Want to save the planet, cleantech start-up? Hire a mother!

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms, and caregivers out there!! There is a symmetry in the U.S. that the first two significant non-religious holidays in the spring season are Earth Day and Mothers Day (at least in the U.S. anyways). For generations when we have attempted to personify our relationship to our climate, we say its Mother Nature either pleasing us with warming spring breezes, or maybe punishing us with an unexpected blizzard in April. With the intense climate change we are seeing, the environment is acting out at humans for being the poor stewards we have been over the last several centuries. Thankfully the world is on notice to the problem, and is only starting to address it head on.

In the world I exist in these days, helming a cleantech start up, I see many peers struggling with overwhelming amount of work: raising capital, getting product certified (thats for another article), trying to pre-book sales, apply for grants, manage staff, keep the lights on, and raising capital (did I say that twice?). Most especially, all this is being done with staff that may be a bit junior to understand all the pitfalls of starting an enterprise, or may not have the relevant experience for the overwhelming tasks at hand. Well, there is a pool of incredible talent waiting to dive in - moms that are ready to return to the workplace.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, issued a report that women participating in the workforce has fallen to 56.2%, the lowest rate since 1987, and 4% lower than the peak of 60% in 1999. TheBump.com also reports that 43% of highly skilled women leave the workforce after becoming parents. Now these statistics are either the result of, or clouded by, the impact that the Covid shutdown had on our economy, and that we most likely need a few years under this newer normal with updated WFH rules to really know the story (tho signs are women are returning back in large quantities, thankfully). But the reality is that even with more flexible policies, women often choose to stay at home and to Devote themselves (yes with a capital D) to their children's future, if they can afford to. In that period, often times they stay active with volunteer work, some part time non-career work activity, teaching a class or two, and monitoring their children's education.

As children become older, and there is more routine and stability within the daily grind, we often see women returning to the workforce. Many times they face competition from younger candidates who have stayed in their career tracks, and thus have the perception war won immediately in that they are better to hire on day 1. This is where clean-tech start-ups can benefit immensely. Many start ups cant afford full-time staff in key business or tech positions, but they also may not need full time at an early stage. This is where its a win-win for a returning parent who has executive experience, but needs to shake the rust off a bit more, and needs to have some corporate experience back on the LinkedIn profile. Further, moms returning to the workforce have a trait that is essential for any start-up: voracious discipline. They do not have the free calendar to meander through a project with no deadline. They need to get the job done, and move on to the next task. Returning moms needed in cleantech will often have either engineering or business degrees - which have the overlap of focus and methodology in order to complete tasks.

I've been so fortunate in my career to have been surrounded by impressive, competent women in the workplace. I recall my mother who was asked to return to the travel agency she worked at prior to having my brother and I, because she knew how to get the job done (and clients were asking about her 15 years on!). I see my wife Jakyung crushing it in her job everyday, especially on those days she works from home and she is laser-focused. Here at SolaBlock, I was able to hire on my good friend Lee Wipper to assist on marketing and PR strategy, having incredible corporate PR experience prior to having kids. Just over a year on bringing her on part-time, she is now our SVP of Project Management. And I suspect SolaBlock will be bringing another returning mom to the workplace in a significant advisory role soon.

I'd like to see more grant opportunities from the U.S. Department of Labor , and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to fund hiring part or full time returning moms into their company. We're blessed that we are starting our company on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and #NewYorkState border where #GovernorHealey and #GovernorHochul understand cleantech companies and women returning to the workforce need support. And yes, the programming should be for any returning parent, but the data indicates its still women that leave in greater numbers. So lets find a way to make this happen NYSERDA Empire State Development , Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

We are down to the wire on the years remaining to decarbonize our economy in order to save our planet. So let us make mother nature happy, and hire mothers whose nature it is to get the job done, while teaching us all a thing or two.