Solar For All

Jonathan Welle is an organizer at Cleveland Owns, a nonprofit that incubates cooperative businesses. He is incubating two community-led solar groups, The BC in Hough, a mostly Black neighborhood on Cleveland's east side, and The Cleveland Solar Cooperative.

These groups are using collective ownership of solar finance mechanisms and solar arrays to promote a just transition to a clean energy economy.

Jonathan has worked as a small business development advisor in the Peace Corps, as a Regional Field Director with President Obama’s reelection campaign, and as a business consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he worked with corporate and public-sector clients in financial turnarounds and revitalizing organizational culture.

He has a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Jonathan grew up in Mayfield, Ohio, and boomeranged back to the City of Cleveland in 2015.

Olivia Nedd serves as the Policy Director, Access & Equity Program for Vote Solar. In this role she works to support Vote Solar’s policy and regulatory work, to advance a more equitable and just clean energy future.

Prior to joining Vote Solar, Olivia worked with Florida Conservation Voters where she led a statewide campaign to bring electric school buses to low-income and communities of color.

Olivia grew up in Beacon, New York, and now lives in Palm Beach, Florida. She holds a B.A. in English and Political Science from the University of Central Florida and her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law.

In her free time, Olivia enjoys puzzles and spending time with her family in Antigua and Barbuda, where she is from.

Jason Carney serves as Founder and CEO of Energy Electives.

Jason received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee State University, and received his Master’s Degree in Civic Leadership from Lipscomb University.

His pursuit of knowledge and experience with solar energy has led to certifications in LEED, BPI, NABCEP and PEM.

Jason lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and twin children. He is also President of the Tennessee Solar Energy Association (TSEA). TSEA is a non-profit organization that is interested in educating the community and celebrating individuals that love solar.

Irasema Garcia currently works with GRID Alternatives, an international leader that makes solar technology and job training accessible to underserved communities. At GRID she is the Director of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity (EID) where she is working on an organization-wide EID strategy.

With over 20 years of experience as a program manager, qualitative evaluator, trainer and curriculum developer, much of Irasema's career has been spent collaborating with the nonprofit sector.

Irasema has a Masters degree in Public Administration with an emphasis on Organizational Theory and City Planning and earned her Bachelors in Social Sciences with minors in Ethnic Studies and Psychology.

Ralph Jacobson is the chief innovation officer and co-owner at Impact power Solutions (IPS), which he founded in 1991.

Impact Power Solutions develops and installs solar energy systems in Minnesota and Illinois.

Ralph is a member of the Religious Society of Friends, was a founding board chair of the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (2009-2019), board member of Cooperative Energy Futures (2012-2018), board member of Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (1990-2010), member of the Just Solar Coalition, board member of Chorus Polaris.

In this episode Emilie discusses the foundation of the business from founding all the way up to her modern day work ethos. Providing meaningful careers opportunities is central to her passion. Emilie shares stories of her experience as a founder in the rapidly expanding solar construction industry.

In this episode: Cesar and Geoff get into Cesar’s career journey - from technical school student to aspiring technician, all the way to entrepreneur. With the energy transition upon us, Cesar gives ideas for inspiring the next generation of individuals who will be employed in the booming clean energy industry.

In this episode Geoff talks with Amanda Woodrum of Policy Matters Ohio about her organizing work reimmagining applachia. encorporating voices from around the region, reimmagine applachia has built a blueprint that lays a way to a 21st centry applachia.

Amanda Woodrum is a Senior Researcher focusing on issues found at the intersection of health, equity and the economy. After living in New York City and experiencing 9/11, she returned to Ohio determined to make the state the kind of place she wanted to live. She joined Policy Matters Ohio in 2007 after receiving a master’s degree in economics and a law degree from the University of Akron. She conducts research on the role transportation, energy, health and anti-poverty policy can play to promote a more sustainable and equitable economy in Ohio.