In Colorado we never shy away from a challenge. And, we know that taking a risk can pay off.
To put it another way, we practice the advice of Dr. Ellen Williams to not be afraid of trying new things: “Step out,” she advises, “because what you find could be really exciting.”
Williams is a trailblazing woman in chemistry and today is the director of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a program tasked with finding innovative solutions for creating new energy technology. Pretty cool, right? She’ll be the keynote at this year’s Colorado Energy Expo (and you can see her for free!) on May 13 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
There’s so much to learn when we take risks or try new things. Some of my best stories come from experiences when I tried something new (like being the first woman to plow snow on-call at Stapleton International Airport—I will save those stories for another day).
And, while first-hand experience is great, there’s plenty we can learn from others’ experiences as well. Here are a few things I’ve taken away from Dr. Williams’ career.
Keep learning. Dr. Williams has worked in academia, the business world and now for the government. She’s tackled the book smarts of chemistry and physics and has learned the importance of creating buy-in from people in and outside of an organization, even during incredibly tense events.
There will be mistakes; what matters is how you respond to them. Dr. Williams joined BP as its chief scientist just four months before the Deepwater Horizon disaster. She was asked to establish the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, funded by BP to study the impact of the spill on the ecosystem and to find ways to mitigate spills in the future. It was a tough time, but she played a major role in making it right.
Know your goals and establish trusting relationships. In her role now, Dr. Williams is tasked not only with encouraging new technology that will shape our energy industry, but also ensuring that it gets to market and has potential for success. That’s a big job, but she knows that relationships will be a key part to that success. That’s our approach to business every day.
Our energy industry is playing a major role in shaping our country’s economic future—how we’ll develop and use energy in the future. I hope you’ll join us at the Colorado Energy Expo. I’ll be there moderating a panel at 10:30 a.m. on women in energy and how they’re collaborating across sectors and innovating. Come by to see where we’re heading and meet those who are leading the charge.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.