By Bri Brands

Third-generation Iowa native Alex Hoffman (15BA) has spent most of his life surrounded by the natural energy harnessed by Iowa's countless wind turbines.

Now, he has focused his own energy on his business Stateside Solar Energy in Des Moines.

Hoffman said his passion for renewable energy came about in 2010, when he landed an internship through The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC). 

TWC has worked with the University of Iowa since 1979 to help connect students of all majors with academic internships and seminars in dozens of fields. Hoffman was able to secure an internship working with Solar Town, a solar energy equipment supplier in Washington, D.C.

"The Washington Center helped me get my foot in the door to the industry and laid the groundwork for my career," said Hoffman, who graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with a focus on environmental studies.

Hoffman is an alum from the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, which will soon be combined with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences to form the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability.

Before attending the University of Iowa, Hoffman was a student at St. Ambrose University in Davenport and spent a semester at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Transferring to a big state school, Hoffman said, was a good experience.

"The University of Iowa gave me a lot of opportunities," he said. "Specifically, the people I met and the teachers I met."

Hoffman said Marc Linderman, associate professor in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, former professor George Malanson in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, and David Fitzgerald, a career advisor who has since retired, were all influential figures for him. 

Following graduation, Hoffman worked for different solar companies in Texas and Colorado before returning to Iowa in 2024 to start Stateside Solar Energy, which focuses on the sales and installation of solar panels across the state. 

Hoffman said it’s been both rewarding and challenging running his own business since May 2024. One of the biggest challenges has been self-management.

"No one's really monitoring you or telling you what to do. You just have to get up and get going and get after it, which is a lot of freedom in some ways, but it's all on you at that point," he said.

Despite the challenges, Hoffman said he is learning more than ever before and that his liberal arts education has set him up to tackle the challenges. For any current students, Hoffman recommends they get involved on campus and take advantage of various internship opportunities.

"It's definitely been a challenge and a struggle at times, but that's part of entrepreneurship and running your own business," he said. "I think the future is bright for solar in Iowa and the Midwest."