Wondering what a day in the life of a mechanical engineer looks like at a climate tech startup? Four mechanical engineers discussed their work, what inspires them and what they do every day.in a virtual panel as part of Climate Career Week. The panel was organized by Climate Draft, the American Society for Mechanical Engineers, and our team at Engineering for Change.
What inspired these mechanical engineers to work in #climatetech?
“My parents are farmers. I grew up in central Kenya during a drought. I saw what it did to people and wanted to do something to solve #climatechange.” – Duncan Kariuki @OctaviaCarbon direct air CO2 capture
— Engineering for Change (@engineer4change) March 28, 2024
The glimpse into their careers is just as interesting as the four startups where the panelists work.
- Anny Ning at Antora Energy, which produces zero-emissions heat and power for industry.
- Duncan Kariuki at Octavia Carbon, developing Africa’s first direct-air capture sytem of carbon dioxide.
- Melissa Mansour at Electra, developing emissions-free green steel.
- Mazher Ali Baig Mirza at River the India-based electric scooter manufacturer.
Anny Ning @antoraenergy – zero-emissions heat and power for industries – says her field is so new and fast-paced that her work is like “building the plane in the air while you’re flying it. Also building the nuts and bolts for the plane in the air while flying it.”
— Engineering for Change (@engineer4change) March 28, 2024
Watch to learn more about the work that mechanical engineers do in climate tech. Discussions center on how the engineers apply their skills, how and why they chose climate tech startups, compensation, and what they have had to learn to complement their technical skillsets in jobs that span multiple disciplines.
