50 Women Kick Off Mentoring Program for Women in Environment—You Too Can Join

Integral’s Mala Pattanayek and Carolina Zuri participate in a kickoff call with WIE members.

Attention women in the environmental industry! If you ever wanted a way to build a stronger network, now is your chance.  Integral senior engineer Carolina Zuri and senior consultant Mala Pattanayek, along with mentoring committee members of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Women in Environment (WIE), kicked off the 2021 Mentoring Program last Thursday. Fifty women attended the virtual event, and it was a success!

WIE’s vision is to “create a community that supports and provides opportunities for women in the environmental profession to thrive personally and professionally.”

Ms. Zuri and Ms. Pattanayek serve on the board for WIE and have been instrumental in creating, launching, and growing the Bay Area WIE mentoring program. The mentoring program has been expanding since it was launched in 2018 and more than 80 women are participating in the program this year.

“We get great feedback on the mentoring program from members,” said Ms. Zuri.  A few comments are shown below:

I think it is incredibly valuable to create a safe space for women to discuss professional issues. I have never had that before and I am very grateful for the opportunity. I also adored everyone in my group! Such kick-ass women!

We have come to rely on each other and it has facilitated creation/expansion of my network.

I think this program is great for connecting people across varying environmental sectors. I have also been very inspired by the strong women in my group and feel honored to be a part of it.

It’s a great space for sharing experiences, building a network, and empowering each other – at each discussion, there is something for everyone to learn, no matter the years or type of experience.

WIE is also more than the mentoring program—membership provides access to numerous events throughout the year. Although currently virtual, the programs all provide networking and support. Integral is a platinum sponsor of WIE and our employees participate in many Pacific Northwest and Bay Area events.

WIE currently has three chapters: Seattle/Puget Sound, Portland, and the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are interested in starting a chapter in other parts of the U.S. or joining one of the current WIE chapters, feel free to reach out to Mala Pattanayek at mpattanayek@integral-corp.com.