Boston Career Trek

The Master's of Energy Transition cohort traveled to Boston, MA to network and visit a few companies such as National Grid and Greentown Labs.

Greentown Labs Boston was special during the ClimateSummit 2025. I had the chance to sit in on a live Latitude Media OpenCircuit podcast where Stephen Lacey hosted an episode with Katherine Hamilton, and Jigar Shah discussing business, development, and innovation in climate tech. To be able to interact with all the incredible start-ups working hard to innovate solutions that will clean-up our environment was inspiring, insightful, and impressive. Raptor Maps especially caught my eye, as their work connects closely with my experience in solar energy—I’m excited to see how their technology continues to be integrated into solar projects.

At National Grid in Boston we spoke with Karsten Barde and Alex Schulte about New York’s grid and the future of energy. One key takeaway for me was the role of natural gas as a transitional energy source for a cleaner future. Clean energy is becoming more prominent, but meeting current demand still requires a balanced mix of resources.

Later in the week, we visited the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, where Carly Lavender guided us through wind turbine testing. I was amazed to learn that a wind turbine blade can be tested over eight months to simulate twenty years of performance, allowing engineers to design more durable and efficient blades.

We wrapped up our trip with a visit to the Museum of Science Boston, where David Sittenfeld walked us through the process of designing interactive spaces for all ages. We also got a sneak peek of a new exhibit focused on sustainable building design and climate science. I smiled having learned that the materials used in the new exhibit are sourced in the United States, reducing both energy use and cost.