For Lisa Wieland, president of National Grid’s New England business, today is the best time to work in the evolving energy sector.

“To be at the heart of the energy transition is a pretty exciting place to be,” she said. The company’s goal, “is to build out the future grid while also balancing the need to ensure that we continue to support and enable economic development, not only here within the city but across the commonwealth.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Wieland also sheds light on National Grid’s role in shaping a diverse workforce pipeline that serves the needs of 2.3 million consumers.

“Last year, we created what we're calling our infrastructure academies, or energy infrastructure academies, that really target people across the spectrum,” Wieland said. That ranges from STEM-related academies that targets secondary education students, to energy infrastructure training designed for “work-ready adults.”

“At National Grid, we’re investing to build tomorrow’s workforce today.”

Listen to the episode to hear more about:

• Why National Grid invested in the commonwealth’s iconic, red-roofed international terminal (7:16)
• What attracted Wieland to National Grid (10:20)
• How National Grid engages with the community (16:21)
• Her professional and personal role models (13:32)
• Three pieces of advice for listeners, from up-and-coming leaders to current C-suite executives (19:03)

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Creating an inclusive, equitable workplace and “workforce of the future,” says Dr. Anne Klibanski, is imperative for any organization with a goal of delivering patient-focused health care.

“I think one of the most important lessons for all hospitals is to think about the local community,” says Klibanski, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham – which, she notes, “needs to look first at how to leverage what we have to create that working force of the future.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Klibanski details Mass General Brigham’s multipronged efforts to put patients “at the center of everything we do.”

“We are seeing a movement toward health care very much focused on patients, which is where health care always needs to be focused,” says Klibanski.

Listen for more from Klibanski about:

• How her leadership style has evolved alongside the health care system (3:42)
• What care changes she’s most excited about (10:19)
• Her favorite place in Boston (27:54)
• Her wish for the city (28:40)

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For Brooke Thomson, president of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the statewide business advocacy organization’s mission is clear.

“We are here to help businesses succeed. We know that when our businesses are strong, when our economy is strong, we can hire more people, we can pay great wages, people can have a good quality of life and do the things that they want to do,” Thomson says.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Thomson also shares details on AIM’s commitment to foster inclusion not only within its board and staff but also with the diverse suppliers on its membership roster.

“Creating access to opportunities for members is really what is key,” says Thomson. “That's what drives us at AIM every single day.”

Listen to the episode to hear more from Thomson on:

• The best advice she’s been given (13:37)
• Top post-Covid-19 issue for AIM’s constituents (20:49)
• Her childhood career ambition (26:44)
• A Boston leader to watch (28:12)

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What drives innovation? Andrew Bialecki, CEO and president of Klaviyo, says it’s people willing to take chances and “embrace the willingness to be wrong.”

“If you surround yourself with a lot of other ambitious, thoughtful people, you're just naturally going to want to try things,” says Bialecki, one of the company’s co-founders. “At Klaviyo, we're not afraid to take risks.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Bialecki not only details the history and philosophy of Klaviyo – a tech company providing an automation platform for email and SMS marketing – but shares a pivotal piece of career advice.

If you're not good at something yet,” he says, “just get your foot in that door, crack it open an inch and then don't ever let somebody stop you from opening it all the way.”

Listen to the episode to hear more from Bialecki about:

• Two milestones not celebrated at Klaviyo (11:15)
• What he finds interesting about AI (16:10)
• His career aspiration as a child (22:43)
• The hobby he pursues in his spare time (24:42)

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The Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund’s goal, says Dr. Makeeba McCreary, is to raise $100 million to support nonprofit leaders of color.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, McCreary, president of the fund, delves into how the organization is disrupting the philanthropy sector.

McCreary, born and raised in Boston’s South End, launched her career in service to others, which included working in shelters, and theatrical performances before moving to “education policy.”

“I really wanted to be a part of solutions around systems issues that I thought could have made a real difference for some of my friends who I grew up with that didn't have as many successes, I guess you could say, as I did,” McCreary says.

Listen to the episode to hear more from McCreary about:

• Her guiding principle (12:01)
• Advice to her younger self (13:26)
• What she finds troubling (15:06)
• Why impatience is necessary (22:10)

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The New England Aquarium, says president and CEO Vikki Spruill, is far more than a tourist attraction.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Spruill details the scope and significance of the 54-year-old institution’s contributions – research, education and advocacy, among others – to Boston and far beyond the city limits.

As the leader of a marine-based nonprofit with a workforce of 290 and two campuses, Spruill is passionate about climate resiliency, ocean conservation and the role the aquarium plays in furthering those objectives.

The aquarium’s mission is working “for a vital and vibrant ocean for all,” Spruill says. “We hope to inspire everyone to form a deeper connection with the ocean and take action to protect it.”

Listen to the episode to hear more from Spruill on:

• The aquarium’s plastic-free gift shop (6:04)
• “Working at the speed of trust” (9:39)
• The job of a leader (16:56)
• Her wish for Boston (26:21)

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Robert Lewis Jr. will never forget Boston’s desegregation busing crisis in the 1970s – an intensely volatile period during which his home was firebombed.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Lewis, now Nicholas President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and a longtime community leader, reveals how the unrest became the genesis for his purpose. Lewis, who was 16 when his East Boston home was targeted, vowed “to do work that's about bringing people together, about bringing communities together."

A member of the Boys & Girls Clubs during his childhood, Lewis now helms an organization with eight locations, whose future, he says, is “around academics, workforce readiness, and health and wellness.

“We want the Boys & Girls Clubs to be the place that our teens are excited about,” he says.

Listen to the episode to hear more from Lewis on:

• What he does when he’s not working (9:16)
• “Passion points” providing access to opportunities for young people (20:07)
• His life-threatening battle with Covid (21:37)
• What’s on his bucket list (31:37)

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As president and CEO of Meet Boston, Martha Sheridan’s job is to position Boston “as one of the premier destinations in the world.”

On this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Sheridan details how she and her 501(c)(6) organization – that markets the Boston area as a destination for meetings, conventions and leisure visits – accomplishes that goal.

“if we don't invite them, they're not going to come back, so our work is incredibly valuable,” Sheridan says.

Meet Boston’s efforts are bolstered by its commitments to boosting workforce development in the hospitality sector and showcasing nontraditional visitor destinations, like Dorchester, East Boston and Roxbury.

Listen to the episode to hear more from Sheridan on:

• Her former job as a tour director on motor coaches. (3:23)
• Engaging and retaining Meet Boston’s team through hybrid work. (10:34)
• Avoiding the mistake of “burning a bridge.” (20:59)
• The most overlooked spot in Boston. (23:50)

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