Bio
Dr. Phillip Bruner is a climate risk and technology expert with nearly twenty years of international experience advancing renewable energy, resilience, and digital innovation. He is Professor of Practice in Finance & Business Economics at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, where he leads the Climate Risk Lab. His work equips leaders, investors, and organizations with tools to understand climate risk, strengthen energy security, and build resilient infrastructure.
From the San Juan Islands to the Scottish Highlands
Phillip grew up in the San Juan Islands of Washington State and began his career with a simple but ambitious question: how can finance and technology work together to solve the world’s hardest challenges? That question has taken him across continents and industries, from renewable energy projects in Scotland and India to climate innovation ventures in London and beyond.
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Along the way, he co-founded renewable energy and fintech startups, advised global companies like BP, Shell, Amazon, and Goldman Sachs, and helped investors evaluate opportunities in frontier markets. His career has always balanced field-level execution—like building utility-scale renewable projects and modernizing grids—with big-picture strategy and capital structuring.
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In 2023, Phillip returned home to Seattle to join the UW Foster School of Business. As founding director of the Climate Risk Lab, he works with students, executives, and policymakers to develop open-source tools like the Climate Risk Map and Climate Risk Wiki, and to train the next generation of leaders in climate risk management and innovation.
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What ties his journey together is a belief he calls the “Resilience Advantage”: that distributed, data-driven systems don’t just reduce risk, they also unlock competitive and societal benefits. For Phillip, this isn’t just theory—it’s the throughline of his professional life, whether advising Fortune 500 companies, teaching MBAs, or mentoring entrepreneurs.
Contact
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