Lean In Energy’s Tale of Q1
Empowering Women in Energy to Achieve their Ambitions
Welcome Note
Quarter one has been very eventful for all of us at Lean In Energy (LIEN). January saw the expansion of LIEN Europe’s outreach to include Sub-Saharan Africa, creating our current organisation LIEN Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa.
This addition not only added a handful of letters to our name but brought with it the appointment of Lamé Verre as Co-Chair to support the fantastic work of Rita Hausken. Since then, there have been more additions to the ESSA team, and we’ve been frankly overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from our growing number of volunteers. To name but a few, Lydia Kwamboka and Ausarina Indequi have recently come on board to help grow our outreach in East Africa, as well as Natalia Sergeeva, whose skillset will be shaping Lean In events across the latter half of this year.
With the pandemic and energy crisis at the forefront of our minds, as we move further into 2021, we at LIEN ESSA are looking to provide a safety net for all our members.
Current events present a harsh reality for all, and numerous studies have demonstrated the disproportionate impact these crises are having on women. This is has created a plethora of shifts in individual needs throughout our community.
Therefore, our goal for 2021 is to facilitate the self-empowerment of our members. Through our #modelsofopprotunities and #HerStory Series, we hope to provide opportunities for women in energy to build their confidence and discover a renewed sense of self, enabling them to thrive within their professional and personal lives.
Finance and Financial Independence
Launching our #modelsofopprotunities and #HerStory Series
This quarter’s touchpoints focus on financial freedom. This topic has always been a vital aspect of self-determination and personal empowerment; however, due to the economic impact of Covid-19 and the energy crisis, it’s become increasingly pertinent.
For this reason, our Q1 events aimed to provide our members with the information and skills that they may need to take control of their financial independence in both the personal and professional sphere.
In February, we hosted several interactive Lunch and Learn workshops, facilitated by Productivity Coach Obehi Alofoje, which covered the topics of money blocks, and making the leap from employee to entrepreneur. These sessions addressed common mindset blocks and offered practical strategies for overcoming them.
Following these workshops, we received feedback from two of our members, Jo and Kerry, regarding the professional progress that these events had prompted. Jo negotiated a day rate on two part-time contract extensions and took bookings for her small business, whilst simultaneously making progress on a long term project. Meanwhile, Kerry, following the advice she’d received during these sessions, negotiated the contract rates that she desired.
I landed two contracts with two companies and, following your advice, negotiated rates that were in line with what I was after…-Kerry
Other talks that took place in February included Fireside chats with Richa Bansal, the founder of Pink Careers, and Kerry Smith, founder of Infant Nurture. These events both touched upon different aspects of the professional female experience and provided our members with an insight into the different avenues of progress and self-development one can take.
Throughout March, our workshops continued to focus on developing the Entrepreneurial mindset. Sessions by Theresa Akomode and Maren Strandevold shed light on new skills and lead our members through topics such as identifying opportunities, learning from setbacks, and succeeding in a variety of settings.
In addition, a talk from Katie Mehnert, founder of ALLY, took members through a discussion of the energy industry’s gender gap and the actions that we can take to disrupt it. She also discussed how to transition from a start-up to seed capital fundraising.
Coming Up
What to expect from Q2
As we advance into Spring, our events will be focusing on our Q2 theme, ‘Career Development, Guidance & Transition’. Several industry-leading women will be joining us to share their professional journeys as part of the continuation of our ‘Her Story’ series. Including talks from Clair Yvonne Naisbitt and Debbie Lee on switching career paths, and a discussion with Osen Iyahen regarding her African sustainability startup.
On top of this, LEIN ESSA shall be hosting various workshops focused on the practical skills required for career development, such as networking, negotiation, and personal branding, as well as launching our East & West African Leadership roundtables. To find out more about these upcoming events, follow us on LinkedIn at Lean In Energy Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa.
We are always looking for passionate and collaborative volunteers, so should you wish to become involved, please reach out to us at lame.verre@gmail.com. Our volunteers span various passions and professional stages, from students interested in the energy field to seasoned Lean In community members. Therefore, whatever your life stage, skillset, or specialism, if Lean In Energy is a project that interests you, now is the time to get involved.
Newsletter contributors- Hannah McLoughlin and Lamé Verre
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