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About the Episode:

Devin Hampton, CEO of UtilityAPI, discusses the challenges of developing a secure data-sharing platform for the energy industry. He shares his experience as a person of color leading a funding round during an economic downturn, emphasizing the importance of defining impact and selecting the right investors. Devin transparently shares his personal journey, highlighting both the challenges and victories he has faced. Notably, he helped unlock additional equity for diverse new talent, aiming to provide them with opportunities in wealth creation. Devin also recommends climate tech investments, expanding our knowledge of industry leaders and companies worth following.

Helpful RESOURCES:

Connect with Devin Hampton on LinkedIn

Follow Utility API on LinkedIn, Twitter and check out their website.

Further reading or thing mentioned in the episode:

Instagram Post From The Obama Foundation About Devin Hampton

Taking Up The Baton: Devin Hampton

Devin Hampton LinkedIn Post

Other articles:

Crunchbase Studies On Diversity

Minority Start-up Founders Research

Black Founders Still Raised Just 1% Of All Vc Funds In 2022

Key Takeaways:

1. Raising capital for a startup can be enormously challenging, but it is ever-more so if you are a person of color, at least here in the US. Devin has navigated that task, in the midst of a pandemic, and found not only willing investors but novel structures that help to further re-distribute equity and wealth creation to his team at UtilityAPI.
2. As Winston Churchill said, you must keep going. Devin convinced himself that, despite his own shortcomings and misgivings, he had landed in a privileged position and that he must persevere and persist to see it through. That grit landed him in multiple positions in the Obama administration which afforded him a view of the clean energy transition that few are afforded.
3. That old adage, "dig the well before you’re thirsty" applies to startup funding. Devin explains how he very intentionally developed relationships with the early-stage capital providers he admired before ever going out to market with an investment opportunity. By the time he did have a funding opportunity to discuss, he had already identified the “good fits” and established rapport, trust and credibility with those few who fit the bill of what he believed to be UtilityAPI’s ideal investor profile.

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SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Please visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.