Ep 217 – Katie Mehnert - If you are curious about how you can get involved with energy entrepreneurship while still being sustainable, this is your episode. Katie Mehnert is a modern architect of culture change in energy. Her focus is the intersection of equity, sustainability, environment, and economy to give professionals a community to find everything they need to be successful in their careers. She gives them a place to share stories, find career advice, jobs, publish insights, and network with colleagues in an advertising-free community. Katie explains how she fell in love with energy entrepreneurship and what motivates her to keep getting better. Listen in to learn how energy can be the intersection of equality, sustainability, the environment, and the economy. You will also learn why you should fail fast and hard as an entrepreneur to learn, pivot, adapt, and move to the next level.
Key Takeaways:
- How to be part of the sustainable, balanced, and accessible energy system as a woman
- The importance of failure for entrepreneurs to help you pivot, adapt, and move to the next level
- Why you should have a strong “why” as an entrepreneur to succeed or otherwise you’ll fail.
- The value of tuning out the noise and creating your own energy to impact others
- How to challenge our gender biases on how we hire and promote jobs in the energy industry
"Ask. If you don't ask, you don't get. If you ask and you don't like the answer, find the answer that you want which is yes." - Katie Mehnert
In this episode you’ll discover:
Katie describes her career journey in the energy sector and how she got here [4:25]
How we can make the system of energy balanced, fair, and accessible while minding our planet [6:56]
Some of the entrepreneurial struggles she has faced plus the lessons they have taught her [9:25]
Develop your creative and curiosity muscles as an entrepreneur and that spirit in your company [11:12]
The efforts she and energy stakeholders are taking to develop the energy workforce future [13:22]
The power of women in bringing people together to collaborate in the energy industry [18:41]
The components we need to look into to get people excited to join the energy industry [20:17]
How personal experiences inspired Katie to start ALLY Energy to rally for a better future [23:14]
Why you shouldn’t wait to be ready to start plus how Katie has pivoted throughout her career [28:40]
Katie on her personal and career hopes and aspirations in the next 5-10 years [32:42]
Why she takes better care of herself to better impact others [33:45]
Why you should know your numbers in terms of carbon footprint and be curious about energy [35:36]
She answers more questions on the energy industry and gender equality in the same industry [40:49]
Learn to always be yourself, be curious to know more, and ask yourself what’s your why [44:28]
Guest interviewer Christi Woodworth, Vice-President of Corporate Communications, Brand and Marketing at OGE Energy Corp, provides an intriguing discussion with Katie.
CAREER
Katie Mehnert is the CEO of ALLY Energy. wuse ALLY to build a relevant energy network, find jobs, and develop their careers. Companies use ALLY to make better hires and drive inclusive culture. The community includes professionals and companies in oil and natural gas, utilities, renewables, and climate technology.
Katie is an energy executive, American entrepreneur, business author, activist, and speaker. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ALLY Energy, formerly known as Pink Petro, a global social media platform and careers site created to address an equitable energy transition.
She is a modern architect of culture change in energy. Her focus is the intersection of equity, sustainability, environment, and economy. Net Zero and a ‘just transition will only happen when we speed up the access to highly skilled human capital and tap into the diverse talent and create inclusive enduring culture.
AFFILIATIONS
Katie was appointed Ambassador to the U.S. Department of Energy's Equity in Energy program. EIE is working to secure America's national security through maximizing and engaging all human capital to ensure America's independence for generations to come through STEM enhancement, technical assistance, supplier diversity, energy affordability, and workforce development.
Katie is also a Fellow at the Energy Institute.
VOLUNTEER
She was Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Lean In Education.
She is a Board Member of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and a supporter/sponsor of redM, The Movement.
EDUCATION
Katie attended Rice University, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business in their Executive Education Energy Program.
She has attended the Y Combinator Founders Startup School.
MEDIA
Katie appeared in ‘Hot Money’, a 2021 documentary produced by Academy Award-winning actor, Jeff Bridges, and Retired NATO General Wesley Clark and Army Veteran Wes Clark Jr. on the financial complexities of climate change, energy, insurance, and real estate.
As an author and speaker, Katie is a frequently sought-after source globally. She’s been featured in Forbes, Scientific American, CNN, Newsweek, CNBC, and SXSW. In 2019 she testified before Congress on the clean energy workforce of the future and in 2020 was appointed an Ambassador to the US Department of Energy on the Equity in Energy initiative. Read her book ‘Grow with the Flow, Embracing Difference, Overcoming Failure and Progress with Purpose’ (Wise Ink).
HER BOOK
JOIN PURSE POWER!
Donna Miller is the founder and CEO of Purse Power, Let's Share the Journey. Purse Power promotes women-led, women-owned businesses by providing a Google extension that allows everyone who visits your website to locate nearby businesses.
Let's Share the Journey holds calls at 10 AM Central every Friday to learn from national leaders to share expertise, ideas, and support. One week a month features Zoom Room networking. We support Donna's endeavor and have provided the speaker calls in a podcast format. Please join her on Friday mornings! You can register for the calls here.