From Food Stamps to Seven-Figure Success

With Owen Barrett,
Founder & President, Rayven
In this episode of the Climate Rebels Podcast, host Joel Cesare interviews fellow co-host Owen Barrett on the show. During the conversation, Owen shares his journey from living on food stamps to becoming a millionaire with a clean tech real estate idea. Other topics in the conversation include having the “all-in” mindset of a successful entrepreneur, how business is going to solve the environmental crisis, calling out claims of forward-leaning companies, and more.

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

  • Is that comment for real? Calling out claims of forward-leaning companies (2:31)
  • How is Owen a climate rebel? (12:59)
  • The “all-in” mindset of a successful entrepreneur (13:56)
  • Owen’s first steps into the entrepreneurial world (19:58)
  • Business is going to solve environmental crises (21:15)
  • From food stamps to initial success through Prop 39 (26:15)
  • The origin story of ZNE Capital (36:10)
  • Overcoming obstacles from impact investors (45:04)
  • Paying investors to fight the climate crisis (51:01)
  • What excites Owen about the future of climate change? (54:25)

 

The Climate Rebels Podcast is presented by Rayven. The climate conversation has never been hotter. As disruptors in this space, we’re hungry to find solutions to the challenges our planet faces. We celebrate the doers, those taking action against climate change and executing on their vision for a better future. You’ll hear from us, as well as leaders in science, tech, and business, as we all take steps to decrease carbon and reach net zero. Let’s get to work at joinrayven.com.

About the Hosts

Joel Cesare
Joel Cesare is a visionary leader in sustainable real estate, currently serving as Growth Lead at Cambio, an AI building retrofit analytics platform. He previously led Google's $50B global net zero real estate program and oversaw the building of Santa Monica's City Hall East, one of the world's greenest buildings. Recognized with awards like ENR Top 25 Newsmaker, Living Future Hero, Building Design & Construction 40 under 40, his mission is to dream, inspire and deliver.
Owen Barrett
Owen Barrett is the world's foremost expert in solar on multifamily properties. Owen is currently the CEO of Shine and has over 12 years of experience in the clean technology sector covering fuel cells, HVAC, LED lighting, and of course, solar. Owen is the former Global Energy Manager of a Fortune 500 company and a successful founder with two exits.

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