What does a typical day look like for you? (If there has been a typical day…)

Sanna: My day started with team stand ups and then I’d come into lab and set up according to what we had planned the evening prior. When Graham comes in, we start running experiments and building batteries.

Avinash: I mostly spend time in the Sting accelerator. My morning routine consists of replying to emails, planning my week, and doing work. I always reserve 1-2 hours to explore new ideas, especially after I’ve been talking to Mylad and Samer. In the evenings, I’d come to our industrial lab to work on the machines, sometimes also doing lab work by working on experiments and setting up electrolytes.

Anna: My day starts in the morning in USA so I can sit in on afternoon meetings happening in Sweden. Usually, I have meetings in the first half of the day as I’m 6 hours behind. In the afternoons, I finish up on assigned work. Even with the time difference, I didn’t feel disconnected and had enough time to work. Everyone was great at giving me timely and thoughtful feedback. Sometimes it was bizarre to get emails at 4am or see 2am meetings on the calendar. I’ve been lucky as lots of my friends have remote jobs too, so we all sit and work together which helps create a focused and connected environment.

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‍Did your school work prepare you for your time at Enerpoly?

Sanna: I was surprised by how much my classes are applicable here. I’ve studied textbook examples in school of what I’m seeing here in the lab. For example, I was able to use my knowledge from my fluid mechanics class and apply it to the battery slurry properties. I haven’t taken Electrochem yet so that has been learning by doing. Coming in, I wish I had known more about batteries from class rather than having to read it up myself.

Avinash: I directly learnt all topics in classes such as the SDGs and LCA analysis and researched more about the LCA on my own. I wish I’d known more about batteries and electrochemistry terms such as depth of discharge and battery deterioration. But I was able to absorb the new information to successfully complete my work, and now I understand how applications are dependent on the electrochemistry.

Anna: My Eco-Entrepreneurship course that I had last semester aligned with startup concepts like the lean business canvas. However, classes like corporate finance did not feel applicable so the experience this summer was invaluable for me in learning how a startup operates. It was great to also understand how to pitch and what potential investors are looking for. One of my favorite experiences this summer was watching Eloisa (Eloisa de Castro, CEO) pitch at Dealflow and field the jury’s questions because I saw Enerpoly in the context of all these other sustainability startups and saw us place in the top three.

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So, what skills will you take away after your Enerpoly internship?

Sanna: Besides technical knowledge gained, I learned how to prioritize on investigations. As I learned more, I was able to understand the why behind Graham and Mylad’s decision making. I was a bit overwhelmed in the beginning and I’ve seen how much more efficient I’ve become in working throughout the internship. I’ve nailed certain processes and assembly line work and figured out how to be most efficient by doing certain tasks at once. I’ve definitely developed better lab skills and am better at communicating to Graham’s and Mylad’s expectations as efficient communication is essential given the fast-paced nature of the startup.

Avinash: A big takeaway for me is understanding batteries and how big of an impact they can have in reaching net zero targets. Regarding sustainability, I can now apply the data I have collected for Scope 1-3 emissions. I got to explore new terms I had only heard of and put them in relation the Enerpoly. I also gained knowledge about the different, growing applications of batteries.

Anna: I’ve taken away a whole new set of critical thinking and analysis skills, and I’ve learned to communicate more effectively. My writing has improved as working on applications and pitches has helped me become more concise and direct. I leaned the steps needed to make effective connections and get pilots. With my research on end users, I’ve learned how to filter out data to what’s most relevant to us. The companies I researched put out a lot of info and I’ve become much better at determining what is greenwashing versus what’s actually being done that may have synergies with us. This improvement has come from practice and from gaining a good idea of who Enerpoly is and what we want to accomplish.

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Any other things to note about your summer?

Sanna: I loved the off-work experiences Enerpoly had like the Stockholm tour. It was nice to take the time off and go around the city. It felt like a friend group going around, getting to relax and appreciate the city. Since it’s super Swedish to take the summer off, the building and workplaces were quiet. Also, I really like fikas (the Swedish term for coffee breaks) and getting to eat traditional sweets.

Avinash: It’s super quiet right now since everyone is on vacation in Europe. Like Sanna, I think fikas are great. I’ve got quite a coffee addiction now, drinking 2+ cups of coffee a day. I really enjoyed the potluck we had with all the Enerpoly team members this summer as we got to hang out and relax and talk.

Anna: The first Friday I worked we had a work happy hour which was fun. It was at around 1pm for me, and we all talked for hours. It must have been a 5-hour Microsoft Teams meeting! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming that I felt connected to the team even with the time difference and being new and having a remote role. I also remember the day Enerpoly was going to talk to ABInBev. We took a picture with all of us holding an Anheuser-Busch beer for the pitch deck.  It was the afternoon in Sweden, but it was 8am for me so it was just funny to start my day taking a picture with a beer. I also felt like I got some understanding of Swedish culture, even while being remote. Everyone was always talking about different pastries and Mr. Cake, a pastry shop right by the office.

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What are you looking forward to for the next school year?

Sanna: I’m excited to get the culture shock of going back to USA. Dance groups have done online things and social events were so restricted that I’m excited to do things in person. Now that I’ve had this lab experience and enjoyed it, I’m keener on getting involved with research when I get back to campus.

Avinash: I’m excited for some time to relax! I will continue my biking tour of Sweden, pick up indoor swimming, and choose my master thesis topics. I’ll be in contact with Enerpoly to discuss possible thesis ideas, and I want to work on developing more skills in sustainability analyses.

Anna: I’m excited about my rugby season as I haven’t gotten to play all of last year and we couldn’t tackle each other. I’m really looking forward to being back with the team and having that community. Also, I miss the aspect of college where you can organically meet people so I’m looking forward to that.

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