About CTLR’s #HumansOfCleantech

Modeled after the New York Times' Humans of New York series, this is an idea by Peter Kelley and the RenewComm team for us to showcase our members!

Follow #humansofcleantech on LinkedIn for more in this series. #climatetech #energytransition #cleantechleadersroundtable 

Meet Dawn James

“I had a microscope and telescope. I committed myself to memorizing all kinds of things like the planets and bugs. I had a dinosaur phase.”

“WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE: ‘I WANT TO BE AN ASTRONOMER, I WANT TO DO MEDICINE, OR ENGINEERING,’ AND MY MOM WITHOUT FAIL ALWAYS SUPPORTED ME. 

“Even when she didn’t agree, she might roll her eyes and say a couple things about danger and then she would be like, ‘Okay, have you thought this through? What is it that you need?’ 

“I don’t have any scientists in my family. I don’t even know if my mom re ally knew what a geologist did until I started doing it. A lot of the work that I’m doing in cleantech and climate technology takes the ability to lay the track in front of the train. I feel like I did that as a kid.

“I get teary-eyed about it sometimes because I’m incredibly grateful to everyone that helped me along the way. It wasn’t easy. I wanted to do the things that the people close to me didn’t know how to do.

“I’ve had wanderlust since about five years old. Therefore, I needed to major in something that would give me a job that enables traveling. I wanted to be a businesswoman that goes and does stuff. So I’d ask myself, ‘What does she do? Why is she getting on a plane? Why is she dressed a certain way?’

“I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO AFRICA, AND I DID. PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY. I TAUGHT SEDIMENTOLOGY AT ONE OF THE LARGEST CAMPUSES IN WEST AFRICA. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, ONE OF MY STUDENTS GOT HIS PHD. HE SENT ME A NOTE 15 YEARS AFTER I TAUGHT THERE. HE REMEMBERED MY TEACHING STYLE AND THANKED ME FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 

“It’s a skillset, to be able to work with people with different values and beliefs. For me, it was really helpful to be thrown into a culture that I didn't know or understand. It humbled me, helped me grow and taught me to be a better communicator. I use that today working with multinational corporations solving the complex issues surrounding sustainability, climatetech and energy transition.

“We as an industry don’t know what’s gonna come next. But we know how to put one foot in front of the other, and now I am that geoscientist and businesswoman, and I have places to go.

“I go to climate conferences, client meetings, I speak at universities. I didn't know where my dreams would lead when I was younger. I had to figure that out along the way and follow my heart. And I’m still learning—redefining what it means to be a geologist today.

“I am the picture that I pictured and I'm extremely proud of myself for being able to look back at my younger self, and say, ‘She did it.’ And I still have a million more dreams. The train is still barreling down the track.”

Dawn James now has over 25 years of experience as a geoscientist and systems leader. A Managing Director at Deloitte, she’s also board chair of climatetech incubator Greentown Labs. The Houston Geological Society recently honored her as a ‘Geologist at the Forefront of Energy Innovation.’