We're introducing you to this year's 40 Under 40 honorees.
CEO of Enerlite Consulting Inc.
Ladan Ghobad started her sustainable design firm Enerlite Consulting Inc. to pursue a practice she had studied in graduate school — combining the analysis of a building's potential energy use with design to increase sunlight in the building.
Ghobad asserts that these two design functions are generally done separately, resulting in neglect of consideration of the impact that sunlight has on energy use.
She launched Enerlite in 2020 after six-and-a-half years as an energy analyst at firms including Glumac, where she helped engineer buildings such as the state of California's new Clifford L. Allenby Building in Downtown Sacramento for greater energy efficiency.
In June, Enerlite won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop technology for modeling a building's energy use.
Age: 39
Education: Doctorate in sustainable design, North Carolina State University; was a visiting scholar at the MIT Sustainable Technology Lab; master's degree in architectural engineering from Shahid Beheshti University in Iran; bachelor's degree in architecture from Tehran Azad University
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced during your career and how did you respond to it?
"The biggest challenge was starting a new business during the pandemic with my certain personal conditions — having two small children and a husband who is a full-time health care worker. Being a woman and a minority to start a business in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, which is a male-dominated, was not easy. I responded to this challenge with adaptation. I tried to adapt to the situation, extend my capabilities, stretch myself, while trying to enjoy each step of the process, learn and use it for future growth. I believe I am stronger than before due to the challenges that I had faced."
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment?
"One of my biggest professional accomplishments was receiving a Ph.D. degree in sustainable design from North Carolina State University College of Design. I believe my other biggest accomplishment is the 2021 SBIR/STTR grant from the Department of the Energy to create advanced energy modeling techniques for buildings to help them save energy and reduce carbon emissions. I have worked on many net-zero energy projects and high-performance buildings, one of which is located in Downtown Sacramento. These kind of buildings set an example for other buildings in the future."
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made during your career?
"I believe that I have not made any mistakes during my career; I was extremely fortunate to make the best decisions at every step of the process and I am extremely happy with where I stand in my professional and personal life. Making a decision was not always easy and it meant standing against the general flow or my personal desire at some points."
