The Women in Energy initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University SIPA, hosted an event titled “Financing the Energy Transition”. The event was intended to facilitate a deeper understanding of energy finance, the professional opportunities available in that space, and how to access those opportunities. 

The main questions and takeaways from the event are as follows:

How do you prepare for the recruitment process?

• Reach out to former employees of the organization, who can provide insights on the interview process, the company’s culture, and expectations around the hiring process.  
• The recruitment process often involves a series of stages designed to assess both technical and interpersonal skills:
  • Personality Interview: Focused on understanding motivations, work style, and cultural fit.
  • Modeling Test: Designed to assess financial modeling skills.
  • Case Study: Designed to assess problem-solving, analytical, and presentation skills through a real-world financial scenario.
  • Interviews with Senior Professionals:  Intended to assess deeper knowledge of energy finance as well as strategic and long-term thinking.

What are the key skills that early professionals in the energy finance space should focus on?

Hard Skills:

• Financial Modeling: building and evaluating financial models, especially in relation to risk-return assessments in energy projects.
• Quantitative Analysis: Strong analytical skills to assess data and trends that impact investment and project decisions in the energy space.
• Risk Management: Assessing, mitigating, and managing risks associated with energy finance.
• Risk and Return Analysis: Ability to analyze investments from a risk-return perspective.
• Industry Knowledge: Staying updated with the latest trends, technologies, and policies in energy finance by reading industry publications and newsletters, as well as attending relevant events.

Soft Skills:

• Open-Mindedness: Approaching problems from different angles and considering a variety of perspectives.
• Humility: Acknowledging what you don’t know and being open to learning is essential.
• Willingness to Learn: Openness to learning and adapting to new trends, technologies, and regulations in a fast-moving field.
• Growth Mindset: Willingness to adapt to new challenges, such as changes in the market or new regulations affecting the energy industry.

Advice for people transitioning into energy finance from different sectors

For individuals without financial experience, the key is to:

• Leverage Transferable Skills: Many skills from other sectors (e.g., policy, law, or engineering) can be applied in energy finance, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management.
• Demonstrate Adaptability: Showing potential employers that you can quickly learn new concepts and apply them to the specific needs of the energy sector.
• Ask Questions and Be Curious: eProactively seeking knowledge and demonstrating a willingness to learn.

What makes recruiting in the energy finance space unique?

• Multidisciplinary Nature: Roles often require a blend of skills, such as private capital, investment, fundraising, capital markets, and an understanding of energy systems.
• Diverse Roles: The energy sector encompasses many different roles, so understanding where your skills fit best is crucial.
• Stakeholder Management: It’s essential to understand how different stakeholders (investors, governments, regulators, companies) interact with each other and how those dynamics influence investment decisions.

What are the best ways to ensure a recruiter sees your profile?

• Tailor Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile: These should reflect the specific role and be easy to read and keyword-optimized.
• Leverage Networking: Most job placements in the energy sector come through referrals. Build strong relationships with professionals in the field.
• Stand Out with Initiative: Going the extra mile to connect with recruiters (e.g., reaching out proactively or networking through events).

How should early professionals explore and choose different roles in the energy finance space?

• Apply Widely: Don’t be afraid to apply for a variety of roles across different companies and sectors within energy finance.  Job postings can be found through LinkedIn, Indeed, and company websites. 
• Use Networking: Networking can help uncover opportunities that may not be publicly posted. Engage in coffee chats and seek informational interviews with professionals already working in the field.
• Ask the Right Questions: When networking or interviewing, ask about what the company’s culture is like and whether the role will provide the kind of experience you need for career growth.

The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative hosted an event at the Pillsbury law firm on November 21, 2024, featuring two panels: women who funded sustainable startups and women founders or early employees of sustainable startups. The event also featured a presentation by three partners at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman (contact Women in Energy at womeninenergy@columbia.edu for a copy of this presentation). 

This first panel featured Sunaina Ocalan, senior director of corporate strategy and climate change at Hess, and Naomi Zimmermann, venture capital analyst at Creadev. Columbia University graduate student Neeti Sabnani served as the moderator.

Some key takeaways from this panel include the following:

• Startups should frame their pitch in terms of the problem they are trying to solve, how their solution is the best, and why they are best poised to solve the problem.
• Pitches should be short and punchy. Your pitch will likely be reviewed by an analyst first, and it should be as easy as possible for the analyst to explain the elevator-style pitch, especially because sustainable startups can be very technical.
• The CEO or founder plays an outsized role in the success of an organization. Founders who are extremely passionate and obsessed with what they do, with conviction behind their ability to produce value, tend to perform better.
• To maximize investors’ potential investment, startups can communicate extensively with investors to share updates and build relationships. Getting an investor involved in your success beyond financial metrics can help them advocate for you.
• Some untapped opportunities in sustainable startups are cold chain management, food waste, sustainable protein, and the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors.

The second panel featured women who founded or were early employees at sustainable startups. The panelists were Kristy Drutman, co-founder of the Green Jobs Board; Katharine Greco, director of technology at Still Bright; and Alex Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of Bison Fuels. Columbia University PhD candidate Daniela Bushiri served as the moderator.

Some key takeaways from this panel include the following:

• Passion and proof of concept are key to the success of a sustainable startup. 
• A well-aligned and highly skilled team can make or break a startup. Bespoke skill sets, especially those related to project management and data analysis, are an asset.
• A clear narrative articulating the startup’s technical aspects while explaining how the project is a great investment is key.
• While policy can be a bonus for a business, it is important not to depend on policy because it often changes with the political winds. 
• Focus on pain points in an industry when designing your pitch. 
• Adjust your pitch to appeal to different audiences, especially as political and economic climates shift. 
• Work to find mission-aligned investors and build trust with your team and the investors.

The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative co-hosted an event with the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Women NYC program on April 24, 2024, to inform people interested in entering the sustainability field in New York City. The event began with a networking roundtable, where attendees met with sustainability professionals in small groups. Following networking, the New York City Economic Development Corporation presented highlights from New York City’s Green Jobs Action Plan. The program concluded with a panel discussion by sustainability professionals, including Monica Medina, former president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Miquela Craytor, vice president at Kearns & West; and Jully Merino Carela, program manager of sustainability and social innovation at IBM. The panel was moderated by Columbia University graduate student Anjaly Ariyanayagam.

Green Jobs Action Plan highlights include the following: 

• Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led firms.
• Despite women comprising 57% of the life sciences workforce, they only receive 2.6% funding. 
• The “green economy” in New York City is already significant, with 133,000 jobs. 
• New York City aims to have 400,000 jobs in the green economy by 2040.
• About 70% of job growth is in occupations that will transition to the green economy. 

Panel highlights include the following: 

• Career changers who want to transition into sustainability are encouraged to emphasize their transferable skills.
  • Transferable skills are skills that can be applied across industry. These skills vary, but examples include communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. 
• Achieving success in sustainability often relies on relationship-building and making connections.
• When people interview for a new job, they are also interviewing the company and should feel confident asking questions to ensure it is a good fit.
• A job can often be a stepping stone to another goal, and certain jobs can serve as strategic career moves. Even if the opportunity is not what is sought right now, it can lead to better things. 
• Candidates should always negotiate salary and benefits. 
• Building relationships with other women in the field and leveraging female-led sectors for resources is essential.
• Many free resources, like IBM SkillsBuild, can help career changers build their skills for career growth or pivot to new industries.  

On Tuesday, April 29th, Women in Energy hosted Claire Steichen, founder of Clear Strategy Coaching,
 for a virtual roundtable. The session discussed how the fast-evolving energy sector can feel like the ground is shifting beneath you, and how to stabilize your career and reclaim control despite the evolving nature of the industry. 

The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative hosted a salary negotiation workshop at Columbia University on January 28, 2025. The presentation offered an overview of salary negotiation and included best practices. For more information or advice on salary negotiation, please contact the Women in Energy team at Womeninenergy@columbia.edu.

Resources

• AAUW
• Forbes
• Baldwin Wallace University
• The Muse: How to Negotiate
• How to gracefully leverage an outside job offer
• Schedule time to meet with Jessica

On Tuesday, October 8th, Women in Energy hosted Cathy Schreiber, founder and principal of Cathy Schreiber & Associates, a firm that supports climate and clean energy advocacy organizations, foundations, and climate tech startups with strategy, human capacity, and executive searches.

Cathy discussed strategies for getting recruited into energy and shared tips on what organizations are looking for and how to stand out. She shared best practices based on her experience in her consulting firm and more than 20 years of supporting leaders and teams in achieving ambitious goals.

Cathy Schreiber founded her consulting firm in 2017 after more than 20 years of success in the social sector – developing and executing plans that follow a clear North Star of justice and equity; raising money to power those plans; and supporting leaders and teams working to achieve ambitious goals. Her firm helps clients elevate their approaches and operations to be more impactful and leave this world better than we found it. The goal of their work is transformation – of strategies, structures, and systems.

Cathy has overseen every functional area of nonprofit businesses – governance, development, communications, programs, finance, and administration/operations. During her 15+ years with the Women’s Foundation of California, she led strategic planning, budgeting, evaluation and learning, business model analyses, and team restructures for this statewide public foundation, while serving as a primary liaison for high-profile strategic partnerships. She played a key role in raising more than $100 million and drove the evolution of donor-driven giving circles to become global models of inclusive feminist philanthropy.

Today, as a multi-faceted consultant with expertise in equity-centered approaches, Cathy’s work focuses on business strategy and human capacity, including executive search and coaching. Her clients include climate and clean energy advocacy organizations, foundations, and climate tech startups.

In Fall 2023, Athena partnered with the Women in Energy Initiative at Columbia’s Center for Global Energy Policy (CGEP) to create Take the Mic, Take Action! In this community of practice, changemakers across Columbia University — from Barnard to Columbia College to the School of International and Public Affairs and more — learned practical strategies to facilitate dialogue on all things energy. The group met for two 4-hour sessions focused on public speaking and facilitation, led by Jessica Weis, the Program Director at Women in Energy.

Read below to hear from three participants about the strategies they are taking from the sessions to inform their facilitation practice.

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The first thing Daniela Bushiri, a Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student at SEAS, notices about Take the Mic, Take Action! is that it’s composed of a majority of women. “I haven’t found many women-led spaces at Columbia. I was surprised to find that here, of all places, in a group dedicated to energy policy.” Daniela’s observation represents the energy field at large, where women and nonbinary people make up only a small portion. They aren’t only underrepresented, as Sana Asif, a MPA student at SIPA, explains, but also feel undervalued—especially on stage at panels at events. 

“Many times I’ve felt excluded from the conversation and like my opinions don’t matter, despite my knowledge and experience,” says Sana. “In Take the Mic, Take Action! I learned how to take my space. The workshop gave me the tools to talk more confidently about what I know.”

In particular, participants practiced how to create an environment for inclusion and invite ignored or obscured voices into the conversation.

“Moderating does not mean telling people what you feel, it’s about making sure everyone feels heard,” Sana explains, and Claudia Sachs, a JTS/GS dual-degree undergraduate student, agrees. “That’s what I gained from this community of practice—how to be intentional about the ways I include people.” For example, when transitioning from a panelist’s response to the facilitator’s next question, they learned a helpful trick: pick out a keyword from the panelist and use it to reframe the question. 

A few other things they learned: 

• How to courteously interject
• How to research your interviewee beforehand & host a prep meeting
• How to craft a conclusion
• How to increase self-awareness by using the Johari Window
• How to encourage diverse or opposing opinions while maintaining mutual respect

All of this training took place inside a community committed to uplifting women and nonbinary voices in the sector. For Claudia in particular, interacting with graduate students and professionals offered her a glimpse into potential future career paths. It provided her with a support network of individuals who shared similar experiences—a valuable benefit of being part of a community of practice that transcends age and degree programs.

“There were times when we would digress from the main topic to discuss some of the things we face as women when public speaking or moderating, like gender bias. It added a depth to what we’re learning because people’s stories would resonate with one another,” Claudia reflects. 

The participants credit these honest discussions to Jessica, the group’s facilitator, as she embraced difficult topics such as gender dynamics. “She’s such a leader in the energy space,” says Sana, “I valued her candidness in sharing her personal experiences and perspective.” 

Take the Mic, Take Action! provided Daniela, Claudia, and Sana an opportunity they couldn’t find elsewhere—a space to cultivate a women-led community while gaining access to a professional network and valuable hands-on experience. Energy policy remains pivotal for the leaders of tomorrow, and by the end of their time in the community of practice, Daniela, Claudia, and Sana turned their practice into action by facilitating events for the CGEP.

Inspired by Daniela, Sana, and Claudia’s experience? Take the Mic, Take Action! is re-launching for Spring 2024. Learn about how to join here.

On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, the Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative partnered with the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Women.NYC to host “Empowering NYC: Fueling Women’s Careers in Energy.”

Below are some highlights from the event: 

• There are growing job opportunities in community relations, supply chains, and permitting, especially with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Many of these roles present an opportunity to move into energy for those without an energy background. 
• For several reasons, including Local Law 97, which mandates that buildings meet certain energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions targets, New York City is one of the best places to be for climate tech and energy. There are several climate startups headquartered in or moving their headquarters to New York. 
• According to Nse Esema, Senior Vice President of Green Economy at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, energy jobs in New York City are projected to increase by 17,000 by 2040.
• Currently, energy job growth is being driven by utility-scale storage and solar, but upcoming hydrogen hubs will lead to development and job growth. 
• The energy industry is open to nontraditional paths, and as women in a male-dominated industry one way to succeed is by seeking out female mentorship and community. For example, one of the panelists mentioned going to a lunch group of female CEOs.