Chéri Smith
Chéri Smith
Founder
Chéri is a descendant of the Mi’Kmaq Tribe of what is now Northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. Her experience in the fields of renewable energy and environmental sustainability spans two decades and multiple sectors. She founded Indigenized Energy Initiative in 2016, driven by the desire to honor her own Native American heritage by leveraging her knowledge to bring the life-changing economic and environmental benefits of solar to struggling indigenous communities within the United States. Prior to founding Indigenized Energy Initiative, Chéri was leading Workforce Strategy for Tesla, Inc., following her tenure as Head of Workforce and Training Development for SolarCity. Since 2015, Chéri has played a part in over 4MW of solar development on Native American reservations. Prior to 2015, Chéri was in private practice, providing solar workforce consulting, curriculum development, and project management services to colleges, universities, and governments, and served as Director of Education & International Workforce Development for the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE). Chéri serves as an Advisory Board member for the Masters in Renewable Energy & Sustainability Systems degree program at the Pennsylvania State University, and as an advisor to the Yale School of Business and the Environment.