatteryCourses.com] Be featured in a 'Battery People' segment! Leave a voicemail that will appear at the end of an episode (open to all): https://www.speakpipe.com/BatteryFutureVoicemail [https://www.speakpipe.com/BatteryFutureVoicemail]