10 Years of So Energy: Urvi's Story

Meet Urvi, our Senior Project Manager here at So Energy. From grassroots climate justice campaigns to leading initiatives in the energy sector, Urvi’s past decade spans four continents and holds countless lessons. In the blog below, she reflects on how her passion for equity, storytelling and systems change led her to So Energy, and how unexpected paths can lead to powerful impact.

In 2015, I was a university student thousands of miles from home, navigating a new country, a new culture, and what felt like a million new ideas about who I was and what I stood for. I had just started my second year at Skidmore College in upstate New York, double-majoring in Environmental Studies and Media & Film Studies. Coming from Delhi, India, studying abroad in the U.S. opened up an entirely new perspective. I found myself pulled toward the intersections of environmental justice and storytelling, realising how the power of narrative could reshape how we understand and address climate issues.

That exploration ended up taking me all over the world: from sustainable development programmes in Tanzania to grassroots energy justice work in Washington, D.C., and even communications and production projects with UNICEF in New York and the Rainforest Alliance in Kenya. Each experience was different, but they were all connected by a common thread: understanding the human face of climate change. I saw that real change happens when we listen deeply, communicate clearly and act with purpose.

If you’d asked me back then where I thought I’d be in 10 years, I might have said East Africa or South Asia, working directly with communities impacted by climate change. I imagined myself in the field, amplifying local voices and advocating for sustainable development rooted in equity. But as time passed, I realised that storytelling was just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Through hands-on work, further study and collaboration across sectors, I started to see the deeper systems that shape outcomes: policies, power structures, funding models and strategic decisions that often happen far away from the communities they impact.

That led me to pursue a Master’s in Environment and Sustainable Development at UCL’s Bartlett School of Planning. The programme changed the way I think and opened the door to something I never expected: a role in the energy sector. I hadn’t set out to work in business or project management, but joining So Energy has been one of the most unexpectedly rewarding chapters of my journey.

At So Energy, I’ve been able to integrate the personal, academic and professional parts of my sustainability journey into one powerful platform. I began by focusing on project delivery, but over time, I’ve moved into a leadership role where I help shape how sustainability is embedded across teams and strategy. It’s a different kind of impact than what I envisioned a decade ago, but just as meaningful.

What makes this work fulfilling is that it’s not theoretical. Everything we do plays a role in accelerating the green energy transition. Being in the energy sector has taught me the importance of creating the right conditions for people and businesses to thrive within Earth’s boundaries. It’s about aligning long-term goals with real-world urgency.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked across four continents, in roles spanning policy, production, community engagement and corporate transformation. I’ve collaborated with rural women in Kenya, government officials in India, youth leaders in the U.S., and business stakeholders in the UK. Every experience has sharpened my understanding of what meaningful change looks like. And more importantly, they’ve shaped who I’ve become.

I’ve learned to hold space for nuance. I’ve learned to move between grassroots activism and boardroom strategy. I’ve learned to lead with empathy, curiosity and humility. And through it all, I’ve held onto the same belief that brought me into this work in the first place: that sustainability must be built with people, not just for them.

A lot can change in 10 years, but So Energy’s commitment to helping its customers live more sustainable lives hasn’t. I’m proud to be part of a team that’s working toward the same goal: a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.