Moonshots for our Planet: Innovating for a Sustainable Future with X, the Moonshot Factory at Google

 

Speaker: Rachel Payne/ Managing Director, Business Innovation, Climate and Policy at  X, the Moonshot Factory

Date ＆ Time: June 4, 2025 18:45-19:45　（Doors open at 18:15）

Format: 60-mins event

            ● 45-minute keynote

            ● 10-minute moderated questions

            ● 5-minute open Q&A

Location: HASEKO KUMA HALL, 1st Floor, Faculty of Engineering Building 11

                 Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo   7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku

                     *No live streaming

Registration:  Please register on this form (https://forms.gle/Dv1ib9HFanbBrWsi9)

                     *Space is limited and it will be first come first served

                     *Please note: Photos will be taken at the event and shared on SNS. Thank you for your understanding.

Language: English (No simultaneous translation)

Intended for: UTokyo ＆ Google members
 

Are you ready to look beyond the horizon and help solve one of humanity's greatest challenges? The climate crisis isn't just a problem; it's a launchpad for groundbreaking innovation. This is your exclusive invitation to join Rachel Payne, X’s Managing Director of Business Innovation, Climate, and Sustainability, for a dynamic session at the University of Tokyo.

Gain an insider's perspective as Rachel shares insights from the frontiers of Google's sustainability efforts, including her leadership at X (the Moonshot Factory) and the foundational team of Google.org. Discover how radical "moonshot thinking," coupled with the power of advanced AI, diverse global talent, and pioneering economic models, can forge tangible pathways to a healthier planet.This talk will not only illuminate Google's ambitious vision for global innovation & sustainability but will also challenge you to see how your unique skills and intellectual curiosity can contribute to architecting a resilient future. Don't miss this opportunity to engage directly with a leader from Google, explore the intersection of technology and impact, and find inspiration for your journey toward creating world-changing solutions.
 

Rachel Payne is Managing Director of Business Innovation, Climate and Sustainability at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory. She originally joined Google in January 2005 as Senior Program Officer on the founding team of Google.org, working closely with the executive team to create the blueprint for the first corporate, hybrid investment and philanthropic fund. She helped operationalize the founders' vision for impact, built strategic partnerships, collaborated with cross-functional teams, and developed the initial strategy, focus areas, funding programs and diligence processes for climate change and sustainable global development. Rachel later co-founded Google Africa to localize core platforms and build mobile, energy and internet infrastructure across the continent with leadership and support from the business operations, infrastructure, engineering, product and EMEA teams. Her team won Google's first award at Mobile World Congress (GSMA) for “Best Mobile Apps for Social and Economic Development” alongside partners MTN and Grameen Technology Center. She was a leader in Google’s Global Alliances team, forging and deepening strategic relationships with Google's top partners globally. 

Rachel serves as a founding member of the Rockefeller Foundation-led Emerging Technology Coalition, a technology advisory council focused on low and middle income countries. In partnership with Third Derivative, RMI, and Valo Ventures, the Coalition is focused on the development and deployment of cutting-edge climate technologies that can advance the energy transition, prosperity, and sustainable development in the Global South. 

Prior to her role at X, Rachel was a Managing Director at a private equity fund focused on climate infrastructure and helped set up an early stage, SoCal-based climate tech VC fund. Rachel is a serial entrepreneur and served as CEO and Co-Founder of Prizma AI (acquired by Nielsen in 2018). Rachel was a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 2018 election cycle. 

Rachel has a MBA from Stanford, attended Doshisha University in Japan, and received her BA from Smith College. She co-designed and taught a course on “Emerging Technologies and Social Impact” at U.C. Berkeley, and is a faculty advisor for the M.S. in Sustainability Engineering at Loyola Marymount University. She currently serves on the board of directors for EarthGrid and EarthStudios and previously served on the board of BRAC, a global NGO focused on economic empowerment for vulnerable communities.