Guest Post by Angela Fisher, Aspire Sustainability
Cross Posted with Aspire Sustainability Blog

Last week, I was invited to speak at the Society of Women Engineers’ (SWE) “Women in Sustainability” event. It was held at the Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI) Boulder office which is a new, net-zero energy (NZE) building called Boulder Commons. Talk about walking the talk!
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Seriously, what more could I ask for – SUSTAINABILITY, ENGINEERS, WOMEN, BOULDER, RMI – all wrapped up in an evening of energizing discussions, collaborative spirit, and nerdy fun. I was really excited to go to forward-focused Boulder since I hadn’t been there for quite some time. I even had a chance to pop into the Boulder Public Library – one of the quirky things I like to do when I travel – to get a little work done before the event.

This was the perfect venue to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new ones, and indulge in an inspired exchange. Jules Kortenhorst, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute, kicked off the event talking about the mission and values of RMI and his excitement about the high performance building we sat in. He wrapped up his remarks by sharing his perspective on the importance of and respect for women in sustainability and engineering. Kaitlyn Bunker, SWE Rocky Mountain Chapter President, shared a little about SWE and its objectives including empowering students for a STEM future. Next up was Claire Henly who manages RMI’s blockchain initiative. Her work at RMI and her presentation were very interesting and helpful for my own understanding of the alternative digital paradigm. I certainly won’t try to explain blockchain technology, but here is a quick YouTube video and here is a list of potential applications in case you want to explore.

During my presentation, I shared the variety of sustainability activities that I have been involved with throughout my career thus far. This included my experiences beginning with my environmental engineering education to pioneering work in sustainable remediation to product and technology life cycle assessment (LCA) to developing corporate sustainability strategies and thought leadership on emerging sustainability issues. The night was an inspiration and a success. I left Boulder optimistic and energized by the dedication and ambition of the persevering women in that room.
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For more than six decades, SWE has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry. The organization is centered around a passion for their members’ success and continues to evolve with the challenges and opportunities reflected in today’s exciting engineering and technology specialties. RMI is a Colorado-based nonprofit founded in 1982 and led by the energy efficiency guru Amory Lovins. RMI engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables.