WCS Talks Unplugged

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability

WCS Talks Unplugged is the podcast where climate leadership gets real. Produced by Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, this show features honest, human conversations with the women shaping the future of clean energy, climate innovation, sustainability, and impact-driven business. Each episode goes beyond headlines and hype to explore real stories and real solutions, from career journeys and hard-earned lessons to the technologies, policies, and community-led approaches actually driving change. We spotlight the voices of women leaders, builders, and thinkers who are tackling today’s most pressing climate challenges with courage, creativity, and purpose. WCS Talks Unplugged offers thoughtful conversations, actionable takeaways, and moments of hope in a rapidly changing world. Tune in for: Candid conversations with women climate leadersPractical insights you can apply to your work and careerStories of innovation, resilience, and community impactA values-driven lens on the clean economy and equitable transition WCS Talks Unplugged — Real Stories. Real Solutions. For the Mind and the Planet.

  1. 1d ago

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

    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. 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 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

    Growing People, Growing Impact: Sustainability and Mentorship with Lael Giebel
  2. Oct 14

    More Time to Be Human: Building AI Around Your Values

    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. 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: ✔ 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
  3. Oct 7

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

    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 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. 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: ✔ 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
  4. Sep 30

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

    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 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. 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: ✔ 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
  5. Sep 23 ·  Bonus

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

    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 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: ✔ 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
  6. Sep 16

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

    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 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. 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
  7. Sep 9

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

    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 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. 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: ✔ 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
  8. Sep 2

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

    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 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

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

WCS Talks Unplugged is the podcast where climate leadership gets real. Produced by Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, this show features honest, human conversations with the women shaping the future of clean energy, climate innovation, sustainability, and impact-driven business. Each episode goes beyond headlines and hype to explore real stories and real solutions, from career journeys and hard-earned lessons to the technologies, policies, and community-led approaches actually driving change. We spotlight the voices of women leaders, builders, and thinkers who are tackling today’s most pressing climate challenges with courage, creativity, and purpose. WCS Talks Unplugged offers thoughtful conversations, actionable takeaways, and moments of hope in a rapidly changing world. Tune in for: Candid conversations with women climate leadersPractical insights you can apply to your work and careerStories of innovation, resilience, and community impactA values-driven lens on the clean economy and equitable transition WCS Talks Unplugged — Real Stories. Real Solutions. For the Mind and the Planet.

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