From a young age while growing up in Jamaica, Knox Cameron knew he wanted to be a professional soccer player. In order to make that dream come true, he knew it was all about having the right mindset.
Knox went on to become one of the top players for the University of Michigan when the program was just getting off the ground. He set the bar for the level of excellence expected on the team, and it’s what propelled him into the MLS. After a shining career in professional soccer, Knox pivoted and set his mind to a new task: being an all-star player in the energy sector for DTE.
Knox joins Breaking Schemas co-host John Branch to chat about his soccer career at the collegiate and professional levels, the startup-like environment of the MLS, and how he’s brought that entrepreneurial spirit to the energy world with renewable programs like MIGreenPower.
*Breaking Schemas is a production of the Yaffe Digital Media Initiative at Michigan Ross and is produced by University FM.*
Show Links:
Episode Quotes:
Knox’s first leap toward breaking the mold.
[03:49] I was a highly recruited athlete coming out of high school. I could have attended one of a number of great soccer institutions and programs and continued with their legacy, and so on and so forth. But for me, it was an interesting opportunity to be able to lead a startup essentially, right? It was a startup organization that was labeled a men's soccer team, but we had the backing. So, you could think about your VCs in some capacity. That, to me, is the background, that is, the institution. That is the University of Michigan. So, I knew I had the comfort, the network, the community of Michigan behind me, but also knew I had this incredible opportunity and responsibility to set a pathway that was brand new.
Innovating business models in the electricity industry through MIGreen Power.
The program was launched because DTE, we knew, one, we need to construct renewable energy to support this clean energy transformation in time. But the program is interesting in that you can go to private subscribers who want these renewable energy attributes and we'll pay for it separate and aside from the utilities broader general rate base of customers. So, it introduces an incredible value proposition in that you can develop, construct, help the utilities earnings profile, which helps all of its investors, and that's a beautiful thing. You can help the end-use customer who wants these environmental attributes, and while doing so, you can help your affordability benefits to your non-subscribing customers.
Kicking off a new career: From all-star player on the field to all-star player in the energy sector.
[18:08]: As I completed my undergraduate degree and then pursued the career, Energy and the Utilities came to mind. DTE provided me an opportunity to learn and grow fundamentally, and I've spent the greater part of 15 years on developing my career, learning the industry, and serving at a company that has been around for hundreds of years, over 150 years, in fact. So, I think we certainly checked the box there from a safety and security perspective. I then sort of had the same set of mindset and pursuits as when I was actually on the field. Hey, what does it take to be a first-team performer now in the energy and utility sector? What does it mean to be the Big Ten Player of the Year? What does a first-team all-American performer look like? And then, what is a failed professional soccer career and all of the learnings? How do you put that also into the mix to deliver on what it is that you're doing today? That's the mindset, John, as I think about the work at DTE.
