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Welcome to Florida State University's official entrepreneurship and innovation podcast, The InNOLEvation® Mindset! Hosted by Mark McNees and powered by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. This podcast features audio and video versions of our podcast, which highlights student and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators from FSU.
Get inspired by the next generation of young business leaders and hear their inside stories. Learn from faculty who teach entrepreneurship and innovation courses at FSU as they share key insights.
On this channel, you'll find:
-Full video episodes of our podcast conversations with founders of startups born at FSU
-Business advice and thought leadership from FSU professors focused on entrepreneurship
-Fireside chats and interviews recorded live with enterprising alumni making their mark
-Special segments and speaker events at FSU focused on innovation
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a current business owner, or you just love hearing success stories - subscribe now to see inspiring individuals daring to turn ideas into reality. With new episodic content added regularly, The Innovation Mindset podcast tells tales of vision, grit, failure, and triumph straight from the FSU community.
This channel visually brings the podcast to life with photos, graphics, and video. Join us by subscribing if you bleed garnet and gold!
Episodes
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Join us in this episode of the InNOLEvation® Mindset Podcast, powered by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, as host Mark McNees sits down with Doug Coward, founder of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF). Discover the story of how Doug’s frustration with the bureaucratic hurdles in energy projects led him to create SELF, an innovative entity aimed at making clean energy accessible to working-class families. Doug shares their journey from a pilot project in St. Lucie County to expanding across 17 states and the District of Columbia. Learn about SELF's unique underwriting methodology, its impact on low and moderate-income communities, and the distinction between SELF as a not-for-profit organization and traditional for-profit banks. Doug also discusses the challenges and solutions in advancing clean energy and resilience, navigating policy changes, and the future of sustainable financing. Don’t miss this insightful conversation full of inspiration and real-world solutions.
00:00 Introduction to the Innovation Mindset Podcast
00:06 Meet Doug Coward: Founder of Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF)
00:50 The Journey from Environmental Planning to Clean Energy Advocacy
01:55 The Birth of SELF: Overcoming Energy Monopolies
03:43 Scaling Up: From Local Pilot to National Impact
04:43 Understanding SELF vs. Traditional Banks
05:50 Challenges and Successes in Clean Energy Financing
08:22 Navigating Political Changes and Their Impact on SELF
12:18 The Importance of Sustainable Building Improvements
21:31 The Role of PACE in Green Financing
35:52 Future of Clean Energy and Resilience
41:46 Final Thoughts and Reflections
43:45 Closing Remarks
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025