WCS Talks Unplugged

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Careers
  • Updated Weekly

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. 2d ago

    From the Dorm Room to the Utility Grid: The Evardi Energy Story

    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. 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. 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

    From the Dorm Room to the Utility Grid: The Evardi Energy Story

  2. 6d ago

    Power in Motion: Caroline Tiglao’s Return to Engineering

    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 HostSara 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 UnpluggedWCS 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

    Power in Motion: Caroline Tiglao’s Return to Engineering

  3. Jul 15

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

    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: ✔ 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

  4. Jul 8

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

    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

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

  5. Jul 1

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

    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 HostAnandi 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 UnpluggedWCS 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

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

  6. May 6

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

    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 HostsSara 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. 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. 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 UnpluggedWCS 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 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. Get InvolvedIf 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

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

  7. Apr 29

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

    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 GuestNicole 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 HostTrish 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 UnpluggedWCS 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 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. Get InvolvedIf 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

  8. Apr 22

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

    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 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. 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 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. 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
See All (14)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • Show Website
    WCS Talks Unplugged