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By Estelle Reyes, 
Senior Vice President of Enhancing Communities Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)

Women and girls often face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change, yet they are consistently left out of the climate innovation conversation. The reasons for this underrepresentation in the climate tech and cleantech spaces include a lack of women role models in the field, the perception that cleantech is a male-dominated and White-led field, and a lack of encouragement from educational institutions to pursue cleantech careers.

By focusing on cleantech as a lever of change, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is working to uplift current and emerging women leaders in the cleantech sector. LACI’s Women in Cleantech (WICT) program aims to address these current and historical disparities in representation and funding, while providing a supportive network for women across the community.

For nearly a decade, I have had the pleasure of leading WICT programming at LACI. During that time, I have seen this program bolster women’s representation, equip them with new tools and skillsets, and pave the way for them to play a role in solving today’s climate challenges. One of our WICT members highlighted that the program provided her with additional resources and networking opportunities, ultimately supporting her in securing a green job and the opportunity to chart her own career path in the cleantech sector.

The inspiring women who form the WICT network (now more than 1,700 strong) are focused on recruiting and supporting more women in accelerating their solutions, sector expertise, and career growth. Moreover, with the support of WICT and LACI programming, more than 235 women founders have received resources to grow their businesses, and 241 women workforce participants have accelerated their careers in the green economy. Of the 17 recipients of LACI’s Impact Fund, 29% are led by a woman founder. This number greatly exceeds the percentage of venture capital funding that women founders receive, which is estimated at just 2.4%. Such laudable results demonstrate the necessity of investing in today’s women to produce tomorrow’s innovators.

The investment in women and underrepresented groups is not a zero-sum game. LACI is committed
to building an inclusive green economy because we recognize that when we uplift startup founders, accelerate zero-emission solutions, and equip the green workforce with the tools they need to succeed, our communities become stronger. WICT is a place for women of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels to come together in support of one another, and in pursuit of more equitable and sustainable communities.

Los Angeles’ commitment to cleantech will soon be propelled onto a world stage. In preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, the region is working toward bold transportation, electrification, and clean energy targets set by LACI’s public-private partnerships. As LACI and its partners pursue these targets, we need the capable leaders of the WICT community on board. We encourage women leaders everywhere to join us by stepping up to help solve the climate challenges facing our communities.

This “Closer Look” article is part of the 2026 Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™. To access and read the full report, click here.