Connected Leadership with Peter Boyd Leading the Way | Jigar Shah | Driving Clean Energy Innovation Through Finance and Leadership
Mar 17, 2025
Jigar Shah, Director of the Loan Programs Office at the U.S. Department of Energy and founder of SunEdison, shares his journey in clean energy finance. He discusses the importance of aligning capital with sustainable technology and the challenges in commercializing renewable energy solutions. Jigar emphasizes the evolution of leadership from individual excellence to team success, advocating for servant leadership and collaboration. He also highlights the rising trend of stable investments on the East Coast and the critical role of effective communication in achieving impactful climate goals.
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Young Parents Shaped Self-Reliance
- Jigar grew up with very young parents who left him highly self-reliant and driven to solve problems himself.
- That upbringing shaped how he mentors others and treats early-career ideas kindly and productively.
Cold Emails, Road Trips, And Night Shifts
- After college Jigar cold‑emailed every Solar Energy Industries Association member and drove to interviews to land his first roles.
- Early jobs included shifts stocking shelves overnight when startups couldn't pay, showing gritty persistence.
Betting The House To Start SunEdison
- Jigar started SunEdison using a $97,000 home equity mortgage after leaving BP Solar to pursue his financing model.
- He admits he was a poor CEO early on but learned management through later roles.
