Founded during the pandemic by three visionaries committed to reimagining how to build economic resilience
Sun Bear Industries was born in 2022 during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic a time when the world was being forced to rethink everything. For founders Isaiah Ness, Shae Mitchell, and George Soucek, it became the perfect moment to build something truly different.
Isaiah entered the renewable energy sector in 2020, pioneering eco-conscious products and carving new pathways in an industry hungry for innovation. Before Sun Bear, he co-founded two residential and commercial solar companies and consulted for one of California's fastest-growing solar enterprises learning not just how the industry worked, but how it could work better.
Shae Mitchell and George Soucek joined Isaiah in January 2021, bringing their own vision and commitment to the mission. Together, the three realized they could create something more ambitious something that went beyond installing solar panels to fundamentally reimagining how communities, corporations, and businesses build economic resilience.
What began as a shared conviction became Sun Bear Industries: a company built on the belief that true sustainability requires more than clean energy it demands reimagining how we invest, collaborate, and grow together.
For too long, our nation has experienced the whiplash of boom-and-bust economic cycles. We knew there had to be a better way forward, one that creates lasting infrastructure rather than temporary fixes.
At our core is a deep respect and unwavering commitment to Tribal Nations and underserved communities. Over the past four years, we've had the privilege of working alongside incredible individuals from these communities, building relationships that have evolved into lifelong connections.
What we've learned has transformed us: these cultures value principles that modern society has largely abandoned interconnectedness, long-term thinking, respect for the land, and responsibility to future generations. These aren't just admirable values; they're the foundation of true economic sovereignty.
Tribal Nations were systematically denied access to their own lands and even citizenship until after modern economic infrastructure was already established. The result has been generations of marginalization and economic exclusion from opportunities that should have been rightfully theirs.
We're working to change that narrative by focusing on economic sovereignty empowering enterprises with the teams, resources, strategic planning, and processes needed to own their future. Not through charity, but through partnership. Not for a single project cycle, but for generations to come.
This commitment drives every decision we make. We're not building transactional relationships; we're building trust, friendship, and solutions designed to last.
In 2024, this approach earned Sun Bear Industries the Clean Energy Project of the Year award recognition that validates our belief that business can be a force for genuine, lasting change.
What you see today is the embodiment of a mission rooted in collective passion: leaving this world better than we found it. Under Isaiah's continued leadership as a Clean Energy Community Impact Award recipient, board member with RENEW Wisconsin and Cedar Growth CDFI, and Wisconsin Titan 100 Hall of Fame inductee we remain focused on innovation, collaboration, and building the foundation for unprecedented success for the next generation.
Our mission remains simple: create meaningful projects that improve lives and inspire long-term change one impact, one partnership, one project at a time.
Thank you for your continued support – Team SBI
