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National Grid Renewables’ Women in Network Group
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Every March, Women’s History Month signifies an opportunity to recognize and honor the achievements of women across all industries and walks of life. At National Grid Renewables, our Women in Network (WiN) employee resource group (ERG) takes this time to foster meaningful conversations, promote inclusion, and celebrate the impact of women in the workplace.
How WiN is growing
2025 marks our most ambitious Women’s History Month celebration yet. This year, we had more people step up to help with WiN than ever before – and that’s made all the difference. Just a year ago, there were only a few members on the board. Now, with a much larger team, our initiatives can be more creative, impactful, and far-reaching.
This growth also has made our company at large an even more welcoming place for employees across different teams, departments, and locations.
“I just moved to the U.S. and as a hybrid employee, I’ve been able to build connections through Women in Network beyond my immediate team. Navigating a new job in a new country comes with the challenge of balancing the urge to fit in while staying your true self. But having a real community, a strong network, and a company like National Grid Renewables that truly encourages you to bring your true self to work makes all the difference.” – Bonny Pradhan, Senior Data Analyst
A month of engagement and learning
At the center of this year’s celebration was our Women’s History Month calendar, offering daily activities that invite learning, self-reflection, and participation, ensuring that employees – both in the office and remote – have ample opportunities to participate in this month-long event.
Activities included listening to inspiring podcasts, reading about pioneering women in various fields, and exploring resources on self-care. To make everything just a little more fun, employees tracked their engagement and qualified for prizes.
Beyond individual activities, WiN collaborated with our veteran ERG to shed a stronger light on the contributions of women in the military. Recently, we brought in a specialty coffee cart featuring coffee brewed by female veterans. Alongside this, we’ll be sharing the stories of trailblazing women in the armed forces.
Lessons from women who lead
A cornerstone event of the month was the Women in Leadership Panel, which brought together accomplished female leaders from different parts of the company to share insights from their career journeys, challenges they’ve faced, and advice for aspiring leaders. Employees attended or joined virtually, ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to participate in this special event.
This year’s panel featured Melissa Schmit (VP of Project Development), Shell Jiang (Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing), Kara Heffelbower (Senior Director, Late Stage Development), and Amy Tamburino (Adjunct Professor, University of Minnesota Law School) with Sean Porter (Head of Human Resources) as the moderator.
The women shared specific stories of their experiences and observations about gender bias and stereotypes. For example, Kara’s daycare gives out pamphlets with guidelines to read off at drop-offs, such as “Mommy is going to leave now,” despite her husband being the one to do the daycare drop-offs. Another example is Melissa shared that women often have the burden of bring perceived as “emotional.”
“Our company does a great job ensuring women have equal opportunities for leadership roles. When planning this panel, we actually had too many amazing women to choose from – it’s a great challenge to have.” – Maddy Mowrey, Event Specialist
Making it matter beyond March
The work and intention behind this event aren’t just about one month – it’s about creating a culture where everyone feels supported and heard year-round. The support from National Grid Renewables and the dedication of so many of our team members has been instrumental in keeping WiN and other ERGs growing, creating leadership opportunities and helping to build our sense of belonging and community.
“None of us have dedicated WiN roles – this is all volunteer work on top of our day-to-day jobs. But the support we’ve received from National Grid Renewables and the enthusiasm of our growing team show how much this work matters.” – Annie Griffing, Manager, GIS
Looking ahead, we’re planning more ways to keep the momentum going. WiN is stronger than ever, and we’re all proud to be part of a team that is making an impact – not just for Women’s History Month, but every day.
