Aggie Entrepreneurs
Like Father, Like Sun Alumnus entrepreneur reduces the carbon footprint of Yolo County with affordable solar By Trevor Stewart
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hris Soderquist MBA ’98 knows his late father, Charles Soderquist M.S. ’73 Ph.D. ’78, cast a large shadow. Charles was seen as an entrepreneurial icon in Northern California and was heavily engaged with his alma mater, the University of California, Davis. While Soderquist admits his father’s legacy could be intimidating, he believes it drove him to blaze his own trail. That’s exactly what he is doing with his most recent business venture, RepowerYolo, a solar company that helps his fellow Yolo County, California, property owners make the switch to solar energy. Soderquist, a Cal Aggie Alumni Association Life Member and donor to the university, has started nearly two dozen businesses, ranging from tech incubators to software companies. In addition to his deep gratitude for his father, he credits the UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM) for providing him with top-notch education. (See video) “I love the Charles Mingus quote:
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‘Making the simple complicated is commonplace,’” Soderquist said. “Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” With RepowerYolo, Soderquist put his creative juices to work, helping local home and business owners simplify going solar while reducing the carbon footprint of his community.
Yolo Shines gives back Charles, a former UC Davis Board of Regents member, former chair of the UC Davis Foundation and one of the university’s most ardent supporters, always valued philanthropy and implored others who had the means to be generous and invest in their communities. “My dad believed anyone who was successful in the community — especially alumni — had a responsibility to give back and support the university,” Soderquist said. Soderquist learned much from his father, including how to intersect business ventures and philanthropy. He often employs a Venn diagram
Chris Soderquist inherited the entrepreneurial spirit and sense of philanthropy from his father, Charles J. Soderquist, who established the Charles J. Soderquist Faculty Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Management.
to gauge whether a business meets the criteria of potential success. The typical business entrepreneur sees two circles: what they enjoy doing and how they can make money doing it. Soderquist said there is a key third circle: doing good. With this in mind, for every customer who goes solar, RepowerYolo donates $500 to a local charity of their choice through their Yolo Shines program. “Strengthening the fabric of our community is an imperative investment,” Soderquist said. Soderquist’s dad is not his only family member with ties to UC Davis. He met his wife, alumna