Ep. 34 | Investing in Climate Tech Startups & a New Community for Women of Color | Chante Harris of SecondMuse
In this Green Light episode, Catherine is joined by Chante Harris, Director of Climate Investments & Partnerships at SecondMuse. SecondMuse is an impact & innovation company that builds resilient economies by supporting entrepreneurs & the ecosystems around them. Venture for ClimateTech is a non-profit global venture studio & accelerator program associated with SecondMuse, & it recently wrapped up its first year of supporting up & coming climate tech founders. Chante s...
21 Apr 202227min
Ep. 33 | Venture Capital for Women-Led Startups & the Latest in Waste-to-Value | Janice Tran of Kanin Energy
What was it like to found & lead a waste-to-value company in the middle of the pandemic? Catherine speaks with Janice Tran, CEO & Co-Founder of Kanin Energy, about this, why only 13% of venture capital goes to startups with women on the founding team & how Janice applied her experience from Generate at Kanin. Janice also speaks about the advice she has for those looking to break into cleantech. Kanin enables large industrial users to monetize their waste heat by providing en...
15 Mars 202215min
Ep. 32 | Women Leading Sustainable Finance | Marisa Sweeney & Jessie Robbins of Generate Capital
In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Marisa Sweeney & Jessie Robbins, two of the brains driving some of Generate Capital’s exciting investment & tax equity initiatives forward, including investments in Amp Americas & Atlas Organics. Marisa & Jessie also speak about the work they’re most proud of & looking forward to in 2022, how they broke into cleantech, & career advice they have for those interested in sustainable finance. From raising $2B from investors...
23 Feb 202239min
Ep. 31 | Fighting the Good Fight for Renewables on Capitol Hill | Heather Zichal of American Clean Power
From working alongside then Senator John Kerry while fighting for better fuel standards to founding & leading the first ever trade organization to represent the entire cleantech industry, Heather Zichal, CEO of American Clean Power Association (ACP), has a lot to be proud of. Catherine spoke with Heather about her career journey in policy & cleantech; ACP’s 1st anniversary; ACP’s ability to help get the infrastructure bill passed; & the significance of the Build Back Better Act, i...
12 Feb 202219min
Ep. 30 | Pay Parity & Hiring & Retaining Top Diverse Talent | Sejal Patel Daswani of Sunrun
Sunrun, the leading home solar panel and battery storage company in the U.S., successfully launched its internal upskilling program, PowerU, as well as recently became the first national solar company to achieve 100% pay parity. Catherine recently spoke with Sejal Patel Daswani, former CHRO & current Advisor to the Chief People Officer at Sunrun, about these accomplishments; the numerous diversity & culture focused awards Sunrun has received; & the specific advice Sunrun has for c...
11 Jan 202212min
Ep. 29 | Breaking Ground in DER Monetization & Male Mentorship | Dana Guernsey of Voltus
In this Green Light episode, Catherine is joined by the Chief Product Officer of Voltus, Dana Guernsey. Voltus became the first DER monetization platform to be interconnected to every wholesale market in North America, all while increasing their female staff from 20% to 40%. Dana shares insights on her recent big-box retailer project, the value of male mentorship, and the importance of intentionality when it comes to hiring diverse staff members. She also describes why it’s crucial to hire ta...
22 Nov 202117min
Ep. 28 | The Largest Onshore Wind Project & What it Takes to Succeed in Origination & Project Development | Jennifer Goodwillie & Melissa Peterson of Orsted
This week on The Green Light, Catherine is joined by the award-winning brains behind the largest onshore wind project to date - Orsted VP of Development, Jennifer Goodwillie & VP of Origination and Power Marketing, Melissa Peterson. The female duo shares the exciting details behind the 367 MW wind project in Texas and what it takes to succeed in energy development today. Touching on the value of mentorship, women in renewables, and how to navigate a more circuitous career path within the ...
9 Nov 202129min
Ep. 27 | What it takes to succeed in project development & legal in cleantech, bp’s purchase of 7X’s 9 GW portfolio of solar projects & the values of mentorship with Becky Diffen, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright
What is it like to be on the legal and development side of cleantech? In this episode, Catherine speaks with Becky Diffen, a Norton Rose Fulbright Partner and former project developer to get an idea of what it’s like to oversee gigawatt size solar portfolios. Becky reflects on the challenges and trends she has faced over the years with projects, some notable deals include 7X’s 9 GW portfolio of solar purchased by bp, as well as the offshore joint venture between National Grid & RWE....
21 Okt 202131min
