4 Minutes With…John Williams, President, Scoville Public Relations

October 14, 2014 |

John_WilliamsTell us about your organization and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

We’ve played an integral role in the growth of the industry, handling PR for many of the industry’s leading players, including LanzaTech, Imperium Renewables, Algae Biomass Organization, Rivertop, Sustainable Oils and Propel Fuels. We’re proud to have helped these companies literally change the course of history.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

I serve as the chief communications strategist for early stage clean technology companies, with a focus on bio-based fuels and chemicals. I work closely with clients to align their communications and business strategies, leveraging news media, social media, speaking engagements and awards to drive awareness of their business and help them reach their goals. Not everyone can start a fire without a match, but at Scoville that’s exactly what we do. For the next 12 months, we’re focused on continuing to help our clients commercialize their technologies by driving awareness and demand. We’re also rolling out a new service level designed for the earliest of early stage companies to leverage our network and capabilities to increase “shots on goal” in the bio-based economy.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?

We need to get our products in the hands of consumers. The American consumer is the most powerful change agent the world has ever seen — but until we can get them to experience the benefits of bio-based products, we can’t truly leverage their power.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change?

I’d strip away the ideology around biofuels and clean technology. Imagine if both political parties could agree on the need to accelerate new forms of domestic energy and commit the resources to do it? Where would we be? What could we accomplish?

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?

I’m a classic startup guy and a recovering idealist. My whole career has been working in and for disruptive companies. With cleantech, I’ve found my personal sweet spot — doing PR for disruptive companies, in an emerging industry w/big upside where I can execute on m fanatic belief that not only can we bend the arc of climate change – we have to.

Where are you from? 

In one of the most un-environmentally aware places in the world — New York City in the 70’s.

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway? 

I majored in American Studies at Hamilton College in upstate New York. I wanted to go to a school far away from the concrete jungle of NYC a place with old buildings and big white columns. When I graduated I told prospective employers that I was trained for nothing, but qualified for everything.

Who do you consider your mentors. What have you learned from them?

I’ve had two great bosses in my life: one who forced me to do things I thought I couldn’t do, and another who gave me the chance to do the things I thought I could. Both enabled me to grow personally and professionally at lot faster than I had ever imagined.

I am inspired every day by my clients, who for the most part, have leveraged everything they own to pursue their dream of building companies with higher ambition. They’re taking the path of most resistance — big risks with no safety net. I’m proud to work with them.

As an entrepreneur myself, I constantly learn from them as they navigate the numerous (and expected) setbacks on the road to commercialization.

My father gave me three great pieces of advice:
1) Always leave ’em laughing
2) Business isn’t hard, look who’s in it
3) Never leave one payroll without being on another

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?

If you believe in something, never quit. There’s always another way. The moment you stop believing in yourself, everyone else does too.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry? 

I spend as much time as possible in the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, skiing in the winter, biking and swimming in the summer. I coach my children’s various sports teams throughout the year and participate in various non-profits in Seattle.

What 3 books would you take to read, if stranded on a desert island?

I’d rather have three albums:
1) Unforgettable Fire by U2
2) Aja by Steely Dan
3) Off the Wall by Michael Jackson

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?

After reading such treatises as “Capitalism as if the World Matters” and “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do” I’ve been known to recharge with just about any Jack Reacher or Harry Bosch novel.

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?

Even though I haven’t lived there in 25 years, I don’t think any city does Christmas better than New York City.

Category: Million Minds

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