In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating the contributions made by African Americans and other members of the African diaspora in society, industry and history with our Innovators in Energy series.
Jessica O. Matthews is the Founder & CEO of Uncharted Power, an award-winning, sustainable infrastructure company that transforms the ground beneath us into an industrial IoT platform for streamlined the integration, deployment and management of critical infrastructure like power lines, broadband, sidewalks and water pipes.
Matthews’ career started at the age of 19 with her invention of the SOCCKET, an energy-generating soccer ball. At the age of 22, Matthews founded Uncharted Power as a power solutions company before expanding to integrated infrastructure solutions.
Matthews’ success in entrepreneurship led to a White House invitation from President Barack Obama to represent small companies for the signing of the America Invents Act in 2012. In 2016, she raised what was at the time the largest Series A round ever raised by a Black female founder in history, and was selected to ring the NASDAQ opening ceremony bell, representing all Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni.
Matthews’ research and career center around the intersection of disruptive technology, renewable energy, human behavior and the psychology of self-actualization. A dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, she has a degree in Psychology and Economics from Harvard University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and is listed on over 12 patents and patents pending. Her list of accolades include Fortune’s Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs, Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 and Harvard University Scientist of the Year.
Please visit our Spotlight Stories page to view additional Innovators in Energy profiles from throughout the month of February.