Ep. 103 | 20 Years of WRISE: Founder Karen Conover on Lessons from the Frontlines

Karen Conover helped found WRISE — and in doing so, shaped a generation of women leaders and the clean energy industry itself.

Today, WRISE has 3,000+ members and 47 chapters advancing diversity across renewables. But Karen’s influence goes further: at 29, she launched Global Energy Concepts, a wind power pioneer later acquired by DNV, helping scale wind in the U.S. and abroad.

Two decades later, she’s still mentoring through Repowering Schools — and reflecting on what’s changed and what hasn’t.

In this episode, to mark WRISE’s 20th anniversary, we discuss:
 ⚡ What it takes to build a company from scratch
 🌎 Global lessons U.S. renewables still need to learn
 📈 Why WRISE’s company-wide memberships were a turning point
 💡 Karen’s advice for emerging leaders

If you’re a clean energy employer looking for top talent, connect with Catherine McLean, CEO of Dylan Green, on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr

If you’re looking for your next senior-level role in clean energy, explore our clients’ latest openings: https://bit.ly/dg_jobs.