Phil De Luna

Cleantech Innovator, Forbes Top 30 Under 30, TEDx Speaker

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What I do

I develop technology to fight climate change. 

I consider myself a research capitalist – finding, co-investing, and developing the most impactful technologies to solve climate change.

Research & Development

I am an award-winning materials scientist, my research on carbontech and artificial intelligence has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature and Science
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Innovation & Entrepreneurship

I co-founded a carbontech venture and was a finalist in the Carbon XPRIZE. I now mentor startups and entrepreneurs via the Creative Destruction Lab and perform technology assessments for the NRC, DOE, and venture capital firms.

Executive Governance

I sit on multiple boards including as Chairman at Carbon Management Canada, a carbontech nonprofit focused on industrial decarbonization. I have significant expertise in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement.

Public Speaking

I have given hundreds of talks, speeches, interviews, and podcasts including two TEDx talks. I speak regularly on innovation, science, diversity, and early career development.
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Policy & Thought Leadership

I've worked with the OECD, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and Action Canada on innovation policy. I've regularly write op-eds on science, climate change, diversity, and politics in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Corporate Knights, and more.

Diversity & Mentorship

As a Filipino-Canadian immigrant to Canada, I am passionate about increasing diversity, especially in leadership positions. I mentor young people through the Fobes Close the Gap Foundation and other non-profit programs.

Driven to solve big problems

My Story

I am currently serving at the National Research Council of Canada as the youngest-ever Director where I built and lead a  $57M collaborative research program on Canada-made clean energy technology. I develop transformative technologies to help Canada achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

I am a Governor General Gold Medal-winning scientist and a member of the Royal Society of Canada. My research on CO2 conversion and accelerated materials discovery has been published in high-impact journals like Science and Nature and has been cited >8000 times over the last 5 years.

I serve as Chair on the Board of Directors of CMC Research Institutes (a carbontech non-profit). I also a founding Mentor of the Matter and Climate Streams in Creative Destruction Lab, helping science-based startups bring advanced technology to market.

I was an entrepreneur and innovator having raised $2M in non-dilutive funding as a carbontech co-founder, Carbon XPRIZE Finalist (1 of 10 globally), and a Forbes Top 30 Under 30.

I have worked with the OECD, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and as an Action Canada Fellow on impactful public policy. I ran to become a Member of Parliament for the Green Party of Canada in the 2021 Federal Election to bring more science to politics.

I’ve given hundreds of talks, interviews, podcasts, and commentaries on science, climate change, innovation, public policy, and increasing diversity in leadership positions. 

  • National Research Council of Canada
    Director, Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge Program | 2019-present
  • Carbon Management Canada
    Chairman, Board of Directors | 2019 – present
  • Creative Destruction Lab 
    Mentor, Climate & Matter | 2020 – present
  • Green Party of Canada
    Candidate for Member of Parliament, Toronto-St. Paul’s | 2021
  • Carbon XPRIZE 
    Finalist, Venture Co-founder | 2016 – 2019
  • University of Toronto Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering
  • University of California, Berkeley Visiting Scholar
  • University of Ottawa MSc. Chemistry
  • University of Windsor BSc. Chemistry

Publications

My work has been published in high-impact scientific journals, in international policy reports, and in national newspapers and magazines. See below for a full list of my work.

2021

2020

2019

2018

2016

Media & Press

I have been featured in mainstream media, on podcasts, documentaries, and more. I regularly speak on science and innovation, clean technology, and diversity.

Awards & Fellowships

Forbes Top 30 Under 30
Forbes

Governor General Gold Medal
Governor General of Canada

Member of the College,
Royal Society of Canada

Bay Street 30×30
Bay Street Bull

Clean50 Emerging Leader
Clean50

Mission Innovation Champion Canada
Mission Innovation

Fellow
Action Canada

Junior Fellow Alum
Massey College

Top 30 Under 30
GreenBiz

2021 Endorsement
GreenPAC

Alexandar Graham Bell
Canada Graduate Scholar
NSERC

Latest News

Making The Most of Mentorship

Making the Most of Mentorship Of the dozens of talks I’ve listened to, and given, on early career development; one piece of advice is consistently said – find a good

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Where You Can Find Me

I live, work, and play in the heart of Toronto. 

How You Can Reach Me

For media inquiries or to book me for a talk, feel free to fill out the form below.

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Photos by Kristina Ruddick, Jasmine Chong, and Unsplash. Website design by Phil De Luna. All content is my own and has not been endorsed by any organization or my employer.