UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast features Paul Suhey, chief operating officer and co-founder of Revel, sharing how he drives Revel’s mission to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption in U.S. cities by focusing on fast-charging infrastructure.
Suhey graduated with honors in chemical engineering from the Penn State College of Engineering and the Schreyer Honors College in 2014.
In this episode, he recounts Revel's journey from its beginnings as an urban, electric-moped-sharing startup to its evolution into a company building EV-charging infrastructure for the largest cities in the United States. Suhey also discusses the challenges of introducing EV infrastructure to the urban energy landscape, as well as how Revel’s capital-sourcing strategies have evolved to best support its mission.
“Inherently, there are going to be hiccups and challenges in doing something that hasn’t been done before,” Suhey said during the podcast interview. “But we moved quickly, we proved an ability to execute, we showed momentum, and that brings in interest and gives investors confidence.”
Listen to Suhey’s story on "Dare to Disrupt."
At the end of the episode, current Penn State student Michael Slesarevich joins the conversation. Slesarevich, a first-year mechanical engineering student, is the founder of Shade Shift, a startup developing an electrically controlled, variable-tint film for vehicles. He recently participated in the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank Idea TestLab and is a member of the Penn State Car Club.
Slesarevich and Suhey discuss the challenges of securing an initial investment and how Revel views potential competitors as future collaborators or customers.
Students interested in being featured on the show can apply or be nominated.
About Dare to Disrupt
"Dare to Disrupt" is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Past episodes include interviews with Garry Gilliam, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner. New episodes are released monthly. Subscribe on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.