Alacrity Cleantech Talks

Women in Cleantech; A Day in the Life of Three CEOs

Episode Summary

Season 2, Episode 1 on Cleantech Talks features Julie Angus, CEO of Open Ocean Robotics in a conversation with Melanie McClare, CEO of Swirltex, and Susan Blanchet, CEO of Origen Air. These three women discuss their experiences as leaders in the cleantech sector and what advice they have for other women interested in this space.

Episode Notes

-Julie Angus interviews Melanie McClare and Susan Blanchet, two fellow female CEOs operating in the Canadian cleantech space about their experiences as women in positions of leadership

-cleantech as a supportive environment for women leading companies, becoming CEOs of their companies

-COVID19 as a challenge for everyone, but especially for women that are also more likely to have to balance more family responsibilities as well

-some positive COVID19 changes to the workplace and more access to funding have also helped make the cleantech ecosystem more resilient

-government funding programs and extra support from mentors and business advisors have helped inform the changes necessary to the business development road map

-COVID has created new opportunities in some spaces, paused opportunities in others

-how cleantech can use challenges created by the pandemic to make the world a better place and to innovate in different sectors

-COVID19 as a catalyst in innovation when it comes to environmental and social issues 

-how COVID19 has impacted women in the labour force and what we can do to recover from that impact

-creating community around young women to encourage more of them to enter the cleantech space and use their environmental and social governance skills to create positive changes

-supportive ecosystems in Calgary and Victoria for startups, active knowledge sharing within the community

-advice for women interested in the cleantech sector or a STEM career and how to get involved in this space

-lessons learned from failing, finding success on the doorstep of failure, and how to recharge after that experience

-memorable moments in the entrepreneurial journey