“You might say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” ~ John Lennon
I have always been an ambitious person. I’m a dreamer. I want to achieve what people say is too tough, too risky, or can’t be done. Growing up as a competitive athlete, there was a saying I used to live by and still to this day helps me stay motivated; Think BIG, Act BIG, Believe BIG and the Results will be BIG!
When I found Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation (OTE), I recognized the team’s amazing ambition to do something truly BIG in our world. To accomplish great things, you need to think, act and believe in what that others simply won’t. At OTE, we are dedicated to fulfilling the mission we have set forth: to develop renewable energy and fresh water production solutions using OTEC and SWAC, a system that can support sustainable living communities in tropical and subtropical regions. Once I saw the synergies between OTE and my personal beliefs, I decided to turn my career focus towards helping fulfill the dreams of OTE!
Let me digress. I grew up in Greensboro, MD, a small rural eastern shore town. I was raised with a tremendous family around me – mother, father, aunt, and uncle, all teachers or in the school system. They raised us to be ambitious, respect others, be dedicated to something, and be determined and consistent with your work ethic to accomplish your dreams. I excelled in soccer and wrestling throughout my early years, making all-state teams, receiving accolades, and motivating me towards a childhood dream of playing professional soccer. I ended attending and playing soccer for Lycoming College, where I was a Four-time All-Conference player. That journey culminated in my election to the Lycoming College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, representing the 8th soccer player in school history to receive such honors.
My double major in Economics and Business Marketing continued to take a backseat after college because, of course, I needed to fulfill that professional dream. I moved to the Atlantic City area, played semi-professional soccer for the AC Diablos, and was a Coach and was the Director of Communications for Atlantic Soccer Factory. After a few years, I saw the potential of my athletic dreams fading, and at the time, I struggled with that “failure”. Michael Jordan was quoted, “I’ve failed over, and over, and over again in my life. And that is why I succeeded!” I allowed that “failure” to focus my dreams towards my next success.
I moved to Lancaster, PA to be with my now wife, as she accepted a teaching job in the area. Of course, I couldn’t walk away from soccer quite yet. I am now entering my 7th season with Lebanon Valley College Men’s Soccer team as an Assistant Coach. My coaching and technical background is part of the reason I was attracted to finance. I loved working with people and “coaching” others, and I needed a career where there was no ceiling. I didn’t want boundaries. I was entrepreneurial. I wanted to run my own business. This led me to PennWood Financial Group in 2011. After just 2 years, I took a leap of faith and moved into my own office with a partner, marketing, prospecting, and managing my own financial practice to the tune of a few dozen clients/households, and approximately $9M under management.
While financial planning fulfilled the entrepreneurial and “coaching” drive, I seemed to desire something greater, something BIGGER. In the fall of 2016, my then partner, and investor in OTE, introduced me to OTE. In my initial meeting to invest in OTE, I immediately saw the vision, the need in the marketplace, and the expertise of the executive team.
The “Renewable Energy Industry” is growing at a rapid 10%+ per year. As a financial advisor, I had become intrigued with both the energy industry, due to recent extreme oil volatility, as well as the global water shortage we face. I thought there had to be a solution and was determined to find one to invest in. Humans are geared to solve “problems”. Tropical and subtropical regions of the world face problems that we in America can’t comprehend. When I found OTE, I thought to myself, why not us? Why not in Lancaster? Why not this team? At OTE, we fulfill the basic needs of human life: water, food and energy! When I did my research on the executive team, and coupled that with the need in the marketplace and our engineering expertise, I wanted nothing more than to join the team and help change the world.
I believe in the drive of the executive team that filters down through the staff. I believe in the technologies that our engineers have developed. I believe in our build, own, and operate business model. We are on the verge of accomplishing BIG things! We are thrilled to have the quality of investors support that we have and that you’re along for the journey! Let’s Think BIG, Act BIG, Believe BIG, and our Results will be BIG!
Matt can be reached at matt.frey@otecorporation.com.
