WCS Talks Unplugged

The Invisible Infrastructure: How Policy Shapes Cleantech with Kate Ringness

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What determines whether a promising clean technology makes it into the world? The answer often starts with policy.

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sara Fuentes welcomes Kate Ringness, former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy, for a conversation about the rules, incentives, and relationships that shape cleantech markets.

Kate traces her path from investment banking law to climate policy and shares what she learned helping implement the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at the Department of Energy. She explains how policy can create markets, change the economics of a technology, and influence where companies can grow.

Together, Kate and Sara explore why founders need a voice in policy discussions, how government support can help reduce risk and attract private investment, and why grid modernization represents an important opportunity. Kate also breaks down “policy intelligence”: connecting a company’s real-world barriers to growth with the policy decisions that could help address them.

The conversation closes with the need to communicate clean energy’s economic benefits beyond the climate community—and the strength Kate found in the Women in Cleantech and Sustainability community during a difficult career transition.

About the guest

Kate Ringness works at the intersection of public policy, clean technology, and commercialization strategy. A former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy, she helped implement the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Through Delta Arc Strategies, she works with cleantech companies, policymakers, and communities navigating energy policy and deployment.

About the Host

Sara Fuentes is the Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and Founder and President of Smart Waste, a company helping businesses reduce waste and lower costs through smarter resource management.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

Produced by Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Marieke brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

If you enjoyed this episode:

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✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
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Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Growing People, Growing Impact: Sustainability and Mentorship with Lael Giebel

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

How do we turn a commitment to sustainability into lasting change in our workplaces, our communities, and the people we support?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Farah Saeed welcomes Lael Giebel, Director, Global Sustainability & Culture at KnowBe4, Author of Sustainability Is for Everyone and Ancient Wisdom, Modern Sustainability: Lessons from Our Ancestors for a Greener Future, Business Intelligence Group’s Sustainability Leadership Award Winner in 2024 and 2026, former WCS board member and events committee chair, and current dedicated mentor, for a conversation about putting sustainability into practice and helping others find their place in the field.

Lael shares her path from local government and green building policy to creating a corporate sustainability program from the ground up. Through examples ranging from composting office coffee grounds to turning promotional banners into reusable bags, she explains how education, creativity, and employee participation help sustainability become part of everyday workplace culture.

Having mentored women through three WCS mentorship cohorts, Lael also reflects on the unexpected rewards of supporting someone else’s growth. She discusses learning alongside her mentees, building confidence as a leader, and helping professionals recognize how their existing skills can translate into sustainability careers.

The conversation also explores her forthcoming book, AAncient Wisdom, Modern Sustainability: Lessons from Our Ancestors for a Greener Future, and the practical lessons traditional cultures offer for living more sustainably today. Scheduled for release November 23, 2026, the book connects ancestral knowledge with actions individuals and organizations can take.

About the Host

Farah Saeed is the Board Secretary of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and Industry Director at Frost & Sullivan, where she works on strategy and innovation across the energy and sustainability sectors.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy. Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode: ✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show ✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability. Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at: womencleantechsustainability.org

More Time to Be Human: Building AI Around Your Values

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What would you do with more time and energy? How can you shape AI to support that vision?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, Caroline Tiglao, WCS Marketing Co-Chair and Co-Founder and CMO of NEUUF, welcomes Kathryn Snyder, PCC, CPCC, CEO and Founder of Attune, and Nicki Mollet, M.Ed. ×2, ICF Member, Partner and COO of Attune, for a conversation about AI, human flourishing, and reclaiming capacity.

Drawing on their backgrounds in engineering, education, executive coaching, and organizational leadership, Kathryn and Nicki share how they began using AI to reduce administrative work and create more space for the parts of their lives and work they love. They call this “capacity liberation”: freeing time and attention for presence, creativity, relationships, rest, and meaningful impact.

Together, they explore how knowing your values and how you want to work and live can provide a foundation for engaging with AI. They introduce their Attuned Operating System, discuss practical examples of delegating tasks to AI, and explain why clear expectations, human review, and ongoing refinement matter.

The conversation also examines the tensions around AI adoption, including privacy, trust, environmental resource use, and the pressure to turn every productivity gain into more work. Kathryn and Nicki invite women to bring their experience and perspectives into shaping AI’s future and to step into leadership, even when imposter syndrome gets in the way.

About the Host

Caroline Tiglao is Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of NEUUF, a venture developing regenerative technology for electric mobility, and a Board Member and Marketing Co-Chair at Women in Cleantech & Sustainability. Her career spans corporate leadership and entrepreneurship across Europe, Asia, and North America, including co-founding the Franco-Vietnamese marketing agency Be Up To Date. French-born with Vietnamese heritage, she brings a cross-cultural perspective and a commitment to innovation that supports people, communities, and the environment.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Career: Lisa Saxe on Breaking Into Sustainability

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Breaking into sustainability can feel daunting—especially when traditional job-search strategies no longer seem to work.

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, Lisa Saxe of Green Career Shift explores why landing meaningful work in sustainability often requires more than submitting applications. It requires a shift in mindset, greater awareness of the skills you already bring, and a willingness to show up differently.

Drawing from her own transition into climate-focused work and her experience coaching professionals pursuing green careers, Lisa shares how self-limiting beliefs, fear of rejection, and uncertainty about transferable skills can quietly hold talented people back. She explains how becoming more aware of those patterns can help job seekers move forward with greater confidence and clarity.

For those wondering whether their background really belongs in sustainability, Lisa offers an encouraging reminder: climate work increasingly needs people from across disciplines. Communications, marketing, finance, technology, sales, operations, and countless other skills all have a role to play in advancing climate solutions.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Beyond Jet Fuel: Jobs, Investment, and the Future of Cleaner Flight

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is already being used at major airports, but it still makes up a small share of aviation fuel. What will it take to produce enough of it to make a meaningful difference?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Farah Saeed speaks with Alyssa I. Norris, Director of Sustainability at Aether Fuels, about the technology and decisions shaping SAF’s future. Alyssa explains how materials such as agricultural and forestry waste, industrial waste gas, and captured carbon dioxide can become fuel. She discusses why the industry needs multiple production approaches, how Aether is scaling its technology from pilot and demonstration plants toward a commercial project in Singapore, and why cost remains a critical challenge.

They also explore what “sustainable” means in practice. The climate impact of SAF varies with its feedstock, production process, and transport, making transparent carbon intensity data essential. Alyssa shares why policy support, long-term investment, and demand from airlines and other buyers will all matter as production grows. She also shares the range of career opportunities emerging in sustainable fuels, from engineering and research to finance, project development, and leadership.

Alyssa’s perspective is personal, too. Growing up on an airstrip in Alaska, she saw aviation as a lifeline for communities. That experience informs her work toward a future in which people can continue to fly while reducing aviation’s environmental impact..

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Building Spaces Where People and Climate Solutions Flourish with Rebecca Pan and Sara Fuentes

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What does it take to build a business that creates not only workspace, but belonging, resilience, and meaningful connection?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, Sara Fuentes sits down with Rebecca Pan, founder of Trellis Workspace and Earthscale Ventures, for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, reinvention, and building through uncertainty.

Rebecca shares how her experience working remotely, and the isolation that came with it, first inspired her interest in collaborative workspaces. After helping scale a coworking company from one location to nine, an unexpected career setback pushed her to build something of her own.

That journey became Trellis, a San Francisco coworking space, café, wine bar, and event venue centered on community, inclusion, and climate action.

Rebecca reflects on losing 94% of the business’s revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiating with her landlord to keep the space alive, and learning to navigate the many forms failure and resilience can take. She also discusses the wildfire moment that made climate change deeply personal and led her to rededicate Trellis as a climate-centered space.

The conversation explores why hustle culture is not a sustainable path to success, how founders can create environments where people feel able to bring their whole selves, and why collaboration is essential to advancing climate solutions.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Make Space, Take Space: Abby Hopper on Leadership, Belonging, and the Power of Community

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What does it take to step confidently into leadership, especially when you don’t see many people like yourself in the room?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sara Fuentes speaks with Abby Hopper, founder and board member of GEM Advisory and former President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), about her unexpected path into energy, learning to lead without having all the answers, and creating space for herself and others.

Abby’s career didn’t begin with a lifelong passion for solar. A trained lawyer, she moved from private practice into energy regulation while raising three young children, eventually serving as Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, Energy Advisor to Governor Martin O’Malley, and Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. In 2017, she entered the solar industry as its national trade association’s first woman president and CEO and an outsider stepping into a highly visible role at a moment of profound political change.

Abby shares how she learned to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, trust her own leadership style, and take up the authority that came with her position. She also reflects candidly on managing major professional responsibilities while navigating divorce, single parenthood, caregiving, and the many demands that continue outside the workplace.

The conversation explores Abby’s creation of Solar Sisters, the importance of seeing people with shared experiences in positions of influence, and the responsibility established leaders have to speak up for those with less power. Abby and Sara also discuss how intentional introductions, acts of service, and collaboration across organizations can build stronger professional communities.

At the heart of the episode is a different model of leadership: one rooted in presence, transparency, generosity, and abundance rather than competition or scarcity.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

Produced by Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Marieke brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Powering Your Path: Lauren Flanagan on Mentorship, Curiosity, and Career Growth

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What opens doors in a career? For Lauren Flanagan, it starts with staying curious, showing up for your community, and building relationships rooted in trust.

In this episode, Lauren Flanagan, Co-Founder and CEO of Sesame Solar, sits down with host Farah Saeed, WCS Board Secretary and Industry Director at Frost & Sullivan. They discuss how women can establish themselves and advance in the cleantech and sustainability sectors through mentorship, ongoing learning, and building meaningful professional networks.

From studying philosophy to building technology companies and developing mobile clean energy solutions, Lauren has repeatedly stepped into unfamiliar territory. Alongside her entrepreneurial work, she has spent decades supporting women founders through Springboard Enterprises and investing in women-led technology companies through BELLE Capital USA.

Lauren shares candid advice on communicating your value, choosing people whose values align with yours, and creating opportunities by contributing to causes you care about.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

One Mile at a Time: Savitha Sridharan’s Journey to Expand Clean Energy Opportunity

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What if creating meaningful change looks less like a sprint and more like an ultramarathon?

Savitha Sridharan began her career designing computer chips, but eventually found herself asking a bigger question: How could technology be used not only to solve technical problems, but also to improve people’s lives?

That question led her to found Orora Global, a clean-energy social enterprise working with rural communities in India. What began with distributing solar lanterns to communities without reliable electricity evolved after a devastating flood washed away homes and much of the organization’s early impact. Savitha and her partners responded by helping residents build more flood-resilient, solar-powered homes.

In this episode, host Marieke McArthur, Founder of AeroZona, speaks with Savitha about the pivots that transformed Orora Global, the relationship between clean energy and economic opportunity, and the lessons she has carried from ultramarathon running into more than a decade of social entrepreneurship.

About Savitha Sridharan

Savitha Sridharan is the Founder and CEO of Orora Global. An electrical and computer engineer by training, she spent a decade in the semiconductor industry before applying her technical expertise to clean energy and social impact. In addition to leading Orora Global, she works in corporate sustainability across sectors including data centers, AI infrastructure, semiconductors, and retail.

About the Host and Producer

Marieke McArthur brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
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Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Turning the Tide: Kristi Shaw’s Mission to Transform Toxic Seaweed into Solutions

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Massive influxes of sargassum are washing ashore across the Caribbean and beyond, creating far more than an unsightly nuisance. As the seaweed decomposes, it releases toxic gases that threaten human health, damage infrastructure, disrupt tourism, and place additional pressure on island communities.

In this episode, host Marieke McArthur speaks with Kristi Shaw, founder and CEO of Mermaid Energy, about her mission to intercept sargassum before it reaches shore and transform it into renewable fuel and other valuable products. Kristi shares how her background in biological oceanography, environmental epidemiology, public health, and renewable natural gas prepared her to recognize both the urgency of the problem and the opportunity hidden within it.

Kristi also takes us inside her transition from scientist to entrepreneur, where clearly defined hypotheses gave way to risk, uncertainty, and the need to pivot. She reflects candidly on the emotional highs and lows of building a company, the importance of staying connected to your purpose, and why even the biggest wins require space to recover.

About Kristi Shaw

Kristi Shaw is the founder and CEO of Mermaid Energy. Drawing on her experience in biological oceanography, environmental epidemiology, public health, and renewable natural gas development, she is working to turn harmful sargassum influxes into scalable solutions that support healthier, more resilient island communities.

About the Host and Producer

About WCS Talks Unplugged

If you enjoyed this episode:

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Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
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Change the Container, Change the System: Alison Cove’s Reuse Revolution

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What if changing the takeout container could help change the entire system around it?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Trish Pinella speaks with Alison Cove, Founder and CEO of USEFULL, about building a technology-enabled, plastic-free alternative to disposable takeout packaging.

The idea began when Alison found herself ordering takeout throughout her workday while the resulting waste accumulated around her desk. She created her first pitch deck in 2013, tested the concept with 200 reusable coffee cups in 2018, and entered 2020 with an app, ten participating Boston cafés, and her first employee. Then COVID pulled the rug out from under the business.

Alison shares how she responded by leaving the café model behind and rebuilding USEFULL for college campuses, where institutions urgently needed alternatives to an explosion of disposable takeout packaging. Today, the company pairs reusable stainless-steel containers with technology that allows students to check them out using their campus cards much like borrowing a library book.

The conversation also explores Alison’s conviction that the reuse industry cannot solve the plastic problem with more plastic. She discusses the environmental and health concerns driving USEFULL’s material choices, the risks of prioritizing low costs over long-term impact, and why the emerging circular economy must earn consumer trust by building better systems from the beginning.

About the Host

Trish Pinnella is a former board member and Marketing Chair at Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. She drives community growth and amplifies women leading climate solutions. Her climate work began in green building and renewable energy and now focuses on connecting technology, policy, community, and storytelling to accelerate climate impact.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Built to Last: Juliet Shavit on Grit, Growth, and the Power to Evolve

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:08 GMT

Building a company is one challenge. Continuing to grow, adapt, and remain relevant for more than two decades is another.

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, WCS Board Secretary Farah Saeed speaks with Juliet Shavit, President and CEO of SmartMark Communications, about her unexpected path into the energy industry and the persistence it has taken to build a lasting business in a rapidly changing sector.

Juliet reflects on launching her company, navigating entrepreneurship alongside motherhood, and learning to trust the value of her own expertise. She shares how SmartMark has evolved with the energy industry, why successful innovation must solve real problems, and what she has learned about resilience, reinvention, and knowing when to keep going.

The conversation also explores confidence, mentorship, and the importance of women creating opportunities for one another. Juliet’s journey is a candid reminder that lasting success rarely follows a straight line. It is built through grit, relationships, adaptability, and the courage to keep evolving.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Growing More Than Food: Quandra Gray’s Vision for Community Resilience

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What if growing food could also grow trust, connection, and community power?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Marieke McArthur speaks with Quandra Gray, founder of What the Sprout, about her journey from architecture to urban agriculture and her vision for a community-led food system rooted in accessibility, education, and collective action.

Quandra shares how an idea she carried for years became a growing movement in Baltimore. What began with microgreens has evolved into a much broader mission: helping everyday people understand that they can play an active role in feeding their families and strengthening their neighborhoods.

Their conversation explores the realities of building before you feel fully ready, earning trust within a community, and creating solutions that respond to what people actually need. Quandra also discusses her ambitious vision for neighborhood-scale food production and why resilient communities must be built with residents, not simply for them.

This is a conversation about ownership, healing, confidence, and what becomes possible when people stop waiting for permission and start where they are.

About Quandra Gray

Quandra Gray is the founder of What the Sprout, a Baltimore-based initiative working to expand access to locally grown food while helping communities develop the knowledge, confidence, and resources to grow for themselves. Through education, food production, and community engagement, she is reimagining what a more accessible and resilient local food system can look like. You can also find Quandra on her podcast, Sow Dirty.

About the Host and Producer

About WCS Talks Unplugged

If you enjoyed this episode:

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Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
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From the Dorm Room to the Utility Grid: The Evardi Energy Story

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What begins as a conversation between two college friends can sometimes grow into a solution with global potential.

Diva Shah and Aarya Borele met as freshmen at UC Berkeley, but the idea for Evardi Energy emerged during a study-abroad program in Portugal. After a phone call about a blackout in Kenya sparked a conversation about similar experiences in India, they realized they shared both a personal connection to unreliable electricity and a desire to help solve it.

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Farah Saeed speaks with the co-founders of Evardi Energy about their journey from college students to clean energy entrepreneurs and how they are using AI to improve the way utilities plan and manage outages.

Diva Shah is the CEO and Co-Founder of Evardi Energy, where she leads company strategy, partnerships, and market deployment. Her understanding of the problem Evardi addresses is grounded in firsthand experience. While working as a grid operations analyst in Kenya Power’s operations room, she watched operators make real-time decisions under uncertainty and with incomplete data.

Aarya Borele is the CTO and Co-Founder of Evardi Energy, where she leads product development and engineering. A repeat climate-tech founder, Aarya previously built Dhanaj Biofuels and EcoWind, securing industry letters of intent and recognition as a patent-award finalist. Her engineering experience includes process systems and energy infrastructure work at Weatherford and ONGC.

Evardi Energy is developing AI-supported technology for planned outage management. Its platform is designed to help utilities make faster, more informed planning decisions as they maintain aging infrastructure, add new assets, and prepare for growing electricity demand.

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Power in Motion: Caroline Tiglao’s Return to Engineering

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:40:53 GMT

What happens when a longtime dream leads you back to the field you once left behind?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sara Fuentes speaks with Caroline Tiglao, Co-Founder and CMO of NEUUF, about her unconventional path from structural engineering to global customer experience leadership and ultimately back to technology as a clean mobility founder.

Caroline shares how NEUUF is developing non-invasive energy-harvesting technology designed to capture kinetic energy generated by a vehicle’s movement and return that power to its battery. Rather than asking manufacturers or drivers to completely change existing products and behaviors, NEUUF aims to work within current vehicle systems as an additional, largely invisible layer.

The conversation also explores the human side of entrepreneurship: stepping outside your comfort zone, rebuilding confidence, learning to admit when you are wrong, and finding the courage to keep showing up. Caroline reflects on why leadership is not about having every answer, but about staying open to learning, sharing both failures and wins, and creating a ripple effect that helps others grow.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

No Magic Formula: The Real Life of a Climate Tech Founder with Nili Persits and Darlene Crane

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What does it really take to build a climate tech company while raising a family, navigating fundraising, assembling a team, and learning to lead through uncertainty?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Darlene Barrientos Crane speaks with Dr. Nili Persits, founder and CEO of Dottir Labs, about the realities behind the founder journey and why there is no magic formula for making it all work.

Nili shares how she moved from a long career in defense engineering to earning her PhD in electrical engineering at MIT and launching a company that brings advanced optical sensing out of the laboratory and into real-world water monitoring. She also reflects on the support she received through the Activate Fellowship, which helped her translate a research background into the skills required to build a business.

Their conversation explores the less visible parts of entrepreneurship: accepting difficult feedback, finding trusted advisors, hiring for an early-stage hard-tech company, balancing leadership with family responsibilities, and knowing when to set ego aside in service of the larger mission.

Together, Nili and Darlene challenge the mythology of the brilliant solo founder. Meaningful innovation, they argue, is rarely the work of one person. It is built through collaboration, honest communication, different perspectives, and the willingness to keep stretching beyond what feels comfortable.

Dr. Nili Persits is the founder and CEO of Dottir Labs, a climate technology company bringing advanced optical sensing into real-world water monitoring, including applications that can support aquaculture and more sustainable food production.

Before founding Dottir Labs, Nili spent nearly 15 years working in the defense industry. She later earned her PhD in electrical engineering from MIT, where she focused on developing optical systems designed for practical deployment outside controlled laboratory environments.

Nili is a former Activate Fellow, an Equalize competition winner, and a 2025 Ocean Exchange finalist. Her work reflects a commitment to translating complex science into practical tools that address environmental challenges.

Darlene Barrientos Crane is the president of The CraneWorks, where she advises owners and organization leaders on growth, product development, readiness for funding, performance and scaling.

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Produced by Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

If you enjoyed this episode:

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✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Cleaner, Safer, Cheaper: Karen Baert on the Future of Ammonia

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This special episode of WCS Talks Unplugged is shared as part of a content exchange with Earthlings 2.0, hosted by WCS Founder Lisa Ann Pinkerton. The original episode can be found here: #156: Ammonia: The Compound That Could Power a Cleaner Planet with Ammobia

In this conversation, Lisa Ann sits down with Karen Baert, Co-Founder and CEO of Ammobia, a Stanford-born climate technology startup reimagining how ammonia is produced.

Karen shares how Ammobia is working to make ammonia production cleaner, safer, cheaper, and less energy intensive through a new approach designed for modular, scalable deployment. She also reflects on the founder journey behind the technology: where the idea came from, what it takes to build a hard-tech company, the realities of fundraising, and how winning the 2025 Women in Cleantech & Sustainability Pitch Competition helped support Ammobia’s growth.

Together, Lisa Ann and Karen explore the promise of ammonia as part of the clean energy transition, the challenges of scaling deep tech, and the importance of women founders leading the next generation of climate solutions.

Founder of Women in Cleantech & Sustainability and CEO of Technica Communications, Lisa Ann Pinkerton has spent more than a decade helping amplify voices and innovation across the clean energy and climate sectors. She is also the host of the Earthlings 2.0 podcast and a longtime advocate for community-driven climate leadership.

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

This episode was originally produced by Earthlings 2.0 and is republished by WCS Talks Unplugged as part of a content exchange highlighting women founders building real solutions for the climate transition.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged

✔ Subscribe to Earthlings 2.0
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

What’s the Best That Can Happen? Sara Fuentes on Waste, Purpose, and Founder Resilience

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Anandi Yadav sits down with Sara Fuentes, Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and Founder of Smart Waste, for an honest conversation about purpose, leadership, waste, and what it really takes to build a company.

Sara shares how her early work in education, her Chicana upbringing, and her deep commitment to service shaped the way she sees waste—not as something without value, but as a systems challenge rooted in culture, infrastructure, behavior, and opportunity.

Together, Anandi and Sara explore what is broken in the way communities and businesses manage waste, why there is still so much confusion around recycling and materials recovery, and how Smart Waste helps organizations reduce trash, improve compliance, test waste technologies, and build better zero-waste programs.

Sara also opens up about starting Smart Waste during COVID, navigating caregiving responsibilities, learning to trust the right people, finding her voice as a founder, and the quiet challenges of self-promotion when you are used to cheering everyone else on.

This conversation is part founder story, part leadership reflection, and part reminder that some of the most meaningful climate solutions begin with listening—to customers, to communities, and to the values that guide the work.

About the Host

Anandi Yadav is a climate tech professional, product leader, and Terra.do Climate Fellow focused on helping companies cut carbon, meet ESG goals, and build scalable solutions.

An electronics engineer turned product owner, she brings 15+ years of global experience across SaaS product management, engineering, business operations, partnerships, and ESG. She holds a PhD in Nanoelectronics and a diploma in Global Business Management from UC Berkeley.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

Produced By

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Marieke brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work also spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

SF Climate Week Recap: Building Ecosystems, Community, and Climate Momentum

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 06 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this special recap episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, WCS Chairwoman Sara Fuentes, Farah Saeed, and Trish Pinnella. reflect on an extraordinary 10-day journey through San Francisco Climate Week 2026. The week was defined by movement-building, deep connection, innovation, and the growing power of community.

From Oracle Park’s official kickoff with over 450 climate leaders to hikes through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, our women-led pitch competition, film screenings, policy forums, repair economy workshops, fashion sustainability events, and joyful karaoke celebrations, this episode captures the full ecosystem of climate leadership in action.

As WCS celebrates its 15th anniversary, this episode serves as both a recap and a rallying cry: the organization is not slowing down. With upcoming activations across Zurich, Pacific Northwest, New York, and beyond, WCS is continuing to build a global ecosystem for women climate leaders.

Listen in for an inspiring, behind-the-scenes look at how climate week can become a launchpad for lasting community, innovation, and impact.

About the Hosts

Sara Fuentes is the Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and the founder of SmartWaste, a company focused on reducing waste generation and improving sustainable resource management systems.

Trish Pinnella is a board member and Marketing Chair at Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, where she drives community growth and amplifies women leading climate solutions. Her climate work began in green building and renewable energy and now focuses on connecting technology, policy, community, and storytelling to accelerate climate impact.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global network advancing women’s leadership in climate, energy, and sustainability.

Each episode features conversations with innovators, founders, and leaders working to build a more sustainable future.

Produced By

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast
✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:
womencleantechsustainability.org

The Power of Light: How a Simple Solar Lamp Is Transforming Lives | Nicole Watson

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What if something as simple as a small solar light could change a child’s future?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Trish Pinnella speaks with Nicole Watson, founder of the Iconic Earth Foundation, about how access to clean light is transforming education, safety, and opportunity for students living in off-grid communities.

Through her program Watts On – Lighting Students’ Lives, Nicole and her partners are providing solar lamps to students in rural regions where electricity is unavailable. These lamps allow children to study after sunset, improve school performance, and help families feel safer at night.

Nicole shares the powerful stories behind the program—from its early pilot in Kenya to expansion into Zambia and Uganda—and explains why such a simple technology can create ripple effects across education, health, and community wellbeing.

The conversation highlights an important truth: sometimes the most transformative solutions are also the simplest.

About the Guest

Nicole Watson is the founder of the Econic Earth Foundation and creator of the Watts On – Lighting Students’ Lives program.

Her work focuses on renewable energy solutions that support education, safety, and environmental sustainability in off-grid communities around the world.

Nicole combines her background in filmmaking and storytelling with on-the-ground humanitarian initiatives that deliver measurable impact.

Learn more:
https://econicearth.org/

https://www.wattson.org/

LIGHT | Award-Winning Short Documentary Film on How Solar Energy is Transforming Students’ Lives:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=KzZIGK41Z9w

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global network advancing women’s leadership in climate, energy, and sustainability.

Each episode features conversations with innovators, founders, and leaders working to build a more sustainable future.

Produced By

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast
✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Regenerative Technology: Designing a Future That Supports Life | Jessica Groopman

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What if the future of technology wasn’t just about faster systems, smarter algorithms, or bigger data but about supporting life itself?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sara Fuentes, Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and founder of SmartWaste, speaks with Jessica Groopman, founder of the Regenerative Technology Project. Together they explore how emerging technologies can move beyond extraction-driven models toward systems that restore ecosystems, empower communities, and create long-term resilience.

Jessica brings an unusual perspective to technology analysis. Her journey began studying ancient stone tools of the Upper Paleolithic before moving into Silicon Valley’s world of digital innovation. That interdisciplinary lens led her to ask deeper questions about technology’s role in society, not just what technology can do, but who it serves and what systems it shapes.

Their conversation explores the growing concept of regenerative technology technologies designed to strengthen living systems rather than exploit them. From AI and data infrastructure to place-based sensing technologies, the discussion examines both the risks and opportunities emerging in the next generation of digital innovation.

About the Guest

Jessica Groopman is the founder of the Regenerative Technology Project, an initiative exploring how emerging technologies can be designed to support ecological restoration, community resilience, and regenerative economies.

Her work focuses on systems thinking, technology ethics, and the societal implications of emerging technologies, drawing on experience as a technology analyst and strategist in Silicon Valley.

Learn more at: https://www.regentech.co/

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership across climate, energy, and sustainability sectors.

Through candid conversations with innovators, founders, policymakers, and researchers, the podcast explores the ideas and people shaping the future of the clean economy.

Produced By

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged

✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast

✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:

womencleantechsustainability.org

The Hidden Environmental Cost of AI and the Cloud | Susannah Hill

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Farah Saeed sits down with Susannah Hill, co-founder of Cloud Sustainability Watch, to explore an emerging challenge in climate innovation: the environmental footprint of our rapidly expanding digital world.

As climate solutions increasingly rely on AI, cloud computing, and large-scale data infrastructure, an important question arises: What is the environmental cost of the technology powering the energy transition itself?

Today, data centers account for roughly 2% of global electricity demand and about 4% in the United States — a number expected to double by 2030 as AI adoption accelerates. These facilities also consume vast amounts of water for cooling, with some large centers using up to five million gallons per day.

Susannah shares insights from her work helping technologists and organizations understand and reduce the digital emissions associated with software, cloud infrastructure, and AI systems. The conversation highlights how awareness, measurement, and smarter design choices can dramatically reduce both environmental impact and operational costs.

Resources Mentioned

About the Guest

Susannah Hill is the co-founder of Cloud Sustainability Watch, a nonprofit resource helping technologists and organizations reduce the environmental impact of cloud computing, AI systems, and digital infrastructure. She works at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and responsible software design, advocating for more transparent measurement and sustainable architecture across the tech ecosystem.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is a podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode brings you real stories and real solutions from the innovators, founders, policymakers, and leaders shaping the future of the clean economy.

Produced By

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help more people discover the show
✔ Share this episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability at:
womencleantechsustainability.org

Starbucks’ First CSO on Identity, Allyship, and Courageous Leadership | Michael Kobori

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sara Fuentes, Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and Founder of Smart Waste, sits down with longtime WCS ally and sustainability leader Michael Kobori.

Michael has spent decades shaping corporate sustainability at some of the world’s most recognized companies, including Levi Strauss & Co. and Starbucks, where he served as the company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. In this conversation, he reflects on his journey as a sustainability leader, the importance of allyship, and the power of asking difficult questions inside large organizations.

The conversation revisits Michael’s memorable appearance at WCS Talks in 2017, where he spoke about leading from the outside in, sharing insights from his experience as a Japanese American leader navigating identity, power structures, and empathy in the workplace.

Together, Sara and Michael explore how allyship can create real change in organizations, how sustainability leaders can connect environmental work to human impact, and why mentorship and courageous leadership are essential for building a more equitable climate future.

About the Guest

Michael Kobori is a globally recognized sustainability executive who previously served as Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks and held leadership roles at Levi Strauss & Co. His work has focused on advancing environmental stewardship, climate justice, and corporate responsibility.

Today, he advises emerging climate startups, mentors young sustainability professionals, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Asia Foundation.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global network advancing women’s leadership across climate, energy, and sustainability sectors.

Through candid conversations with leaders, innovators, and allies, the podcast highlights the real stories behind the people shaping the clean economy.

Produced By

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Share this episode with your network
✔ Leave a review to help more listeners discover the podcast

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and how to get involved:
womencleantechsustainability.org

The Ambition Gap Is Actually a System Gap | Veronica Barner and Sadia Raveendran

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sadia Raveendran sits down with Veronica Barner, product executive at GE Vernova, to explore an important question facing many professionals today:

Are women really less ambitious? Or, are our systems failing to recognize ambition when it doesn’t fit traditional expectations?

Sparked by recent conversations around the Women in the Workplace report and the idea of an “ambition gap,” Sadia and Veronica unpack how ambition actually shows up across a career in clean energy leadership. Drawing from their shared experience in GE’s Renewable Energy Leadership Program, the conversation explores how ambition evolves from early purpose-driven motivations to leadership, mentorship, and building the next generation of climate innovators.

Veronica reflects on growing up in Bolivia, where more than half the population lacked reliable electricity during her childhood, an experience that shaped her lifelong mission to expand access to clean and sustainable energy.

Together, Sadia and Veronica discuss mentorship, leadership transitions, motherhood, and the systemic barriers that still shape career progression for many women in technical and leadership roles.

At its core, this episode challenges the narrative of an ambition gap and instead reframes the conversation around recognition, opportunity, and the systems that shape career pathways.

About the Guest

Veronica Barner is a product executive at GE Vernova, where she works on advancing technologies that support the global energy transition. She began her career through GE’s Renewable Energy Leadership Program and has since held a range of leadership roles across the clean energy sector.

Her work focuses on building innovative energy solutions while mentoring the next generation of leaders in the industry.

About the Host

Sadia Raveendran is the Founding Head of GTM at Hammerhead and a Board Member of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, where she also serves as Co-Chair of the Career Development Committee.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership in climate and clean energy.

Each episode features honest conversations with leaders, founders, and innovators working on the front lines of the energy transition — sharing both the challenges and the solutions shaping our sustainable future.

Produced By

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. With a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact, her work also spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast
✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, energy, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:
www.womencleantechsustainability.org

The Career Moves That Actually Get You Promoted | Robin Milshtein with Farah Saeed

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

How do you build leadership skills when your job description doesn’t give you the opportunity?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Farah Saeed speaks with clean tech leader Robin Milshtein about a powerful concept for career growth: developing leadership skills outside the scope of your day job — what Robin calls your professional “side hustle.”

Robin shares her journey from engineering roles developing high-performance materials for hydrogen fuel cells to leadership positions in business development, strategic marketing, and corporate venture capital. Along the way, she discovered that excelling in your daily responsibilities alone may not be enough to advance your career.

Instead, she built the skills she needed by volunteering, creating new opportunities within her organization, and intentionally positioning herself for the roles she wanted.

Through real-world examples and practical advice, this conversation offers a roadmap for professionals who want to expand their leadership potential, grow their influence, and shape their own career trajectory.

About the Guest

Robin Milshtein is a senior business development leader in the clean technology sector with over 15 years of experience spanning engineering, strategic marketing, and corporate venture capital.

She has worked at the intersection of innovation, startup ecosystems, and corporate strategy, helping identify and scale emerging clean technology solutions.

Robin previously served as a board member of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and currently volunteers as a mentor in the WCS mentorship program.

About the Host

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership across climate, energy, and sustainability sectors.

Each episode features candid conversations with leaders and innovators shaping the future of the clean economy.

Produced By

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability

Marieke is the producer of WCS Talks Unplugged, with a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work also spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged

✔ Share this episode with your network

✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:

womencleantechsustainability.org

Looking Back on 15 Years of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The Origin Story of Women in Cleantech & Sustainability

What started as a simple idea — and a moment of deciding to stop waiting for someone else to take action — has grown into a network that has connected and supported more than 20,000 women worldwide.

In this conversation, Sara and Lisa Ann explore the origin story of WCS, the lessons learned from building a mission-driven community over 15 years, and why hope, authenticity, and persistence are essential for anyone working in climate and sustainability.

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the values that shaped WCS and the power of community in an industry where the work can often feel daunting.

Mentioned In this episode: Lisa Ann Pinterton’s 2 part interview with Neal Dikeman on her Podcast, Earthlings 2.0. Those episodes were titles “#31: Carbon Price, Power, and Politics with Neal Dikeman- Part 1” and “#33: Carbon Price, Power, and Politics with Neal Dikeman- Part 2” and can be enjoyed here https://earthlingspodcast.com/episodes/s3e14-carbon-price-power/, and https://earthlingspodcast.com/episodes/s3e16-carbon-price-power/.

About the Guest

Lisa Ann Pinkerton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaannpinkerton/)
Founder of Women in Cleantech & Sustainability and CEO of Technica Communications (https://technica.inc/), Lisa Ann Pinkerton has spent more than a decade helping amplify voices and innovation across the clean energy and climate sectors. She is also the host of the Earthlings 2.0 podcast and a longtime advocate for community-driven climate leadership.

About the Host

Sara Fuentes (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-eve-fuentes-6a620422/)
Sara Fuentes is Chair of Women in Cleantech & Sustainability, CEO and Founder of SmartWaste (https://www.smartwasteusa.com/), and a longtime community builder within the organization. Her leadership continues to expand WCS’s global reach and impact.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged shares real conversations with the people building solutions for a more sustainable world.

Each episode features stories, lessons, and insights from leaders across climate, clean energy, sustainability, and innovation.

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Produced By

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability

Get Involved with WCS

Women in Cleantech & Sustainability is a global community supporting women advancing climate solutions and the clean economy.

Learn more, become a member, or get involved:
www.womencleantechsustainability.org

Why did we create this podcast?

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:18:30 GMT

In this mini-episode, we delve into the transformative power of WCS Talks and the decision to launch this podcast. Join Anandi Yadav, Farah Saeed, Sara Fuentes, and Trish Pinella as they share insights on the impact of WCS Talks, the importance of adapting to new formats, and the collective strength of women in clean tech. Discover personal stories, the significance of individual actions, and the role of community in driving meaningful change.