At IHI Terrasun, we are committed to creating a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace. Our team is at the forefront of leading energy storage innovations every day — and we believe that employees with different perspectives and backgrounds spark better ideas and solutions.

In honor of Black History Month, also referred to as Black Heritage Month, we share insights from two IHI Terrasun team members.

Dramaine Irions, Director of Contracts and Commercial Operations 6 years at IHI Terrasun

What does Black History Month mean to me? That’s a big question. First, I prefer to use the phrase ‘Black Heritage Month’ because I think that encompasses a broader conversation. I believe we’re not just talking about the past; we’re talking about the present — and we’re talking about the future. Celebrating my heritage means everything to me and who I am.

Black Heritage Month is an opportunity to highlight contributions — but we should be highlighting these contributions year-round. Overall, while I appreciate the recognitions and maybe celebrations, I would say that the first thing that companies can do to celebrate Black heritage is to 1) ensure their Board of Directors and Corporate Leadership are diverse and reflect diverse perspectives; and 2) recruit, develop, promote and compensate African American employees fairly and equitably. And I think that will go a long way towards recognizing and celebrating Black Heritage in the workplace. But specifically, during the month of February, or at least in the first quarter of the calendar year, I think it's important that companies support their employees and support the fullness of their employees. It means taking care of your people and making sure that the folks that identify as African American in those organizations feel valued and feel like they have a place in the company.

My advice for young African American professionals who might be considering the renewable industry today is take some chances, take some risks. Renewable energy, particularly energy storage, is at the beginning of industry development. So, you might need to take some chances in terms of an opportunity or a role: companies will change, jobs will change, priorities will shift. It's okay to try it. I would also say that because renewable energy is a very new industry, we would appreciate having diverse perspectives to help us tackle the problems that we are facing. And that requires all manner of ideas and thoughts. So, bring your ideas and your thoughts to the table so that they can be heard and evaluated, criticized and included. Cultural and gender diversity (and even ableism diversity) are crucial in business today. We need different perspectives to speak to the problems that we are trying to solve. And if renewable energy is expected to impact all of us in some way, then we need contributions from all of us to ensure that we are considering a broad range of ideas and solutions.

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Michelle Potts, Commercial Operations Lead 7 years at IHI Terrasun

Black History Month is important for me because, throughout my adult life, I've consistently been one of the very few Black people in the room. Black History Month is an opportunity to acknowledge the need to continually bring diverse voices into the decision-making process. For organizations, Black History Month is an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate bridging the gap. But it should also be a time to show their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion — because we are stronger together. My goal during Black History Month is to get more people comfortable with the idea of entering energy storage and renewables. I want others to know that they belong in our industry and that we are committed to welcoming individuals with different viewpoints and backgrounds. A lot is changing and going on in the industry — that is one of the things I love about working in renewables — and everyone should feel confident in taking advantage of the opportunities that exist.

While Black History Month is recognized one month out of the year, IHI Terrasun is committed to honoring diversity and inclusion all year round — every single day.

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