Q&A: Ryan Nickerson – Sales Executive

Since February, sales executive Ryan Nickerson has brought his industry experience to the table to help utility demand forecasting and more for a better tomorrow, and beyond. An avid traveler and fan of music, Ryan is a welcome addition. Join us in welcoming Ryan to the team!

How did your previous life prepare you for Virtual Peaker?

My previous life revolved around sales and most recently in the energy space. My sales experience at PRT (Enverus) allowed me to gain a better understanding of the value proposition of demand forecasting tools for utilities.

In addition, I have always been passionate about sustainability and the transition to a “green” life. Years ago, prior to diving into the deep waters of sales and green tech, I worked in food. I was a chef who always strived to find the best ingredients from local purveyors. Making the extra effort to make conscious choices directly correlates for me with food to energy. Virtual Peaker offers different suites of products, all circulating the idea to create a sustainable future. The mission of Virtual Peaker is parallel to those of my values, which is what I like to believe is the reason we found each other.

Tell us about your role at Virtual Peaker.

I am a Sales Executive based in Austin, TX (remote) managing new business sales to co-ops and municipal utilities for the Western half of the United States. In addition, I work with some G&Ts across the country and CCAs in California. I’m a people person, which is why I truly appreciate that I get to have meaningful conversations around long-term strategy with people from different organizations.

Not all utilities have the same needs, which is an interesting challenge for me to find new ideas and solutions to help them meet their goals.

How do you personally engage in sustainability efforts?

I’m largely involved in the efforts for a sustainable food system. I often visit and help harvest from an aquaponic farm outside of ATX and help pickle/prepare/can their excess fresh produce. I also am a strong believer in turning off the thermostat and opening the windows in the few months that it’s mild enough to do so here in South Central Texas.

What can you tell us about yourself?

I am obsessed with food, cooking, and travel. I hope to visit every country in the world one day! 33 thus far.

I have worked overseas in Asia and Europe, and work remotely from across the U.S. as much as I can. Living in Austin is a paradise for music lovers. After a not-so-successful career in hip-hop, I have turned to teach myself the ukelele. You may find me strumming it along the banks of Lady Bird Lake, or jamming to the sounds of The Strokes, The Kooks, or the Peppers (RHCPs).

About The Author

Bill is a serial entrepreneur with a PhD from UC Berkeley in Controls and Artificial Intelligence and 10 years of experience with high performance residential energy management and connected appliances. He was previously at GE as an Advanced Systems Engineer in the Connected Home Software Group, but left that role in May 2014 to pursue entrepreneurship full time.

Bill grew up in Louisville and returned with his family in 2010 after a long stint in the San Francisco Bay Area. He loves Louisville and is working to make it a better and more attractive city for high tech startups.

More About Bill