When Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board in 2020, it seemed to be the end of the entrepreneur’s almost four decades at the tech giant he co-founded in 1975. Though on his Gates Notes blog, he states he is still a “technical advisor,” it wasn’t clear how much time he was actually spending at the company.

Gates spent 25 years as CEO and transitioned into a part-time role at Microsoft in June 2008. And despite officially stepping down in 2020, it looks like Gates never actually retired.

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates said that he is still doing “product reviews” at Microsoft, and it takes up “maybe 15%” of the 69-year-old’s time.

Related: Melinda French Gates Announces Open Call for $250 Million Fund. Here’s Who Can Apply.

Gates also said that he and current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella still have a “very close relationship.”

“I love doing product reviews, and he brings me in to do that,” Gates said. “It’s maybe 15% of my time. It helps me stay up-to-date.”

^{Microsoft Co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen pose for a portrait in 1984 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by © Doug Wilson/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)}

This is a departure from April 2024, when Business Insider reported that Bill Gates was working behind the scenes at Microsoft, and a company spokesperson told the outlet, “Bill is not at Microsoft and not involved here.”

So, it doesn’t look like Gates will be fully retired anytime soon.

As his blog says: “I have a front seat view to all the amazing work the company continues to do in my current role as a technology advisor, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Related: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says the Company Needs a ‘Culture Change’ After Security Failures

Working on your big startup idea, securing finance and finding those first core team members are all time-consuming tasks. Branding and marketing may not be the first things on your mind, but neglecting them could be devastating for a new company. On the other hand, building a strong brand identity for your early-stage startup could lay the foundations of a successful marketing strategy.

Building a brand identity from the moment a startup idea takes shape is one of the most powerful moves founders can make. Your brand identity helps you articulate your unique value proposition and translate it into highly recognizable visual and verbal elements.

A brand identity is more than your logo. Your company name, colors, fonts, messaging and tone all add to a unique identity that audiences recognize immediately. That kind of recognition is invaluable in the early stages of a business trying to make its mark in a crowded startup scene.

Every quarter, more than 300,000 businesses are founded in the United States. However, 90% of them never make it past their first five years of operations — and while a strong brand identity may not be the only factor deciding which companies fail or thrive, it will help you build brand trust and connect emotionally with your audiences.

Consequently, you carve out a unique position in a crowded market even before you have secured a substantial market share or recognition.

Related: How to Establish a Distinct Brand Identity in a Saturated Market

Understanding your brand’s core: Mission, vision and values

Building a brand authority starts with clarifying your startup’s mission, vision and values. Define clearly why your business exists, what difference you’re planning to make to your customers’ lives and which principles are guiding your actions.

From these answers, you distill your unique value proposition (UVP). Your UVP is the one thing that sets you apart from everyone else in your field. It could be a specific technology, superior customer experience or an innovative approach to solving a problem.

It’s impossible to build a successful brand without understanding the audience’s needs, pain points and aspirations. These insights should inform every decision you make.

Translating brand strategy into visual identity

Once you have defined the fundamental parts of your brand identity, it’s time to look at the details of your visual identity.

Your company’s name and tagline need to be memorable, pronounceable and distinctive. Develop your tagline based on your UVP to capture your brand’s purpose. This is an opportunity to tell your audiences what your startup is all about.

Next, consider your logo and color palette. Some of the strongest logos are simple, versatile and easily recognizable. Think of the logos of household names like Apple or Nike as examples of brands with exceedingly simple yet powerful logos. Don’t be afraid to take inspiration from brands you admire, but avoid copying competitors, as this would only confuse audiences.

Color choices are just as important because they can evoke emotions in your target audiences. For example, dark blue and gray have become favorites with banks, financial services institutions and other professional services companies.

Whether your company is looking to convey a modern and minimalist or friendly and playful image, your chosen typefaces and imagery need to reflect your brand values, too.

Related: 7 Tips for Developing a Logo That People Won’t Forget

Crafting a consistent verbal identity

Branding doesn’t stop with visual elements alone, but it shines through every piece of communication your company publishes. Your startup’s origin story or the founder’s path to the initial “aha” moment are powerful narratives that can help you make an impression with prospective customers.

Think about the kind of voice that would suit your brand’s character. A fintech brand may opt for a serious, authoritative voice whereas a kids’ clothing brand might opt for caring and approachable. Remember to adjust your tone for different channels without losing your core brand personality.

To help your team embrace your verbal identity, consider developing a set of key messages that articulate the brand’s promise and differentiators. Just like you adapt your tone to your communications channels, you need to adapt your key messages depending on where they’ll be published. Social media posts need to sound different from press releases, for example.

Ensuring consistency across touchpoints

We mentioned adapting your messages on different communication channels above. However, those adaptations should never challenge the consistency of your brand voice. Inconsistency undermines brand recognition and budding consumer trust.

Creating a brand manual or brand style guide allows you to ensure a high level of consistency across the team and touchpoints. In addition, offering training sessions and easy-to-follow guides to internal stakeholders like employees and contractors keeps everyone aligned.

Related: 5 Steps for Making Your Brand Identity More Consistent

Adapting and evolving your brand as you grow

As you’re launching your brand, start gathering customer and stakeholder feedback to understand how your brand resonates with audiences. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your brand; as your startup evolves, it is only natural that your brand changes.

Consider Apple’s initial logo, for example. The logo shows Isaac Newton reading under a tree. By today’s standards, that logo is perhaps not ideal to make connections with wide audiences. The next iteration was the version of the logo we all know today.

For most brands, thoughtful and incremental changes work better than abrupt overhauls. However, if managed well, rebranding can be highly successful. As you’re changing your brand identity, remember to remain authentic and focus on making real connections that build brand trust.

Building a strong brand identity helps your early-stage startup differentiate itself from potential competitors, gain traction and develop a loyal following. Start with a solid strategic foundation, create a cohesive identity, and ensure consistency across all platforms. As your brand develops, remain open to iteration to transform from zero to hero in your audience’s eyes. Authenticity, clear messaging and customer-centric thinking will ensure your brand continues its growth trajectory for years to come and increase its presence in the market.

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Cristina Ashbaugh, 28, and Kelly McGee, 29, co-founders of the design-driven ski pole brand Yardsale. The San Francisco-based duo’s business saw $100,000 in sales in its first month and $300,000 at the end of its first year (with a ski season of only four months). Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
CA: I was the head of content for a venture capital firm in San Francisco, where I focused on helping my firm’s general partners develop their investment theses and translate them into long-form written content to attract founders. Before that, I helped build the content marketing function at Samsara, an IOT tech startup that went public during my time there.

KM: I previously worked at Apple as a product designer and then started a medical device company in orthopedics. When Cristina came to me with this idea, I told her I could help on the weekends and nights.

Related: ‘My Whole Life Changed’: This 28-Year-Old’s Side Hustle Made $10,000 in the First Month. She Quit Her Job and Is About to Hit $10 Million.

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
CA: I started in March 2023 by sketching ideas down on a napkin, then onto paper. The inspiration for the product came from my direct experience as a lifelong skier. I always hated how ski poles were so unruly to manage, as well as how ugly they always were. For a sport where people spend thousands of dollars on their gear, I felt like there were no ski pole products on the market that people could actually get excited about. Plus, there was no go-to brand for poles. The market was fractured by legacy ski brands that made poles as a cheap side accessory since the bulk of their revenue came from skis/boots or apparel. I was inspired by Recess Pickleball’s approach to building a product and brand around pickleball and thought there needed to be something similar for ski poles: A go-to brand for beautifully designed ski poles.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
CA: I relentlessly researched factories that I could have kick-off conversations with to see if anyone would even be interested in manufacturing this product for us. I had absolutely zero experience in doing this but took full advantage of Google and ended up finding the factory that makes the majority of the world’s ski poles in Asia.

I did a lot of consumer research, which primarily consisted of reaching out to all of the people I knew who skied, and I asked them 1) if they could name the brand of ski poles they had and 2) if they could name a single thing they liked about them. Ninety percent of people could not remember the name of the brand of their poles (even those who had just purchased them), and 95% of people couldn’t name something they liked about them. This was the first product validation that I got. (I made sure not to mention to them that I had this inkling of an idea or what I was working on so that I got untainted data.)

Related: ‘Hustling Since Middle School’: She Started a Side Hustle on Facebook Marketplace — Then a ‘Game-Changer’ Grew It to $25,000 a Month

I also called a ton of ski shops and asked what kinds of poles they sold and what the main reasons were for people purchasing new poles. I learned that most skiers went purely based on color because there were no differentiating factors among most poles. During these calls, I also learned that the sales associates at these stores rarely paid any attention to selling poles because there were virtually no selling points or differentiators among the poles they sold. This was also incredibly validating because I knew that if we could build a product with key differentiating factors, ski shops would be motivated to bring them in because they could sell more of them.

On the brand side, I did a lot of research into brands I liked and why and looked at the competitive landscape across the ski industry. I noticed that most legacy ski brands spoke solely to the aspirational skier, and everyone seemed to neglect recreational skiers. All of their marketing looked identical — white snowscapes, skiers jumping off cliffs, etc. and none of it felt relatable to a skier who cares more about the entire experience of skiing versus just the act of going downhill.

What went into the development of the ski pole?
KM: We started with a rough prototype in our garage, where we taped magnets onto some old poles just to see if the concept would work. Then, we went into a deep development cycle on all the features as well as the look and feel we’d want in our dream ski poles. This required a ton of design work and a bunch of 3D prints before kicking off tooling and testing with our manufacturing partners.

The hardest part of our design was not only hiding the magnets inside the handles and the baskets but also getting a manufacturer to completely rethink how a pole is assembled. For decades, ski poles have been shafts glued together with handles and baskets. For our completely modular system, which allows customers to mix and match, we needed to have each piece be created separately and seamlessly click together, regardless of what color or model you choose. No one had ever done this before, so we spent many days on the factory floor working through the complexity of the design and assembly.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What were some of the strategies you used to generate awareness and drive sales for the product?
CA: We wanted to try something that no other legacy ski brands would do, so we invested in subway advertising in New York City for the months of November and December in 2023. It paid off for us! We got inbound from REI, SKI Magazine and other retailers who saw our ads in real life and wanted to learn more about our product and brand.

As a small company with a limited budget, we’ve also stayed far away from working with traditional influencers or professional skiers, which most other ski brands embrace. Because we focus on selling to recreational skiers, we recognize that most regular folks don’t keep up with the X Games or know every hot new professional skier. Instead, we focus on seeding our products to regular people who we think will love the product and brand and recommend it to their friends.

From the start, we also spent a lot of time and energy on earned media. Thanks to my background in the tech industry, I knew how to craft pitches and position our product to media. I cold-emailed hundreds of editors before we even had our product in hand. Then, we got a bite. The inbound from our first feature was astonishing, and we’ve been huge proponents of earned media and public relations ever since.

Related: This Juilliard Grad Musician Started a 6-Figure Side Hustle That Has Nothing to Do With Music — and Sold Out With Word of Mouth: ‘Couldn’t Ask for More’

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue?
CA: Immediately. We found product-market fit almost instantly and were shocked that people immediately resonated with the product and the brand.

How much did the side hustle earn?
CA: We did $220,000 in our first three months in business.

When did Yardsale’s potential to be a full-time business become clear?
CA: Almost immediately. After we launched, we weren’t sure if people would care or resonate with our product/brand, but after our tenth day packing orders all night in Kelly’s basement, we knew we had to quit our full-time, stable jobs and dive full-time into Yardsale. I was going into my office every day at the time and packing orders all night, which I knew would be unsustainable in the long run. We could have decided to grow the brand slowly, but we saw so much positivity and momentum that we wanted to take advantage of it as quickly as possible. Taking that dive enabled us to dedicate more time and energy to Yardsale.

What does growth and revenue look like now?
CA: We’ve grown our DTC sales by 180% this season compared to last (our first season), and we’re expanding fast into wholesale, which we hope to turn into 50% of our revenue in the next two years. We have tons of inbound from other retailers.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
CA: Every day, we face completely new challenges (and successes), so nothing is ever boring. It’s the most energized I’ve ever felt (and the most stressed!), but it’s been life-changing for me to work on something that I started and own because I get to see the impacts of my work almost immediately.

It’s also so fun and rewarding to get to work in an industry where we get to see our product in action every time we go skiing. Just this weekend, we were in Deer Valley and saw Yardsale poles all over the place. We stopped a few folks to ask them how they liked them, and they all loved them and were so excited to tell us about their experience. We don’t get to ski too much anymore (too much work!), but when we do, those moments are so special.

I also love building this brand and business with one of my closest friends. We’ve gotten to travel all over the world together and go through so many firsts together in this business and I’m grateful to get to do it with someone like Kelly.

Related: After an Eye-Opening Trip to Home Depot, This Grandfather Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — and Did About $500,000 in Sales Last Year

KM: For me personally, it’s rare that you really get to experience true product-market fit. When you make a product where a customer goes, “Wow, why hadn’t anyone thought of that before?” it means you’ve really found something unique. Those aha moments are what we strive for in our design principles, and we’re so excited to take that thinking beyond poles in the years to come.

Additionally, it’s fun to make products that your friends and family can use. So many folks we know are users of our products, and we’re able to feel their excitement each and every day they use them. They’re our biggest fans and our best test dummies.

What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
CA: Make sure you’re making something unique and speaking to an audience that wants that product from you. Do all of the research you can before jumping in to make sure you’ll have product-market fit. It makes your life 100 times easier than trying to convince someone they need something that they don’t really want.

KM: Definitely keep your day job if you can until you find product-market fit! Once you have it, then you can scale accordingly. Additionally, especially for a hardware company, setting your sights on profitability ensures the long-term success of your business. We’ve tried to stay as lean as possible and use unique marketing tactics to help customers discover us and reduce our customer acquisition costs. Once we get to be financially viable, we’re excited to grow the company from there, but until then, we’re not sleeping much!

Philanthropy is more than just writing a check; it’s about creating a lasting impact by serving others. For entrepreneurs, integrating social good into the fabric of a business isn’t just noble — it’s a powerful way to build a sustainable company that resonates with employees, customers and communities alike.

During a conversation with Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, CEO of Cars for Kids in Texas, I was struck by her insights on how leaders can make a difference beyond profit margins. Her stories offered valuable lessons on embedding purpose into business strategies, fostering trust and making an impact that transcends traditional business goals.

Related: 5 Entrepreneurial Reasons to Embrace Philanthropy

Founders who built purpose into their businesses

Purpose-driven entrepreneurship isn’t a new concept. Several founders have woven philanthropy into their companies from the start:

• Blake Mycoskie (TOMS): Mycoskie pioneered the one-for-one giving model, donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold.

• Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard: Chouinard built Patagonia with environmental stewardship at its core, donating 1% of sales to environmental causes.

• Dan Price (Gravity Payments): Price made headlines by raising his employees’ minimum salary to $70,000 while cutting his own pay.

• Scott Harrison (charity: water): Harrison founded charity: water to provide clean water access worldwide, with a model of complete donation transparency.

These founders didn’t just focus on building successful companies — they made giving back a core part of their missions. Their stories show that doing good can be deeply integrated into business operations.

The power of servant leadership in business

Cheryl’s journey into servant leadership began early in her career. “I knew I wanted to help others when I was a young girl,” she shared. “While attending a conference, I was introduced to Robert Greenleaf’s philosophy of the Servant as a Leader. I realized my personal goals of listening, humility, coaching, empathy and empowering my teams aligned with servant leadership.”

This philosophy isn’t just relevant to nonprofits or large organizations; it holds significant value for entrepreneurs starting new ventures. Founders often wear multiple hats and face immense pressure to deliver results. By adopting a servant leadership mindset, they can create a culture of trust, collaboration and empowerment from day one.

Related: Why Being a Servant Leader Is Essential for Your Business’s Long-Term Growth

Personal stories of impact

One of the most powerful stories Cheryl shared was about leading through a crisis. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, her teams were working around the clock to provide support. Recognizing the personal sacrifices her employees were making, she took the time to write personal thank-you letters to their families.

“One team member didn’t have a local family, so her letter was addressed to her cats with some cat treats,” Cheryl shared with a smile. “Although it has been 20 years, I still hear from team members and even some of their family members about how that gesture made a difference.”

Cars for Kids itself is a powerful example of how purpose can drive business success. The organization takes vehicle donations and uses the proceeds to fund education for at-risk youth at Texans Can Academies. This model of turning unused assets into life-changing opportunities for students shows how businesses can leverage philanthropy for long-term impact.

Balancing purpose with business goals

One challenge entrepreneurs face is balancing purpose with profitability. The misconception that doing good comes at the expense of business success is outdated. In reality, businesses that prioritize social good often see better employee retention, customer loyalty and brand reputation.

“Servant leadership strengthens employees’ dedication to the organization and their commitment to excellence,” Cheryl explained. “When the team is included in the decision-making process, empowered to do their jobs and their personal and professional growth is encouraged, you have a highly motivated team performing at peak level.”

For founders, this means that embedding purpose into your business model can create a competitive advantage. Customers are increasingly choosing brands that align with their values, and employees want to work for companies that make a positive impact. Purpose-driven companies aren’t just surviving — they’re thriving.

Practical tips for purpose-driven entrepreneurs

If you’re an entrepreneur looking to integrate social good into your business, consider the following steps:

• Identify your cause: Choose a cause that resonates with you and your brand. Whether it’s education, environmental sustainability or social equity, aligning your business with a purpose makes your mission more authentic.

• Build purpose into your business model: Think beyond donations. How can your product or service directly impact your cause? Consider models like one-for-one giving, sustainable sourcing or inclusive hiring practices.

• Empower your team: A purpose-driven mission starts with your employees. Foster a culture where team members feel empowered to contribute to your mission. Encourage them to share ideas on how the company can give back.

• Be transparent: Customers want to know where their money is going. Share your impact stories through blogs, newsletters or social media. Transparency builds trust and loyalty.

• Adapt and evolve: As your business grows, so will your opportunities to make an impact. Stay open to evolving your mission and expanding your social initiatives.

Personal reflection: Why purpose matters in entrepreneurship

In my own journey as a business leader, I’ve seen firsthand the power of integrating purpose into business. It’s not just about profitability; it’s about building something that lasts — something that makes a difference.

One of my most memorable experiences involved mentoring young entrepreneurs. Seeing their growth and success reinforced my belief that giving back is not just a moral obligation but a strategic advantage. It builds stronger communities, fosters loyalty and creates a sense of purpose that drives both personal and professional fulfillment.

Related: 4 Steps to Building a Purpose-Driven Business

A call to action for aspiring entrepreneurs

As we reflect on the lessons from Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones and other purpose-driven founders, it’s clear that leadership and philanthropy can go hand in hand. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, consider how you can make a difference through your business.

Identify your purpose, embed it into your operations, and lead with empathy and transparency. Your business can be more than a source of profit — it can be a vehicle for positive change. The payoff? A thriving company, a motivated team and a legacy that lasts.

The ability to innovate in-house is a game-changer for businesses. The Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + Learn to Code Certification Bundle offers a powerful solution to help you stay ahead.

At just $55.97 (regularly $1,999) through February 2, this lifetime deal provides a cutting-edge Integrated Development Environment (IDE) alongside 15 carefully curated coding courses that cover everything from Python to ChatGPT.

This bundle is more than just a cost-saving opportunity; it’s an investment in your business’s future. Hiring external developers for every project adds up quickly. Equipping your team with Microsoft Visual Studio, a trusted tool for building and debugging high-quality applications, will save you money while empowering your employees to tackle projects in-house.

Whether you’re working on software for internal workflows or creating scalable, customer-facing solutions, this IDE ensures smooth development processes from start to finish.

The courses included in this bundle address both current and future demands in the tech world. Learn Python for advanced data analytics, JavaScript and Vuex for web development, and even dive into cutting-edge AI integration with ChatGPT.

Each course is self-paced, allowing your team to gain valuable skills without disrupting their day-to-day responsibilities. This flexibility makes the bundle ideal for busy professionals looking to expand their expertise or upskill their workforce.

For organizations that rely on data storytelling—a growing trend in the business world—this bundle is particularly valuable. With 75 percent of all data expected to be consumed through storytelling by 2025 (according to Gartner), knowing how to turn raw information into actionable insights is critical.

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StackSkills empowers you to strengthen your skillset while tackling the challenges of a fast-paced business world. Whether you want to upskill your team, improve your own capabilities, or explore trending topics like AI, blockchain, or growth hacking, StackSkills has you covered. And it’s all presented in a user-friendly interface with easy progress tracking, helping you see tangible results.

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To view our entire 2025 Franchise 500 list, including category rankings, click HERE

Navigating the insurance world can be complicated, but Estrella Insurance has turned it into an accessible and stress-free experience. Ranked #172 on Entrepreneur‘s 2025 Franchise 500 and the leader in the financial services category, Estrella specializes in providing affordable insurance solutions with a personal touch.

• Overall Franchise 500 rank: 172
• Number of units: 212
• Change in units: +21.1% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $12,000-$84,000

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Founded in 1980, Estrella Insurance has built a reputation for offering a wide range of insurance products, from auto and home to business and health insurance. With more than 200 locations across the U.S., Estrella serves as a trusted resource for individuals and families seeking comprehensive coverage at competitive prices.

The insurance industry is valued at over $1.7 trillion, making it a lucrative market for franchises like Estrella Insurance. The brand’s focus on customer relationships and local expertise helps franchisees build lasting community connections. By acting as intermediaries between customers and major insurance carriers, Estrella agents simplify the process of finding and securing the right policies.

Related: Here’s how we determined our annual Franchise 500 ranking and what we learned from the data.

For franchisees, Estrella Insurance offers a turnkey business model with comprehensive training, ongoing support and marketing tools — meaning there is no insurance industry experience necessary. Entrepreneurs don’t need prior experience in insurance — Estrella’s proven system equips franchise owners with the knowledge and resources needed to succeed.

With its strong growth trajectory and commitment to community-oriented service, Estrella Insurance offers a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to invest in a stable and essential industry. Whether you’re new to franchising or a seasoned entrepreneur, Estrella’s blend of affordability, accessibility and support makes it a standout choice in financial services.

Related: See Which Brands Topped Entrepreneur‘s 46th Annual Franchise 500

For business owners, a lost wallet is more than an inconvenience. That could be where you keep your company identification, credit cards, and so many more things that are, at best, a headache to replace and, at worst, a security risk.

It’s a good thing you can reduce the risk by keeping a tracker in your wallet. The MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card works like an AirTag but looks like a credit card, so you can find your wallet, ID badge, or even tucked into the case of your company phone. It’s even less expensive than an AirTag, just $23.97 (reg. $42).

Find anything you lose

The MagTag integrates with Apple’s Find My app to provide real-time global tracking. It sends alerts if you leave something behind and has a loud beeping feature to help you locate items quickly. No more hunting down your badge before you head off to the office.

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The global economy is undergoing a strategic shift towards a future built on clean energy. The U.K. has set 2030 as a milestone date for a full transition to clean power, and other countries have equally ambitious energy policies.

Humans have been burning wood and fossil fuels throughout history, and the goal of adopting green energy presents certain challenges. The conversion requires a rethink of energy infrastructures and sustained investment in renewable power sources. Clean energy advocates are driving a social shift for a new alternative energy mindset.

This bold approach to meeting future energy demands — an abundance of safe, sustainable and affordable power for industry and domestic consumers — is incentivizing the development of remarkable next-generation innovations in clean energy technologies.

Major companies like Tesla, ICL Group and First Solar (that are all publicly traded companies on U.S. markets) are shaping the future of clean energy with numerous scalable energy generation technologies, materials and new smart plants that run on hybrid clean energy microgrids. There is a huge (and rapidly expanding) global market for economically viable clean energy technologies. Current industry leaders are determined to capitalize on these new opportunities over the coming decade and in doing so deliver sustainable and environmentally friendly green energy.

Related: Is Renewable Energy Worth Your Investment?

Tesla, Inc.

Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar company Tesla is best known for developing commercially viable electric vehicles and bringing them into the automotive industry mainstream. Tesla certainly deserves its reputation as an EV pioneer, but the company is also responsible for other key innovations in clean energy technologies. Tesla examines the entire spectrum of clean energy technologies and looks for opportunities to apply its impressive R&D resources to clean energy challenges — often through strategic partnerships with other companies.

One of its flagship initiatives is the Tesla Solar Roof which uses energy-generating photovoltaic shingles instead of traditional roof tiles. Another exciting innovation is the Tesla Powerwall, a massive lithium-ion battery unit for domestic consumers who want to run their homes on solar energy. Tesla Electric is even enabling householders to sell surplus energy to commercial grids. The decision to invest in technologies that empower consumers with advanced energy storage systems (and the Megapack for grids and industry) has huge implications for the future of clean energy.

ICL Group

ICL Group is a leading global specialty minerals company and one of the largest fertilizer manufacturers in the world. The company has leveraged its minerals expertise and massive Dead Sea resources to become one of the world’s most important manufacturers of advanced battery materials. ICL Group is at the forefront of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery production with the construction of a high-tech manufacturing plant in St. Louis, Missouri. The new $400 million plant is partly financed by the U.S. Department of Energy and will place ICL Group at the heart of the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain.

ICL is making a significant contribution to the future of clean energy with its groundbreaking research and development into smart LFP batteries that provide unparalleled storage capacity and new standards of safety and cost-effectiveness. The company is also pioneering the use of purpose-built hybrid microgrids.

ICL Group’s Green Sdom project in Israel’s barren Negev Desert is harnessing solar power to drive some of the company’s biggest plants. Apart from creating a viable and profitable circular economy, ICL Group’s goal is to offer a functional model that like-minded companies can replicate. The initiative is set to eliminate over 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually through a self-sustaining microgrid that incorporates solar PV, battery storage, thermal storage and hydrogen.

First Solar, Inc.

First Solar, Inc. was founded almost 25 years ago as an early pioneer of solar energy technologies. The company constantly innovated to create commercially viable and scalable solar energy solutions and mastered the use of cadmium telluride (CdTe) as a semiconductor in its thin-film module solar panels. First Solar’s grasp of advanced technologies allowed them to lower their manufacturing cost to $1 per watt — an important developmental and commercial threshold.

First Solar’s ongoing research into solar technology, particularly their groundbreaking work on photovoltaic (PV) panels, is transforming solar cell efficiency. Even comparatively modest improvements in the amount of sunlight energy that PV panels convert into electricity can significantly improve their viability and utility. One strategic goal is to make solar energy accessible to consumers in less sunny regions. First Solar is a genuinely global corporation with energy-generating installations around the world amounting to over 17GW.

Maintaining the momentum of innovation in clean energy

The next five years are likely to see exponential progress in the implementation of clean energy policies and sustainable energy infrastructures. The concept of clean energy is integral to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs and central to many government energy policies.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda includes ambitious objectives like Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and Climate Action (SDG 13). The fulfillment of these goals by 2030 depends on maintaining the momentum of research, development and innovation in the field of clean energy.

Industry leaders like Tesla, ICL Group and First Solar are setting the standard for clean energy innovations. They have the resources, experience and expertise to transform emerging technologies into new products, penetrate new markets and make sustained profits in an industrial and energy ecosystem that is evolving at an unprecedented pace.

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