Give Jackie Chimiak an unprecedented challenge and she’ll find a way to meet it.

Veena P. has learned in her 14 years at GE Vernova that earning patent recognition for her inventions isn’t a matter of waiting for lightning to strike. Instead, the technology manager in electrical systems at GE Vernova’s Advanced Research Center in Bengaluru, India, has developed a systematic process that has helped her successfully register 30 patent applications so far, with more in the works all the time. Her innovations support GE Vernova’s mission to accelerate the energy transition, making power systems more efficient and reliable.

When Kassy Hart was a teenager, she thought the life of an engineer was a bit like a newspaper cartoon she used to read. “You’re just sitting at a desk not talking to anyone, and this boss will yell at you for no reason,” says Hart, who is now a data center and hydrogen commercialization manager at GE Vernova. “That was before I got to design something.”

Growing up near the shores of Lake Michigan in the 1990s, Lisa Berry didn’t harbor engineering ambitions. But everything changed when she joined her high school’s robotics group. “My brother had been a member, and it looked pretty cool,” remembers Berry, who is now GE Vernova’s decarbonization and data center technology director for the Americas. One of the coolest things was the chance to learn from one of the program’s founders, Natalie Lowell, a local manufacturing engineer who mentored the budding roboticists.

In an increasingly electrifying world, efficiency is crucial. The global energy sector is adopting HVDC (high-voltage direct current) technology for its superior capability and cost-effectiveness over long distances. HVDC systems can transmit more than three times as much power as alternating current (AC), with up to 50% fewer losses.

Let’s say you’re a developing country whose power grid is saddled with inefficient oil-fired power generation and you need to electrify quickly to meet the needs of a fast-growing economy. You might build out your solar, wind, battery storage, natural gas, or all of the above — but who can you call for help and advice?

How does a rock climber from Chile wind up working in America’s intellectual capital, Cambridge, Massachusetts? For Matias Opazo, a pivotal meeting last year with GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik sparked the beginning of a new career chapter.

Last week, at Climate Week NYC, GE Vernova was an influential voice in shaping the global conversation on smarter, more sustainable energy — highlighting the need for breakthrough solutions and urging bold leadership to meet accelerating demand. While the UN General Assembly drew headlines across town, GE Vernova contributed to the “Power On” theme at Climate Week by announcing recent advances in nuclear and carbon capture, and promoting a message of optimism, urgency, and collaboration.

Axios House: Moving the Needle