2022 European Tour
Join us in France, Brussels and The Netherlands
In November, 2022, a delegation of WCS board members, volunteers and community members gather in several European cities to formally expand WCS activities in Europe.
Sponsored by
The Purpose
Why have we formed a delegation?
Today, Women in Cleantech & Sustainability has gathered over 5,000 members internationally, with local chapters in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. This European delegation will visit key cities to support the establishment of a formal support community based in Europe to host in-person events throughout 2023 and beyond.
What does the future hold for WCS and Europe?
WCS is listening to diverse voices and is advocating the importance of gender equality in the cleantech ecosystem. That is why we are working to build our European presence with the intention of developing chapters in key cities and hosting both virtual and in-person events throughout 2023 and beyond.
What happens after the delegation’s visit?
Our visit to Europe is only the start of a concerted focus on delivering the WCS brand of high-quality, engaging, and fun events to Europeans. We expect to host several in-person and virtual events throughout 2023 and beyond to grow our support of our members on the continent and eventually form chapters in various cities.
The Schedule
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Climate Launchpad Finals
Delft, Netherlands
Long time WCS partner, Climate Launchpad is the world’s largest green business ideas competition. Together, unlocking the world’s cleantech potential that addresses climate change, WCS delegate and Vice Chairwoman, Sara Fuentes, will join a panel of speakers to discuss entrepreneurship.
Monday, November 7, 2022
Paris, France
Join our delegation and Parisian community members for a happy hour in the center of Paris. More details to follow.
November 8
Maison de la Poste, Brussels
14:00 – 16:00 WCS Europe Stakeholder Meeting
Join WCS for a European planning meeting to catalyze our efforts on the continent. We will meet with stakeholders to formalize our plans for 2023 and inspire contentedness.
17:00 – 18:00 Cleantech Forum Welcome and Opening Session
Participants in the WCS stakeholder meeting are welcome to join other Cleantech Forum attendees for the opening reception. Join Cleantech Group CEO, Richard Youngman, as he welcomes attendees to Brussels, capital of Europe, and host city of the 18th annual Cleantech Forum Europe. During this opening session, attendees will be introduced to the most relevant facets of our host city and our audience:
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- An overview of the innovation and venturing landscape of Brussels and beyond.
- A review of the EU policy landscape, a key enabler of successful cleantech innovation in the coming years.
- An introduction to some of the 40+ companies being featured in the program and a preview into the Cleantech 50 to Watch.
18:00- 19:00 Cleantech Forum Europe Opening Reception
Take time to enjoy a cocktail and light hors d’oeuvres while building a connection with other Cleantech forum Europe attendees.
November 9, 2022
Maison de la Poste, Brussels
The Next Tech Frontier: Unlocking the Potential of Diverse Cleantech Founders and Intrapreneurs
Achieving net zero is about more than just decarbonizing. With climate change set to disproportionately affect women globally and ESG considerations on the rise, we believe CEO’s, investors and policymakers must do more to enable the involvement of women as changemakers in all innovation/tech ecosystems, but especially in cleantech. If women’s leadership could be the key to unlocking a zero-carbon future, what can we all do to ensure that the insight of women in both the corporate and entrepreneurial cleantech ecosystem benefits our future?
Participants in the invite-only stakeholder meeting on November 8th are eligible for a discount for the two days of Cleantech Forum Europe, 2022.
If you are interested in meeting our delegation team in any of the events / cities listed above, please send an email to info@womencleantechsustainability.org.
The WCS European delegation is committed to offsetting their carbon emissions/impact during their European tour.
Become a Sponsor!
European Sponsorship for 2023
WCS is seeking organizations to support our efforts in Europe and gain visibility throughout the 2022 European tour, and all of the events organized by our European Events Committee in 2023.
Cost: EURO €5,000 (~ USD $4,900) – 5 available
Benefits include:
- Logo and link on WCS website – Global brand recognition and outreach to 5,000+ international community
- Company name/logo in digital marketing materials for up to three future events in European markets (WCS Europe website/WCS Newsletter/Social Media Posts Pre/Post event)
- Brand visibility during European Tour events – logo on marketing materials
- A special guest seat at the table during an exclusive stakeholder meeting held at Cleantech Forum Europe
- Opportunity to offer planning support and co-host title for a European-focused event in 2023
- 20% discount on tickets for the network for all European-focused events in 2023
- Five individual memberships for employees to attend virtual and in-person events
If you would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities not listed above, please contact us at info@womencleantechsustainability.org
The Delegation
Lisa Ann Pinkerton
Founder and Chairwoman, Women in Cleantech & Sustainability
Lisa Ann Pinkerton is founder of Women In Cleantech & Sustainability, a San Francisco Bay Area group dedicated to the advancement of women in various environmental and technology sectors. She is also Founder and President of Technica Communications, where she handles marketing, social media, content production and public relations for cleantech and biotech startups. Additionally, Lisa Ann is Co-Founder and Marketing Chair for the Global Cleantech Cluster Association, an international speaker and moderator and documentary filmmaker. Lisa Ann is a former award-winning broadcast journalist who reported for National Public Radio, PBS Television, WPXI-NBC, American Public Media, and Free Speech TV.
Sara Eve Fuentes
Vice Chairwoman, Women in Cleantech & Sustainability
Sara Fuentes is the Founder and President of SmartWaste. With 10 years of experience in the Waste and Recycling Industry, Sara is a leader in abating commercial waste. A passionate advocate for women and a tenacious leader, Sara is setting out to alter the cleantech landscape and finding her own niche. Sara draws on her experience working as an educator and Vice-Chair of the Women in CleanTech and Sustainability organization, where she is an impactful mentor and friend.
Smart Waste is a Minority Women-owned and operated start-up with a focus on Waste Technologies, Waste Systems and Vendor Management for Zero Waste programs. Our core values are Transparency, Circularity, and People. Transparency to establish trust. Circularity to explore and validate the downstream community. People are the heart of sustainability. Our Impact will influence our communities to practice a zero-waste lifestyle. We are looking to work with companies that are in alignment with our values and goals.
Caroline Trowbridge
Events Committee Co-Chair
Caroline has five years of experience in renewable energy finance, having worked on a wide range of infrastructure assets including C&I energy efficiency retrofits at an early-stage start-up, Metrus Energy, and utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage at an established developer, Leeward Renewable Energy. Caroline is now focused on offshore wind at Ørsted as a Senior Financial Analyst.
Alongside her day job, Caroline is passionate about helping women advance their cleantech careers. She has sat on the board of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability for three years as the Co-Chair of the Events Committee, introducing virtual programming during the pandemic, hosting industry experts, and moderating panels in San Francisco. Caroline moved to Copenhagen in 2022 and is now leading the launch of WCS in Europe.
She holds a BA in Mathematics from Middlebury College.
Wenru Shi
Entrepreneurship Committee
Wenru Shi has been a volunteer in the WCS Entrepreneurship Committee since 2021. Wenru lives in Paris now and is the Chief Impact Officer of FINGREEN AI, an ESG tech startup. She possesses an understanding of impact and sustainability startup ecosystems has experience in Greentech incubation, impact finance, and business development. Wenru was the Head of Research in ESG/Greentech at Young Green Tech, Asia Society in New York.
Wenru holds degrees from UCLA and is in the progress of achieving management degrees from HEC Paris and Yale.
Kirpa Grewal
Volunteer Manager
Kirpa is a climate reality leader committed to sustainability, social justice, and environmental innovation. She brings a diverse background of experience as a climate scientist, environmentalist, humanitarian, systems thinker, and thought leader. She has worked with several organizations where sustainability, circular economy, and clean technology are of key focus. She aims to shift the economy towards the advancement of sustainable development practices for a greener and more just future.
Kirpa works at Sustainable Brands on the Business Development team and has a firm ground in environmental, social, and corporate governance. In addition, she volunteers her time on the Women in Cleantech & Sustainability board as the Co-Lead for Volunteerism Committee, supporting the WCS committees and community.
Kirpa is a San Francisco Bay Area native and a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz, with a degree in Environmental Studies. She is also a recent graduate from the University of Oklahoma, in which she received her Masters in MSc in Hydrology and Water Security. She currently lives in the country of Grenada (Caribbean) where she organizes weekly coastal cleanups with her dog, Ziggy, to clear trash from local waterways and bring awareness to the marine litter problem. Kirpa enjoys conducting scientific research with her background in hydrology, climate stewardship, gardening, hiking, scuba diving, biking, writing, live music, and adventuring in nature.