Ever since we launched Pink Petro, people have asked why we built it as a for-profit business, rather than a nonprofit organization.
The answer is simple: Women are not a charity case.
They are a business imperative for the future of energy. And it is our business to help them and the companies that employ them succeed.
Building global community means listening to our members and understanding their needs and finding impactful measurable solutions. In our 2015-2016 member survey, our community indicated it was craving mentorship programs that were inclusive of men that give women access to the external world. Pink Petro needed a way provide that. And at a scale to meet the needs of the energy industry, sector wide and world wide.
So we partnered with Sheryl Sandberg’s global Lean In organization to create the Lean In Energy chapter.
Sandberg's Foundation not only provides a world class research driven programming, and OptionB, has extended to building resilience in people, companies and communities. It was a natural fit, and well, I'm a bit biased. Sheryl is amazing.
Since then, a thousand of you have signed up to join or create Lean In circles around the world. We are so grateful to all of you for embracing this opportunity. We are also thankful Sheryl and her team for giving us the platform we needed to make it work.
In 2018, we went bigger.
Last year, Lean In Energy became a formal 501c3 organization. After receiving numerous requests to donate funding to our chapter, we attended a global conference to connect with Lean In leaders worldwide. I collected best practices and even met with the Lean In architect herself, Sheryl Sandberg. I even gave her my daughter’s fidget spinner (you read why here) and confessed that she was my superhero for all she has done for working women.
With that strong foundation in place, 2019 is going to be dedicated to growth, scale and engagement. Lean In Energy has secured working capital donations from private donors and corporations. These include Chronus, FedEx, HESS Corporation, INTECSEA, Pink Petro, Worley Parsons, Whiting Petroleum, Vantage Drilling.
We formed an Executive Advisory Board in the USA and Europe and in oil and gas, power, and alternative energy companies and our working board to fulfill the mission of circles, education and awareness. Pink Petro is providing a portion of the proceeds from HERWorld19 Energy Forum to directly benefit Lean In Energy. "Within the Lean In Energy community, mentorship is about more than younger people learning from others who are more experienced," Jennifer says. "What's great about a more expansive definition of mentorship is that if we accept that we can all learn from each other, every interaction is an opportunity for mentorship."
"Within the Lean In Energy community, mentorship is about more than younger people learning from others who are more experienced," Jennifer says. "What's great about a more expansive definition of mentorship is that if we accept that we can all learn from each other, every interaction is an opportunity for mentorship."
Join us!
Mentors are vital to our professional development, but for all kinds of reasons, some still struggle to find them.
Lean In Energy removes any barriers to mentorship and creates a community of support. If you haven’t already, we invite you to apply to Lean In Energy. And consider supporting us with a donation in 2019. With your help, we can create a new future for energy built on the power and potential of women.
