Leading a Moonshot for Climate
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Daphne de Jong
This story is part of the Architects of Impact series, highlighting stories of innovation that demonstrate how our Community is mobilizing to ensure a world that works for all people and the planet.
Daphne de Jong has spent her career at the frontier of innovation—from Amazon Prime Air’s first autonomous delivery, to engineering roles at SpaceX, Waymo, and Rivian. A trained commercial pilot and aerospace engineer, she’s been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. Her work has always straddled two worlds: breakthrough technology and complex systems.
Today, Daphne is applying her expertise to one of the most urgent systems challenges of our time: climate change.
She is the co-founder of Earth Force, a global coalition of former GoogleX engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and policy makers working to identify and accelerate the most effective, sustainable climate solutions. The team draws inspiration from the ambitious, moonshot philosophy behind GoogleX—but brings a deep commitment to collaboration and implementation. Earth Force partners with local communities and peers to help scale up scientific research and close the critical gaps slowing climate action down.
Earth Force emerged when Daphne and co-founder Alex Luebke pitched their ideas—and were told no. Instead of backing off, they built something new. They chose to strike out on their own and create Earth Force. For Daphne, the moment was catalytic. As she puts it: “With all the resources being made available by the reduction in government support for climate action, we now have access to the brightest minds and most dedicated scientists.”
Through fiscal sponsorship from Forward Global, Earth Force is able to move fast to raise funds, experiment, and attract top-tier talent. “Having a fiscal sponsor enables us to focus on what truly matters: creating blueprints for urgent climate solutions,” Daphne says. “Without Forward Global’s support, we would have to take a slower path in building our narrative and demonstrating why we are the right team to lead this work. It’s a powerful stamp of approval.”
That support extends beyond infrastructure. Within Forward Global’s community, Daphne and Alex have found what they describe as “an inspiring group of like-minded individuals who share a strong bias for action and a deep commitment to urgent climate solutions.”
