Olivia Espy Huntington, Green Tech, Texas
Olivia Espy Huntington, who has been in the industry for 2+ years, is the CEO of Wootz.
Why is clean energy important to you? I want to be proud of the work I do and the impact I have on the world. As a Company, we believe we have a responsibility to use our unique combination of skills to make a superior alternative to metals widely available. And as an individual, I wish to contribute to building a world where technology and sustainability are inextricably linked.
What's a memorable clean energy project you’ve worked on? Since Wootz's founding in 2020, we have scaled production of our next-gen carbon material from lab (i.e. 1x3 inch slides) to continuous commercial line (i.e. > 3km per day). Our incredible team developed, tested, and built a technology capable of producing a material hereto restricted to the realm of science fiction through sheer force of will buttressed by 10s of thousands of hours of education, expertise, and know-how. This process was a birth of sorts, and as someone who works primarily with paper, it was nothing sort of miraculous to experience.
What did you do prior to working in clean energy? Why did you transition to the clean energy industry? I was an attorney supporting companies in the clean energy space in matters ranging from financings to M&A. While with Vinson & Elkins here in Houston I provided pro bono legal services to Greentown Labs and member companies where I fell in love with the marriage of passion, purpose, and genius I encountered. After Amram Bengio, Wootz's founder and CTO, outlined his vision for a carbon material that could connect, conduct, and electrify like nothing before, I was hooked. Some decisions require a leap of faith.
What do you wish more people knew about the clean energy industry? That there is a need for many different skill sets. I used to think I needed to be an engineer or scientist to contribute to the energy transition. I have learned, however, that it takes one type of genius to develop a disruptive technology and another type of genius altogether to drive the adoption of a disruptive technology. The more hands and voices the better!
Why should congress invest in clean energy jobs? Because our lives depend on it. We need to bring the full weight of government to bear if we hope to execute such a massive societal shift on anything approaching a tenable timeline.
Is there anything else you’d like to share? I occasionally feel very lonely in this male-dominated field. So to all the women out there who contribute, or are considering contributing, to the energy transition, your participation is needed, valued, and celebrated (at least during this month)!
