Remember the last time you lost power…Did you lose documents on your computer? Was your home suddenly dark, leaving you fumbling around for a flashlight? Was it a bad storm? Our power-dependent lives are brought to a screeching halt when we lose electricity – and it’s scary, even life-threatening too.
What if it doesn’t have to be that way? Microgrids are one of the new technologies turning the utility sector on its head and offering us our very own real back-up systems.
One of the amazing entrepreneurs taking this on is Lisa Laughner, Founder and CEO of Go Electric Inc, a microgrid innovator that landed contracts with New York state and others in the aftermath of SuperStorm Sandy in an effort to fend off another power crisis like the one that storm caused. The utilities are even paying customers a monthly retainer to keep their microgrids, and asking businesses and homeowners to use them sometimes to reduce the strain on the utilities. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.
In this engaging interview of Lisa by Green Connections host Joan Michelson live from the ARPA-E Innovation Summit, you’ll hear about how she started Go Electric and how she landed those ground-breaking contracts with such a brand new Technology and company.
Find out how Go Electric can contribute to your peace of mind – and maybe your pocketbook.
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Joan Michelson, MBA is a highly accomplished business leader and award-winning strategic social impact and ESG – environment, social, governance – leader, who drove breakthrough results at Chrysler (in EVs), American Express and Deloitte, small businesses, and government agencies. She is an instructor on ESG issues to professionals, leaders and board members across industries. Her specialties include leveraging ESG solutions and partnerships strategically for maximum benefit, helping organizations recruit innovative, diverse women, and helping these women thrive in their careers. She is based in the Washington D.C. area.
Joan is also an accomplished journalist who has worked with top media organizations and hosts and produces the acclaimed Electric Ladies podcast (formerly known as Green Connections Radio), about innovation and leadership in energy-, climate- and sustainability-related issues across industries, featuring women experts.
She writes regularly for Forbes on these issues and has also been in the Harvard Business Review, HuffPost, TheAtlantic.com, Greenbiz, The New Economy magazine (distributed at the World Economic Forum), New Thinking magazine, regional business journals; and various other media. She coproduced segments with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC News, and “The Crusaders,” and television specials on NBC.
Joan has spent her career working in energy-sustainability-climate-ESG issues and in marketing communications, including as head of communications and co-leader of the sales and marketing team of Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), driving “best year ever” growth and significantly accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles. Prior to GEM, she led marketing communications efforts to high-net-worth and high-visibility clients in management consulting-financial services companies Deloitte and American Express. She's a native of NYC and has a BA from UCLA, an MBA from Baruch College at City University of NY, and post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School, The New School and The Aspen Institute, among others. She has a Sustainability and ESG certification from Competent Boards.
