On this episode of Personal Take, I sit down with Mackenzie Siren, Staff Product Manager at Aurora Solar and Co-founder of Chicago Climate Connect, the nonprofit behind the city’s largest recurring climate events.

We talk about Mackenzie’s journey into climate tech via the Terra.do program and her inspiration for founding Chicago Climate Connect.

Sharing a meal over Jin Thai, we also chatted about the gluten free options around the city such as the amazing carrot cake from Defloured (pro tip for my gluten free listeners: check out the find me gluten free app and my yelp collection for Chicago gluten free spots).

We also touch on Chicago’s broader climate and innovation ecosystem — including Eco.Crews / Eco.Logic, mHUB, and Kadeya — as well as national and global climate communities like My Climate Journey (MCJ), Work on Climate, and Women and Climate, which support connection, learning, and action for people building careers in sustainability.

🎧 Editing by Maria Paula Pinzon

🎵 Music by #Uppbeat

License code: MF5JPA00C9LULEDO Credit

Thai Food and Climate Connection with Mackenzie Siren