Member Profile #5- Jimmy Jia

CleanTech Alliance member Jimmy Jia shares how he’s adapting to and overcoming the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an effort to inspire and connect our members in these difficult times, the CleanTech Alliance is publishing a series of profiles to highlight how are members are adjusting to this new normal.

You can read our first profile on Eric Moe and UMC  here, our second profile on Michael Smith and Impact Bioenergy  here, our third profile on Russ Weed and CleanTech Strategies here, and our fourth profile on Leif Elgethun and Retrolux here.

Jimmy Jia is an innovator, author, educator, and strategist.  He is on the board for the Center for Sustainable Energy and chairs the Strategy Committee. His expertise is using energy as an indicator of corporate strategy and governance, resulting in corporations reducing wasted expenditures by “right sizing” their consumption. In acting as a “Chief Utility Officer” for companies, he helps CFOs manage the life-cycle costs of their utility line-item to save money, reduce exposure to volatile pricing, and improve profitability and competitive advantage.

Q: What federal and/or state financial relief programs have you applied for, if any?

A: I applied for the PPP and received it.

Q: How have operations changed at your work? What does your new workday look like?

A: I’ve settled into a routine of scheduling calls in the morning, leaving my afternoons open for pop-up calls as well as time to do my own work. It has become a nice way of using the mornings to connect with people and the afternoons to plan, write or otherwise accomplish projects.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for you or your business due to COVID-19?

A: Isolation of working alone! Some days I really crave just random conversations that meander rather than having a purpose in a zoom call to maximize value of time.

Q: Do you have any success stories or lessons learned from the health crisis?

A: Global networking is easier, as there’s no expectation of being physically present for a meeting!

If you would like to tell your COVID-19 story and be featured in a future member profile, please email lindsay@cleantechalliance.org