Josh Giegel: Making High-Speed Travel a Reality With Hyperloop | SALT Talks #115

Josh Giegel is the CTO and Co-Founder of Virgin Hyperloop where he is leading a world-class team of engineers making the hyperloop a reality. Josh founded the company in 2014, when hyperloop was an idea drawn on a whiteboard in a garage. A little over two years later, VH built a full-scale prototype capturing the attention of governments worldwide. Today, Josh is leading the development of paradigm-shifting electromagnetic, high power, autonomous technology, bridging the engineering work with unparalleled passenger experience, and working at the highest levels of government to develop a regulatory framework for hyperloop technology. Growing up in a family of engineers opened Giegel’s eyes to a world of possibility. He learned from his dad early on to tackle any project by simply understanding the problem-solving process. An early role with SpaceX building rockets eventually led to a shift towards more earth-based interests. “We're going to do make life interplanetary, that's awesome as well, but I really started to focus on the responsibility of the engineer here on earth.” Hyperloop aims to completely revolutionize the way we travel. “What we're trying to do is move people at airline speeds, but here on the ground.” This more environmentally-friendly technology will allow someone to live in NYC and commute daily to Washington DC with the ease of a commuter driving into the city from the suburbs. ————————————————————————— To learn more about this episode, including podcast transcripts and show notes, visit salt.org/talks Moderated by Anthony Scaramucci.