The Green Light

What was it like to close a $76 million climate tech VC fund backed by Microsoft & Bank of America? In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Allison Myers, one of the founders of the 100% women-owned firm, Buoyant Ventures, about this, as well as how Buoyant is advancing global sustainability initiatives by enabling startups to digitalize climate solutions. Think: software, AI, & machine learning. Some of Buoyant’s portfolio companies include Audette, which is streamlining the process of decarbonizing buildings, & Reeldata, which is creating sustainable aquaculture through AI. Allison also spoke about her transition into climate tech from healthcare & consulting & why she loves running a climate-focused VC firm.

If you’re looking for your next role in clean energy, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a clean energy employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

Did you know Sunnova recently secured a historic $3 billion partial loan guarantee from the Department of Energy? In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Meghan Nutting, EVP of Government & Regulatory Affairs at Sunnova, from the Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) Leadership Forum. Meghan spoke about how Sunnova's Project Hestia will help reduce electricity bills for low income families. She also spoke about Sunnova’s recent partnership with FranklinWH Energy Storage on a first-of-its-kind 208V compliant battery to help deploy energy storage for multi-family homes. Meghan also shared some inspiring stories about Sunnova’s work with Tribal Nations, including through the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy & projects with Empowered by Light.

From a Theater major to Deputy Press Secretary for a Senator to a World Bank Consultant & now a solar policy expert, Meghan shared about her transition into the clean energy industry. She also shed some light on net metering; how local, state & federal governments are incentivizing faster solar permitting times; & the impact of the IRA on supply chain challenges. 

If you’re looking for your next role in clean energy, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a clean energy employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr.

In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Joy Seitz, CEO at American Solar & Roofing, about recent solar policy in Arizona & the SEIA Board Election for which Joy has been endorsed by the SEIA Nominating Committee. Arizona is now ranked #5 in the U.S. in terms of installed solar capacity, & with Joy’s 15 years of experience advocating for distributed solar generation in the state, she has lived through all of the ups & downs that it took to get there. 

Joy also shared how, as CEO, she vets her suppliers to ensure they align with her values like being DEIJ-focused, accountable & kind. Some of her longtime partners that have & continue to align with her company’s values include SMA, Qcells, Malarkey Roofing & BayWa. Joy shared how she is passionate about giving back to the community, including through her work with SEIA, the Environmental Defense Fund & ASU Innovation Open, & why it is critical to do so when in a position of power. Learn more about Joy & American Solar & Roofing: www.americansolarandroofing.com/sustainjoy.

If you’re a SEIA member company, you’re able to vote for Joy in the SEIA Board Election! Someone in your company has received the email with the link. Unsure of who is receiving the email within your organization? Contact [email protected].

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

What was it like to transition from a White House intern to eventually become the COO of CleanCapital, which now manages 250 MW of clean energy assets in over 20 states & 150+ sites? In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Zoe Berkery about this, CleanCapital’s recent $500 million funding round led by Canada’s ManuLife & why more senior women leaders are needed to accelerate the energy transition. Zoe also spoke about CleanCapital’s acquisition of BQ Energy, adders in the Inflation Reduction Act for brownfield projects, remote versus hybrid work, & CleanCapital’s Allyship Committee & DEIJ-focused internship program. This episode was recorded at the SunCast PowerUp Live stage at RE+, as you may hear some conference attendees in the background. 

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

What does it take to succeed as an investor in the cleantech venture capital space in this market? In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Kathryn Meng, Investment Director at RA Capital Management about how she has navigated the industry, transitioned from humanitarian to cleantech work, as well as about some of the trends she’s seeing. They also spoke about the necessity of having senior women leaders at VC firms to ensure that new hires & investments are determined in an equitable way. Before RA Capital Management, Kathryn worked for Cleantech Open Northeast, Worcester Cleantech Incubator, & Massachusetts Clean Energy Center & is a wealth of knowledge - both in terms of deciphering which investments to make, as well as in providing advice for entrepreneurs seeking capital.

Kathryn is also part of Cleantech Leaders Roundtable (CTLR), the nation's most prominent private community of cleantech & climate-tech leaders. CTLR's mission is to bring together a diverse group of founders, investors, & entrepreneurs for the purpose of idea sharing, networking, & building a supportive and collegial fellowship.

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

What was it like to found a startup dedicated to building EV fleet charging hubs after nearly a decade of leading energy strategy for Google? In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with the brilliant Neha Palmer, CEO at TeraWatt Infrastructure, who had the foresight to anticipate the future real estate, operational & interconnect needs of EV fleets across the country. Fast forward to today & TeraWatt has properties in 18 states, just completed a large EV hub project near LAX, & has key partnerships with companies like South Korea’s SK Signet. Neha also talked about how she started her career as a gas engineer at PG&E & an Associate at Goldman Sachs before transitioning into cleantech, as well as her advice for those looking to join the cleantech industry.

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

Did you know that 51% of professionals working in clean energy transitioned into the industry last year, according to a recent survey? Our CEO recently spoke with Salina Derichsweiler, who transitioned from oil & gas to founding & leading geothermal startup, Transitional Energy. In her current, new role as Director of Development at SunShare, Salina is leveraging her experience developing a wide range of energy projects to accelerate community solar in New Mexico, both within & outside of Tribal Nations & Pueblos. 

They spoke about her work at Transitional Energy, which received funding from the Department of Energy, the State of Colorado, as well as a $2 million grant from the Clean Sustainable Energy of North Dakota. Salina also highlighted the significance of diversity & representation when it comes to building trust with Indigenous communities, particularly in the context of development work.

Salina is also part of Cleantech Leaders Roundtable (CTLR), the nation's most prominent private community of cleantech & climate-tech leaders. CTLR's mission is to bring together a diverse group of founders, investors, & entrepreneurs for the purpose of idea sharing, networking, & building a supportive and collegial fellowship.

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

Have you heard of Dynamo Energy Hub, “the Soho House of clean energy”? From their partnerships with BloombergNEF and Alvarez and Marsal to their cohesive workspaces, Climate Tech and Tonic events & Cleantech Founders Breakfast Club, Dynamo is building the future of work for the new energy economy. Catherine had the pleasure of speaking with Kristin Barbato and Meade Harris, who decided to co-found Dynamo while meeting for drinks at a hotel bar. These incredibly talented women, one of whom started their career as a BBC Producer and the other as an engineer, first developed two Dynamo hubs in the U.S. and are now about to reach 15 hubs globally. They also spoke about Dynamo’s robust membership programs and networking opportunities as well as its stellar Advisory Board, which includes cleantech leaders like Tim Healy at EnerNOC, Nancy Pfund at DBL Partners, Thomas Burton at Mintz, Kyle Hayes at Foley, Graham Hedger at Bondminster, Sara Neff Lendlease, Dan Pickering at Pickering Energy Partners, Snorre Valdimarsson Thommessen, Michael Torosian at Baker Botts & Pamela Farrell Venzke at Orsted. Learn more & get involved with Dynamo: https://bit.ly/3XVMoIB. 

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 

Qcells USA Corp. has been all over the news lately with a handful of major announcements, including a $2.5B investment in the solar supply chain. Catherine recently spoke with Amy Jo Miller, Director of Policy and Market Strategy at Qcells, about what these recent developments mean for our industry, the most important upcoming policy rulings to follow, and the energy storage trends Qcells is seeing. They also spoke about how Amy Jo transitioned into clean energy, advice she has for those looking to join our industry, and some of the significant ways Qcells has revamped its benefits and work culture to attract top tier talent.

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr.

Did you know that 59% of employers have reported that veterans perform ‘better’ or ‘much better’ than their non-veteran peers? Catherine recently spoke with Adela Wilson at Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) and LaTisha Phillips at Onyx Renewable Partners L.P. about how HOH, through Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)’s Solar Ready Vets program, is enabling veterans to transition back to civilian life with new clean energy careers. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) & has allowed veterans like LaTisha to leverage their military experience to support the energy transition. Adela spoke about the impact of the program and the other renewable energy companies they work with, such as Silicon Ranch Corporation, FTC Solar, Inc, DNV, SunPower Corporation, and Omnidian, and how they support veterans in developing the skills they need to succeed in cleantech. LaTisha talked about how she decided to work in solar energy, how her military skills translated, and what she’s most excited about working on at Onyx. 

HOH currently collaborates with companies like Microsoft, 3M, LinkedIn & Lowe's Companies, Inc., as well as myriad renewable energy companies. If you’re an employer interested in partnering with HOH, or a veteran looking to transition into clean energy, get in touch with HOH directly: https://bit.ly/439uT8Y.

If you’re looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you’re a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr.