Energy Trailblazer Program
Welcome to the program
Efficiency Canada is the national voice for an energy efficient economy. Our mission is to create a sustainable environment and better life for all Canadians by making our country a global leader in energy efficiency policy, technology, and jobs. With energy efficiency playing an increasingly prominent role in Canada’s climate plans, the demand for thousands of skilled workers is needed right now. As an Energy Trailblazer, your role is vital to the future of Canada’s workforce and sustainable development goals.
Meet our Energy Trailblazers
Take an inside look into real people working real jobs in energy efficiency while leading the future of Canada’s sustainable development goals.
Ruvi Mugara
Director of Projects, Thinkwell Shift
Kirk Johnson
President, Eco-Efficiency Consulting
Shannon Giebelhaus
Clean Energy Improvement Program Team Lead, Alberta Municipalities
Fatima Crerar
Strategy & Partnerships VP, The Atmospheric Fund
Fellipe Falluh
Founder, Retrofit Construction
Nikki Muswaggon
Program Manager, Keewatin Tribal Council Inc
Afaf Azzouz
Senior Manager, Sustainability and Climate, Deloitte
Will Gonell
Owner, Gonell Homes Inc.
Yash Vyas
PhD Building Science Candidate, Toronto Metropolitan University
Abiran Raveenthiran
Vice President,
VxV Solutions Inc
Defining the work
Are you a trailblazer?
Lead the way and raise your profile in the sector.
Are you a storyteller?
Convey the benefits of the purpose-driven work you do every day.
Are you a mentor?
Guide other diverse Canadians on their pathways to success.
How to break through in the energy efficiency industry
It’s so inspiring to talk to a grade one student who wants to know about climate change and what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
What to expect as an Energy Trailblazer
Efficiency Canada wants to celebrate your ingenuity by creating a platform that helps establish and amplify your place in the sector but also helps create a road map for other diverse Canadians to follow.
Connect to a national team of reputable efficiency leaders
Amplify your work and/or business in the green sector
Receive mentorship & support from industry insiders
Share your expertise with diverse communities
Benefits of being an Energy Trailblazer
Connecting with industry insiders
Networking is key in growing relationships and acts as the gateway to career development. Build rapport and share best practices, opportunities and networks within the workforce. Our team has organized two virtual sessions that will include employers, allies, the sector’s leading change-makers, organizations and municipalities. Energy Trailblazers will work on their ‘soft skills’ and receive the unique opportunity to ‘meet and greet’ with industry insiders from coast-to-coast without having to leave home.
Amplifying your voice
All Energy Trailblazers will be featured on our Career Hub on Efficiency Canada’s website. In addition, the Efficiency Canada team will source events for our Energy Trailblazers where each participant will be paired with two speaking engagements of their choice—including, but not limited to, Efficiency Canada events, as well as the Becoming Series. You will have the opportunity to build authority in your areas of expertise and gain further exposure.
Traveling to a strategic retreat
All Energy Trailblazers will meet in-person at a picturesque retreat centre to participate in a 3-day strategic session on professional goal-setting, sharing industry knowledge and building camaraderie within a newly emerging sector. The Energy Trailblazers will participate in an Energy Efficiency panel discussion which will be broadcasted live from our website.
Participating in an ‘Each One Teach One’ community model
Mentorship and diverse representation are both necessary factors in this growing sector. Energy Trailblazers can take advantage of a two-tier mentorship model in which each participant will be paired with a mentor of their choice, as well as, a mentee who is looking to transition from the oil and gas industry to the energy efficiency sector. Community engagement promotes a ‘pay it forward’ approach for participants to build authority in their mentorship roles while receiving honorariums.
Extra perks
Professional headshots
Honourariums for speaking at events
Professional branding via press and high-level digital assets
Professional bios
I was not expecting to walk into such a blend of truly interesting and supportive individuals. I cannot wait to unlock the collaboration and change this diverse group is capable of!
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
In the spirit of diversity and inclusion, Efficiency Canada’s Energy Trailblazers program is our way of challenging the sector’s limitations. Therefore, while the program is open to all Canadians working within the energy efficiency sector, we created a criteria that seeks to address this imbalance.
We welcome participants from one or more of the following equity seeking groups:
– First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples
– Black and People of Colour
– People who identify as 2SLGBTQAI+
– New Canadians
– Youth (aged 16 – 30)
– People living in rural areas
– People living with disabilities
– Womxn
I’ve done many things and have shifted so many times… I really wanted to be in the renewables sector but I was faced with a lot of discouragement from both men and women, saying that because I am a woman and don’t have a lot of experience, I wouldn’t get a job… but here I am today as an energy advisor and it’s because of all these skills I’ve gained from my past.
Diversity in the energy efficiency sector
