By Madison LaMountain – 9/24/24

When did you start and what do you do at The Energy Co-op? 

I started in August 2024, and I am a marketing intern, so I help the marketing manager with related tasks.  

Could you share more about your journey and your background that lead you here? 

In college I studied public relations, and a branch of PR that stuck out to me was Corporate Social Responsibility and the ways in which consumerism is beginning to have more sustainable mindsets. It was an interest that has grown into my desired career path as well as a passion. After college I held a few public relations roles, including internal communications, social media management, multimedia design, but I feel the energy co-op is more closely aligned with my desire to do nonprofit and CSR work in the multimedia field.  

What have you enjoyed about the work you have done so far? 

There’s something so special about working with a group of people with values systems that all align. The work feels impactful. I also have been enjoying tapping into graphic design-type projects.  

Tell us a very interesting fact about yourself that we don’t already know. 

I can play guitar, and I used to be in a band in high school (not a good one).  

What do you like (or dislike!) the most about living in/around Philly?   

I’m originally from Richmond, Virginia, which is a fairly car reliant city, so something I’ve always loved about Philly is that you don’t need a car to live here, in fact in the city, it’s easier without one; everything you could need or want is already nearby or easy to get to. I also just love how eclectic the city is.  

What song has been your JAM recently? 

Irish Eyes by Rose Betts and the entire Unreal Unearth: Unaired album by Hozier  

What does sustainability mean to you and how do you put it into practice day to day? 

Sustainability is so broad and can be practiced in so many different ways. For me, I try to support brands or make purchases from environmentally conscious companies, companies that treat employees fairly, and companies involved in CSR programs over ones that don’t. I try to replace disposable single use products with re-useable ones where I can, and just being mindful of where my products come from and where they go when I’m done with them. I also use public transportation and carpool. I also just try to stay knowledgeable and educated on these topics and make small changes in my life as I can where I can.