Young Change Makers Promoting Climate Action: Why and How Ankita (Adelaine) Bhattacharjee Of Topl Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Monica Sanders
Keep up with emerging technologies, even if you are not a techie by profession. The world is moving fast, and it’s always better to be at the forefront of innovation rather than left behind in the dust of redundancy.
We are standing at a critical juncture in our fight against climate change, and it is heartening to see young leaders rising to this enormous challenge. Across the globe, they are initiating change, voicing their concerns, and catalyzing action toward sustainable solutions for our planet. These young change-makers are not just the future; they are the driving force of the present. As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ankita (Adelaine) Bhattacharjee.
Adelaine graduated from Cornell University in 2022 with a B.A. in Economics and minors in French Studies and Environmental, Energy, and Resource Economics. She is passionate about the intersection of business and technology to achieve economic, social, cultural, and environmental sustainability. This passion has led her to her current role as a Growth Associate at Topl, a blockchain built to drive sustainable and inclusive impact.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I had the pleasure of growing up in different places throughout my childhood. I was born in India and spent much of my childhood there, and I also lived in the U.S. and the U.K. I had the pleasure of experiencing different cultures, but it also made me acutely aware of social inequities and the discriminatory effects of climate change on various populations. These experiences led me to pursue a high school degree from Mahindra United World College in India, where I studied and lived with classmates from 60+ nationalities on a hill in the Western Ghats. The school’s motto was “education for peace and a sustainable future,” and this is where my interest in economics and the circular economy developed.
I went on to study Economics at Cornell University and pursued minors in Environmental & Resource Economics and French Studies. At Cornell, I was part of a professional club called Social Business Consulting, which provided pro-bono consulting services to impact organizations, and that is where I met Topl, a client at the time. I joined the team as an intern through my final two years at university, following which I joined the growth team at Topl full-time.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
My interest in sustainability, and specifically the circular economy, flourished in high school when, at high school, I attended a seminar on the Circular Economy hosted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The Foundation’s work impacted me because the goal of the circular economy is not just to promote environmental sustainability but to redesign the entire system to promote economic growth and social equality — essentially to redesign the system to work for people and the planet.
I’ve been in touch with the Foundation over the years and am deeply impressed by the work that they are doing globally to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. I interned for them in high school and led a consulting project for their education division as a project manager at Cornell Social Business Consulting.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
“Making a difference” is often a buzz term thrown around to give the impression that a company or organization is more sustainable or ethical than it is. A meaningful difference has to be measurable and verifiable. I define making a difference as an overall improvement in an ecosystem, community, or individuals, as measured by precise metrics before and after a project. The quantification of impact metrics cannot be understated, as it is essential in allocating resources to different projects and evaluating outcomes. I also find it important to differentiate between outputs and outcomes. An output of a rainforest restoration project might be the number of acres of rainforest placed under the protection of logging. An outcome of this project would be the gigatonnes of CO2 sequestered by the protected land over time. A project can have attractive outputs without the requisite outcomes. Therefore, a project ought to be measured by both outputs and outcomes.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently working on promoting climate action. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
I am a Growth Associate at Topl, a layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for social and environmental impact use cases. A recent project that we are working on is impact tokens. An Impact Token is a digital representation of real-world impact stored on a blockchain: an immutable, public ledger. Tokens represent impact metrics and can be transacted to enable impact funding. For example, we could tokenize reef health and conservation and transact the tokens to riaee funding for a reef restoration project. I am managing Topl’s Impact Token Pilot to assess the market for these tokens and learn more about their demand, price dynamics, and technical token standards.
It’s been an enriching experience working with exceptional organizations working for climate and social impact. It’s also been exciting pioneering this new impact investment instrument, as I believe it has the potential to positively disrupt the way that impact projects are financed and evaluated. Truly, the possibilities are infinite!
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause? How old were you when you made this decision?
While I latched onto the idea of the circular economy and became interested in finding new paradigms for solving the climate crisis in high school, it as only during my undergraduate degree in economics and minor in environmental economics that I was able to understand the problem through the lens of economic models, incentives, and market failures.
Finally, at Topl, I saw how emerging technology can create more sustainable and impactful markets by offering ways to align incentives across stakeholders. So, while the passion flowered in high school, it has been a continuous learning journey, which I am sure will continue over time.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Having studied economics at Cornell and being a part of Cornell Social Business Consulting, my peers and I planned on working at a management consultancy or investment bank; it was the reasonable next step at that time. However, I cared deeply about sustainability and wanted to work that was personally rewarding and aligned with my values.
At the end of my junior year, I had my “aha moment”, thanks to my internship with Topl and my circular economy project with Social Business Consulting. The work in both organizations reminded me how much happier I was doing work I was passionate about. From research to analysis to market sizing, regular business tasks were enhanced through the purpose that they served. I decided then that I would find such an opportunity where work met purpose, and I did as I continued to work for Topl through my final years at university and joined the team full-time upon graduating in 2022. You can read more about my journey from Cornell to impact tech here
What are some of the things you did, or steps you took to get started?
I put myself in circles with people who knew much more than I did. I then asked questions and listened intently. Education does not have to be limited to the classroom, and being intellectually curious and humble are essential to keep growing in one’s career.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
University and school are bubbles, quite different from the “real world.” I’m still getting used to professional life a year after graduating. One such aspect is the jargon. I was left amazed and confused whenever I spoke to more experienced professionals. Everyone used complex terminology and so many “five-dollar” words. It was hard not to feel dull as a new graduate.
However, I soon realized something that no one would say out loud — everyone was learning, though there was an expectation to sound smart. Those experts in the room were content with using layperson terms. When you look closely, it’s apparent that everyone, myself included, is trying to fit in and come across as knowledgeable. I am not encouraging arrogance here nor encouraging you to be cynical of fellow professionals and their wisdom. However, when entering a conversation as a young professional, I find it helpful to sieve people’s words of the gilded terminology and embellishments and hear their message straight. Remember, no matter how long or short you’ve been in a job or industry; we are ALL learners and teachers.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Absolutely! I’ve been inspired by some incredible people, from classmates to faculty to colleagues, whose work inspired me to pursue my interests in climate. A good friend from high school, Kesava Kirupa Dinakaran, CEO and Co-Founder at Luminai, has inspired me to take the road less traveled. Choosing to become a founder over going to college and overcoming many hurdles on that journey, Kesava is a true manifestation of resilience and ambition. Erin Murphy, Chief Growth Officer at Topl, has taught me so much about being a young female professional and about the blockchain and impact space. She is a continuous mentor, cheerleader, and friend.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
In my junior year of university, I was a project manager for Social Business Consulting and led a project for the Schools and Colleges Division of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Our research culminated in a report that the Foundation published, and my team had the opportunity to present our findings at a trans-Atlantic conference that the Foundation organized. These were great opportunities for my team and me.
What I am most proud of was that the project and my passion for the circular economy lit a similar interest in one of the consultants on my team of six, who continued projects in the circular economy and sustainability space at Cornell and in the Ithaca community after the conclusion of the semester. Our efforts in climate action can be multiplied through sharing our passion and cause with others to contribute their part; ultimately, the climate crisis will only be solved when billions of people across the globe join forces, so do not underestimate your ability to inspire others.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Regulate crypto. Contrary to popular belief, regulation does not drive businesses away but gives them a legal framework to build their businesses around. The US has limited regulations and laws around crypto and web3, making it risky for companies to build web3 projects here.
- The climate funding gap is $3.1 trillion and will only worsen over time — public and private funding across the globe is needed to solve climate problems. The climate crisis will require coordination and collaboration at a global scale not seen before.
- An increase in impact investing, both environmental and social, will be critical in solving the climate crisis. For example, higher female literacy and education are directly correlated with better family planning and is a very effective long-term action that benefits the planet.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . Be coachable. Always have the hunger to learn and improve and be receptive to feedback. Intellectual arrogance is worse than ignorance, for ignorance may be mitigated with knowledge, while arrogance will oppose it.
2 . Surround yourself with people who know more than you. Once you become the most knowledgeable person in the room/organization, find a new opportunity. Growth comes to those who continuously live outside their comfort zone.
3 . Be patient and persistent. Climate action, policy, and impact take years, sometimes decades. Don’t give up hope just because you do not see the immediate results of your work. As the poem Oh Me! Oh Life! By Walt Whitman so elegantly puts it:
The question, O me! so sad, recurring — What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here — that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
4 . Keep up with emerging technologies, even if you are not a techie by profession. The world is moving fast, and it’s always better to be at the forefront of innovation rather than left behind in the dust of redundancy.
5 . Look for ways to live more sustainably. Even though it requires a global change across peoples and institutions to battle climate change, living your mission will fuel your passion and drive.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
The clock is not turning backward, and the climate crisis is steadily getting worse and closer to becoming irreversible. Working to protect our planet and its beautiful living beings is a big motivator for my career and professional life. Humans have created this environmental disaster, and we humans must fix it and redesign the entire system to be more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Himanshu Gupta, the CEO and Co-Founder of ClimateAI. I’ve never had the honor of meeting Himanshu, but he is a professional icon I respect very much. Not only is he a thought leader in the AI and climate space, but has a rich history of founding startups, and I think we’d have a great conversation!
How can our readers follow you online?
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org
Young Change Makers Promoting Climate Action: Why and How Ankita (Adelaine) Bhattacharjee Of Topl… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.