麻豆影院

From Fashion to Solar, How 麻豆影院 State Alumna Became the CEO of a Solar Company

Alumna Emilie Oxel O鈥橪eary, '93, is the CEO of Sunshine Solar, a woman-owned mechanical installation company that partners with major brands such as L鈥橭real and Amazon by installing solar power to support their overarching goals of being sustainable companies.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had an entrepreneurial spirit,鈥 O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淏ut I knew I needed a good education. I couldn't just go out and start a business and not have good support.鈥

O鈥橪eary graduated from 麻豆影院 with a degree in fashion merchandising. With an interest in fashion, she started her first business when she was just 16-years-old before even attending 麻豆影院 State. She called it For Your Fashion and did makeovers for cancer patients.

After graduation, O鈥橪eary worked in retail, but knew that wasn鈥檛 where her heart was. She packed up her belongings and moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she landed a job with the Olympics in 1996. From there she worked at The One World Trade Center while pursuing a masters degree in business with a concentration in e-commerce.

With all this experience and knowledge that she had gained, O鈥橪eary founded her own consulting business called Oxel Company. During that time, a client hired her to work with him in a construction business, leading them to dabble in solar projects, which helped her realize the value in supplying solar power.

鈥淓ven though I had zero experience in working in construction or working in solar, I just knew as an entrepreneur this is a business I wanted to start,鈥 O鈥橪eary said.  鈥淪o I moved on from my consulting business and opened Sunshine Solar in January of 2016 and really just dove in. I used a lot of my past experience to run the company.鈥

Sunshine Solar鈥檚 first solar project was installing a solar carport for the Atlanta Falcons stadium. Since then, the company has installed solar panels to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Verizon and FedEx whether it be with carport tops, rooftops or solar fields.

Just before the pandemic began in January 2020, O鈥橪eary sold the business but remained CEO. Sunshine Solar has since tripled its business, making it a pivotal turning point for the company.

鈥淏eing a woman-owned company differentiates us from other solar businesses,鈥 O'Leary said. 鈥淭here are not a lot of women-owned solar businesses out there, so when I first started Sunshine Solar, it took a lot of time and a lot of effort to get to where we are now.鈥

She attributes many of her successes to her undergraduate education for providing her with a solid foundation.

鈥溌槎褂霸 State is 100% a factor in my success, and I say that because the instructors were very practical. It wasn't just textbook knowledge, especially in the fashion world. They had real life examples that I could completely relate to,鈥 O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淚 feel that 麻豆影院 State really provided me with not only a good education, but real world experience and knowledge.鈥

Additionally, O鈥橪eary admires 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 commitment to being more sustainable. In 2018 the university adopted a 10-year Master Plan that embarks on a $1 billion transformative journey of the 麻豆影院 Campus to better serve the needs of students and the entire 麻豆影院 State community. The plan includes the addition of solar panels to each 麻豆影院 State location.

鈥溌槎褂霸 State is such a great foundation for students,鈥 O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淚 love to see the growth 麻豆影院 State is making, and how the university is embracing renewables on all their campuses.鈥

Her story is proof that with a solid foundation, students can pursue any career they set their minds to.

鈥淚 hope my story can inspire others to explore careers outside of your major,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he field you study can open doors that you didn't know were possible.鈥

POSTED: Tuesday, October 12, 2021 02:25 PM
Updated: Friday, December 9, 2022 04:13 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Olivia Futo