Irina Filippova

station that helped us showcase renewable energy technologies, solar, the use of recycled repurposed materials, and kind of a new way of looking at what was a very typical if you will, feature of everyone's life, right? A gas station. And obviously looking at alternative fuels at that time as well. So that's where my journey into sustainability began. This was 2007.

station that helped us showcase renewable energy technologies, solar, the use of recycled repurposed materials, and kind of a new way of looking at what was a very typical if you will, feature of everyone's life, right? A gas station. And obviously looking at alternative fuels at that time as well. So that's where my journey into sustainability began. This was 2007.

And I have been on that path ever since. When you look back, do you see any common themes or threats?

And I have been on that path ever since. When you look back, do you see any common themes or threats?

I think the common path that I'm observing here is that I was always a self-starter. So even when I was working for a major energy company, I tended to work on projects that I was originating. At no point in time did I actually take over someone else's role. So every role on every project that I worked on was essentially starting from scratch.

I think the common path that I'm observing here is that I was always a self-starter. So even when I was working for a major energy company, I tended to work on projects that I was originating. At no point in time did I actually take over someone else's role. So every role on every project that I worked on was essentially starting from scratch.

So if you will, it was being an entrepreneur within a very established company and within a very established culture and way of doing things. So that is definitely a common theme. The second common theme was simply curiosity. My career path is completely non-linear, and that was okay by me, I think.

So if you will, it was being an entrepreneur within a very established company and within a very established culture and way of doing things. So that is definitely a common theme. The second common theme was simply curiosity. My career path is completely non-linear, and that was okay by me, I think.

For me, when I reached kind of the age of 35 or so, the idea of following an established career path was not at all appealing. I wanted to learn about different aspects of energy. I wanted to try myself in different roles.

For me, when I reached kind of the age of 35 or so, the idea of following an established career path was not at all appealing. I wanted to learn about different aspects of energy. I wanted to try myself in different roles.

I actually joined a early stage startup out of the UK upon leaving BP, and that involved building the US presence really from scratch, from the ground up, and really creating relevance in a new market for that particular business.

I actually joined a early stage startup out of the UK upon leaving BP, and that involved building the US presence really from scratch, from the ground up, and really creating relevance in a new market for that particular business.

So in that sense, the transition from a big established organization to being more or less independent or being an entrepreneurial advisor was not hard for me because I already thought like an entrepreneur, even within, again, an established company. The other component, again, is curiosity.

So in that sense, the transition from a big established organization to being more or less independent or being an entrepreneurial advisor was not hard for me because I already thought like an entrepreneur, even within, again, an established company. The other component, again, is curiosity.

In order to be successful in being independent or running a small business, you do have to be very curious about industry trends. You have to be open to building partnerships, relationships, collaborations with others. You have to continuously find ways to in which you can create value, not just for yourself, but for others in the ecosystem.

In order to be successful in being independent or running a small business, you do have to be very curious about industry trends. You have to be open to building partnerships, relationships, collaborations with others. You have to continuously find ways to in which you can create value, not just for yourself, but for others in the ecosystem.

So those components really lead, I believe, successful entrepreneurs to more success. I've also observed, I've observed a lot being in these different environments and these different spaces. And unfortunately, we don't see a lot of great examples of leadership on either side. I believe in the US culture, there is a bit of a glorification of the entrepreneur.

So those components really lead, I believe, successful entrepreneurs to more success. I've also observed, I've observed a lot being in these different environments and these different spaces. And unfortunately, we don't see a lot of great examples of leadership on either side. I believe in the US culture, there is a bit of a glorification of the entrepreneur.

We hear all these great stories about unicorns becoming successful overnight. And therefore there is this mystery and mystique of what it takes to build a successful enterprise. And I believe that unfortunately gives rise to tendencies that are not necessarily healthy and don't lead to long-term sustained success for entrepreneurs.

We hear all these great stories about unicorns becoming successful overnight. And therefore there is this mystery and mystique of what it takes to build a successful enterprise. And I believe that unfortunately gives rise to tendencies that are not necessarily healthy and don't lead to long-term sustained success for entrepreneurs.