#206 – Isaac Holeman & Tarani Duncan | Croft – Rural Decarbonization, Novel Hydrogen Storage & Rugged Hydrogen Vehicles

Building Better with Brandon Bartneck

Isaac Holeman and Tarani Duncan join from Croft. Isaac is founder and chief product officer. Tarani is VP of product. Croft is an ambitious startup with a blueprint for an enduring, local and clean hydrogen economy. From rugged vehicles to groundbreaking at-home fueling products, we build enduring hydrogen equipment for the world’s toughest challenges.

Topics in the conversation include:

• The need for better solutions to decarbonize transportation in rural environments
• Why existing EVs aren’t viable solutions in the country
• Why it’s important to make and sell an exceptional product, rather than starting with a green-focused value proposition for end users
• Why hydrogen storage is the most expensive and challenging part of the hydrogen value chain
• Croft’s novel approach to hydrogen generation and storage
• The decision to use a H2 powered V8 ICE rather than a fuel cell system
• The path ahead for Croft

Links

• Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/croft
• Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacholeman/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarani-duncan-8178056b/
• https://croft.substack.com/

Isaac Holeman Bio

As the Chief Product Officer at Croft, Isaac Holeman builds enduring hydrogen equipment for humanity's toughest jobs - from rural trades and agriculture to firefighting, emergency services and defense. Prior to co-founding Croft, Isaac’s design and research efforts focused on human-centered technical equipment for remote communities and infrastructure deserts around the world. As co-founder of a social enterprise called Medic, he co-designed the Community Health Toolkit, an open source digital health product that has over 130,000 end users in Africa and South Asia. Isaac has published several dozen scientific articles, received scholarly awards for his work in the fields of computer science and organizational theory, and previously was a faculty member in the Human Centered Design & Engineering Department at the University of Washington. He received a Ph.D. in Innovation Management from the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

Tarani Duncan Bio

Tarani has over a decade of experience in product and operations management. Specializing in deep mobility technology, Tarani is passionate about solving real-world problems by pairing cutting-edge technology with a healthy dose of pragmatism. From perception for autonomy and teleoperation, route optimization for last-mile logistics, and alternative energy platforms for transportation, Tarani has led cross-functional teams to launch and manage customer-centric hardware and software products that millions of people rely on every day. At Croft, Tarani leads the development and deployment of Base Station, a plug-and-play refrigerator-sized appliance that makes homebrewed hydrogen using the same inputs as a washer and dryer.

Croft:

Croft is an ambitious startup with a blueprint for an enduring, local and clean hydrogen economy. From rugged vehicles to groundbreaking at-home fueling products, we build enduring hydrogen equipment for the world’s toughest challenges. Founded by serial entrepreneurs Roderick Blevins and Isaac Holeman, Croft’s early team hails from communities in the American heartland. We set out to make the transition to clean energy work for rural communities and we’re proud to be headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Future of Mobility:

The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields.

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.