Over the past few months, our CEO and Co-Founder Birchy and I both lost our Dads. It was an extremely painful experience for us both. We both knew it was coming, we both thought we were better prepared, and we both felt blindsided by the amount of grief and sorrow that ensued.
But there were other similarities. Both Dads were really proud of the decades we’ve spent working on spreading solar across the world. They encouraged us, supported us, picked us up when we were down (as is inevitably the case on the solar coaster), and celebrated our successes. They were both kind and gentle men. Birchy’s Dad was a successful hotelier, and my Dad was a lifelong teacher. I don’t think either of them were crazy enough to embark on the mission we’re on, but it sure meant a lot to them all the same.
So that’s why I wanted to write this post. Not just to remember them, but to publicly celebrate their love of the planet and their unwavering support of our work. Succeeding in our mission is a very personal thing for us, and now has even more significance than it did before. Their legacy isn’t two middle aged solar software executives. Their legacy is raising two kids whose life’s work is to decarbonize our planet and make sure that nobody gets left behind in the energy transition.
So here’s to all the Mums and Dads of the solar industry, who support and encourage us all every day to get this done. We love and appreciate you.