Jan Gunash

I admit it, I was a superhero kid, and still a superhero adult. I wanted to save the world, imagining that my cape and boundless imagination could make a difference. That desire to make an impact has followed me through every stage of my life, even if the cape got replaced by lab coats, business plans, and research proposals.

My journey has taken me through arts, sciences, and MedTech. After a master’s in science, I found myself diving into medical technology, first through research, then through a startup, and later working with early-stage companies on commercialization. Eventually, I had the chance to advise government on research direction, impact, and the ability to scale innovations.

MedTech has a special kind of magic. The founders I have met in this space carry a mission that often comes from something deeply personal, a spark that turns into a venture aimed at solving real problems for real people. There is something profoundly inspiring about meeting someone whose work is not just about business, but about making a tangible difference in someone else’s life.

I have always wanted to solve big problems. Early on, that looked like cooking at soup kitchens for youth, mentoring through Big Brother programs, or teaching after-school math. Each year, the problems I wanted to tackle grew bigger, more complex, and more urgent. Eventually, that trajectory led me to climate.

The shift to climate work was deeply personal. Having a daughter made me think about what the next fifty years will look like for her. I can leave her lessons, resources, or even money, but if the world is not safe to live in, what does any of it matter?

For me, working on climate is about addressing problems that are urgent, systemic, and impossible to ignore. It is about developing solutions that help communities adapt to extreme weather, supporting technologies that reduce emissions, and creating approaches that can scale to make a real difference for people and the planet. True impact is measured in the lives made safer, the ecosystems preserved, and the tangible results that show progress over time. It is about building a future where my daughter can breathe clean air, drink safe water, and grow up knowing the world she inherits still holds possibility and hope.

Part of the reason I write these blogs is for my daughter. So she can read them one day, understand what drove me, and maybe even find her own calling in the process. Let us just say I have renewed this domain for a long time.

Dad loves you.

Chasing impact is not a straight path. It is messy, full of pivots, unexpected lessons, and moments of doubt. But if it is done properly, it leaves something behind that matters beyond you, something that lasts longer than any title or achievement. That is the kind of impact worth chasing.

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