My name is Jared. I have lived most of my life in Philadelphia, where I was born and raised. I went to Council Rock High School in Bucks County and attended college at University of Maryland where I majored in Economics. I worked as a wedding DJ, preschool teacher, small business owner, and special needs coordinator before finding my way to Solar States.

Back in 2018, I was going through one of those existential moments when I asked myself, “am I where I want to be?”. Ultimately, I decided I needed to find a new career. At the time, batteries were just beginning to make the news as the technology that would usher in the global transition to renewables, or at least that’s what I thought. I set my sights on getting into the renewable energy space. Little did I realize that a flourishing renewable industry had been growing steadily for decades and many OG environmental activists had been building the current platform for over 30 years.

While applying to many larger regional and national companies I stumbled across a small local company that caught my eye, Solar States. What they lacked in size they made up for in might. Not only were they a solar installer but they were a certified B-Corp, members of the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia, and offered great employee benefits. Most impressively, they prioritized education and solar training alongside solar installation. Solar States was training the workforce of the future, which was exactly what I wanted to do.

Fast forward to today – Solar States has become a second family and I could not be happier. I have found a job that I love, I get to work with the most amazing coworkers each and every day and most of all I get to help people achieve lifelong goals of helping the environment, saving money, and becoming energy independent. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined what an incredible journey it has been. I can’t wait to see what the next decade has to offer and I feel so blessed to be a part of this incredible moment in history.