Chesapeake Entrepreneur Laura Okafor Scales Regional Renewable Energy Company to Statewide Operations

Laura Okafor, founder of a Chesapeake-based renewable energy company, announced this week that the company has expanded operations to serve customers across Virginia, following years of steady regional growth.

From a small start

Laura started the company with a handful of employees, building the customer base gradually through word of mouth and local partnerships before seeking outside investment to fund expansion.

"We turned down a lot of early offers to grow faster because the terms weren't right," Laura said. "We wanted to expand on our terms, not someone else's timeline."

What the expansion looks like

The statewide expansion includes new hires in sales, operations, and logistics roles, along with a second facility outside Chesapeake to support increased volume. The company says it expects to roughly double its workforce over the next eighteen months.

Advice for other founders

Laura has become something of a fixture at regional entrepreneurship events, frequently speaking about the importance of sustainable growth over rapid scaling.

"Everyone wants to talk about hypergrowth," Laura said. "Nobody wants to talk about how many companies that kills before they're five years old."

Looking forward

The company says it plans to explore opportunities beyond Virginia's borders within the next three years, though Laura says the current focus remains on serving the state well first.