Veterans & Eco-Entrepreneurs: Otway

Twins. Veterans. Eco-entrepreneurs. Lately if you go to any green event locally, you're likely to meet brothers Russell & Kevin Otway. They've been recently featured in the Sun Sentinel and won 1st Runner Up in an FIU Business Plan Competition. Here is their story as told by Russell Otway:

My twin brother Kevin and I have been working towards launching Veterans Energy Solutions, LLC. It is a business that would address the twin issues of energy efficiency (energy auditing) and energy conservation (solar). Consumers and builders/architects would use our service because we can reduce electric energy consumption by 10 - 45%.

We have been researching these fields for about two years starting not too long after I came back from Iraq. And we have trained extensively as well with Solar Energy International (SEI) and the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).

We are taking a slightly different approach from the norm to the same endeavor as environmentalists by linking our service in the military in order to make energy independence a reality. We have been crafting our plan to that end and have even molded courses taken at FIU to complement our overall understanding. And as a part of that process of crafting and validation, we entered Florida International University's New Venture Challenge Business Plan Competition making it to the final round. And winning First Runner Up!

All too often, we hear the bad side of the Iraq war effort and even recently of injured troops getting bad care, etc. But we have not heard many stories of how troops are coming back and still serving their country with like fervor. And what we do transcends the politics of war. So, we are turning our effort into one of those stories.

We can all commiserate about the bad things that happen as a result of the war but Veterans Energy Solutions is about bringing practical, holistic energy solutions to all residents of Miami-Dade County and beyond.

Comments

[Kevin Otway]

Hello Rebecca,

Thank you for your kind words.

http://sparkplugg.blogspot.com/

Regards,
Kevin