WHO WE ARE

Lotus is a women-owned, data driven, and client-centered boutique engineering and sustainability consulting firm.

We Love What We Do

This is clear in our deliverables and our interactions with our clients and partners. We develop client-centered, equity-focused, and innovative climate solutions through: learning, growing, and being curious; co-creating; centering the needs of the communities most impacted; listening and building trust; committing and showing up; prioritizing design that contributes to harm reduction of historically and traditionally marginalized communities; and leveraging defensible and actionable data. Our team is made up of experienced and passionate individuals from varying backgrounds, allowing us to bring different perspectives to our work. Hablamos español.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

OUR STORY

Emily Artale, founder of Lotus, began her own company in 2012 after struggling to find a company that could provide a work-life balance. Like Emily, Hillary Dobos, now president and owner of Lotus, began her own company in 2014 to seek the same work-life balance. Hillary formed her company with a passion for the public sector, supporting individuals that were advocating for their communities. Emily and Hillary met through their work at the Colorado Energy Office and the two found themselves partnering on a plethora of projects. Hillary’s expertise in strategic planning and finance complemented Emily’s expertise in engineering. In 2015, the two joined forces to run Lotus.

Lotus’s name comes from the lotus flower which grows in dark, muddy places and represents resiliency. At the time of Lotus’s inception, the environmental field was receiving hate, skepticism, and an overall lack of public support.

Lotus has gradually grown since 2015 and become a leader in climate action in the mountain west.

emily artale
Founder

HILLARY DOBOS
PRESIDENT AND OWNER

our history

2012

Emily Artale starts her own company, and Lotus is born.
2014

Hillary Dobos starts her own company.
2015

Emily and Hillary join forces and run Lotus as a pair.
Lotus wins Denver 80×50 project, the duo’s first major climate action plan.
2017

Lotus moves into their first office in downtown Denver at RiNo’s Green Spaces.
Julia Newman becomes Lotus’s first hire, as Managing Director of Communications and Engagement.
2018

Lotus wins their first out of state project.
Lotus moves their office to Steno, in City Park West.
Lotus expands their clientele to 5 states.
2022

Kim Schlaepfer joins Lotus as Managing Director of Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Planning, bringing expertise in building codes.
Lotus hires the first out of state employee, and expands clientele to 7 states.
Buy-out occurs. Emily exits and ownership is transferred to Hillary Dobos.
Lotus completes their first Equity Audit
2023

Lotus doubles office space at Steno, preparing to expand the team.
Tom Herrod joins Lotus as Managing Director of Greenhouse Gas Accounting, Modeling, and Visualization.
Lotus adds Spanish translation services.
2024

Lotus is working in 25 states and 3 Canadian provinces.
Lotus team is at 17 employees.
2025

Lotus expands team to 20 employees.