Women in Energy: Panel Discussion & Networking Lunch

Join Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and the Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) at Duke's Fuqua School of Business for an event focused on Women in Energy*.
Presented in partnership with the Women's Resource Group at 8 Rivers Capital.

As the energy industry wrestles with mandates to decarbonize, geopolitical turmoil, energy justice considerations, and workforce transitions, companies across the sector are thinking about how to engage the best and brightest minds on these topics while also creating a workforce that is more diverse and inclusive.
During this conversation, we’ll talk with industry professionals who have several different vantage points on the sector. What have their career journeys been like? What is exciting and challenging about working in the energy sector? What skills should students and young professionals cultivate in order to be successful? And, what can be done on the organizational level to encourage professional development and mentoring in the industry?

Join us! This event is open to guests of any gender, including Duke students, faculty, alumni, energy professionals, and students at other universities.

Agenda

12-1 p.m. Panel discussion
1-2 p.m. Networking lunch

Panelists to include:

• Esther Kamau (MQM '22), Climate Tech Investment Analyst, 8 Rivers Capital
• Miriam Makhyoun, Chief Executive Officer, EQ Research
• Paige Swofford (MEM/MBA '18), Principal Strategy & Planning Manager, Duke Energy
• Nicole Patterson (BSE '21, MEMP '23), Clean Energy Associate, 8 Rivers Capital

This event is aligned with the , which unites the university’s education, research, operations, and public service missions to address climate challenges.
This is an in-person event with no virtual viewing option.

* The Women in Energy event aims to highlight the perspectives of woman-identified and woman-aligned people in the energy sector.

About the panelists

Esther Kamau is a climate tech investment analyst at 8 Rivers, where she builds financial valuation models of the company's technologies. Prior to 8 Rivers, she worked as a mergers and acquisitions senior analyst for a private equity firm that invested in industrial and advanced materials companies. Esther is a graduate of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, where she earned her master of science degree in quantitative management, specializing in business analytics and finance. Esther did her undergraduate studies at Gordon College, where she graduated summa cum laude and as Collegian of the Year in 2020.

Miriam Makhyoun is the chief executive officer of EQ Research, responsible for providing strategic leadership for the company to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies. Her areas of expertise include energy storage valuation, energy procurement, capacity procurement market design and carbon emissions compliance. She has over a decade of utility and energy industry experience, most recently as power supply contracts manager at MCE, California's first community choice aggregration program. Other experience includes portfolio management for Pacific Gas & Electric, customized research for Smart Electric Power Alliance, and market intelligence for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.

Paige Swofford is a principal strategy and planning manager at Duke Energy. She has been at Duke Energy for two years, primarily focused on market intelligence and strategic projects. She previously worked at NextEra Energy in corporate development and renewable asset management. Paige received master of business administration and master of environmental management degrees from Duke University and a bachelor of science degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. She lives in Charlotte with her husband and two young sons.

Nicole Patterson sits on the strategy team at 8 Rivers and works across its technology portfolio, including clean power, clean hydrogen, and direct air capture. She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in engineering management from Duke University.

About 8 Rivers

8 Rivers is a Durham, North Carolina-based clean energy and climate technology company leading the global energy industry towards achieving net zero. Since 2008, 8 Rivers has been pioneering infrastructure-scale technologies that can drastically reduce or remove CO2 emissions. The 8 Rivers technology portfolio includes ultra-low carbon hydrogen production (8RH2), transformative low-carbon power cycles (Allam-Fetvedt Cycle), and hyper-efficient direct air capture (Calcite).

The 8 Rivers Women's Resource Group (WRG) is a platform to support, mentor, and advocate for women while promoting an inclusive workplace. The WRG gives back to the community through engaged service, creating a platform for support through open discussion forums and webinars and providing professional development opportunities for women inside and outside the organization.

Host or Publisher Nicholas Inst. for Energy, Env't & Sustainability