My name is Sainab Ninalowo. I grew up in Nigeria, West Africa. After high school, my twin sister and I moved to the United States at the age of 16 to further a university education. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Bradley University in 2012. I currently work for ComEd as a New Business, Design Construction Consultant. ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.

I developed an interest in the Power Industry after my first internship with ComEd’s Regional Engineering group in 2011. Prior to the internship, I had focused primarily on Thermodynamics and Energy efficiency. The overwhelming opportunity to intern for an Electric company, to understand their infrastructure, and the challenge to learn beyond my natural order of college classes and curriculum excited my energy, and geared me towards the Power Industry.  In the summer of 2012, I returned to ComEd to intern for the Transmission Overhead group where I created a database to display queried Transmission Line Operations, Line Health Reports, and System Event Reports to benefit the Transmission Overhead Engineers, and the Area Maintenance Engineers.

I joined ComEd’s New Hire Rotation Program in January 2013. I spent 6 months rotating through 6 different departments in the company to acquire a cross-boundary competency while interacting with the diversity of talents in each department. . I also became actively involved in ComEd’s Graduate Association for Development and Success (GrADS), where I served as the Internal Vice President from 2013-2014. In July 2013, I began my full-time position in the New Business department.  As a New Business Engineer, my definitive goal is to use an optimal engineering design to deliver power to our customers in a timely manner, utilizing the most cost efficient approaches, while abiding to ComEd Standards and codes. My daily activities involve communicating with customers, and customer representatives to propose a design, visiting the sites for a thorough assessment, designing the projects in AutoCAD or TED (Tools for Engineering Design), and working closely with construction crews to make sure the designs are feasible.

I became involved with Women in Power in February 2014 after a mentorship meeting with Shay Bahramirad, PES WiP Committee Chair. Shay and I first met at a work gathering where senior leaders discussed the accomplishments of 2013 and the goals for 2014. The rapidity of the techno-scientific revolution is very inspiring. To contribute to this evolution, I believe everyone be they a scientist or artist needs a basic understanding of fundamental science literature, a quantitative intelligence, a qualitative reasoning, a great imagination, and most importantly, the confidence to believe that their potential to accomplish their goals have no boundaries.  Everyone (young, old, male and female) needs to find a way to explore, to discover, to learn and to be a part of this evolution whether or not there is an invitation. My desire to share my passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, to invite everyone to discover new scientific paths and to explore the world of the Power Industry compelled me to accept the offer to become the Director of Events for PES WiP.  I am honored to be a part of WiP.

WiP is a global organization creating a movement in the Power Industry. As WiP’s Event Coordinator, I am in charge of planning empowering events around the world. My goal is to communicate the resources WiP has to offer to women in the Power Industry while empowering them with speeches by inspirational guest speakers from all around the world. In addition to working with PES WiP, I work closely with the Society of Women Engineers- Chicago Regional Section as the High School Liaison to help promote STEM, and counsel young girls while unlocking their brainpower.

Promoting STEM and equanimity in STEM related fields is currently my biggest hobby. I am a traveler, couch-surfer, photographer, swing dancer, hiker, and nature lover! I love photographing the life around me. My favorite activities usually consist of exploring vegetarian cook books, reading journals, long hikes, painting, biking, camping, trekking mountains, and music festivals. With that, I am a Woman in Power, and I invite you to be one.