June 26, 2025 • 28 mins
Today on the Clean Power Hour, we sit down with the leadership team of Windfree Solar - a minority-owned, equity eligible contractor that's proving diversity isn't just good for society, it's good for business. CEO Eric Heineman, Head of O&M Cynthia Myers, and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Larosiliere share how they've built a thriving solar company by focusing on underserved communities in Chicago and Cook County.
Discover how Cynthia went from growing up in foster care to becoming one of Illinois' first female solar installers and a licensed electrician. Learn why Eric believes diversity is their competitive advantage, and how Steve is helping scale their mission-driven approach to solar development.
We dive deep into Illinois' groundbreaking Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), exploring programs like Solar for All and Illinois Shines that are creating pathways for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter the clean energy workforce. The team discusses the challenges and opportunities of working in environmental justice communities, and why they've made it their specialty to go where other solar companies won't.
This episode also touches on the broader transformation happening in the solar industry - from a predominantly white, male sector to one that's actively embracing diversity and inclusion.
Key Topics Covered:
- Equity-eligible contractor status and what it means
- Breaking gender and racial barriers in solar installation
- Working in underserved communities and environmental justice areas
- Building diverse teams for competitive advantage
- Community solar development strategies
If you'd like to support Cynthia Myers during this challenging time as she navigates her partner's immigration case, please consider contributing to her GoFundMe campaign - every bit of support helps.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cynthia Myers (00:00):
The sun. It is for all of us. You know, most of
(00:03):
the times we're told to reachfor the stars, and my story is
letting them reach for the sun.
Now, you know, so there's roomfor us in this other industry,
for women, for men, for peoplewith disadvantaged backgrounds,
or even people that grew up infoster care. You know, those are
now things that are getting youthese positions, and those are
things that are that are notholding you back. You get the
(00:24):
opportunity to make good moneyand make a good impact. So it's
it's a good thing for me.
intro (00:32):
Are you speeding the energy transition here at the
Clean Power Hour, our host, TimMontague, bring you the best in
solar, batteries and cleantechnologies every week. Want to
go deeper into decarbonization.
We do too. We're here to helpyou understand and command the
commercial, residential andutility, solar, wind and storage
industries. So let's get to ittogether. We can speed the
(00:54):
energy transition
Tim Montague (00:56):
today on the Clean Power Hour. I'm speaking with
the executive team at Windfreesolar, including Eric Heineman,
CEO Cynthia Myers, head of O andM and Steve Larosiliere, Chief
Marketing Officer. Windfreesolar is minority owned business
and equity eligible contractorin the state of Illinois, in the
(01:16):
city of Chicago, they've carvedout a unique niche in
residential, commercial andcommunity solar development
focusing on underserved marketsothers avoid. Let's dive into
their journey and insights inthe solar industry in Illinois.
Welcome to the show.
Steve Larosiliere (01:35):
Thanks for having us.
Cynthia Myers (01:37):
Thanks for having us. Tim,
Tim Montague (01:40):
the solar industry is famous for ups and downs. We
call it the solar coaster. We'vehad several ups and downs here
in Illinois and but Illinois isa major solar market now we're
doing, you know, on the order of10 gigawatts of solar in the
next 10 years, if, if things gowell and Windfree is making a
(02:03):
mark. So we'd love to hear alittle bit about how you got
involved in the solar industry.
You have a strong sustainabilitybackground, which you could also
touch on. But what was it thatdrew you to the solar industry?
Sure.
Eric Heineman (02:21):
So, I'd say my background is really policy
slash politics. I got reallylucky when I was 26 and I was
hired by then Governor PatQuinn, who was Governor of
Illinois for six years beforethat, I was the first paid
sustainability director forUniversity of Chicago on the
south side. And before that, Iwas a middle school computer
(02:47):
teacher.
Tim Montague (02:48):
So fast forward.
Then you joined Windfree aboutsix years ago.
Eric Heineman (02:53):
In 2018 I was trying to decide between pivot
and Windfree, and I pivotedWindfree.
Tim Montague (02:59):
Eric, why don't you set the table a little bit.
Tell us what you are up to as acontractor in Chicago land. I
Eric Heineman (03:08):
was thinking we kick it off with what's equity?
So we're equity eligiblecontractors. We've had that
status since it became a thing.
We're a MBE from the city ofChicago, Minority Business
Enterprise, I think, is what MBEstands for. We've had that
status since before CJ passed.
And the equity thing wasn't newto us, because since fija passed
(03:31):
in 2016 we started hiring fromthe state job training programs
for the solar for all program,because we helped develop low
income environmental justicesolar PV systems for nonprofits
in environmental justice, lowincome communities through solar
for all we were doing thatalready, the main criteria for
that program is that you hireessentially equity individuals
(03:54):
as part of your team. So we'vebeen doing that since 2016 over
30% of our team are equityeligible individuals, equity
eligible people, which is partlyhow we get that equity eligible
contractor status. And these aretwo of my C suite staff on the
line right now, and they'redirectors and leaders in the
(04:16):
company, and they have their ownequity stories. It's hard for me
to talk about it without havingthem talk about what it means
for them.
Tim Montague (04:25):
Yeah, let's start with Cynthia. Cynthia comes from
a training program, I believe.
But Cynthia, how did you getinto the solar industry?
Cynthia Myers (04:34):
Well, I'll say Tim, my my journey into the
solar industry wasn'ttraditional. I'm a single mom. I
grew up in foster care, so Ikind of got into the renewable
sector by default, and happenedto land here at the Windfree
team. I'll say that I'm prettyproud to work for a company that
(04:57):
I feel is the best year in thestate. Eight, and not just
because of what we do bring insustainable energy to people and
communities, but how we do it,working for a company with such
a diverse and inclusivebackground is just not only
inspiring, but it's also good toyou know, that's how you really
(05:19):
drive change. I feel so justbeing a part of that team and
this team just is awesome. Buttell us
Tim Montague (05:25):
a little bit about your story. Cynthia,
Cynthia Myers (05:28):
my story is I grew up in a disadvantaged
neighborhood, like I said. Ilanded into solar just, you
know, visiting my local DHSoffice, looking for resources,
looking to have an impact here,just for my kids, and then it
led into something a lot bigger.
So I got to inspiring women inmy community and people in my
communities, and being one ofthe first female installers here
(05:51):
in the state to actually get upon the rooftops, to actually
install these systems, and towork with these guys and to
diversify this industry.
Tim Montague (06:03):
And you are a certified electrician, if I
understand that correctly,though, right?
Cynthia Myers (06:07):
I say, Yes, I am a licensed electrician now, and
I'm just proud to say, you know,my company supported me through
that whole journey. Theybelieved in me, and not only
that, they paid so it's awesome.
Tim Montague (06:21):
And how about you, Steve, how do you come to work
with Windfree and the solarindustry?
Steve Larosiliere (06:27):
So I have a background in entrepreneurship
and marketing, and I did a lotof work with contractors and
builders, and I connected withEric over a year and a half ago.
Our kids go to the same school,and we had mutual friend in
common. And after learning aboutthe opportunity with solar and
(06:47):
the sort of the mindset andEric's background, I just really
saw, I saw the opportunity forwhat it was. Eric is the type of
leader that has been inpositions where you can give
people opportunities. And I,myself have been that. And when
you look at, when you look atjust the where the solar
(07:09):
industry is growing, you seethis. You see this resource
that's available and accessibleto everyone, but not truly
accessible to everyone. And soyou can't grow the solar
industry without people, and youneed to be able to create a
platform for that. And so, youknow, I'm just proud to be able
to be part of this community andpart of be part of Windfree,
(07:32):
because I just see nothing butnothing but good that can happen
in low income communities and incities you know, everywhere,
from installers to customerservice to sales people like in
order for us to truly tap intothe potential of solar in
Illinois and in Chicagoland,we're going to need more people,
(07:53):
and we have to look beyond justthe traditional venues and
avenues and start looking to thecommunities and neighborhoods
that could truly benefit fromthis. So, yeah, my, my, I'm just
glad to be part of here. I'vealways been, I've always been
the only other person in a room,right? Like I go into the
(08:17):
industries and spaces where I'mpretty much the only person that
looks like me, and I've done itin other industries, and I'm
happy to do it here.
Tim Montague (08:26):
So one of the, you know, one of the foundations
here in Illinois, of our fundingfor the solar industry is the
climate and equitable JOBS Act.
And so I'm curious, like, there,there's a lot of things on my
mind about this topic. We wantto help low income people. We
(08:48):
want to make clean energyaccessible to low income people.
And we also want to grow theindustry in an equitable
fashion, right? This is aneconomic opportunity for
installers, for electricians,for contractors, for engineers,
for people in finance, all kindsof professionals. And so it is.
(09:12):
It is a good thing that thestate of Illinois has been
intentional with thislegislation. It's a double edge,
because it means thatcontractors like win free have
to be explicit about becoming aequitable employer, and finding
(09:33):
people is not easy. So I'm, youknow, I'm curious both from
Cynthia side of the story, beinga trainee. And I'm so curious,
how did that program find youCynthia, and then how did win
free find Cynthia in theprogram? So I don't know who
(09:54):
wants to go first on that.
Cynthia Myers (09:58):
Well, I'll take that. Um, Tim, I'll say, um, I
was lucky to find win free. Weactually crossed paths at the
going green event over inWilmette. So I crossed paths
with some some people there, andthen I actually seen one of
their project managers on siteat a Chase Bank. So I approached
(10:18):
the guy, and I was like, Hey,you're doing went you're doing
solar in my neighborhood. I grewup here in this Rogers Park
area, and you know, just call meif you guys are ever hiring. So,
you know, the seizure programfor me. It helped me get my
education for free. Itstreamlined me into the service
(10:40):
industry, and that's how I wasable to get an apps at
certification. That's how I wasable to attend these solar
programs and, you know, graduateand then be offered employment
from one of the biggestcompanies here in the state. So
I'll say Equity and Inclusion atWinfree is not just like a
(11:01):
buzzword or something popularthat is really our foundation,
from, definitely, from theleadership down to, you know,
people in the field teams likewe really are team and again,
being in a company whereauthenticity, authenticity is
like, celebrated that as beyondwords to, you know, be a part
Eric Heineman (11:23):
of the I would say she just, she just kept
showing up at her job sites tillwe hired her. It
Tim Montague (11:31):
shows you that taking initiative really makes a
difference. So if you'relistening to this and you're
thinking about getting intosolar, or any aspect of the
Clean Energy Transition, takethe initiative to reach out to
contractors like win free, andit will pay off. The solar
(11:52):
industry has a bit of a problem.
We're very white and very maleoriented, and we're now trying
to change that, and things likeSeija do help. But it's, it's a
double. It's, it's a both. Andwhere you also need leaders like
Eric, who are like, Yeah, let'sgo, and I'm going to grow a
company that is not just a bunchof white people. And so that's
(12:16):
very refreshing. And I'm just,I'm proud to know you guys and
be amongst you. And also, I'mproud of my state of Illinois
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more, let's talk about twothings, I guess, sure, being an
equity eligible contractor Tellme a little more about that
(13:24):
journey, and what developers andpotential customers of yours
should know about that.
Eric Heineman (13:33):
So I think just being hyper local, being able to
say, Yeah, we're we're inChicago, we've been here for 15
years. We're not going anywhere.
When you have service issues,we're gonna be there for you
regardless of what it is, right?
So if that's community solar, ifthat's behind the meter, you
know we're gonna be around toservice you. The equity eligible
people component means we have adiversity of expertise in the
(13:56):
company, because we have peoplefrom all backgrounds
Tim Montague (13:59):
there are I'm curious what Steve and Cynthia
think about this transition thatthe industry is going through.
Right? Becoming less white andless male is a good thing too,
because that's how society isright. Society is diverse, and
there are barriers to entry,though. And I'm just curious
(14:19):
like, what you think is workingand what needs to work better?
Steve Larosiliere (14:25):
Yeah, I'll go, I mean, I think in any
industry like it always reaches,like a threshold for growth. And
I think when you are, when youwere going, when you have this
resource and this asset that cantruly benefit everyone. You need
to be you need to be veryintentional with the people that
(14:47):
are serving them, because, youknow, being able to just make
sure that that you canunderstand context and
communities and what they'regoing through, like it's just
yeah, it's. Just reallyimportant, I think, from what
I've seen through Eric'sleadership, is really not
(15:07):
settling for what's given to us,and being able to go out and
intentionally find those people.
Because I know that, contrary towhat people believe, you know
that diversity doesn't matter.
It actually does matter when youhave different people in a room,
when you're trying to solve bigproblems, different you have
(15:28):
different advantage, differentviewpoints, different
lifestyles, different sort ofadvantages, disadvantages, what
have you. But being able to havedifferent people in a room is is
is real. I think for us, is ouradvantage. If you go to our
website, many shades of people,many backgrounds, there's
stories behind everybody outthere. We're not hiding. We're a
(15:50):
mission driven company. We'refor profit, but like we have a
mission, save money, save theworld, right? And we're deeply
Chicago, deeply Illinois andand, you know, after a year and
a half, even, you know, my firstcouple months, I'm like, Wow,
this team actually cares aboutthis mission. It's not just like
(16:14):
a money grab. So it's, it'srefreshing, honestly, to care
about people that like we careabout the environment, like
we're making choices, even onour personal level, that that
that impacts the planet. Butthen that's what we want to
resonate with,
Eric Heineman (16:31):
with folks. What about that? I would just echo. I
was just gonna echo. One thingthat Steve said is I believe
diversity is our strength andour competitive advantage, and I
think Steve's 100% on that. Ithink if we're thinking
differently than everybody else,we are going to get ahead of
everybody else. And I thinkwe've been doing that since 2016
(16:51):
if not 2009 when we we firststarted.
Tim Montague (16:54):
Cynthia. Cynthia, you're, you're, you're an
oddball, because you're a womanwho works in construction, and
you're you're out there onconstruction sites. I'm just
curious, like, what has thatexperience been for you?
Breaking in as a woman?
Cynthia Myers (17:11):
I'll say, You know what? Tim, it's been a
challenging experience, but I'llsay it's also a doable
experience. I've proven topeople that a woman can do solar
we're organized, we multitask,we're just as strong as a man
and and that's what makes ourteam that more innovative, just
giving women that opportunity.
So I can say that I'm proud ofthat. I'm proud of where I come
(17:34):
from. I'm proud that ourcompany, they see people, not
just for you know, theirresumes, or if you're a woman or
if you're a man, but they seeyou for your potential.
Tim Montague (17:44):
And what would you say to other women and people of
color who are not aware of theopportunity in solar per se?
What
Cynthia Myers (17:54):
would tell them that the sun is for all of us?
Most of the times we're told toreach for the stars, and my
story is letting them reach forthe sun now. So there's room for
us in the solar industry, forwomen, for men, for people with
disadvantaged backgrounds, oreven people that grew up in
foster care. You know, those arenow things that are getting you
(18:16):
these positions, and those arethings that are that are not
holding you back. You get theopportunity to make good money
and make a good impact. So it'sit's a good thing for me.
Tim Montague (18:27):
I think one of the things that's sets Winfree apart
is you are a Chicago company.
You're happy to work in the cityof Chicago and in Cook County,
where many developers andinstallers just won't go there
are a variety of reasons forthat. It's more complicated
working with the City of Chicagoand but I'm I'm curious what you
(18:50):
all think about Seija and howthat's going and programs like
Illinois solar for all so justfor our listener in Illinois,
there are two main programs,Illinois shines and Illinois
solar for all. Illinois shinesis the mainstream program for
anybody in Ameren comet or MidAmerican. And then solar for all
(19:14):
is a carve out spec specific tolow income people of color and
disadvantaged populations. Um,the solar for all is quite a bit
smaller program overall and morecomplicated and so again, I
think this is worthy of shininga light on like you guys went
into a program that isconsidered to be quite
(19:38):
difficult, to be successful in,and have been successful, and
that is kind of your DNA, thatyou don't shy away from
challenging opportunities. Andas you've mentioned, you're
developing projects in CookCounty, in the city of Chicago
on the south. Side of Chicago,where many installers would just
(20:01):
say, sorry, I'm not going there.
Eric Heineman (20:07):
Yeah, yeah. I think that's the secret sauce
for sure. It's doing theopposite what everyone else is
Cynthia Myers (20:13):
doing. I would say that just shows you the
power of solar. It's literallytouching everyone. And these
programs that are existing showsyou the power of the people here
in this state and our ourmission to make it as inclusive
and equitable to everyone. Ithink we're on a good path now.
(20:33):
Some of these programs areincentivizing solar. They're
offering no cost solar. They'reoffering a lot of incentives to
go solar. So I think we're on agood path, honestly, and with so
many jobs popping up and so manyopportunities and lanes that you
can get in, I think Illinois ison a good track.
Eric Heineman (20:56):
Yeah, I would add too that the history of the
company was based off doingsolar at schools, churches,
synagogues, places of worship,park districts, and, you know,
that's kind of how we started,because before there were state
incentives, before there were, Iguess there was tax credits, but
(21:18):
sometimes that Didn't matter tononprofits. There were state of
Illinois grants that helped dothose type of projects, and
that's how we kind of got ourstart, way back in 2009 so I
think the solar for all programreally helps, really helps those
non profits and same kind offolks we were helping, you know,
back in our start, sometimesit's a lot bigger. You know,
(21:38):
current projects we're workingon is developing some large
scale municipal projects thatsubscribers will be able to
subscribe to in low income areasof Cook County. So that's the
new twist on is we're doing alot bigger projects. We're
helping a lot more people, andwe're, you know, helping people
save 50% off their electric
Tim Montague (21:58):
bill. Any closing thoughts, Steve and Cynthia,
Steve Larosiliere (22:03):
yeah. I mean, I think this is really an
exciting time for the solarindustry to come together. I
know that there's some greaterforces out there, but at least
for what we see here inIllinois, there's lots of
opportunities. If you look atthe potential single family
(22:25):
homes and commercial the growthof data centers, AI like, the
need for more energy andsustainable energy is only going
to increase, and that's what I'mexcited about. I'm excited about
being able to, you know, helpbrand and grow the the message
of solar and to be able to givemore people opportunities, more
(22:49):
people from differentbackgrounds, not just as
installers, but as sales people,Customer Service in general
engineering, it's, it's, I seelots of potential for us. Hey, I
Eric Heineman (23:05):
want to give Cynthia a mic for a second,
because she's got a call toaction that we need help with
for all the listeners right nowthat something terrible happened
to her in the last 24 hours. AsI started with saying, what
equity means is having somethingthat I have, giving it to
somebody else, and I'm trying tohelp out Cynthia right now with
(23:25):
my network. So go ahead,Cynthia.
Cynthia Myers (23:29):
Yeah. So unfortunately, due to the way
the system's going here inAmerica, I myself, I'm married
to a person with an immigrationstatus, and he's recently been
detained by ICE, and I was ableto reach out to, you know, my
network at Windfree, and theyhave done an amazing job, which
(23:52):
is flooding me with resources.
And I don't want to cry, but I'mso grateful for that, and, and,
yeah, so
Tim Montague (24:01):
for how can I, how can our listeners help you?
Cynthia, anyway, you
Cynthia Myers (24:05):
guys could flood these cause hotlines. You know,
I don't really know what to doin a situation like this, um,
considering it's my first time,but um, you know, whatever
advice or words ofencouragement, it'll be awesome.
Steve Larosiliere (24:22):
Sorry.
Cynthia, all right, my heart'sbeen to you.
Cynthia Myers (24:26):
Thank you. Yeah.
Shout out to my team, becausethey've been working around the
clock all night, sending meresources all morning, reaching
out to their contacts, you know,big time governance and things
like that. So the support is isunmatched, honestly.
Tim Montague (24:48):
All right, we will put your email address in the
show notes Cynthia, so peoplecan reach out to you if they
have some way of supporting yourpartner. Sorry to hear about
that. Yeah, and yeah, it's ateam effort here in America. We
need to stand together andremember that we are a country
(25:11):
built by immigrants. Somehow weforgot that. I'm not sure how
that happens. We are out oftime, and I want to thank Eric,
Heineman, Windfree, Cynthia andSteve for coming on the show
today. It is a great pleasureand honor to be in your
presence, and thank you for thework that you're doing to make
(25:34):
solar more equitable. Reallyappreciate that. Reach out to
Windfree. Oh, you're welcome.
Yeah, reach out towindfree@windfree.us. We will
put your info in the show notesas well and check out all of our
content at cleanpowerhour.com.
I'm Tim Montague, let's growsolar and storage. Thank you so
(25:57):
much, guys.
Eric Heineman (25:58):
Thank you guys.
Thank you for
Cynthia Myers (25:59):
listening. Thank you. Thanks very much. You.
The sun. It is for all of us. You know, most of
(00:03):
the times we're told to reachfor the stars, and my story is
letting them reach for the sun.
Now, you know, so there's roomfor us in this other industry,
for women, for men, for peoplewith disadvantaged backgrounds,
or even people that grew up infoster care. You know, those are
now things that are getting youthese positions, and those are
things that are that are notholding you back. You get the
(00:24):
opportunity to make good moneyand make a good impact. So it's
it's a good thing for me.
intro (00:32):
Are you speeding the energy transition here at the
Clean Power Hour, our host, TimMontague, bring you the best in
solar, batteries and cleantechnologies every week. Want to
go deeper into decarbonization.
We do too. We're here to helpyou understand and command the
commercial, residential andutility, solar, wind and storage
industries. So let's get to ittogether. We can speed the
(00:54):
energy transition
Tim Montague (00:56):
today on the Clean Power Hour. I'm speaking with
the executive team at Windfreesolar, including Eric Heineman,
CEO Cynthia Myers, head of O andM and Steve Larosiliere, Chief
Marketing Officer. Windfreesolar is minority owned business
and equity eligible contractorin the state of Illinois, in the
(01:16):
city of Chicago, they've carvedout a unique niche in
residential, commercial andcommunity solar development
focusing on underserved marketsothers avoid. Let's dive into
their journey and insights inthe solar industry in Illinois.
Welcome to the show.
Steve Larosiliere (01:35):
Thanks for having us.
Cynthia Myers (01:37):
Thanks for having us. Tim,
Tim Montague (01:40):
the solar industry is famous for ups and downs. We
call it the solar coaster. We'vehad several ups and downs here
in Illinois and but Illinois isa major solar market now we're
doing, you know, on the order of10 gigawatts of solar in the
next 10 years, if, if things gowell and Windfree is making a
(02:03):
mark. So we'd love to hear alittle bit about how you got
involved in the solar industry.
You have a strong sustainabilitybackground, which you could also
touch on. But what was it thatdrew you to the solar industry?
Sure.
Eric Heineman (02:21):
So, I'd say my background is really policy
slash politics. I got reallylucky when I was 26 and I was
hired by then Governor PatQuinn, who was Governor of
Illinois for six years beforethat, I was the first paid
sustainability director forUniversity of Chicago on the
south side. And before that, Iwas a middle school computer
(02:47):
teacher.
Tim Montague (02:48):
So fast forward.
Then you joined Windfree aboutsix years ago.
Eric Heineman (02:53):
In 2018 I was trying to decide between pivot
and Windfree, and I pivotedWindfree.
Tim Montague (02:59):
Eric, why don't you set the table a little bit.
Tell us what you are up to as acontractor in Chicago land. I
Eric Heineman (03:08):
was thinking we kick it off with what's equity?
So we're equity eligiblecontractors. We've had that
status since it became a thing.
We're a MBE from the city ofChicago, Minority Business
Enterprise, I think, is what MBEstands for. We've had that
status since before CJ passed.
And the equity thing wasn't newto us, because since fija passed
(03:31):
in 2016 we started hiring fromthe state job training programs
for the solar for all program,because we helped develop low
income environmental justicesolar PV systems for nonprofits
in environmental justice, lowincome communities through solar
for all we were doing thatalready, the main criteria for
that program is that you hireessentially equity individuals
(03:54):
as part of your team. So we'vebeen doing that since 2016 over
30% of our team are equityeligible individuals, equity
eligible people, which is partlyhow we get that equity eligible
contractor status. And these aretwo of my C suite staff on the
line right now, and they'redirectors and leaders in the
(04:16):
company, and they have their ownequity stories. It's hard for me
to talk about it without havingthem talk about what it means
for them.
Tim Montague (04:25):
Yeah, let's start with Cynthia. Cynthia comes from
a training program, I believe.
But Cynthia, how did you getinto the solar industry?
Cynthia Myers (04:34):
Well, I'll say Tim, my my journey into the
solar industry wasn'ttraditional. I'm a single mom. I
grew up in foster care, so Ikind of got into the renewable
sector by default, and happenedto land here at the Windfree
team. I'll say that I'm prettyproud to work for a company that
(04:57):
I feel is the best year in thestate. Eight, and not just
because of what we do bring insustainable energy to people and
communities, but how we do it,working for a company with such
a diverse and inclusivebackground is just not only
inspiring, but it's also good toyou know, that's how you really
(05:19):
drive change. I feel so justbeing a part of that team and
this team just is awesome. Buttell us
Tim Montague (05:25):
a little bit about your story. Cynthia,
Cynthia Myers (05:28):
my story is I grew up in a disadvantaged
neighborhood, like I said. Ilanded into solar just, you
know, visiting my local DHSoffice, looking for resources,
looking to have an impact here,just for my kids, and then it
led into something a lot bigger.
So I got to inspiring women inmy community and people in my
communities, and being one ofthe first female installers here
(05:51):
in the state to actually get upon the rooftops, to actually
install these systems, and towork with these guys and to
diversify this industry.
Tim Montague (06:03):
And you are a certified electrician, if I
understand that correctly,though, right?
Cynthia Myers (06:07):
I say, Yes, I am a licensed electrician now, and
I'm just proud to say, you know,my company supported me through
that whole journey. Theybelieved in me, and not only
that, they paid so it's awesome.
Tim Montague (06:21):
And how about you, Steve, how do you come to work
with Windfree and the solarindustry?
Steve Larosiliere (06:27):
So I have a background in entrepreneurship
and marketing, and I did a lotof work with contractors and
builders, and I connected withEric over a year and a half ago.
Our kids go to the same school,and we had mutual friend in
common. And after learning aboutthe opportunity with solar and
(06:47):
the sort of the mindset andEric's background, I just really
saw, I saw the opportunity forwhat it was. Eric is the type of
leader that has been inpositions where you can give
people opportunities. And I,myself have been that. And when
you look at, when you look atjust the where the solar
(07:09):
industry is growing, you seethis. You see this resource
that's available and accessibleto everyone, but not truly
accessible to everyone. And soyou can't grow the solar
industry without people, and youneed to be able to create a
platform for that. And so, youknow, I'm just proud to be able
to be part of this community andpart of be part of Windfree,
(07:32):
because I just see nothing butnothing but good that can happen
in low income communities and incities you know, everywhere,
from installers to customerservice to sales people like in
order for us to truly tap intothe potential of solar in
Illinois and in Chicagoland,we're going to need more people,
(07:53):
and we have to look beyond justthe traditional venues and
avenues and start looking to thecommunities and neighborhoods
that could truly benefit fromthis. So, yeah, my, my, I'm just
glad to be part of here. I'vealways been, I've always been
the only other person in a room,right? Like I go into the
(08:17):
industries and spaces where I'mpretty much the only person that
looks like me, and I've done itin other industries, and I'm
happy to do it here.
Tim Montague (08:26):
So one of the, you know, one of the foundations
here in Illinois, of our fundingfor the solar industry is the
climate and equitable JOBS Act.
And so I'm curious, like, there,there's a lot of things on my
mind about this topic. We wantto help low income people. We
(08:48):
want to make clean energyaccessible to low income people.
And we also want to grow theindustry in an equitable
fashion, right? This is aneconomic opportunity for
installers, for electricians,for contractors, for engineers,
for people in finance, all kindsof professionals. And so it is.
(09:12):
It is a good thing that thestate of Illinois has been
intentional with thislegislation. It's a double edge,
because it means thatcontractors like win free have
to be explicit about becoming aequitable employer, and finding
(09:33):
people is not easy. So I'm, youknow, I'm curious both from
Cynthia side of the story, beinga trainee. And I'm so curious,
how did that program find youCynthia, and then how did win
free find Cynthia in theprogram? So I don't know who
(09:54):
wants to go first on that.
Cynthia Myers (09:58):
Well, I'll take that. Um, Tim, I'll say, um, I
was lucky to find win free. Weactually crossed paths at the
going green event over inWilmette. So I crossed paths
with some some people there, andthen I actually seen one of
their project managers on siteat a Chase Bank. So I approached
(10:18):
the guy, and I was like, Hey,you're doing went you're doing
solar in my neighborhood. I grewup here in this Rogers Park
area, and you know, just call meif you guys are ever hiring. So,
you know, the seizure programfor me. It helped me get my
education for free. Itstreamlined me into the service
(10:40):
industry, and that's how I wasable to get an apps at
certification. That's how I wasable to attend these solar
programs and, you know, graduateand then be offered employment
from one of the biggestcompanies here in the state. So
I'll say Equity and Inclusion atWinfree is not just like a
(11:01):
buzzword or something popularthat is really our foundation,
from, definitely, from theleadership down to, you know,
people in the field teams likewe really are team and again,
being in a company whereauthenticity, authenticity is
like, celebrated that as beyondwords to, you know, be a part
Eric Heineman (11:23):
of the I would say she just, she just kept
showing up at her job sites tillwe hired her. It
Tim Montague (11:31):
shows you that taking initiative really makes a
difference. So if you'relistening to this and you're
thinking about getting intosolar, or any aspect of the
Clean Energy Transition, takethe initiative to reach out to
contractors like win free, andit will pay off. The solar
(11:52):
industry has a bit of a problem.
We're very white and very maleoriented, and we're now trying
to change that, and things likeSeija do help. But it's, it's a
double. It's, it's a both. Andwhere you also need leaders like
Eric, who are like, Yeah, let'sgo, and I'm going to grow a
company that is not just a bunchof white people. And so that's
(12:16):
very refreshing. And I'm just,I'm proud to know you guys and
be amongst you. And also, I'mproud of my state of Illinois
for creating seiza in the firstplace. The Clean Power Hour is
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(12:40):
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(13:02):
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more, let's talk about twothings, I guess, sure, being an
equity eligible contractor Tellme a little more about that
(13:24):
journey, and what developers andpotential customers of yours
should know about that.
Eric Heineman (13:33):
So I think just being hyper local, being able to
say, Yeah, we're we're inChicago, we've been here for 15
years. We're not going anywhere.
When you have service issues,we're gonna be there for you
regardless of what it is, right?
So if that's community solar, ifthat's behind the meter, you
know we're gonna be around toservice you. The equity eligible
people component means we have adiversity of expertise in the
(13:56):
company, because we have peoplefrom all backgrounds
Tim Montague (13:59):
there are I'm curious what Steve and Cynthia
think about this transition thatthe industry is going through.
Right? Becoming less white andless male is a good thing too,
because that's how society isright. Society is diverse, and
there are barriers to entry,though. And I'm just curious
(14:19):
like, what you think is workingand what needs to work better?
Steve Larosiliere (14:25):
Yeah, I'll go, I mean, I think in any
industry like it always reaches,like a threshold for growth. And
I think when you are, when youwere going, when you have this
resource and this asset that cantruly benefit everyone. You need
to be you need to be veryintentional with the people that
(14:47):
are serving them, because, youknow, being able to just make
sure that that you canunderstand context and
communities and what they'regoing through, like it's just
yeah, it's. Just reallyimportant, I think, from what
I've seen through Eric'sleadership, is really not
(15:07):
settling for what's given to us,and being able to go out and
intentionally find those people.
Because I know that, contrary towhat people believe, you know
that diversity doesn't matter.
It actually does matter when youhave different people in a room,
when you're trying to solve bigproblems, different you have
(15:28):
different advantage, differentviewpoints, different
lifestyles, different sort ofadvantages, disadvantages, what
have you. But being able to havedifferent people in a room is is
is real. I think for us, is ouradvantage. If you go to our
website, many shades of people,many backgrounds, there's
stories behind everybody outthere. We're not hiding. We're a
(15:50):
mission driven company. We'refor profit, but like we have a
mission, save money, save theworld, right? And we're deeply
Chicago, deeply Illinois andand, you know, after a year and
a half, even, you know, my firstcouple months, I'm like, Wow,
this team actually cares aboutthis mission. It's not just like
(16:14):
a money grab. So it's, it'srefreshing, honestly, to care
about people that like we careabout the environment, like
we're making choices, even onour personal level, that that
that impacts the planet. Butthen that's what we want to
resonate with,
Eric Heineman (16:31):
with folks. What about that? I would just echo. I
was just gonna echo. One thingthat Steve said is I believe
diversity is our strength andour competitive advantage, and I
think Steve's 100% on that. Ithink if we're thinking
differently than everybody else,we are going to get ahead of
everybody else. And I thinkwe've been doing that since 2016
(16:51):
if not 2009 when we we firststarted.
Tim Montague (16:54):
Cynthia. Cynthia, you're, you're, you're an
oddball, because you're a womanwho works in construction, and
you're you're out there onconstruction sites. I'm just
curious, like, what has thatexperience been for you?
Breaking in as a woman?
Cynthia Myers (17:11):
I'll say, You know what? Tim, it's been a
challenging experience, but I'llsay it's also a doable
experience. I've proven topeople that a woman can do solar
we're organized, we multitask,we're just as strong as a man
and and that's what makes ourteam that more innovative, just
giving women that opportunity.
So I can say that I'm proud ofthat. I'm proud of where I come
(17:34):
from. I'm proud that ourcompany, they see people, not
just for you know, theirresumes, or if you're a woman or
if you're a man, but they seeyou for your potential.
Tim Montague (17:44):
And what would you say to other women and people of
color who are not aware of theopportunity in solar per se?
What
Cynthia Myers (17:54):
would tell them that the sun is for all of us?
Most of the times we're told toreach for the stars, and my
story is letting them reach forthe sun now. So there's room for
us in the solar industry, forwomen, for men, for people with
disadvantaged backgrounds, oreven people that grew up in
foster care. You know, those arenow things that are getting you
(18:16):
these positions, and those arethings that are that are not
holding you back. You get theopportunity to make good money
and make a good impact. So it'sit's a good thing for me.
Tim Montague (18:27):
I think one of the things that's sets Winfree apart
is you are a Chicago company.
You're happy to work in the cityof Chicago and in Cook County,
where many developers andinstallers just won't go there
are a variety of reasons forthat. It's more complicated
working with the City of Chicagoand but I'm I'm curious what you
(18:50):
all think about Seija and howthat's going and programs like
Illinois solar for all so justfor our listener in Illinois,
there are two main programs,Illinois shines and Illinois
solar for all. Illinois shinesis the mainstream program for
anybody in Ameren comet or MidAmerican. And then solar for all
(19:14):
is a carve out spec specific tolow income people of color and
disadvantaged populations. Um,the solar for all is quite a bit
smaller program overall and morecomplicated and so again, I
think this is worthy of shininga light on like you guys went
into a program that isconsidered to be quite
(19:38):
difficult, to be successful in,and have been successful, and
that is kind of your DNA, thatyou don't shy away from
challenging opportunities. Andas you've mentioned, you're
developing projects in CookCounty, in the city of Chicago
on the south. Side of Chicago,where many installers would just
(20:01):
say, sorry, I'm not going there.
Eric Heineman (20:07):
Yeah, yeah. I think that's the secret sauce
for sure. It's doing theopposite what everyone else is
Cynthia Myers (20:13):
doing. I would say that just shows you the
power of solar. It's literallytouching everyone. And these
programs that are existing showsyou the power of the people here
in this state and our ourmission to make it as inclusive
and equitable to everyone. Ithink we're on a good path now.
(20:33):
Some of these programs areincentivizing solar. They're
offering no cost solar. They'reoffering a lot of incentives to
go solar. So I think we're on agood path, honestly, and with so
many jobs popping up and so manyopportunities and lanes that you
can get in, I think Illinois ison a good track.
Eric Heineman (20:56):
Yeah, I would add too that the history of the
company was based off doingsolar at schools, churches,
synagogues, places of worship,park districts, and, you know,
that's kind of how we started,because before there were state
incentives, before there were, Iguess there was tax credits, but
(21:18):
sometimes that Didn't matter tononprofits. There were state of
Illinois grants that helped dothose type of projects, and
that's how we kind of got ourstart, way back in 2009 so I
think the solar for all programreally helps, really helps those
non profits and same kind offolks we were helping, you know,
back in our start, sometimesit's a lot bigger. You know,
(21:38):
current projects we're workingon is developing some large
scale municipal projects thatsubscribers will be able to
subscribe to in low income areasof Cook County. So that's the
new twist on is we're doing alot bigger projects. We're
helping a lot more people, andwe're, you know, helping people
save 50% off their electric
Tim Montague (21:58):
bill. Any closing thoughts, Steve and Cynthia,
Steve Larosiliere (22:03):
yeah. I mean, I think this is really an
exciting time for the solarindustry to come together. I
know that there's some greaterforces out there, but at least
for what we see here inIllinois, there's lots of
opportunities. If you look atthe potential single family
(22:25):
homes and commercial the growthof data centers, AI like, the
need for more energy andsustainable energy is only going
to increase, and that's what I'mexcited about. I'm excited about
being able to, you know, helpbrand and grow the the message
of solar and to be able to givemore people opportunities, more
(22:49):
people from differentbackgrounds, not just as
installers, but as sales people,Customer Service in general
engineering, it's, it's, I seelots of potential for us. Hey, I
Eric Heineman (23:05):
want to give Cynthia a mic for a second,
because she's got a call toaction that we need help with
for all the listeners right nowthat something terrible happened
to her in the last 24 hours. AsI started with saying, what
equity means is having somethingthat I have, giving it to
somebody else, and I'm trying tohelp out Cynthia right now with
(23:25):
my network. So go ahead,Cynthia.
Cynthia Myers (23:29):
Yeah. So unfortunately, due to the way
the system's going here inAmerica, I myself, I'm married
to a person with an immigrationstatus, and he's recently been
detained by ICE, and I was ableto reach out to, you know, my
network at Windfree, and theyhave done an amazing job, which
(23:52):
is flooding me with resources.
And I don't want to cry, but I'mso grateful for that, and, and,
yeah, so
Tim Montague (24:01):
for how can I, how can our listeners help you?
Cynthia, anyway, you
Cynthia Myers (24:05):
guys could flood these cause hotlines. You know,
I don't really know what to doin a situation like this, um,
considering it's my first time,but um, you know, whatever
advice or words ofencouragement, it'll be awesome.
Steve Larosiliere (24:22):
Sorry.
Cynthia, all right, my heart'sbeen to you.
Cynthia Myers (24:26):
Thank you. Yeah.
Shout out to my team, becausethey've been working around the
clock all night, sending meresources all morning, reaching
out to their contacts, you know,big time governance and things
like that. So the support is isunmatched, honestly.
Tim Montague (24:48):
All right, we will put your email address in the
show notes Cynthia, so peoplecan reach out to you if they
have some way of supporting yourpartner. Sorry to hear about
that. Yeah, and yeah, it's ateam effort here in America. We
need to stand together andremember that we are a country
(25:11):
built by immigrants. Somehow weforgot that. I'm not sure how
that happens. We are out oftime, and I want to thank Eric,
Heineman, Windfree, Cynthia andSteve for coming on the show
today. It is a great pleasureand honor to be in your
presence, and thank you for thework that you're doing to make
(25:34):
solar more equitable. Reallyappreciate that. Reach out to
Windfree. Oh, you're welcome.
Yeah, reach out towindfree@windfree.us. We will
put your info in the show notesas well and check out all of our
content at cleanpowerhour.com.
I'm Tim Montague, let's growsolar and storage. Thank you so
(25:57):
much, guys.
Eric Heineman (25:58):
Thank you guys.
Thank you for
Cynthia Myers (25:59):
listening. Thank you. Thanks very much. You.
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