Atrius Voices is a series of blog posts that dive into the Atrius experience through the eyes of our team. Discover the personal narratives that underscore our commitment to a sustainable and innovative workplace, one employee at a time. These stories reflect the vibrant spirit and collective drive that empower our solutions and define our path forward.
Introducing Chelsea Davis
Meet Chelsea Davis, an experienced Atrius Product team member who has been with the organization since the “pre-acquisition days” before Acuity Brands acquired Lucid Design Group.
As a Product Manager on the Atrius applications team, Chelsea covers Energy and Sustainability. In her role, she focuses on creating products designed to help customers decrease their energy and resource consumption while minimizing carbon emissions. Additionally, she aims to streamline reporting processes, making it easier to meet both governmental requirements and market needs.
In this interview, Chelsea delves deep into her experiences, discussing both project and product development, challenges and the pride of being a part of the Atrius journey.
Ricky Porco: To start, how did your journey at Atrius begin?
Chelsea Davis: My journey began about six years ago at Lucid Design Group, who got acquired by Atrius/Acuity. It was my first job out of college where I started as a Junior Project Manager. Before Atrius, I had worked mostly in the Government side of energy and utilities. I worked for the water district in LA and the City of Oakland doing tasks related to public works and water. It was a natural progression to working in a software platform that supported the same initiatives that I had worked on. When I joined, we were very much in the start-up stage, which was fun for me as a fresh out of college graduate – I got the chance to hit the ground running with many learning opportunities.
RP: What is it that you enjoy most about working within a start-up culture?
CD: It’s fun – I was learning how to operate in a tech space within a company. The start-up culture is all a “bit loose”, it is kind of like having to define your own role and figure where you fit in best. I’m an executor and working at a start-up really worked well with my personality. It’s all about figuring out what needs to be done and getting it done. Lastly, you are working with every team member, so you can bond together and not be siloed on your own.
RP: How does Atrius uphold the values that drew you to Lucid?
CD: I’ve always found the folks at Acuity to be incredibly bright. There’s this energy, especially in the sustainability space, that resonates with me. It’s like a continuation from our work at Lucid. What I appreciate most is their deep passion for their jobs. Acuity welcomed us with open arms, embracing not just our product but also our mission to drive sustainability. Since joining, I’ve noticed a joint effort internally to enhance sustainability initiatives, with former Lucid members playing a key role. It’s been a seamless integration, and I’ve witnessed continuous improvement ever since.
RP: How has Atrius supported your work life balance?
CD: We had a great office space in Oakland, but after 2020, we went fully remote, which was helpful because I was planning on moving anyways. Supporting employees to work from wherever they want has been great for me and the business, and it allows up to get amazing talent from all over the place. I am a big traveler so the combination of being remote, and our PTO policy has allowed me to spend 2 weeks in Italy while working. I believe this is what work-life balance is, being able to pursue outside passions and still be able to work.
RP: Can you share a project that you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of?
CD: My time at Atrius has been defined by two projects that sort of blend together. It started when I worked with Adam Handler to quantify Acuity’s scope 3 emissions for the first time. Despite both of us being newer to emissions reporting, we dove in together, learning everything we needed to know and calculating emissions across Acuity’s global manufacturing organization & value chain. This project is where Atrius Sustainability evolved from. We already had a basic emissions platform – We leveraged the knowledge and dedication we poured into the Acuity emissions calculations into our own product so we could support other organizations in their sustainability efforts.
RP: How have you seen Atrius commitment to sustainability evolve over your time working here?
CD: Atrius and Acuity’s commitment to sustainability has evolved exponentially since I joined. It feels like every year we’re taking on more and more as an organization towards our sustainability goals and creating the same image that we are then trying to support the Atrius customers with.
RP: Who’s your favorite cross-functional team to work with and why?
CD: I really enjoy working with marketing, especially Simran Klair– she is a go-getter and is always working towards improving the brand. She has a deep understanding of our customers and the problems we’re intending to solve for them. Along with that, she knows our products inside and out. It makes working with her easy because she doesn’t need to be spoon-fed information. I can just give her an idea and point her in a direction, and she can turn around and create something amazing; she just gets it.
RP: How does your role at Atrius allow you to contribute to building a more sustainable future?
CD: I work very closely with the Atrius Sustainability product, and you might even call me the product owner of it. Our main goal is helping other companies meet their sustainability goals and contribute to an overall sustainable future. I believe we do a great job of working closely with our customers and making it more of a personal experience.
RP: Does working here enable you to grow as a sustainability professional?
CD: Acuity has opened doors for me to explore different roles in Atrius. I started as a project manager, and now a product manager. While working here, there is always an open door for curiosity. The culture of the company has allowed me to get my foot in the door with new initiatives that I haven’t explored.
RP: Lastly, in your own words – what does product management mean to you?
CD: The idea that product management doesn’t adhere to a specific set of tasks or prerequisites. Instead, it revolves around the number one goal of building a great product while gaining & retaining a customer base. Product managers do anything it takes to achieve that – whether it’s working closely with engineering to build the product, helping to train sellers if you spot a gap that you can support, or making sure that your customer OPS teams are supported. Essentially, it’s an overarching responsibility that enables me to collaborate seamlessly with everyone within the company.
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Chelsea’s journey embodies the commitment, adaptability, and forward-thinking that are the hallmarks of our organization. Her experiences from the startup days through the transformative acquisition and her ongoing contributions to organizational sustainability and product management highlight the remarkable passion driving Atrius forward. As we continue spotlighting the extraordinary individuals shaping our future, we eagerly anticipate sharing more inspiring stories in our upcoming features. Stay tuned for more captivating insights from the voices of Atrius.
