Skipping school to travel interstate while running a multi-million dollar business from your college dorm room. It may sound like a movie plot for some but for Darren T. Kimura, CEO of Hawaii-based Energy Industries and President of Sopogy, Inc. it was “just how it was” to get his first business off the ground.
Hawaii-born Mr. Kimura started his first energy business at the age of 19 from the back of his car. When the company expanded, he moved to Oregon and while a student of Portland State University, he ran the company from his dorm room and would cut school to return to Hawaii to service his customers.
“We got a Hawaii fax, Hawaii cell phone and a Hawaii pager number and when I was at PSU, our customers in Hawaii didn’t know I was thousands of miles away.” he said.
“It was a tribute to the internet, communications and improvisation.”
Mr. Kimura’s “Energy Industries” specializes in energy efficient and renewable energy project development and “Sopogy” specializes in bring MicroCSP technologies to the market for commercial, industrial and utility clients.
Learn more of Darren Kimura’s success story as he gives tips and advice to would-be entrepreneurs.
BIO:
Darren T. Kimura, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sopogy, Inc.
Mr. Kimura is a 14 year energy serial entrepreneur. Over his career he created several companies which he led to multi-million dollar success and liquidity. Mr. Kimura is the founder and Chairman of the Board for Energy Industries, a large national energy project developer. Mr. Kimura also founded Pacific Energy Services, Energy Conservation Hawaii, eCONTROLS, Energy$mart, Energy Laboratories and Sopogy. He is experienced in acquisitions in purchasing the Quantum companies and other independent energy companies.
His entrepreneurship accomplishments include awardee of the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2000, named to the first Forty under 40 in 2000, Awardee of the coveted SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2002 (regional – CA, HI, AZ), EPA Energy Pioneer of the Year, and recipient of the first Green Entrepreneur of the Year award. He attended the University of Hawaii and Portland State University. He is also a Certified Energy Manager, Certified Demand Side Manager, Certified Distributed Energy Professional and Certified Sustainable Development Professional.
He is the President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Sopogy, Inc., the Chairman of the Board of Energy Industries, the President and Director of PLASMA a national energy association, a Co-Chairperson of the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, is a member of the State of Hawaii’s Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT)’s energy master plan advisory group, on the advisory group of Hawaiian Electric Company’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and on the Governors Innovation Council.
