The Power of Partnering (POP) is a half-day event where women entrepreneurs, business leaders, corporations and procurement professionals come together to train, network and create matchmaker opportunities to help create and reach procurement and business goals.
Each agenda includes educational resources from thought leadership and subject matter experts and the opportunity to showcase your capabilities statements in a meet the buyer setting or matchmaker sessions.
Olivia Amyette is the owner of Infinite Energy Advisors. She developed a passion for solar energy at Georgia Tech, where she engaged in research projects relating to environmentalism and energy conservation.
With more than 4 years of experience as a Technical Program Manager & Facilitator for the Georgia Tech Grand Challenges LLC, Olivia has facilitated upwards of 53 cross-functional interdisciplinary research projects examining the energy space among other sectors.
Olivia is well-versed in project management and has optimized the solar purchasing/installation process to be seamless. Olivia holds a BS from the Georgia Tech College of Computing and is currently working to get NABCEP certified.
Olivia is a GWBC Perfect Pitch finalist.
Follow Infinite Energy Advisors on Facebook and Instagram.
This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.
TRANSCRIPT
Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open For Business. Now, here’s your host.
Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from GWBC Power of Partnering event at the Georgia Power Headquarters. I’m so excited to be talking to another Perfect Pitch finalist, Olivia Amyette with Infinite Energy Advisors. Welcome.
Olivia Amyette: Thank you so much. I’m happy to be here.
Lee Kantor: So, what kind of energy advising are you doing?
Olivia Amyette: Well, you name it, we do it. Actually, one of our taglines is your solar one-stop-shop, so we specialize in doing all things renewable, whether it be installing solar panels, doing off grid systems, grid tied systems, batteries. Anything you want, anything in your heart’s desire, we can make it happen.
Lee Kantor: So, if I have an electric car and I need a charger at my house, I can call you and make that happen.
Olivia Amyette: We do, absolutely. We do EV chargers as well.
Lee Kantor: So, how did you get into this line of work?
Olivia Amyette: Yeah. Well, you know, I drew a lot of inspiration from my grandpa. He was an immigrant from Ecuador, and I often tell the stories of how he learned English by candlelight because he couldn’t afford electricity. And so, for me, when I took some classes at Georgia Tech – I’m a Georgia Tech graduate and proud Yellow Jacket – my degree was actually in computer science.
Olivia Amyette: But I had a couple different jobs on campus, and one of them was with the Grand Challenges Living Learning Community, and that community, there was basically 110 students, and we would get into groups of five to seven and tackle one of the world’s grandest challenges. So, I saw lots and lots of projects as I facilitated in that role centered around sustainable energy, and solar was kind of something that was pitched to me. But, of course, at that time it really wasn’t a bunch of that in Georgia. So, that’s kind of how it started.
Lee Kantor: Now, are you doing work in a residential setting where you’re helping houses decide, “Oh, is solar right for me?” or are you working in a commercial setting?
Olivia Amyette: We actually do both, so we do residential solar and commercial solar, and we do a lot of that energy advising. That’s why we kind of wanted that in the name Infinite Energy Advisors, because what we do is if solar is not a right fit for somebody, we’ll absolutely tell them and maybe pitch some other possible options for them.
Lee Kantor: So, now, are you seeing more and more businesses kind of look into these type of renewables?
Olivia Amyette: Absolutely. We’re actually helping a business now, it’s a rural small business doing a farming operation. And combined with tax credits and actual grants that our team has helped him to secure, he’s getting over 80 percent of his total project cost reimbursed or funded through tax credits.
Lee Kantor: And then, I would imagine that even once it’s going, it’s going to be saving money down the road.
Olivia Amyette: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And it provides some great resilience, especially for farmers. We have a lot of folks who are like, “Hey, we really can’t have these extended power outages,” so that’s where our services really kick into play for those folks.
Lee Kantor: So, now, do you have an avatar of that ideal customer?
Olivia Amyette: Really not so much. Our customer is really anybody who’s a homeowner who has a home or a business or something of the sort, a piece of land that’s not impeded by shade. So, that’s really our best customers.
Lee Kantor: That’s how you eliminate people.
Olivia Amyette: Yes. Shade is the deciding factor.
Lee Kantor: Oak trees.
Olivia Amyette: It used to be in the solar industry, we would also look at things like credit scores. But we’re actually proud to be one of only five companies in the entire state chosen to partner with the nonprofit called Capital Good Fund to release the Georgia BRIGHT program, which is a solar lease, one of the first of its kind, if not the first of its kind in Georgia. And in that initiative, we focus on providing solar leases that have a money saving guarantee for low and moderate income families. So, that’s a really good option, too.
Lee Kantor: So, now, why was it important for you to get involved with GWBC?
Olivia Amyette: Oh. I think supporting other women-owned businesses is the name of the game. I mentioned during my pitch that we also opened the Solar Knowledge Institute, which is a workforce development initiative that we kind of stemmed out of our company. And in that, we really focus on serving underserved communities, so helping other females who want to get in this industry, other minorities who want to get in this industry. Because traditionally we typically see, you know, people who don’t look like us in these sort of C-suite roles and in the more executive roles, so I really wanted to make sure that there was some good representation of folks who looked like me and break through that glass ceiling.
Lee Kantor: So, if somebody wants to learn more and connect, what is the website? What is the best way to do that?
Olivia Amyette: Absolutely. So, on all of our social media, we’re @infiniteenergyadvisors. You can call me personally at 678-933-8324. Our email is info@infiniteenergyadvisors.com. And our website is also infiniteenergyadvisors.com.
Lee Kantor: Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.
Olivia Amyette: Absolutely. Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me back.
Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor, back in a few with GWBC Power of Partnering.
