In this special recap episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, WCS Chairwoman Sara Fuentes, Farah Saeed, and Trish Pinnella. reflect on an extraordinary 10-day journey through San Francisco Climate Week 2026. The week was defined by movement-building, deep connection, innovation, and the growing power of community.

From Oracle Park’s official kickoff with over 450 climate leaders to hikes through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, our women-led pitch competition, film screenings, policy forums, repair economy workshops, fashion sustainability events, and joyful karaoke celebrations, this episode captures the full ecosystem of climate leadership in action.

As WCS celebrates its 15th anniversary, this episode serves as both a recap and a rallying cry: the organization is not slowing down. With upcoming activations across Zurich, Pacific Northwest, New York, and beyond, WCS is continuing to build a global ecosystem for women climate leaders.

Listen in for an inspiring, behind-the-scenes look at how climate week can become a launchpad for lasting community, innovation, and impact.

Sara Fuentes is the Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and the founder of SmartWaste, a company focused on reducing waste generation and improving sustainable resource management systems.

Farah Saeed is the Board Secretary of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and Industry Director at Frost & Sullivan, where she works on strategy and innovation across the energy and sustainability sectors.

Trish Pinnella is a board member and Marketing Chair at Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, where she drives community growth and amplifies women leading climate solutions. Her climate work began in green building and renewable energy and now focuses on connecting technology, policy, community, and storytelling to accelerate climate impact.

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global network advancing women’s leadership in climate, energy, and sustainability.

Each episode features conversations with innovators, founders, and leaders working to build a more sustainable future.

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Marieke brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work also spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast
✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:
womencleantechsustainability.org

What if something as simple as a small solar light could change a child’s future?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Trish Pinnella speaks with Nicole Watson, founder of the Iconic Earth Foundation, about how access to clean light is transforming education, safety, and opportunity for students living in off-grid communities.

Through her program Watts On – Lighting Students’ Lives, Nicole and her partners are providing solar lamps to students in rural regions where electricity is unavailable. These lamps allow children to study after sunset, improve school performance, and help families feel safer at night.

Nicole shares the powerful stories behind the program—from its early pilot in Kenya to expansion into Zambia and Uganda—and explains why such a simple technology can create ripple effects across education, health, and community wellbeing.

The conversation highlights an important truth: sometimes the most transformative solutions are also the simplest.

Nicole Watson is the founder of the Econic Earth Foundation and creator of the Watts On – Lighting Students’ Lives program.

Her work focuses on renewable energy solutions that support education, safety, and environmental sustainability in off-grid communities around the world.

Nicole combines her background in filmmaking and storytelling with on-the-ground humanitarian initiatives that deliver measurable impact.

Learn more:
https://econicearth.org/

https://www.wattson.org/

LIGHT | Award-Winning Short Documentary Film on How Solar Energy is Transforming Students’ Lives:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=KzZIGK41Z9w

Trish Pinnella is a board member and Marketing Chair at Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, where she drives community growth and amplifies women leading climate solutions. Her climate work began in green building and renewable energy and now focuses on connecting technology, policy, community, and storytelling to accelerate climate impact.

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global network advancing women’s leadership in climate, energy, and sustainability.

Each episode features conversations with innovators, founders, and leaders working to build a more sustainable future.

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Marieke brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work also spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged
✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast
✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:
womencleantechsustainability.org

What if the future of technology wasn’t just about faster systems, smarter algorithms, or bigger data but about supporting life itself?

In this episode of WCS Talks Unplugged, host Sara Fuentes, Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and founder of SmartWaste, speaks with Jessica Groopman, founder of the Regenerative Technology Project. Together they explore how emerging technologies can move beyond extraction-driven models toward systems that restore ecosystems, empower communities, and create long-term resilience.

Jessica brings an unusual perspective to technology analysis. Her journey began studying ancient stone tools of the Upper Paleolithic before moving into Silicon Valley’s world of digital innovation. That interdisciplinary lens led her to ask deeper questions about technology’s role in society, not just what technology can do, but who it serves and what systems it shapes.

Their conversation explores the growing concept of regenerative technology technologies designed to strengthen living systems rather than exploit them. From AI and data infrastructure to place-based sensing technologies, the discussion examines both the risks and opportunities emerging in the next generation of digital innovation.

About the Guest

Jessica Groopman is the founder of the Regenerative Technology Project, an initiative exploring how emerging technologies can be designed to support ecological restoration, community resilience, and regenerative economies.

Her work focuses on systems thinking, technology ethics, and the societal implications of emerging technologies, drawing on experience as a technology analyst and strategist in Silicon Valley.

Learn more at: https://www.regentech.co/

About the Host

Sara Fuentes is the Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability and the founder of SmartWaste, a company focused on reducing waste generation and improving sustainable resource management systems.

About WCS Talks Unplugged

WCS Talks Unplugged is the official podcast of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, a global community advancing women’s leadership across climate, energy, and sustainability sectors.

Through candid conversations with innovators, founders, policymakers, and researchers, the podcast explores the ideas and people shaping the future of the clean economy.

Produced By

Marieke McArthur for Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Marieke brings a background in local community radio and a passion for storytelling rooted in community impact. Her work also spans water advocacy, food resilience, and women’s climate leadership through projects including the Water Alliance of La Paz County, AeroZona, and Women in Cleantech and Sustainability.

Get Involved

If you enjoyed this episode:

✔ Subscribe to WCS Talks Unplugged

✔ Leave a review to help others discover the podcast

✔ Share the episode with someone working in climate, technology, or sustainability

Learn more about Women in Cleantech and Sustainability:

womencleantechsustainability.org