The announcement of Anterix’s first customer was certainly a breakthrough moment for the energy and wireless telecom industries, as well as Anterix itself. But for me, it represented a notable milestone in my career, the culmination of a journey that followed the evolution of these two industries.

For more than a decade, I’d been guiding my career toward a breakthrough moment between energy and wireless telecom. More than a dozen years ago, I had the opportunity to work on a ‘smart grid’ solution that showed me how the integration of telecommunications technologies could make the grid not only smarter and safer but more resilient, secure, and sustainable, too. It had become a passion and I was determined to help make it possible.

Once, I accepted a job that was 100 miles from my home rather than the alternative that would have been a much shorter commute. It afforded me the opportunity to apply my experience in wireless telecom to enhance the reliability and safety of grid solutions. A bonus was that it featured a renewable energy portfolio of products and intelligent applications for smart cities. I am grateful that I had such experiences that resulted in building blocks in my career.

Getting Anterix to this moment was a journey that went well beyond engineering and technology. When you’re developing a breakthrough solution, there is no playbook or how-to video on how to do it. Our first task was to gain support as we (successfully) navigated the FCC process to reconfigure the spectrum band – no easy task in itself. We worked through numerous pilots, leveraged expertise where it was needed, developed industry alliances and worked hard to get to that first customer.

In my role at Anterix , I have the opportunity to meet and work with wireless and energy industry pioneers, as well as the young leaders who will drive innovation into the future. As a woman, I want to share with girls and young women that they can follow their passions and that they should use their voices and bring their unique, authentic experiences to the table because true collaboration and strong partnerships do more than just make the moment happen. They make the journey all that much better, too.