The Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) has been a key partner since we founded MEI, and we are pleased to announce that this partnership is expanding. Not only will MEI continue to contribute to CELI’s fellowship program and its annual event, but we are also now taking part in their inaugural EDICT Program (which stands for Empowering Diversity in Clean Tech), and are proud to announce that one of our Directors, Shivapriya Balasubramanian was accepted as part of the first fellowship program in New York City. I have been fortunate enough to know Adam (CELI’s founder, Adam James) since the beginning. We supported them while I was at WGL and have worked with them since the beginning of MEI. They continue to impress us with their focus on diversity & inclusion and how they expand the network of clean energy professionals across the United States. I remember speaking at one of their events during the first fellowship and being so impressed with the group they had convened. Since then, they have expanded outside of D.C. to San Francisco, Chicago and now New York City. I know there are plans underway to move into other markets and I hope they are able to continue to scale. Our Director of Market and Business Development, Gerard Neely, participated in one of the CELI’s first fellowships in Washington D.C. and serves on the advisory council for the NYC program. Now Shivapriya will be joining him as another MEI team member to be involved with CELI.“I was so excited to receive the news about being selected as part of CELI’s first fellowship program in New York City,” says MEI Director Shivapriya Balasubramanian. “CELI’s mission aligns with my own to create, and be a part of, a just transition to clean energy; and the network consists of some of the top minds in clean energy.” This is the first year of CELI’s EDICT Program and will be sure to feature a guest post from our EDICT intern this summer. Here is some additional info from the CELI website about the EDICT Program: “As we work to realize an equitable, decarbonized economy and ensure healthy outcomes for all communities, CELI is proud to partner with Elemental Excelerator to launch a new internship program to provide candidates from Black, Indigenous, Latinx and underrepresented backgrounds with a paid summer internship opportunity, a cohort community, and supplemental training, support, and access to networks in the clean energy and climate tech ecosystems.” About CELI – With programs operating in Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Chicago, the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to developing a new kind of energy leadership. We believe creating a diverse community of change-makers across sectors and disciplines will drive an equitable, decarbonized, and resilient energy ecosystem. We equip emerging leaders with the skills and expertise to lead the transition to a clean energy economy. Over the last seven years, CELI has trained over 600 professionals from 450+ organizations through our signature Fellowship program and an additional 6,000+ students and professionals through our clean energy educational and community programming. https://www.cleanenergyleaders.org/ About the fellowship – CELI’s signature Fellowship Program attracts emerging leaders with diverse backgrounds and equips them with technical knowledge, leadership development training, and a passionate community dedicated to building an equitable, decarbonized, and resilient energy ecosystem.CELI’s five-month fellowship program for working professionals is taught by influential thought leaders and expert practitioners in the field. Fellows are challenged to think critically about current energy policy and market structures, examine existing and historical inequities, identify existing barriers to clean energy deployment and innovation, and develop holistic solutions towards an equitable energy transition.Beyond the five-month program, CELI Fellows join an active, connected network of 600+ alumni. Upon completion of the Fellowship alumni continue to play an active role in the CELI community by hosting discussions, publishing thought pieces, attending ongoing leadership and professional development training, and participating in regular social and networking events. In addition, CELI facilitates connections between our alumni community and a robust professional network to enable career mentorship. https://www.cleanenergyleaders.org/fellowship About the EDICT Program - The Edict Summer Internship Program is designed to provide Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and underrepresented students with paid, full-time 10-week internship opportunities in the clean energy and climate tech sector with companies and organizations that are actively building a diverse team and an inclusive working environment.Each intern will be paired with a host company and be a part of a cohort of young, diverse, emerging energy leaders. With training, mentorship, and career development, Edict matches interns and companies to drive diversity across the clean energy ecosystem.Applications for the 2021 Edict Internship Program are now closed. For questions about the program, please contact celi@cleanenergyleaders.org