In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn sits down with former Commissioner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Vaishali Udupa and Jennifer Ronk, a plastics and sustainability expert at Dow, to explore how STEM careers are opening doors far beyond the lab. 
From supervising drilling crews to leading 10,000 people at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Jennifer and Vaishali share candid stories about leadership, resilience, and the mentors who changed their lives. They unpack why sustainability is "everybody's job," how patents fuel innovation, and why the next generation shouldn't be afraid of AI. 
Plus, they talk about raising curious kids, safari adventures, and why Zoolander and The Usual Suspects still make the rewatch list.

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To make sustainable change, protect our environment and create a lower-carbon future, we need to have a dialogue with everyone involved. Join us on Sustainably Speaking, as we talk with innovators, policymakers, academics, and scientists to discuss the most critical issues of our time – and innovative ways to create a brighter future through the lens of sustainability. Visit: https://plasticmakers.org/education-innovation/podcast/.