What happens when women stop waiting to be invited to the table — and start building their own network? That question led Suzanne Tegen and her peers to found Women of Wind Energy, now Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), twenty years ago.

Today, WRISE has over 3,000 members, 47 chapters, a robust slate of annual programming, and continues to expand its impact across the renewable energy industry.

Suzanne is now Acting Director at Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy, where she leads bipartisan clean energy policy research and works with state legislators, governors’ offices, and utilities to advance practical, state-level policy solutions.

To mark WRISE’s 20th anniversary, Catherine sat down with Suzanne to talk about:
• Building leadership confidence through community and mentorship
• Lessons from two decades of WRISE’s growth and impact
• What allyship really looks like — and how to practice it when someone’s not in the room
• The importance of inclusion in energy transitions, especially for fossil-fuel-reliant communities
• Her vision for the next chapter of WRISE and a more inclusive clean energy workforce

One line that stayed with us: "Inclusion is intentional. You have to dig in, find out who isn’t being heard, and make sure they’re involved so that better decisions can be made."

If you’re a clean energy employer and need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier staff, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. 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.