Tacit Knowledge
How the world’s hardest problems really get solved
About the show
AI is creating a new type of abundance, which raises the question: in a world with AI what stays valuable? We think one answer is ambitious people figuring out what problems to solve, how to solve them, and getting the work done.
Every other Friday, Renaissance Philanthropy’s Kumar Garg sits down with someone doing hard, important work. We get their story, challenges, and lessons. From cleaning the air in kids’ classrooms, to stabilizing the Arctic, or pulling hydrogen out of the ground, you’ll meet people driving real breakthroughs.
Across the season, you’ll hear from Renaissance Philanthropy’s network: fund leaders on the problems they’re addressing, fellows on the big ideas they’re scoping, and funders on what they’re backing and why.
This season, you’ll learn what makes the best problem solvers so good at it. That’s the tacit knowledge: the hidden playbook.
Join us.
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Episodes
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Working on Neglected Ideas with Ishan Sharma
October 30th, 2026 | Season 1 | 33 mins
In this podcast, Renaissance Philanthropy’s Kumar Garg sits down with ambitious people who are figuring out what problems to solve, and what it takes to solve them. Together, we explore the tacit knowledge that enables the world’s best operators.
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You Can Be The Adult In The Room with David Carel
October 16th, 2026 | Season 1 | 35 mins 40 secs
public health
David Carel, Director of Renaissance Philanthropy’s Inspired Air Fund, discusses the surprising benefits of improving indoor air quality and his work to bring those benefits to schools.
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The Tri-Sector Athlete with Cara Eckholm
October 2nd, 2026 | Season 1 | 38 mins 18 secs
urban planning
Cara Eckholm, a Renaissance Philanthropy fellow, talks about Pitch Fest, a matchmaking program that pairs city agencies' real problems with academics and civic technologists willing to help solve them, and reflects on the cold-emailing and risk-taking that shaped her own career path.
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Chase Every Idea with Joshua Elliott
October 2nd, 2026 | Season 1 | 35 mins 17 secs
arc, arctic, bits curriculum, climate, darpa
Joshua Elliott, Chief Scientist at Renaissance Philanthropy, talks about the ARC Initiative's Sulfur Tracking Program, which aims to close a major gap in understanding how declining Earth reflectivity is accelerating climate change, and dives into his ambitious, DARPA-honed approach to program design.
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Go Where the Problem Is with Charlotte DeWald
October 1st, 2026 | Season 1 | 28 mins 47 secs
arctic, climate
Charlotte DeWald, Director of Renaissance Philanthropy's Arctic Stabilization Initiative, discusses building a five-year research program to give governments the evidence they need to assess Arctic-targeted climate interventions like mixed-phase cloud thinning.