Agents of change

As energy systems shift, so do the people driving them. A new generation of leaders are bringing human insight to an industry long defined by technology and infrastructure. The Rising Stars of the CHARGE Energy Branding Awards are reimagining what this transition can look like: simplifying the complex, championing people-first technology solutions and leading with relentless optimism, showing that the future can be both visionary and grounded in present-day relevance.

Put people before platforms

The energy sector is a complex machine powered by acronyms, engineering systems, and regulation. But if the future of energy is to be sustainable, it must also be understood. Natalie Goldfarb, Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Digital Communications at the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), believes the answer lies in a blend of human-centered storytelling and clear, accessible communication that makes complex topics seem relatable and actionable. “You can have the best technology in the world, but if your stakeholders don’t understand or trust it, it won’t scale,” she explains. "You can't scale what you can't explain."

This philosophy shapes Natalie’s approach to brand and communications: combining human-centred storytelling—through events like SEPA’s Energy Evolution Summit and amplifying
member-led innovations—with data driven strategy, using performance metrics and audience insights to make complex energy solutions tangible.

Mya Wilkes, Senior Content Marketing Manager at Schneider Electric, echoes this need for accessible narratives: "Storytelling becomes the most important thing. People will tune out or feel overwhelmed if we’re not being really intentional about the story we’re telling."

It’s an approach that balances long-term vision with present-day realities. “Our clients are public school districts and city agencies,” Mya notes. "For many of them, energy is the fifteenth thing on their list of priorities. Our job is to show how a smart energy strategy can put money back into serving their communities."

Design with the user in mind

Innovation isn’t innovation unless it works for real people. That’s a mindset Daniel Kirwin, Retail Flexibility Strategy and Program Manager, lives by in his work at Octopus Energy US. "Distributed energy resources, virtual power plants— these aren’t abstract concepts. They’re someone’s thermostat, someone’s EV, their home."

Daniel leads initiatives that actively reward customers for their role in grid stability. On days when energy is abundant, his team offers free electricity to encourage usage. During peak periods, customers are paid to reduce demand. "We want people to feel the benefits of the transition in real time,” he says. For Daniel, the path forward is clear: "We want to bring customers into the fold of the energy transition. It shouldn’t be a novel idea. But it still is."

Isadora Matos, Marketing and Analytics Specialist at EIQdigital, is on a mission to personalize the energy experience for consumers, motivated by her own frustrating experience navigating the Texas energy market. "Most people are stuck with energy plans that simply don’t fit their lifestyle” she says. "With AI and the data we already have—where you live, your usage patterns, energy habits, smart devices—we can finally recommend energy plans that are truly tailored to each customer’s needs.”

She’s helped drive the creation of platforms like Personalized.energy, which uses AI-Powered Search Engine to forecast personal and home energy usage history to provide tailored energy plan recommendations. "Before, energy used to be sold door-to-door—you’d sign up because someone showed up at the right time. Now, we’re using data to offer tailored plans the way Spotify suggests your next song based on your listening history and habits. It’s the same personalization logic, just applied to energy," she explains. From replacing static FAQ pages with conversational AI chat interfaces to building personalized plan tools, she’s making energy feel more like a service people understand and trust.

Natalie agrees: "We’re finally moving beyond tech-only solutions and starting to center people in this work. Communications and community engagement are no longer add-ons but central to innovation."

Build space for bold thinking

If there's one mindset shift these Rising Stars are eager to champion, it's that energy is for everyone and affects everyone. A move away from exclusion, complexity and confusion, and toward access, clarity and relevance for every type of consumer.

Daniel’s mission is to make that cost saving potential visible to consumers through brand trust and product innovation. "We want customers to associate Octopus with a brand that does what no one else will do for them. If you trust us, we’ll help you save money and support a greener grid, without asking you to sacrifice comfort."

For Isadora, the mindset shift is about breaking away from outdated, one-size fits-all thinking. “Electricity has always been sold around fixed usage tiers—500, 1,000, or 2,000 kWh. But no two homes use energy the same way. AI allows us to predict each customer’s actual usage and tailor plans accordingly,” she explains. "It’s like moving from off-the-rack to made-to-measure."

But she’s clear that change won’t happen overnight. "People aren’t used to thinking about energy this way. Most don’t want to spend more than six minutes a year on their electricity plan, yet they’re frustrated by their bill every month. We’re in the middle of a mindset shift, and it’s going to take time."

Brand: the unseen strategic lever

Amidst discussions of data, demand, and distributed energy, brand might seem like an afterthought. But to the Rising Stars, it is a strategic lever.

Brand, for Natalie, is more than a logo or a tagline; it’s the community people feel a part of. "When your audience understands and trusts your mission, you’ll see advocates, champions, and change-makers come on board," she says. "People have an innate desire to contribute to something larger than themselves—make your brand the community they can rally behind."

Daniel sees brand as a trust contract. "When customers trust you with their thermostat or their EV, it’s because they believe you’ll treat them fairly and deliver value. That trust—that brand—is what allows the energy transition to become real in their homes."

Isadora focuses on using AI to personalize the energy experience and she sees brand as the mechanism that helps people trust these new tools. "It’s not just about technology doing something smarter; it’s about helping people understand why it matters. From the plan selection to finalizing the enrolment, brand is what carries the logic in a way people can follow and feel good about," she explains.

Mya agrees: "At Schneider Electric, brand is the unifying face of a company with thousands of moving parts. It creates clarity. And clarity creates confidence, not just for customers, but for internal teams trying to align around a shared purpose."

These leaders aren’t just visionaries. They’re navigating the energy transition from the front lines, tackling today’s pressures while holding a clear vision of what tomorrow demands. With fresh thinking and fearless experimentation, they’re not waiting for permission to change the system.

They’re already doing it.