WCS Talks Unplugged

Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
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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. 3d ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. Aug 5

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

    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 GrayQuandra 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 ProducerMarieke 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 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. 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

  4. Jul 29

    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

  5. Jul 25

    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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
  • Show Website
    WCS Talks Unplugged