ConNEX Workshop – Women Powering the Future of Clean Energy: Key Takeaways for Founders and Leaders

At a panel hosted by New Energy Nexus, Momentum, and Women In Cleantech & Sustainability, women leaders shared hard-earned insights on leadership, mentorship, fundraising, and building community in a male-dominated industry. The conversation was rich with practical strategies—here are the top takeaways for women navigating clean energy entrepreneurship today:

1. Lead with Authenticity

Stop minimizing yourself. Panelists emphasized the importance of showing up fully, without apology. Habits like prefacing comments with “this might be a dumb question” or over-apologizing diminish your presence and power. Build self-awareness, and support others in breaking these patterns.

🗝 Takeaway: Practice naming your expertise confidently, and gently call in peers who downplay their own contributions.

2. Embrace Mentorship as a Two-Way Street

Mentorship was framed as reciprocal, not top-down. Effective mentors listen as much as they guide and often grow just as much through the relationship. Whether formal or informal, these connections expand capacity and build resilience.

🗝 Takeaway: Seek out mentors who empower you with autonomy, and mentor others to strengthen the ecosystem.

3. Build and Lean on Peer Networks

Trusted communities of women founders serve as essential spaces for candid conversations, resource sharing, and emotional support. These groups offer not just solidarity, but strategy.

🗝 Takeaway: Join or form a founder circle. Use it to trade investor intel, prep for pitches, and celebrate wins.

4. Fundraising? Get Strategic and Targeted

Clean tech fundraising—especially in hardware—requires long timelines and investor alignment. Panelists offered this guidance:

• Find patient capital. Look for investors who understand infrastructure and R&D cycles.

• Do your homework. Identify who’s backing startups like yours—and how they frame their pitch.

• Tap public funding. Federal and state programs can offer critical non-dilutive capital.

• Broaden your use case. Consider how your tech applies to defense, logistics, or housing sectors.

• Partner smartly. Strategic partners can be your gateway to investor networks.

🗝 Takeaway: Build a diversified funding roadmap—and look beyond traditional VC.

5. Start with the Customer’s Pain Point

Understanding your customers’ daily friction is essential for building products that matter. Don’t assume—ask. One founder shared how constant customer interviews shifted her entire go-to-market strategy.

🗝 Takeaway: Make customer discovery a continuous habit, not a one-time step.

6. Set Boundaries to Sustain Your Leadership

Many panelists spoke to the emotional labor women often carry in teams, especially in mission-driven work. Supporting others is critical—but so is protecting your energy.

🗝 Takeaway: Build recovery time into your schedule and model sustainable leadership for your team.

7. Plug Into Structured Support

Programs like the Women in Cleantech and Sustainability Mentorship Initiative (running January–April) offer structured ways to connect with mentors, grow your network, and level up professionally.

🗝 Takeaway: Don’t wait for mentorship to happen organically—seek out programs that invest in your growth.

Closing Thought:
Women aren’t just participating in the clean energy transition—they’re shaping it. They’re accelerating a more inclusive, innovative, and impactful future by sharing knowledge, funding each other’s ideas, and leading with intention.