Event Calendar
Upcoming Events
Past Events
Yoga & Wine Tasting with WRISE San Diego
WRISE San Diego hosted a Yoga & Wine Tasting event on June 2, 2023. Participants enjoyed a rejuvenating yoga session led by our Communications Co-Char, Natalie Toon, as well as delectable food and fine wine from Mia Marie vineyards, courtesy of our generous sponsor, AWG. The event fostered a sense of well-being, connection, and celebration, leaving attendees with lasting memories. WRISE San Diego continues to thrive in its commitment to organizing engaging and uplifting activities for its members.
This event was generously sponsored by AWG.
Webinar: Offshore Wind Development in the United States
On April 26th, WRISE San Diego joined WRISE Los Angeles to learn about offshore wind development in the United States from Dr. Matt Shields, Senior Offshore Wind Analyst at NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory).
Dr. Shields covered national/federal deployment targets, state policies, ongoing activities, and BOEM leasing activities. The focus was on floating offshore wind technology, which is being pursued on the west coast due to water depth considerations. He discussed the costs, feasibility, spatial variations, key drivers, and infrastructure challenges such as ports and transmission. Stakeholder engagement and outreach were emphasized, with questions from the audience addressed.
WRISE San Diego Professional Mixer
We were delighted to organize a Professional Mixer hosted at the residence of our Co-Programs Chair, Peggy Hock. The event served as an excellent platform for attendees to reconnect with familiar faces and forge valuable new connections, while catching up on market trends, the IRA, and a everything in between!
WRISE San Diego-Clark Hill Mixer: Happy Hour & Fireside Chat
Our April 6th Fireside Chat and Happy Hour was graciously sponsored by Clark Hill, whose support made the event possible. We were delighted to have Steve Recchia and Peggy Hock deliver an informative and captivating presentation on the advantages and essential insights for the renewable energy industry under the Inflation Reduction Act. The session not only provided valuable information but also fostered an interactive Q&A session and facilitated networking opportunities among attendees.
Coffee & Conversation with Abby Hopper
Our February 15th Coffee and Conversation event featured Abby Hopper, President & CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) as the host and speaker. The event offered attendees a remarkable networking platform and a valuable opportunity to gain insights from Abby’s extensive experience in the solar industry.
WRISE Week
WRISE Week was a huge success and specifically, members of our San Diego Chapter really enjoyed attending our “WRISE and Put Your Best Face Forward” event on Wednesday, July 20th and obtained their FREE PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT!
And, what a great event it was! Gathering at Hera Hub Sorrento Valley was fantastic and a central meeting place for many of our members.
All of us were excited to get some fabulous pictures taken and enjoy an in-person event again with good food, great wine, and lots of missed conversation!
The evening was topped off by our guest speaker, Dr. Silvia Mah of Stella. Our members were thrilled to hear about all of the wonderful things Stella is doing to support female founders and their young startups, especially in the renewable energy space! Our very own Akhila Krishnan won the raffle for a complimentary pass to the Stella sponsored Women’s Venture Summit that’s happening in September! We are so very thankful to Silvia for donating the pass for our raffle and supporting our event by inviting us to the Hera Hub Sorrento Valley location! What a remarkable space and central location!!
WRISE with Us Meet-up
We miss you. And we’re excited to see you again!
Let us buy you a cup of coffee or a beverage and renew the art of gathering! We miss our members and would love to see you – in your neck of the woods. We want to hear from you—what do you want from WRISE this year? What topics make sense? What platforms do you prefer? How can we level up so that our events continue to speak to you going forward? We really value your input and are eager to see what you have to say—come join us!
We’re holding a series of meet-ups in neighborhoods all around the city, and we’d love you to join us! We’ll be gathering at coffee shops and bars, and it’ll be a great chance to sip on our favorite drinks while chatting with other members! Please bring your energy and voice while we pick up the tab. Let’s get something going!
TITLE: WRISE Happy Hour
DATE: May 4th 2022
TIME: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
LOCATION: Newtopia Cyder
10045 Carroll Canyon Rd A
San Diego, CA 92131
RSVP Today!
San Diego Chapter Meet-Ups
We miss you. And we’re excited to see you again!
Let us buy you a cup of coffee or a beverage and renew the art of gathering! We miss our members and would love to see you – in your neck of the woods. We want to hear from you—what do you want from WRISE this year? What topics make sense? What platforms do you prefer? How can we level up so that our events continue to speak to you going forward? We really value your input and are eager to see what you have to say—come join us!
We’re holding a series of meet-ups in neighborhoods all around the city, and we’d love you to join us! We’ll be gathering at coffee shops and bars, and it’ll be a great chance to sip on our favorite drinks while chatting with other members! Please bring your energy and voice while we pick up the tab. Let’s get something going!
TITLE: WRISE with Us
DATE: April 5th 2022
TIME: 7:30am – 8:30am
LOCATION: Better Buzz
801 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
TITLE: Lunch with WRISE
DATE: April 6th 2022
TIME: 12pm – 1pm
LOCATION: Hop Stop
14055 Midland Rd
Poway, CA 92064
TITLE: WRISE & Shine!
DATE: April 23rd 2022
TIME: 9am – 10am
LOCATION: Fat Joe’s
424 S Coast Hwy
Oceanside, CA 92054
WRISE WEEK 2021: Cleantech San Diego and WRISE San Diego, Los Angeles & San Francisco Bay Area Virtual Panel
Thursday, July 22nd 11:45 – 1:15 p.m.
Jointly hosted virtual panel event to provide a high level, informational overview of electric vehicle readiness in California.
- With the electrification push, what will it take?
- How will we handle the impact on the grid?
- What is the investment perspective?
This event will bring together representatives from each region (Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego) with varied perspectives to set out broader transportation planning concepts, regional views on EV development and infrastructure, and highlight inclusivity of underserved communities as a component in program rollout.
Our goal is to put forth a diverse panel of female professionals from several perspectives: regulatory, utility, regional planning, policy and industry.
Confidence & Leadership Coaching for Professional Women on the Rise
WRISE SD’s Kick-Off Event for 2021
Drive a Successful Career as a Woman in Renewable Energy – Understand your Worth and They Will Too!
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2021
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Register here
Participants: $35
Members of WRISE: FREE | Sign up for WRISE membership here.
As we close 2020, WRISE San Diego is filled with gratitude for the partnership we have enjoyed with our members and sponsors. We asked for your input, we received it! We crafted our programs to your interests, you attended! We called for sponsors, you raised your hands!
To show our profound appreciation and gratitude for each and every one of you, we would like to offer our San Diego members an event to breathe life and purpose into 2021!
This phenomenal event features an executive coach like none other, Dr. Alessandra Wall, champion and creator of Exceptional Solutions for Women & Businesses!
Get ready to develop clear and compelling arguments for your seat at the table. Imagine stepping into any situation and feeling 100% confident in your ability to articulate your value and the impact you can make for your team, your company, a client or a prospective employer.
Let’s all kick down the door to 2021 and take charge!
What You will Learn!
- The importance of great value articulation
- Roadblocks and challenges to speak up
- How to articulate your value
Sponsored by:
- Stoell Rives LLP
Meet the Panelists!
Elizabeth Kaiga, Key Account Director for Renewable Energy at DNV GL
Elizabeth Kaiga is an energy industry business leader who has, for nearly two decades, developed and implemented innovative growth and client development strategies for national and global professional service firms.
Elizabeth is currently Key Account Director for Renewable Energy at DNV GL, where she manages customer relationships and quality assurance activities. Her work focuses on providing strategies and solutions to support the global transition to safer, cleaner, reliable, and sustainable energy.
Prior to joining DNV GL, Elizabeth led business development efforts for the Renewable Energy Practice at CohnReznick LLP. Elizabeth held similar positions within the Energy & Utilities Practice at Marsh & McLennan, Arthur Andersen LLP, and ICF Consulting.
Elizabeth serves on the Board of Directors for Women of Renewable Industries & Sustainable Energy (WRISE), a national nonprofit that promotes the education, professional development, and advancement of women to achieve a strong diversified workforce in the renewable energy sector. She has also served on the Advisory Councils of Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), Renewable Energy Alliance Houston (REAL) and the Education Committee for the Solar Power International Conference. Elizabeth is a strong supporter of diversity, equity & inclusion, and has received recognition in that capacity from the Houston Business Journal and the YMCA of Greater New York.
Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts Degree in Global Marketing from Emerson College.
Evelyn Carpenter, Co-Founder of Solas Energy Consulting
Evelyn Carpenter is the co-founder of Solas Energy Consulting, a renewable energy and climate change consulting firm with offices in Fort Collins, Colorado and Calgary, Alberta. The company grew from a single contract and the two founders in 2009 to over 40 employees and experience on over 65 GW of projects in North America and Europe. The vast majority of projects for which Solas has provided services are utility scale wind, solar and energy storage. Solas focuses on acquisition due diligence, development services, climate change and sustainability advisory, and owner’s construction management services.
Ms. Carpenter, a licensed civil engineer in California, started her career as a civil/structural engineer with Fluor Corporation and moved into renewable energy development in 2001. Prior to founding Solas, oversaw projects for SeaWest Wind Power, AES Wind Generation, and then First Wind Energy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering, a master’s degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA.
Cathy Syme, Director, Asset Advisory North America at UL
Cathy Syme has 25 years international frontline involvement of 11+ GW of wind and solar projects extending through all stages of operating life. Previously employed by small to medium sized Owner-Operators, Cathy has 15 years hands-on experience forming and leading commercial asset management teams setting up processes, reporting and compliance from scratch. During 6 years as a senior manager in DNV GL (formerly Garrad Hassan), Cathy performed both advisory and independent engineering work, including technical due diligence for project closings, term conversions and re-financings along with annual budget reviews and operating cost benchmarking analysis.
WRISESD Fundraising | September 19, 2019, 4:30-7:00 pm
Location: La Jolla Woman’s Club, 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037
Join us on September 19 from 4:30-7:00 pm at the La Jolla Woman’s Club to celebrate and advance diversity in renewable energy. The fundraising event will feature local women-owned wineries with food pairings from San Diego’s 2016 Chef of the Year, Jeff Rossman of Terra Catering. Proceeds support the education, professional development, and advancement of women in the renewable energy industry. For further details about this event, contact Marianne San Millan at marianne.sanmillan@stoel.com.
Tickets: $35
WRISE Week Leadership Luncheon | June 4, 2019, 11:30 to 1:30 pm
Location: Karl Strauss – Sorrento Mesa, 9675 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121
Cost: $20 up to 48 hours in advance; $25.00 at the door
Linda Shaffer-Vanaria the U.S. Navy’s Third Female Test Pilot will speak at the Women of Renewable Industries & Sustainable Energy (WRISE) June Luncheon
“Leadership Skills that Will Help You Soar!” will be the theme of the luncheon, to be held on Tuesday, June 4th from 11:30 to 1:30pm at Karl Strauss, Sorrento Mesa. The luncheon is open to WRISE members and to the general public.
Drawing upon her experience as the third female U.S. Navy test pilot and only the second woman operational squadron commander, Linda Shaffer-Vanaria will identify the behaviors and skills necessary to rise to leadership positions and describe how to cultivate them.
“WRISE San Diego is excited to present a powerful event designed with our membership in mind,” states WRISE Chapter Director Kimberlee Centera.“Linda Shaffer-Vanaria has a personal story of success against all odds, in her talk she will reveal the strategic tools that each of us can deploy in our careers.”
“Transferring the knowledge and insights I acquired as a test pilot and squadron commander to the civilian world has proven to be extremely gratifying,” states Linda Shaffer-Vanaria. “It is particularly rewarding to have the opportunity to help women learn how they can harness their internal resources to claim their power as leaders.”
WRISE Book Club | June 20, 2019
“Join us in reading and discussing Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and William McDonough. This is a great opportunity to connect with the local WRISE community through thought provoking conversation around careers, personal and professional development, and what you value in paving the way towards a better future!
Please check out our WRISE San Diego facebook page for online discussions leading up to the June 20 event.
You can purchase the book here.”
Women of Power | Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Annual Fundraiser
Please join your favorite group for an evening of fun to honor and support Women in Renewables!
Last year this popular event helped us raise nearly $4,500 for our scholarship fund, enabling us to send women to a broad list of conferences consistent with WoWE’s rebranding as WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy).
This year we have increased our membership across several industries and are excited for the opportunity to further support all areas of renewables and enable local women to attend conferences such as the WRISE Annual Leadership Forum, Solar Power International, Energy Storage North America, and WINDPOWER, as well as other local valued industry events.
Please tell your friends and colleagues, grab a guest (or several), and head to The Barrel Room in Carmel Valley on August 29th to enjoy appetizers, dinner, a silent auction, win door prizes and see some of your favorite people! Our gift baskets are provided by our valued sponsors and will be categorized as PLATINUM, GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE, so there will be something for everyone, making bidding both exciting and personal.
Date: August 29, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Barrel Room Carmel Valley (NOT Rancho Bernardo!)
Cost: $50 in advance; $60 at the door
Dinner and two drink tickets will be provided.
Earn Visibility for your Firm!
Please contact Keri Minnick at keri.minnick@edf-re.com if you are interested in donating a gift basket or becoming an event sponsor.
Read with WRISE! | Tuesday, September 20, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | WRISE Book Club
Thank you to all those who participated in our last book club meet. We are now ready to get started on our next book. And the vote went to The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown. Please click here to find the book on Amazon. Happy reading and we look forward to meeting you in September to discuss this book!
Date: September 20, 2018
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Venue: 11468 Heartwood Way, San Diego, CA 92131
Please RSVP at the link below, and reach out to Sandra Law at (858) 754-7708 if you have any questions.
WRISE SUE Talks Summer Social | July 26, 2018, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Happy Hour
WRISE San Diego would like to invite you to our next summer social event at URGE Gastropub for a relaxed evening to mingle with fellow WRISE members. At this event, we plan to view an episode of a TED or SUE Talks series that is relevant to our members and attendees. We are hoping this will launch us into an intellectual discussion on how ideas/views shared at this episode impact our personal and professional lives.
Date: July 26, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: URGE Gastropub, 16761 Bernardo Center Drive, San Diego
Light Appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Beer and wine are available for purchase. We hope to see you all there!
Applying UAVs (Drones) to Renewable Energy Projects | June 8, 2018, 11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch & Learn
Join us for an exciting Lunch & Learn on a growing technology called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or more commonly known as “drones.” This event is hosted by NV5, who is a leader in the field of deploying UAVs for collecting survey data. UAVs are one of the newest and coolest technology to revolutionize the surveying, mapping and remote sensing industries.
Lunch will be served at 11:30am, followed by a presentation by a team of experts at NV5 (see profile below) and an exciting demo of the latest Drone technology! It is sure to be an interesting and informative event. Look forward to seeing you there!
Date: June 5, 2018
Time: 11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Venue: NV5, 15092 Avenue of Science, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92128
Career Development Roundtable | May 30, 2018, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Happy Hour Event
The WRISE San Diego Chapter is organizing a roundtable discussion of market leaders to bring a career enrichment experience to our local chapter. Here’s your chance — let’s provoke a conversation about where you are in your career, what are some of the things you could potentially develop in yourself to improve your career, and what others are seeing around them as the path to a better future.
We will break into small groups with experienced moderators to help guide the discussion and extract some paths to success that may work for you. Then we will gather back together and share what each group has highlighted, so we don’t miss out on our collective intelligence.
Whether you are new or experienced in your career, we would love to see you and experience the collective power women can bring to the energy marketplace.
We hope to see you there!
Date: May 30, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Green Flash Brewing Co., 6550 Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA
Read with WRISE! | Tuesday, June 26, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | WRISE Book Club
Join us for our second book club of 2018! On top of our list this spring is The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer. Please click here to find the book on Amazon. Read or listen to it and join us for an evening of conversation about this recently published and top book club read.
Date: Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Green Flash Brewery
Distributed Electricity | Tuesday, April 10, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Lunch & Learn
Join us for our first Lunch & Learn of the 2018-2019 Chapter year as we take a look at how Distributed Electricity (Storage and Generation) affects the world around us.
Learn about why consumers and utilities are interested in such infrastructure from our experienced, diverse and knowledgeable panel.
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Time: 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm
EDF Renewable Energy
15445 Innovation Drive, San Diego
Meetup with WRISE at Infocast Solar Finance & Investment Summit | Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Hosted Happy Hour
Meetup with the San Diego Chapter of WRISE — Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy — at the 2018 Infocast Solar Power Finance & Investment Summit. All are welcome to attend, network and enjoy refreshments and appetizers co-hosted by WRISE SD and Stoel Rives LLP — regardless of whether you are participating in the Infocast event.
Date: March 20, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
OMNI LaCosta Resort & Spa
The Diversions Sports Lounge Patio
2100 Costa Del Mar
Carlsbad, CA 92009
Read with WRISE! | WRISE Book Club
Join us for our first book club of 2018! First on tap is “How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life” by Joanna Barsh. Please click here to find the book on Amazon.
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2018
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by: AnneMarie Graves and Trisha Long. Please RSVP to Sandra Law at sandradlaw@icloud.com or call/text her at (858) 754-7708.
Moniker Commons (it’s a co-working space in Liberty Station)
2869 Historic Decatur
San Diego, CA 92106
Join WRISE Today!
Enjoy all the benefits of membership, support and community! WRISE National Membership can be accessed under the tab “Get Involved” at the National WRISE website.