Unlocking Capital For Women And Climate Solutions – Women Leaders In Finance And Investment, The Earth Day Women’s Summit
Release Date: 07/09/2025
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Our job is to recycle so that we can recover all of that scrap and goods that you and I are recycling in our garbage bins every week or recycling as we get new cars. And our job is to recover that because we make steel in a very clean and efficient process through what's called an electric arc furnace. So, we take all of that scrap, we melt it down, and we make new steel. It does not degrade. It has a continuous reusable life.…Depending on the different products of steel, that actually determines the recycled content that goes into them for the finishes and the quality of the steel that's...
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“If you cannot change the system, change the frigging system… Women, when we have our money, are more likely to start an impact fund business or something. So, we have really got to get out of our way and just take the risk. " Tracy Gray at The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025 Innovative financing models are urgently needed to tackle the climate crisis, but significant gaps persist. Research shows that women and people of color deliver stronger returns yet continue to be underrepresented. Meanwhile, the insurance industry must confront the mounting risks of climate...
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"The climate crisis has roots in fossil fuels, but at the same time, fossil fuels fund this Russian invasion to Ukraine. So it means this is a fossil fuel war. If we will actually fight against our overall actually dependency on fossil fuels in the same way we will fight against climate change." Svitlana Krakovska on Electric Ladies Podcast The climate emergency is a security threat, and a “threat multiplier,” as former Defense Undersecretary Sherri Goodman has written. Looking at security in the same way as it has been is no longer working. The old view leaves us very vulnerable....
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“Food systems have to do with everything from production to processing, distribution, and the utilization. Then of course, end of life for food systems which includes food waste. In the United States, 40% of the food that we produce goes to waste. This means with distribution challenges that not everybody has equitable access to the kinds of foods that they need and want, at the times that they need them." Robin Currey on Electric Ladies Podcast Climate change is disrupting our food and agriculture systems, including the critical supply chains that feed and clothe us. Yet,...
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“Most things when it comes to corporate sustainability do not happen in a vacuum. I am part of an environmental sustainability team, but we would not be able to accomplish anything without our energy teams, our network teams, and more. The ability to take what can be a complex idea and translate that into a compelling business case often comes down to dollars and cents. While it takes time, that's how we've been able to drive change.” Rosie Austin on Electric Ladies Podcast In a poll at The Earth Day Women’s Summit in Dallas, Texas, 100% of respondents said that business is...
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“Our core business is harvesting and collecting the by-product from coal combustion plants historically, called fly ash. We introduce it into supplementary cementitious materials to create a Portland cement replacement. We are pushing for 20% and even 30% [replacement of traditional cement] and hopefully reaching 100% one day with our technologies that are still in development.” Marci Jenks on Electric Ladies Podcast We need infrastructure that’s safe, strong, durable and climate resilient. To build our cities, roads, bridges and more, 30 billion tonnes of concrete is poured around the...
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“Change is a constant. This is the world that we live in. And so how do you decide what needs to change and transform? The best leaders have certain traits about them when it comes to leading an organisation through change. Great leaders have an ability to communicate and inspire and they never get tired of doing it. Or if they get tired, they keep doing it anyway because constant communication is essential when you're going through change.” Deborah Lee James on Electric Ladies podcast (previously Green Connections Radio) Many companies are scaling back their climate,...
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“While the word ‘climate’ may be politically charged for some, the need for affordable, reliable, and secure energy is something we can all agree on. Americans are calling for action, and as Members of Congress it’s our responsibility to deliver. If we want long-term solutions that address both our constituents' concerns and growing climate risks, we must work together to strengthen our energy and climate security with urgency.” This week, Congress is set to debate legislation that could reshape the United States’ energy landscape. At stake is more than $700...
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“How do we get people in the tent to even hear the story? With ‘Living with Ed’ and other projects, we were a family they could identify with. We were yelling, laughing, loving each other while talking about real issues. I represented the average person’s perspective on issues like taking the subway. There’s the funny, and there’s the conflict. If it’s not entertaining, it’s not going to connect.” Rachelle Begley on Electric Ladies Podcast Culture wars around climate change do more harm than good. As climate-driven extreme weather events become more frequent,...
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“We did lots of infrastructure investments over the last handful of years to make sure our communities are in the best possible place they can be. And we complemented federal investment with workforce investment to ensure Michiganders are getting access to those kinds of roles, some of which didn't even exist previously. [This ensures] that Michigan communities could benefit from learning to be solar installers and get access to new economic income streams.” Hilary Doe on Electric Ladies Podcast The Justice Department is suing Michigan over its climate initiatives under the Clean Air...
info_outline“If you cannot change the system, change the frigging system… Women, when we have our money, are more likely to start an impact fund business or something. So, we have really got to get out of our way and just take the risk. "
Tracy Gray at The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025
Innovative financing models are urgently needed to tackle the climate crisis, but significant gaps persist. Research shows that women and people of color deliver stronger returns yet continue to be underrepresented. Meanwhile, the insurance industry must confront the mounting risks of climate disasters.
So how can our financial systems better support women-led and minority-owned businesses, fund climate resilience and provide high return of investments?
Listen to this live recording of a riveting panel at The Earth Day Women’s Summit at Earthx2025, moderated by Kristina Wyatt, Chief Sustainability Officer & Deputy General Counsel, Persefoni.
You’ll hear from
- Enya He, consultant with Munich Re and insurance industry expert, on how the insurance sector is confronting escalating climate risks.
- Shelly Porges, Managing Partner, Beyond the Billion, who shares strategies for women to access capital and build powerful allyships.
- Tracy Gray, Founder & Managing Partner of The 22 Fund, who sheds light on the systemic barriers that women and people of color face in securing venture capital.
- Kristina Wyatt, Chief Sustainability Officer & Deputy General Counsel, Persefoni.
“One strategy that I encourage every woman to consider, is to make men your allies because they control most of the assets. Not all men will be your allies. But if you look at the men in your lives who have been supportive of you or know what you're capable of, who have seen how hard you've worked, who've seen your successes, who have seen how much you've influenced other people, all of the above, then you can make men your allies.”
Shelly Porges at The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025
You’ll also like:
- Climate Is A Security Emergency – from The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025, with a top climate scientist and geopolitical expert
- Food, Fashion & Ag vs. Climate Change – from The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025, with top scientists and innovators in these fields
- What’s The Role Of Business Today In Addressing The Climate Crisis? - from The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025, with top business leaders
- Rewriting The Climate Conversation - - from The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025, with top communicators, including a Hollywood producer and conservative voice
- Shelly Porges, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Beyond the Billion Dollar Fund, on funding women entrepreneurs
- Kristina Wyatt, Chief Sustainability Officer & Deputy General Counsel, Persefoni, on climate disclosure rules.
- Joan Michelson’s Forbes article from SXSW London: Leapfrog, Transform Capitalism And Embrace Women’s Strengths For Climate-Positive Economy
Read more of Joan’s Forbes articles here.
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