Clean Tech Growth Hack: Prioritize Safety

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management

"Every one of our potential customers talks about safety with us. It's actually a part of our conversation, and it will just take one incident, and our license to operate goes away." Karim Ibrik, COO at Rondo Energy

OK, everyone, this one’s packed with insight and real-world impact. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Karim Ibrik, COO of Rondo Energy, to discuss how his team balances rapid clean tech innovation with unwavering safety standards. Karim walks us through managing high-risk heat battery technology, building trust as a startup in traditional industrial spaces, and scaling safety programs across global operations. We talk strategy, leadership, and why embedding safety into every decision isn’t just compliance; it’s your license to operate.

Here are some of the topics that we explore:

• How to build trust as a clean tech startup through strategic safety investments
• Why daily safety oversight is crucial for early-stage energy companies
• The framework for managing safety across brownfield installations and customer sites
• How to integrate customer safety standards while maintaining consistent protocols
• The connection between safety culture and accelerated business growth in high-risk industries
• Why recruiting experienced safety professionals is critical for scaling operations

Karim Ibrik is the Chief Operating Officer at Rondo Energy, a clean tech company revolutionizing industrial heat storage through innovative battery technology. With a background in chemical engineering and nearly a decade of experience at Shell, where he served as an investigations leader, Karim brings deep expertise in operational safety and systems thinking to the clean energy sector. After transitioning from the Middle East to Silicon Valley, he leveraged his experience in growth equity investing and clean tech development to help scale Rondo Energy's groundbreaking heat battery technology.

Episode Resources:

• Karim Ibrik on LinkedIn
• Rondo Energy Website
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify