Dela
We chat with the brilliant and accomplished Chante Harris, Co-Founder of Women of Color Collective in Sustainability (WOC/CS). Chante is the woman WE want in our sustainability corner as she and her fellow Co-Founder, Jordy Vasquez are opening doors for women of color to share their voices, make their impact in the sustainability industry, and take a seat at the policy table to address climate change.
WOC/CS was created in 2019 to create the collective they wish they had when they started in their sustainability careers and provide access for women of color to advance their careers in the sustainability industry with tools and resources, mentorship, job matching and give them opportunities to connect with like-minded women.
Chante is slaying the tech space when it comes to sustainability and innovation and was named by America on Tech as an ‘Innovator and Disruptor’ and Women eNews as a ‘Pioneering Woman in Sustainability’.
In this very in-depth chat we cover:
- How WOC/CS came to be founded and the importance of providing a safe space for women of color to connect with like-minded women so they can thrive
- Environmental justice and breaking it out of its silo and being part of all sectors
- How sustainability was whitewashed for so long and how it’s now changing to be more inclusive with diverse voices
- Why and how people of color have been disproportionately affected by climate change and don’t contribute at scale to environmental problems
- Misperceptions about people of color and the environmental crisis
- Why governments need to mandate environmental change to address climate change at scale
- Changing consumer behavior by driving cultural change
- The impact of Covid on people of color and how it has highlighted communities which are directly affected by climate change on a daily basis
- Climate Tech providing solutions to the environmental crisis
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of yourself listening to the episode on your device, post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag Ashley and Jasmine @Beautyandimpact and our guest Chante Harris @woc__cs. Got a tech solution bubbling in your mind and want to chat about it? Drop Chante a DM – she would love to hear from you!
About Women of Color Collective in Sustainability (WOC/CS):
WOC/CS, pronounced /woke•sīs/, is a collective created to support women of color who want to connect, collaborate, identify mentorships, job opportunities, and seek resources within sustainability. We are engineers, architects, businesswomen, high-performance building consultants, recycling experts, permaculture-composting gurus, social impact doers, civic advocates, and artists. WOC/CS strives to highlight opportunities for collaboration, connection, resources, and mentorship for women of color in the sustainability industry. WOC/CS knows that when we actively and decisively step forward in ensuring other women’s voices are heard and valued, we are contributing to the overall success of all women.
About Chante Harris:
Chante Harris is the Co-founder of WOC/CS, Director of Climate Investment & Partnerships at SecondMuse and a Venture Partner, investing in early-stage entrepreneurs with an environment focus.
She is an expert in driving long-term growth for startups and established companies by leading them through the complex processes of winning procurement opportunities, securing pilot projects, undertaking design challenges, and launching community impact initiatives.
Chante is a Venture Partner for Republic, an Advisor for The Kota Alliance and Vice-Chair of Diversity for Teach For America-New York’s Associate Board.
She is passionate about the intersection of urbantech, the circular economy, and impact. Her civic engagement and fierce advocacy for inclusivity and representation to advance sustainability in all communities has led her to serving as a Senior Summit Fellow and was recently selected as a Forbes Fellow. She is an alumna of the Coro Fellowship and a graduate of American University.
Links to things mentioned in this episode:
Product of the Week: BITE refillable deodorant and toothpaste tablets
Join WOC/CS LinkedIn Group for women of color
Chante’s recommendations for people and organizations to watch:
Generation Green, is 100% Black youth and womxn-led - https://www.gen-green.org/
Power Shift Network, an intergenerational network of organizations and campaigns that center the diverse young people most impacted by the climate crisis. - https://www.powershift.org/frontline
Aditi Mayer, sustainable fashion blogger, photojournalist, labor rights activist, and frequent speaker on topics of social and environmental justice. Her work looks at fashion and culture through a lens of intersectionality and decolonization - https://www.adimay.com/about/
Dominique Drakeford, Co-Founder of Sustainable Brooklyn, an organization working to bridge the gap between the sustainability movement and targeted communities - https://www.dominiquedrakeford.com/about-4
Taj Ahmad Eldridge, a lover of words, economist & active investor/advisor who works with impact driven startup firms & fund managers to achieve greatness in all fields of human endeavor. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajahmadeldridge/
Connect with Chante Harris:
Website: https://www.woccs.co/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/woc__cs/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanteharris/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-of-color-collective-in-sustainability/posts/?feedView=all
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WOC__CS
Connect with Ashley Renne Nsonwu and Jasmine Hill:
Website: https://www.beautyandimpact.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautyandimpact
IG: https://www.instagram.com/beautyandimpact/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beautyandimpact
Ashley: https://www.instagram.com/heyashleyrenne/
Jasmine: https://www.instagram.com/jasminepennamma/
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