Lacy Strickler, GB '14

“I was fascinated by the challenge of helping to bring a new product to the world and I liked what I saw of the positive, team-based culture,” Lacy Strickler, GB ‘14, said of what attracted her to a career at Evatran, a company whose vision is to enable green transportation.

“We are currently focusing on manufacturing the world’s first wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging system, the Plugless L2,” Strickler said. “We hope the Plugless L2 will make the EV experience easier and ultimately increase the adoption of EVs.”

The organization has roughly 30 employees and operates in Virginia and North Carolina, currently targeting the U.S. market. “Evatran is lucky as our customers have often already accepted, and invested in, green technology by choosing an EV,” Strickler said. “However, adoption of new technologies requires influential consumers who can see the bigger picture and getting them on board can take a while. Over the past few years the adoption of EVs has far outpaced even the initial adoption of hybrids and wireless charging is on the radar for many auto manufacturers. We think we are really in the right place at the right time,” she said. 

Strickler has a history of helping people and the environment in her career, beginning with her time as a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit. “After a few years I became frustrated that I could only help a few patients at a time so I moved to consulting, where I could approach healthcare’s problems from a systemic perspective,” she said.

She spent some time with GE Healthcare and a local research firm before joining Evatran this June. “I have always been aware of the responsibility to take care of our environment, and have tried to do my part. Evatran has opened my eyes to the non-personal side of environmental responsibility and I now realize there is a lot more that goes into supporting people in ‘doing the right thing.’” 

A few months prior to joining Evatran, Strickler decided to pursue her MBA. “Receiving my MBA was something I had wanted for a long time. I found myself in strategy discussions with top level executives and yet had little knowledge about some things as simple as business cycles. I wanted to learn, try new things and understand the broader picture of management and business,” she said. “I chose The Richmond MBA for many reasons, but above all I recognized a good fit with my desire to learn. I have been able to explore a range of subjects, some at which I excel and perhaps more importantly some that I need to work on.”

“The Richmond MBA has been empowering. The program has an incredibly strong network, both in numbers and in engagement. Being a part of the Richmond community really does open doors,” Strickler said.

Strickler said she never would have imagined herself in her current position a few years ago, but is enjoying being a part of the Evatran “tribe.”

“There is just so much room to grow; a new product, a new brand, even a new market!  It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”