Colette’s Story: Breaking Barriers for Women in Product Leadership
Part of our ‘Accelerating Action’ Series for International Women’s Day 2025
As a Product Manager in OpenSolar’s Enterprise Pod, Colette Ocampo helps solar businesses scale faster. Her work focuses on delivering tailored solutions like custom API integrations, bespoke proposal templates, and enhanced data reporting — tools that make life easier for solar professionals navigating complex projects.
What Colette loves most is the connection between product development and real-world impact. By collaborating directly with solar professionals, she helps ensure OpenSolar’s platform doesn’t just look good on paper — it actually works for the people who rely on it.
Her own career experience has shown her first-hand how much representation matters — especially when it comes to leadership.
“As a woman working in tech and solar, I’ve felt my voice best heard equally in organizations with women in leadership.”
But Colette also believes accelerating action means widening the path into solar and tech for women from all backgrounds — not just those who started with technical degrees.
“It’s great to see younger generations encouraged to enter these industries, and I wish there were more opportunities for women in other fields to transition into tech and solar. We bring valuable perspectives, and more support for that shift would help strengthen the industry.”
That curiosity and openness to learning have shaped Colette’s entire career, and it’s what she encourages others to embrace.
“Follow your curiosity. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who know more than you, because most of the time, they’re happy to share what they know. Curiosity and a growth mindset will take you further than trying to know everything upfront.”
For Colette, accelerating action is about breaking down the myth that there’s only one right way to build a career in tech. Instead, she wants to show the next generation that curiosity, courage, and a willingness to ask questions are just as valuable as any technical degree.
Read more from our IWD2025 series.
