What would you do after taking your company public and becoming a billionaire?
If you’re Dean Solon, you start over—with even bigger ambitions.
The outspoken founder of Shoals Technologies is back with his new venture, Create Energy, and a mission to tear down the solar industry’s bloated, outdated playbook—and rebuild it from the ground up with speed, precision, and American grit.
In this unfiltered live keynote from Midwest Solar Expo, Dean reveals:
- The real story behind Shoals’ rise to a billion-dollar IPO
- Why he walked away at the peak—and what he’s building next
- His no-BS take on labor, logistics, and why the industry’s too damn slow
Expect big ideas, bold opinions, and:
🔹 Why he’s betting (again) on U.S. manufacturing
🔹 How “Hot Pocket munchers” inspired a new labor model
🔹 The “McDonald’s menu meets Amazon Prime” approach to solar
🔹 How Create Energy built Nissan’s next-gen microgrid in 9 months flat
If you like your clean energy insights with a side of irreverence and hard truth, this one’s a must-listen.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus
