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Yoann Hispa has four science and math degrees, speaks four languages and cultivates a singular obsession with knowledge acquisition. He credits those multiple degrees from multiple places and his personal commitment to dig deep to solve challenges for a broad, flexible and exciting perspective on innovation, entrepreneurship and the energy industry.
Yoann is the CEO and co-founder of LandGate, a technology-driven data solutions platform and online marketplace that aims to revolutionize the ways US environmental resources for everything from solar and wind to oil and gas are bought and sold. "We call ourselves the Zillow for land resources," he said.
The six-year-old Denver-based company helps landowners, real estate agents, investors, developers and other stakeholders make more informed decisions through data and valuation benchmarks.
Yoann has 17 years of experience in the energy and carbon industry in various technical and leadership roles and teaches energy land resources at the University of Texas-Austin and the Realtors Land Institute. Before starting LandGate, he was executive director of engineering at Ruspetro, an independent and innovative oil and gas company, and led the engineering and drilling operations for a private equity firm's mineral acquisitions.
In today's podcast, he discusses the catalyst for his career path, his philosophy on building a business and explains how land values for wind and solar compare to traditional oil and gas leases. "Renewables are growing the most now," he said.
Describing himself as "a Hispanic guy with a mixed heritage," including Spanish, Italian and French, Yoann divided his childhood between Spain and France.
Though he was living in a small village of fewer than 80 people, he had a chance to meet the late US astronaut James Irwin when he was 10. Irwin was an aeronautical engineer, test pilot, US Air Force pilot and the eighth person to walk on the Moon. "I decided I was going to be either a pilot or a scientist," he recalled.
After joining the French Air Force Academy and earning a bachelor's degree equivalent in math and physics, he decided to take the science route in graduate school. He holds Master's degrees in Petroleum Engineering from UT Austin, Geomechanics from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and Civil Engineering from ESTP Paris, the School for Major Projects.
"Having multiple degrees from multiple places that each offer different ways to study and different way to look at things enlarges your vision," he said. It helps you look at things from multiple directions "and gives you a better view than just digging in the same direction."
Yoann explained how the oil and gas component of his career and how his interests ultimately broadened into renewables. He sees energy as a moving target, constantly morphing into new and different opportunities to meet the world's demands. And while renewables are hot now, he said he doubts the status quo will remain the same in two or three decades. "They'll probably find something even better," he said.
But the need for land will remain. It's a finite commodity but equally crucial whether the focus is fossil fuel or wind. "Land has a historically low dividend. But in terms of an inflation environment, like we are in today, land is a very safe investment," he added.
Yoann said multiple energy companies have tried to do what LandGate has done: to put a dollar value on every parcel in the US. "We've done that 170 million parcels, and we've done that for solar, wind, oil and gas, water," he continued.
He said LandGate "did not get lost in processes" and benefits from very efficient people, working remotely, very efficiently."
I hope you listen to the full podcast with Yoann Hispa to get a sense of where he sees the world today and his predictions for the future. I'm fascinated by our conversation and feel confident you will be, too.
TIMESTAMPS:
(04:07) Yoann's non traditional background
(09:25) High school influence on Yoann's life
(12:25) How Yoann became an entrepreneur
(12:58) Why four different degrees
(16:08) How Yoann compartmentalizes learning and career building
(22:24) How the oil & gas component factors into renewables
(25:32) Challenges Yoann faced as an entrepreneur
(30:29) Yoann's Delta Force team
(32:26) How Yoann customer base has changed over the years
(35:59) What's the dollar value look like yearly
(44:41) How Yoann became a series B entrepreneur
(46:21) How much more capital was needed beyond his initial expectation
(49:12) Instrumental resources to Yoann's life
(51:30) Consistent habit that gives Yoann leverage
(54:13) How to connect with Yoann
(55:10) Yoann's bold prediction
(59:45) Wrap up
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
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