38: Mike Finnern, Leading the Charge on Electric Public Transportation Of Note

Nearly a third of all U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are produced by transportation GHG emissions. Today, industries across the board are actively working to improve their sustainability practices and thanks to early adopters like Proterra, the technology now exists to support the mission. The founder of the world’s first fast-charging, all-electricity city transit buses had a vision two decades ago to help reduce the planet’s pollution problem by reinventing its biggest contributor. Its newest heavy-duty vehicles can now travel over 300 miles on a single charge, electrifying the transit industry for airports, universities and private entities. It wasn’t enough to be the first in the market, they also needed to be the preferred choice. The industry leader aimed to create a safer, more reliable, and cleaner transportation option, offering a more pleasant solution for commuters, drivers and the air we breathe.


Proterra’s VP of Customer Success, Program Management and Transit Product Management, Mike Finnern shares what the road to innovation has been like for the company pioneering the nation’s transition to electric vehicles. He shares the secret to building an advanced company from the ground up, in a segment that didn’t yet exist, and how they’ve earned their high repeat customer rate in the process. On this episode of Of Note, Mike joins our hosts Joseph Nother and Kim Christ to explore how to spot innovative talent, inspire it and apply it to achieve success. Learn how Proterra scaled their company from a single product manufacturer to a three-tiered business manufacturing electric commercial vehicles, EV technologies, and charging infrastructures.