Stanford Energy Seminar: Winnie Lam | What should I do with my life (in sustainability)?

The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more. 

Talk Abstract: You are interested in a career in sustainability. You want to make a difference. Save the planet. Save humankind. How do you figure out what career to pursue, in the vast world of sustainability? Would it be better to work in a climate startup or a Fortune 500 company with a big carbon footprint? Would it be more impactful to be a company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, or be in charge of their supply chain that generates most of the company’s carbon emissions? Can I save the planet, *AND* make a lot of money? In the end, it’s about finding the career that would make you happy. In this seminar, Winnie will share stories from having been in the trenches of sustainability in Fortune 500 companies like Google, non profits like World Wildlife Fund, and clean energy startups.

Speaker bio: Winnie Lam is the Senior Director of Sustainability and Design Engineering at Nike. She is responsible for the technology to digitize the design of Nike’s shoes and apparel, and make them more environmentally sustainable. Prior to Nike, Winnie led the Data Center Sustainability team at Google. As an advocate for animals, Winnie championed the banning of elephant ivory from being sold through Google. She partnered with big Tech companies and the non profit World Wildlife Fund to create the Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. Winnie serves on the Board of Directors at the University of Waterloo’s United College, and the environmental journalism non-profit Mongabay. Winnie received her Bachelor of Science in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada, and her Master of Science in Energy Policy and Climate from the Johns Hopkins University.

Anyone with an interest in energy is welcome to join! You can enjoy seminars in the following ways:

• Attend live. The auditorium may change quarter by quarter, so check each seminar event to confirm the location. Explore the current quarter's schedule.
• Watch live in a browser livestream if available. Check each seminar event for its unique livestream URL.
• Watch recordings of past seminars 
  • Available on the Past Energy Seminars page and the Energy Seminars playlist of the Stanford Energy YouTube channel
• (For students) Take the seminar as a 1-unit class (CEE 301/ENERGY 301/MS&E 494)

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