ACCIDENTAL
ENTREPRENEUR
A novel circuit breaker design fills an energy industry need
By Monica Hughes
What began as a startup venture on the UNC Charlotte campus is making global headlines. Entrepreneur extraordinaire Ryan Kennedy ’04 heads Atom Power, an innovative enterprise revolutionizing electrical vehicle charging technology, which last year received endorsement and investment from South Korea’s largest conglomerate, SK Group. This giant backer of Samsung announced a $100 million investment in Kennedy’s groundbreaking company.
Atom Power’s supercharged success wasn’t pre-ordained. It results from several fundamental anchors Kennedy developed and refined as an undergraduate. He defines these as:
SOLUTION-ORIENTED SPIRIT
Kennedy gained an appreciation for power semiconductors and for making things from scratch. “At that time, the William States Lee College of Engineering had a relatively modest budget, so we had to find creative ways to make our class projects. For example, we had to come up with the idea and design, then fund and build senior design projects all on our own. This cultivated my ability and desire to remove barriers, a trait I maintain.”
CAREER CONFIDENCE
After graduating, Kennedy, who had worked in building design before deciding to enroll at Charlotte, remained in that field before founding Atom Power through UNC Charlotte’s university-industry hub, PORTAL. “At this point, I shifted from a very successful fulltime position to an entrepreneurial career. This drove home the reason I decided to go to college in the first place — to design products in the electrical industry.”
STRATEGIC NICHE
Atom Power was built on the intersection of Kennedy’s trade skills, technical education from the W.S. Lee College of Engineering and entrepreneurial development at PORTAL, and professional experiences in building design. “I never became an entrepreneur by aspiration. I simply recognized there was not a company doing what Atom Power is doing.
FROM WORKFORCE TO COLLEGE TO CEO
After high school, Kennedy originally thought he was an unlikely candidate for higher education.
“I simply needed a job, so my friend’s dad got me a position as an electrician’s apprentice with a local Charlotte firm. I grew into the role, got my electrical license within three years and began running a crew on large commercial projects in uptown Charlotte,” he said.
Increasingly, Kennedy wanted to learn how electrical equipment and systems were designed, which led him to Charlotte. “I already knew about the University as both my parents are alumni, and I had heard it has a good engineering program.”
Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber got a firsthand look at Atom Power’s Huntersville facility during a recent tour
He graduated in 2004 magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. A decade later, Kennedy founded Atom Power to make commercial power safer and more efficient through a novel circuit breaker design. Today, Kennedy describes Atom Power as an energy-delivery company, manufacturing digital circuit breakers to power electric vehicle chargers. SK Group’s investment will enable the company to expand nationally and internationally from its base of operations in Huntersville, North Carolina.
Kennedy’s focus for the next decade is to execute Atom Power’s vision across the globe. While he didn’t aspire to become an entrepreneur, he has embraced the role, and he offers his own perspective for other pioneering 49ers:
FOCUS ON SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD
“If you are going to spend at least four years studying in your field, use your time to have optimal impact. This mentality will produce the most output for both University research and your impact. In engineering, I would always think about how to maximize a technology — no matter how improbable it might seem. Outcomes change dramatically when you don’t settle for ‘good enough.’”
LOOK PAST THE CLASSIC
“I approach ‘finding your place’ in a much more philosophical way. For me, it takes letting go of the classic metrics of success, such as career path or salary or position. Instead, focus on the absolute greatest thing that you can accomplish with your knowledge and experiences. Know that failure is likely and do-overs are even more likely. It is not the ‘safe’ path, but it is one that can lead to the greatest possible outcomes.”
LEVERAGE YOUR NINER CONNECTIONS
“Early on, Atom Power needed technical advisors for the company. The first technical advisors were UNC Charlotte faculty. As we progressed, we were able to utilize some of the lab resources within EPIC prior to obtaining enough capital to build our own.”
THINK BIGGER
“UNC Charlotte has so many strong people and unique resources, key for alumni impact. As a 49er, I am driven to see the University become something truly great, something representative of its capabilities. That’s a bit of a personal mission, and it’s why I consistently stay engaged. We must think bigger.”
Monica Hughes is director of external relations, W.S. Lee College of Engineering
ACCIDENTAL
ENTREPRENEUR
A novel circuit breaker design fills an energy industry need
By Monica Hughes
What began as a startup venture on the UNC Charlotte campus is making global headlines. Entrepreneur extraordinaire Ryan Kennedy ’04 heads Atom Power, an innovative enterprise revolutionizing electrical vehicle charging technology, which last year received endorsement and investment from South Korea’s largest conglomerate, SK Group. This giant backer of Samsung announced a $100 million investment in Kennedy’s groundbreaking company.
Atom Power’s supercharged success wasn’t pre-ordained. It results from several fundamental anchors Kennedy developed and refined as an undergraduate. He defines these as:
SOLUTION-ORIENTED SPIRIT
Kennedy gained an appreciation for power semiconductors and for making things from scratch. “At that time, the William States Lee College of Engineering had a relatively modest budget, so we had to find creative ways to make our class projects. For example, we had to come up with the idea and design, then fund and build senior design projects all on our own. This cultivated my ability and desire to remove barriers, a trait I maintain.”
CAREER CONFIDENCE
After graduating, Kennedy, who had worked in building design before deciding to enroll at Charlotte, remained in that field before founding Atom Power through UNC Charlotte’s university-industry hub, PORTAL. “At this point, I shifted from a very successful fulltime position to an entrepreneurial career. This drove home the reason I decided to go to college in the first place — to design products in the electrical industry.”
STRATEGIC NICHE
Atom Power was built on the intersection of Kennedy’s trade skills, technical education from the W.S. Lee College of Engineering and entrepreneurial development at PORTAL, and professional experiences in building design. “I never became an entrepreneur by aspiration. I simply recognized there was not a company doing what Atom Power is doing.
FROM WORKFORCE TO COLLEGE TO CEO
After high school, Kennedy originally thought he was an unlikely candidate for higher education.
“I simply needed a job, so my friend’s dad got me a position as an electrician’s apprentice with a local Charlotte firm. I grew into the role, got my electrical license within three years and began running a crew on large commercial projects in uptown Charlotte,” he said.
Increasingly, Kennedy wanted to learn how electrical equipment and systems were designed, which led him to Charlotte. “I already knew about the University as both my parents are alumni, and I had heard it has a good engineering program.”
Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber got a firsthand look at Atom Power’s Huntersville facility during a recent tour
He graduated in 2004 magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. A decade later, Kennedy founded Atom Power to make commercial power safer and more efficient through a novel circuit breaker design. Today, Kennedy describes Atom Power as an energy-delivery company, manufacturing digital circuit breakers to power electric vehicle chargers. SK Group’s investment will enable the company to expand nationally and internationally from its base of operations in Huntersville, North Carolina.
Kennedy’s focus for the next decade is to execute Atom Power’s vision across the globe. While he didn’t aspire to become an entrepreneur, he has embraced the role, and he offers his own perspective for other pioneering 49ers:
FOCUS ON SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD
“If you are going to spend at least four years studying in your field, use your time to have optimal impact. This mentality will produce the most output for both University research and your impact. In engineering, I would always think about how to maximize a technology — no matter how improbable it might seem. Outcomes change dramatically when you don’t settle for ‘good enough.’”
LOOK PAST THE CLASSIC
“I approach ‘finding your place’ in a much more philosophical way. For me, it takes letting go of the classic metrics of success, such as career path or salary or position. Instead, focus on the absolute greatest thing that you can accomplish with your knowledge and experiences. Know that failure is likely and do-overs are even more likely. It is not the ‘safe’ path, but it is one that can lead to the greatest possible outcomes.”
LEVERAGE YOUR NINER CONNECTIONS
“Early on, Atom Power needed technical advisors for the company. The first technical advisors were UNC Charlotte faculty. As we progressed, we were able to utilize some of the lab resources within EPIC prior to obtaining enough capital to build our own.”
THINK BIGGER
“UNC Charlotte has so many strong people and unique resources, key for alumni impact. As a 49er, I am driven to see the University become something truly great, something representative of its capabilities. That’s a bit of a personal mission, and it’s why I consistently stay engaged. We must think bigger.”
Monica Hughes is director of external relations, W.S. Lee College of Engineering.