Lori Dunn
Optimus Technologies
Pittsburgh, PA USA
"Keep listening to yourself. Never let that voice get dimmed."
Career Roadmap
Lori's work combines: Business, Environment & Nature, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Oftentimes, women in leadership positions are labeled as bossy. Women in leadership aren't bossy—they're bosses. If you think there's any validity to the statement, I think it's important to do a bit of self-reflection to see where that could be stemming from. Did you participate in a conflict? Did you present yourself aggressively? Self-reflection and growth are good, but don't dampen your presence as a leader just because you're a woman.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Technical Theater / Theater Design and Technology
California State University, Fullerton
Graduate Degree
Coexistence in Conflicts
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University
Graduate Degree
Sustainable International Development, International Relations and Affairs
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I’ve always been passionate about social impact, which has been the throughpoint for my career path.
2.
I started my career exploring a few different avenues—I worked as a wedding photography assistant, a retail associate in a department store, and then a stage manager at Disneyland.
3.
I wasn’t really sure what to do next and I wanted to get into the social impact space, so I joined the Peace Corps, hoping to gain more direction there.
4.
Unsure if I could build a career in social impact with the experience I had, I decided to go back to school and earned two master’s degrees in global impact and conflict studies.
5.
I eventually found myself in the world of startups and sales while still being involved with social impact.
6.
That path led me into decarbonization, where I worked to help decarbonize buildings and the electrical grid, ultimately increasing our capacity for renewable energy.
7.
I now work as the chief operating officer at Optimus Technologies, a company focused on decarbonizing the heavy-duty diesel engine.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You're bossy.
How I responded:
Oftentimes, women in leadership positions are labeled as bossy. Women in leadership aren't bossy—they're bosses. If you think there's any validity to the statement, I think it's important to do a bit of self-reflection to see where that could be stemming from. Did you participate in a conflict? Did you present yourself aggressively? Self-reflection and growth are good, but don't dampen your presence as a leader just because you're a woman.