WCS Talks Unplugged

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • 5.0 (6)
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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

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Aug 26

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

    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 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

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

  7. Aug 19

    Change the Container, Change the System: Alison Cove’s Reuse Revolution

    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 HostTrish 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 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

    Change the Container, Change the System: Alison Cove’s Reuse Revolution

  8. Aug 14

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

    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 HostFarah 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 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

    Built to Last: Juliet Shavit on Grit, Growth, and the Power to Evolve
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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
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • Show Website
    WCS Talks Unplugged