Board of Advisors
Rye Barcott (Chairman)
Rye is co-founder and managing partner of Double Time Capital, an investment firm that focuses on cleaner energy assets. A TED Fellow, he worked previously at Duke Energy, where he led a team focused on disruptive innovation for the Chairman and CEO. He is the author of It Happened on the Way to War, a memoir about his experience co-founding the non-governmental organization Carolina For Kibera while serving as a U.S. Marine. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and children.
Richard Harkrader
Richard Harkrader, an architect emeritus, building contractor, solar installer, and real estate developer, is the founder and partner of two other businesses: New Morning Solar Realty and Sister Communities of San Ramon. Richard is Treasurer and Projects Manager for Sister Communities of San Ramon Nicaragua where he and his wife, Lonna, manage community development projects. Mr. Harkrader advocates for renewable energy and energy efficiency, serving three times as Chair of the NC Sustainable Energy Association, where he is currently on the Board. He was recently named Treasurer and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance. He served for 7 years as the environmental representative on the NC Legislative Study Commission on Electric Utility Deregulation and was instrumental in starting NC Green Power, where he was Vice Chair for 2 years. Mr. Harkrader lives in Durham, NC.
Markus Wilhelm
Markus is the founder and CEO of Strata Solar. He has over 25 years of experience in the media industry, primarily with Bertelsmann AG and Time Warner; serving as CEO for publishing and direct marketing firms including Bookspan, Doubleday Direct, in the UK, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, China, and Korea. Markus has been a member and Chairman of many boards – including Chairman of the Direct Marketing Association, Board member of the DMEF, and Board member of Barnes & Noble to name a few. Markus is currently a Board member of Guthy-Renker, he is a Member of the Energy Policy Council North Carolina, Chairman of the Renewables Committee, on the Advisory Board at the UNC School of Public Health, and he is on the Advisory Board of Collider Media.
Alex Wilhelm (Co-Founder)
While working at a residential solar company in California during the summer of 2013, Alex Wilhelm learned the importance of electricity in rural communities. After moving back to Chapel Hill, NC, he decided to take a leap of faith and started United Solar Initiative, a scalable and sustainable non-profit organization. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, Alex was well aware of the sacrifices necessary to turn an idea into a reality. Alex hopes with USI, he can catalyze the world’s transition to a more sustainable energy source by working with the developing solar industry. Alex currently works at Strata Solar as a Strategic Finance Manager on the Strategic Finance Team where he is responsible for managing corporate level financings, project-level financings, and restructurings. Prior to working at Strata Solar, Alex worked for Wells Fargo Securities in the Energy and Power Group, primarily focused on renewable energy and utility mergers and acquisitions. Alex currently lives in Durham, NC.
Board of Directors
Steven Thomsen (Co-Founder, President)
Steven co-founded USI as a blending of two passions - international development and renewable energy. He started his career with Habitat for Humanity before moving to Kenya to teach farmers about beekeeping. Upon his return he worked as a project manager for Strata Solar building utility scale solar farms. Steven currently resides in Durham, NC where he’s the vice president of Trinity Design/Build by day and president of United Solar Initiative by night. He's passionate about photography, cooking, traveling, and all types of outdoor activities.
Ed Witkin (Co-Founder, Vice President)
Ed Witkin has been designing and installing solar electric systems since 1987. He and his family lived in an off-grid solar powered house in Connecticut that he built in 1991. In 2003 Ed moved to North Carolina and started Carrboro Solar Works, LLC. In 2008 he joined with Solar Tech South (now Strata Solar) of Chapel Hill, which at that time was a start-up company in need of someone with a background in solar energy. In 2011, Ed took a position as the Sustainability Coordinator at Durham Technical Community College. During that time, he and one of his students, Steven Thomsen, collaborated with Alex Wilhelm to design and build a solar electric generator for a remote school in Nicaragua. This project was one of the catalysts that led to the creation of United Solar Initiative. Ed feels lucky to call Chapel Hill home along with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Jack Schaufler (Director of Development)
Jack Schaufler is currently working at Skyline Renewables based in Portland, Oregon. He serves as an Asset Analyst for the young and growing renewable energy owner and operator. He started his path into the clean tech industry as a Chancellor’s Scholar at Appalachian State University studying Sustainable Technology. Jack grew up with USI co-founder and president Alex Wilhelm in Chapel Hill and is currently serving as the Director of Development for United Solar Initiative. He hopes to continue to pursue his passion for developing the renewable energy industry throughout his career. His personal interests include running, biking, hiking, basketball, and pretty much anything outside. Jack is currently residing in Oregon.
Jon Ruth (Director of Operations)
Jon is currently a project manager for Con Edison Clean Energy Business, managing the development and construction of large scale solar installations. Jon has over 15 years of experience in the solar energy industry and has built over 500 MW’s of utility scale solar projects. Jon has a passion for making the world a better place and is committed to helping end energy poverty in his lifetime. Jon is dedicated to developing solutions for the 1 in 7 people in the world who currently do not have reliable access to electricity. While he works on solar projects every day, he sees USI as a way to make a difference for people who really need it. Jon lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter.
Charlie Egan (Director of Fundraising)
Charlie is currently a member of General Electric's Corporate Audit Staff (CAS) at GE Corporate. He graduated from GE's Financial Management Program (FMP) with GE Power & Renewables in August 2018. He previously graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2016 with a double major in business administration (BS) and environmental studies (BA). His passion for community service and interests in renewable energy and rural electrification brought him to his involvement as a Board Member with United Solar Initiative.
Samantha Childress (Director of Community Engagement)
Samantha currently works for Schneider Electric as a Microgrid Solutions Architect. She designs microgrid and distributed energy systems, integrating a mix of onsite generation (including solar, wind, battery, combined heat & power, and back-up generators) into a single electrical system for those who require clean and reliable electricity, even when unexpected power outages and/or extreme weather events occur. Samantha has long pursued her interest in renewable energy and sustainability, graduating with a B.S. in Appropriate (Sustainable) Technology from Appalachian State University (‘16) where she began her involvement with USI. Following her undergraduate coursework, Samantha went on to pursue a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University (‘18) where she studied electricity markets and energy access. Samantha is a proud Duke alum and, therefore, an avid basketball fan. In her spare time, she proudly wears her Shane Battier jersey to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
