MOM-entum…
“My fullest concentration of energy is available to me only when I integrate all parts of who I am…”
Audre Lorde
“She’s a lawyer who does electricity things,”
my seven-year old, telling a friend what her mom does for work
Efficient, decisive, gritty. Patient in the grind, showing up day-in, and day-out to build something meaningful over the years.
These are some of the traits that I have developed as a mom of five, who is also doing the hard, decades-long work of evolving our energy system.
Many people prefer to compartmentalize, but I’ve learned those divisions deplete me and undermine my work.
So my mind and days are a swirling blend of school logistics and ELCC reform. Within that is the reality that some of my best insights have happened while driving carpool or winding down the day while reading with my children.
I care a lot about what it means to do ambitious work while also being deeply rooted in family and community. Since I believe that we build energy systems over decades, not years, I can’t show up over that time scale while setting my family aside.
This integration means that I spoke to 300 people on stage at DERVOS ‘23 five weeks after having a baby, and brought my little guy along. That was right for me, and I share in case it helps anyone else learn what works for them.
My five-week old at DERVOS ‘23
At home, we come back to a simple set of values:
good. true. fun.
It shapes how we make decisions, what we prioritize, and what we’re actually trying to build—both day to day and over time.
This echoes through my work.
What is good—for the grid and our future, not just my company or client.
What is true—while accounting for physics and uncompromising reliability, can we do new things together, rather than resting on the way that we’ve always done them.
What is fun—I’m energized by the challenges we face, and I think we can bring enthusiasm—even fun—to work, whether it’s a meme, a Halloween costume, or solar-powered concert covered by Rolling Stone.
Given that my peers and I work on the electricity systems upon which our lives rely, I keep my work grounded in simple values. That matters when contemplating what kind of systems we’re building, whether they actually hold up in the real world, and the people those systems are meant to serve.
The MOTHERS with Sarah Brown
In this episode of The Mothers, Allison shares how she walked away from a high-status legal career – not toward a perfectly mapped plan, but toward her inner knowing. What followed was a purpose-driven life and career built around alignment instead of achievement, and a redefinition of ambition that leaves space for five kids, deep work, and meaning.
Now a leader in energy policy and VP at Sparkfund, Allison reflects on the seductive pull of shiny paths, the moment you realize old definitions of success no longer fit, and why so many high achievers confuse external validation with worth.