Robert Blake
Solar Bear
Roseville, MN USA
"If we could get all kinds of different people involved in [solar energy] so they feel like they’re part of the solution too, then we’re going to have a better world."
Career Roadmap
Robert's work combines: Business, Entrepreneurship, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minneapolis College
Bachelor's Degree
Business Administration and Management
Metro State University
Graduate Degree
Advocacy and Political Leadership
Metro State University
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management
Carlson Executive Education, University of Minnesota
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
After college, I started my career in public safety.
2.
After a few years, I moved on to work for the USDA, protecting agriculture and natural resources, and providing resource management and policy coordination.
3.
A combination of things—Hurricane Katrina, Davis Guggenheim’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” and a climate change book I’d read—inspired me to want to make a difference in the climate change space.
4.
I started learning about solar energy by watching YouTube videos, reading magazines, and attending the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s solar training academy.
5.
I started my career in solar energy as a senior solar ambassador and solar organizer.
6.
When my tribe was looking to put a solar system on top of the government center, I saw it as a great opportunity to create Solar Bear, a solar development company.
7.
In addition to my work with Solar Bear, I’m also the executive director for Native Sun Community Power Development a native-led nonprofit that promotes renewable energy.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Not only do bigger companies try to take advantage when you're small, but being a person of color contributes to me being treated differently. I'm just trying to create a pathway for the BIPOC community to see themselves doing this work.