Influential Woman · Sustainability in Data Center Development

Marissa Bell

Senior Sustainability Manager, Stream Data Centers

Denver, CO

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health from Colorado State University Degree Master's degree in Greenhouse Gas Management and Accounting from Colorado State University Cert Women in Leadership and Development (WILD) Program

Her Story

About Marissa

I've been working in the sustainability world for over 7 years, with experience in both the public and the private sector. This has given me the opportunity to see a pretty diverse environment and execute, problem-solve, and analyze in many different ways. My key responsibilities include working on greenhouse gas emissions reporting across the entire portfolio of the company, figuring out where we stand and how we can decarbonize to reach our sustainability goals. My role touches a lot of different pillars including energy, water, waste, and community engagement, and I work with almost every team throughout the whole company. I look at things at a bird's eye view, at a really high level, and try to see from start to finish where we can make improvements, reductions, and energy efficiencies to meet the goals we want. One of my most notable achievements has been pioneering a sustainability program where one did not exist prior. I came into a company, figured out where they stood, and built the entire program from the ground up with zero direction and no clear path. This involved coordination to figure out our baseline, what was material to the company, who the stakeholders were, what mattered for making reductions, and how we could do that, then implementing those changes along the way.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Marissa

01What do you attribute your success to?

I would say that the support from friends and family has been big, and then also professional mentors along the way.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

I would definitely say, being able to network and meet as many people as possible. If you have the opportunity to connect with someone new that might not be even in your bubble, do so. Be curious about the people around you, and you'll be surprised at the types of people that you come across.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

If you are entering into sustainability, I would say keep a curious and open mind. This field is constantly changing and evolving, and if you're adaptable, it's a really fun and exciting place to be in, just because you are making an impact, hopefully, to the greater future.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenges right now are the biggest world challenges, I think. We are running out of natural resources, and energy usage is a bridge. We are trying to figure out something that's much bigger than ourselves of how to combat climate change, and it's a very complex and layered problem. I think it's really interesting to be a part of, but it's definitely a huge challenge to overcome.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I have a lot of values that are definitely very important to me. I would say inclusivity, especially around diverse people, I think is very important to me. I would also say that respect and honesty are very high up there. You always want to be able to trust the people that you surround yourself with, and then I also love being around people that are really positive. Work can get kind of hard, life can get kind of hard, and it's always really great to have that positive perspective and bring an encouraging, happy environment to be able to keep us going.

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