Adaeze Siwoniku's leap into cleantech #EnergiseHer ??

Interviewed and written by Marta Colina Alonso, researcher at Brightsmith.

It is no secret that the cleantech and renewables industry has been built by pioneers from all industries, expertise's, and backgrounds, and if anybody requires proof of it, just ask Adaeze Siwoniku, Product Engineer at AFC Energy.

Adaeze took a leap from working in the oil and gas industry into renewable energy, and she is the embodiment of everything that the future of cleantech should look like: bright, ambitious, self-confident, and hopeful. Our conversation together was nothing short of inspirational, and I hope reading a snippet of it encourages more young women to believe in themselves the way this brilliant engineer does - because we need more Adaeze's in the world.

Thanks for joining me, Adaeze! Can you give our readers an intro about yourself?

My name is Adaeze Siwoniku, I’m 24, and I’m British Nigerian. I moved to Britain when I was quite young, so when asked about my identity I’d say I’m not quite Nigerian enough to feel Nigerian, but not quite British enough to feel British - I think a lot of people who come from a similar background feel that way. I used to work for an oil company, and recently made the decision to transition into renewables.

How did you get into cleantech in the first place?

I’ve always had an interest in it, I did a really cool project in fuel cells in my third year of university, and it gave me a very exciting yet realistic view of what the sector was and could be in the future. But back then I was told I needed a PhD or that I was too young to join straight out of university, and applying for jobs while I was a student was also extremely difficult. I eventually found a really good position and although it wasn’t my top industry choice, it was a great experience and I learnt so much. Ever since then, the hydrogen sector has grown massively, and I really like the technology – we know it’s not such a simple solution, but I truly believe in its potential.

Is there anything people in the industry can do to support or guide those that have an interest in cleantech but are still studying, or don’t know what their starting point is?

The issue here often stems from the misguided advice we’re given as young women, which is very different from the advice men are given. Even I could see the effect it had, because from secondary school all the way to university, the number of women in my course kept dropping. I was very lucky to have a wonderful female professor in cleantech, so I saw it as a possibility, but I didn’t know how to approach it. This meant that I ended up just making blind applications to random cleantech companies. If the guidance given is more purposeful and detailed, and explains what different avenues and roles can bring you, you can go into your first job search with a much more clear mentality.

How can we as women encourage each other to pursue a career in cleantech?

It’s something you have to really want to do in the first place. I know I’ve always wanted to work in STEM, but over time it is very easy to get disillusioned or uninterested. I’m not sure about the mental mechanisms behind that, but we can surmise: I come from a single parent household where my mum has always been working multiple different jobs at high levels and pressures, so it didn’t really dawn on me until later in life that a woman “couldn’t” or “shouldn’t” have a career. Additionally, she has never once told me I couldn’t do anything. As far as I knew, I could be a doctor, or lawyer, or musician, and I just happened to choose engineering. I know some of my friends have not been that lucky and that is a privilege I never considered I had. Early conditioning like that already stifles you, so offering support through early and later education is great, and later on in your career, showing examples of women who lead well without having to give up their femininity can also be very powerful. It shows that you can exist in this industry and not be overshadowed or have your voice unheard.

There’s huge value in retaining women – it will attract more women because they’ll be able to see themselves in potential futures.

People underestimate the power of seeing yourself in someone else that you admire. It’s not so much about thinking you can’t do it, but even that sometimes you don’t even consider it a possibility.

"showing examples of women who lead well without having to give up their femininity can also be very powerful"

How can we make workplaces in the industry more suitable and attractive for women?

I think the first step is ensuring that your company has a clear strategy in place and has consulted the right people on how they can make their workplace more inviting to women. There are some low hanging fruit policies a company should have, things like toilet access, or period care, baby changing stations, etc. When you’re building a new facility, you’re at risk of forgetting to consider these points with only men at the table. Sometimes it is just your unconscious bias that leads actions that are inherently discriminatory, and it’s not intentional or to cause harm, but putting women in the discussion can help avoid that situation. With this mindset, a company can address more complex issues like paid maternity leave, women’s health support, career progression and work life balance… It is also crucial to make these types of discussions uncontroversial and approach them with intent.

We’ve spoken in length about points of improvement, but what are some things you love about your industry?

I love that there is so much emphasis placed on what you can achieve. In other industries there is a lot of pressure on how you look, your reputation, who you know... I never felt like my value depended on these things, but rather on my intellectual ability, the projects I worked on, that’s what I was measured on and what mattered. Even at 24, I have always been treated like an equal and my opinion matters because it comes from a place of clear understanding and passion for engineering. In turn, networking is also very easy. People will often just reach out to you to offer help or support, especially as a young person. And, the good thing about engineering is, numbers don’t judge you – they either are or they aren’t.

What do you augur for the future of cleantech?

There is going to be a strong focus on the idea that “whatever we are burning, we also need to make up for”. Hydrogen now has a whole rainbow of variants, and that will play a huge part, which is brilliant because there’s a lot to be gained academically and financially in researching hydrogen further. It is always important to see the big picture and consider the long term implications – such as blue hydrogen enabling the continuous use of fossil fuels and how that can be managed, whether this technology will be equitable for all people everywhere… I think as Engineers, Scientists, Law makers, we need to start considering how we put people first when considering the energy transition.

"the good thing about engineering is, numbers don’t judge you – they either are or they aren’t."

What’s your one word of advice for any woman looking to make the leap into cleantech?

The most valuable piece of advice I’ve ever been given is “don’t be afraid to bet on yourself”. I loved my time at ExxonMobil, it was a truly rewarding opportunity. I met inspirational mentors who advocated for me and supported me. It was hard for me to realise that I wanted to do something else, and then act on it. There’s always a fear in taking a leap like I did, but you have to believe in yourself as cheesy as it sounds. Self-belief is the biggest challenge women in male dominated roles have to contend with. Whatever the risk is, know that you will be able to navigate it, and that you are doing the right thing for yourself and your planet.

Stay in touch with Adaeze and follow her journey here ??