In 2023 I took part in a 12-week cohort that was a program out of Climatebase, a job board. I was laid off from my tech job in August 2023, so I began delving into landing a software developer position, preferably in the climate industry. But it was difficult, and still is as I have yet to land a programming role in another tech company. Not wanting to waste my time, I thought I could dive into some side programming projects. But to be honest, I was tired. I had just dealt with another blow to my career track, and was burned out from dealing with caustic personalities and my own insecurities of not being a good-enough-programmer. Sound familiar to any female techies out there? Yeah, imposter syndrome is alive and kicking, and I've been trying my best to kick-it out of my life. But I digress, that's another blog post for me to dive into...
Anyway, when I was surfing Climatebase's job posts, I saw that they had this Climatebase Fellowship and were accepting participants. I thought, why not? I filled out my registration form and also my financial aid request. Well, I got into the program and on top of that, Climatebase gave me a generous scholarship to participate in their program. I must say that it was so inspiring to meet many young (20 - 40ish ages) folks, and a few of us GenX'ers were there to represent our generation. I learned a lot in that program and it kept me from spiraling into a depression due to my layoff.
During the program, I participated in a capstone project initiated by Matthew Suhay. Well, this project eventually became an early startup called ZeroIn. I was able to work for 6 months as their part-time Community Outreach Manager. I met so many wonderful, inspiring founders of nonprofits in Orange and San Diego counties, owners of local small businesses throughout San Diego County, and participated in local meetups.
Well, the funding unfortunately ran out, but I'm still volunteering my time participating in small business mixers and fundraisers. helping to organize a cleantech symposium with an incubator/innovation hub, and interviewing more nonprofits, small businesses, and other organizations doing the work needed in these dire times. From the interviews I write blog articles to showcase small businesses, how-to tips on sustainability, and push information out there to the public.
One of my articles was on the 5 R's of Waste Management for small businesses. If you're a small business owner diving into aromatherapy, you might want to consider reading this article on how to implement low waste management throughout your pipeline. I think you'll find it quite helpful. And, if you have any questions, please reach out to me! We are all learning together. Email: fusionessentialseo@gmail.com
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