Q&A with Sangram Vajre, Co-founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus

Media 7 | March 18, 2021

Susan Stone, CEO at Ubiquitous Energy, Inc. has been a longtime board member and investor in the company. Prior to joining Ubiquitous, she was the founder and CEO of Sierra Wasatch Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, and managed early-stage investing for Riverhorse Investments, Inc. Susan has also worked at JPMorgan in New York and Houlihan Lokey in Los Angeles as an investment banker focused on mergers & acquisitions. Stone holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University.

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MEDIA 7 | December 5, 2019

Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadMD is an experienced Marketing and Sales Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Business Process, Marketo, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and IT Service Management, Andrea is also a strong business development professional and a storyteller. MEDIA 7: What inspired you to get into marketing? ANDREA LECHNER: Frankly, not having better options. I originally attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse thinking I’d major in Archaeology. I wanted to be Indiana Jones! But, after visiting the archaeology building – i.e. the cold, dark basement of the science building – where a girl sat to piece together pieces of an old Native American vase, I knew archaeology was not going to be the right path for me. And so, without being good at science and a major in art or art history was unlikely to pay my bills, I decided to go into “business”. I originally registered as a management major, but took my first marketing class and thought it was more interesting and switched my sophomore year. That was pretty much it. I’d never been involved in business classes or DECA in high school – I didn’t really know what to do or what jobs in marketing were even possible. I dumb lucked myself into it really. M7: As a storyteller, do you relate the brand to a story or story to the brand? AL: Both? Neither? I think there are stories in every brand, because there are people working on the brand and people engaging with the brand and people using what the brand creates. People, most often a single person, are at the heart of great stories. You can start with the “point” of the story you’re trying to tell. Say you have a software that help accountants better create reports for board meetings. It’s likely you’ll want to tell a success story about an accountant getting promoted to CFO in part because your software helped better communicate their work product to the board. You could have the idea for that and go looking for that story in your customers. OR, you could hear that story, and say, “That’s amazing!” and share it with customers, partners and internal people. Stories are all around us – the most important thing is to keep your ears and eyes open for finding them.

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MEDIA 7 | November 28, 2019

Ed Breault, Chief Marketing Officer at Aprimo is a marketer with over 18 years of industry experience. At Aprimo, Ed is responsible for the global brand and growth which includes all Paid/Owned/Earned media, Brand Experience, Product Marketing, Industry Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Strategic Communications, Content Marketing, Analyst Relations, Alliance Marketing, Public Relations, Events, Demand Generation and Account-Based Marketing. MEDIA 7: What’s your superpower? ED BREAULT: I would say it’s applying the full spectrum of art and science that is required in marketing today. Not just left or right brained, but whole-brained strategy. Being human yet data-driven and really understanding numbers and (the right) metrics to make connections to business drivers. Add storytelling to that, so I can effectively communicate to my team, the CEO and CFO as well as my Board of Directors on those metrics, and connecting all that we are doing in marketing to the mission of the business. Then quickly shifting gears to the art and creative aspects of marketing that are required to engage an audience and tell great commercial stories that take complex concepts and craft them in a way that is interesting for people to pay attention to. I have to be the ultimate point of truth for the brand. M7: At Aprimo, how have marketing leadership roles and responsibilities evolved over the past few years? EB: There are so many dimensions needed by marketing leaders today. There are several elements driving this evolution, it’s the new experience battlefront that is emerging and also marketers themselves driving changes. From a market perspective, there is a clear appetite for disruption and consumers are wanting more experiential elements to their buying experience and interactions with brands. Take a few direct to consumer disruptions like trialing products in-home, purchasing directly from a brand or even wanting to ensure that the producer’s trade practices are in line with the buyer’s or even a regulator’s for that matter. Then we want to try before we buy, and we emotionally care about the supply chain of products. Do we TRUST this brand to do business with them? Behind all of this is a story that needs to be told, and it is those marketers who know their audience well and make connections that will win the commercial game. Back to the marketer, there are so many diverse backgrounds that marketers bring now and I’m really intrigued by those who have unconventional backgrounds because they contribute something uniquely new to the field. I love hearing about the marketer’s journey.

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ENERGY

BlueWave | March 20, 2023

BlueWave Solar, a leading solar and battery storage developer in the Northeast U.S., recently announced an official name change to BlueWave, heralding expansive growth beyond solar development into additional areas of the clean energy space. BlueWave's expertise and suite of capabilities now encompasses the development, engineering, construction and ownership of solar, solar plus storage, and standalone battery storage projects. The name change, while subtle, marks a significant next phase of growth, fueled by resources and funding from its new parent company, Axium Infrastructure, an infrastructure investment management firm with a deep North American renewables portfolio. The 100% stake acquisition, completed in May 2022, has allowed BlueWave to expand its leadership in innovative solar development and grow into the long-term asset ownership of its development pipeline and also expansion into battery storage, both coupled with solar and as standalone assets. "We are on a journey to transform access to renewable energy and strive to develop and build the most effective systems to make that possible," Trevor Hardy, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueWave noted. "Our capabilities now go beyond solar development, and we are better poised to address and innovate how energy is stored and transmitted, ultimately creating greater access. Increasing battery storage on the U.S. electric grid is absolutely critical in order to achieve our nation's economic and climate goals. We welcome this next chapter for our team as we continue to push the boundaries of a clean energy future." Battery storage is an integral part of renewable deployment—it is critical to the effectiveness of clean energy initiatives and vital to the stabilization and integration of renewables to the existing grid. Battery storage enables further decarbonization of the utility grid by allowing solar and wind energy to contribute to the available electricity supply, even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing, by storing and then releasing energy when it's needed most. BlueWave committed to pursuing battery storage development in 2021 and is proud to bring its thoughtful approach to development and energy expertise to the deployment of both distribution and transmission scale battery storage assets. BlueWave is in the early stages of battery storage development within multiple states that have battery storage policies in place including Maine, Massachusetts, and New York, and has been working with local municipalities and state policy makers to best understand and meet storage needs on a local, state and regional basis. The potential community benefits from battery storage are substantial, including local revenue to landowners, improved grid reliability during summer peaks, a cleaner environment that is free of fossil fuels and robust job growth in the burgeoning cleantech economy. "Battery storage is an essential part of the conversation that cannot be ignored as we seek to decarbonize the electric grid," said Mike Marsch, Chief Development Officer of BlueWave. "Given our proven success with solar development and ability to work collaboratively with local communities and state policymakers to achieve outcomes benefiting all involved, we believe that our added battery storage capabilities will contribute immensely to our overall positive impact on the world. We seek to support our communities by enhancing grid reliability while also facilitating much needed climate policy guidance across multiple states." About BlueWave: BlueWave's vision is to protect our planet by transforming access to renewable energy. As a pioneering renewable energy company that develops and owns solar and battery storage projects, BlueWave has developed and built more than 150 MW of solar projects to date and is actively developing battery storage projects to ensure our grid is reliable and efficient in a clean energy future. As built, these projects collectively generate enough solar energy to avoid more than 144,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.

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ENERGY

Aurora Solar | March 08, 2023

Aurora Solar, a software platform dedicated to the solar energy industry, has recently announced the incorporation and expansion of design, product and engineering teams in Ontario, Canada, for business growth. With colossal funding and investment, it provides AI-powered solutions for residential solar installers. The increase in demand for solar energy has stressed residential solar installers, and they are relying on Aurora's cloud-based platform for assistance. With the growing team, it has powered up to 100,000 solar projects weekly, valued at over $4 billion with over $500 million in funding. In addition, it supports over 7,000 organizations in the solar industry with climate change. It has helped its customers to avoid over 60 million tons of carbon dioxide ejection since its inception through its software-based solutions. The ‘2022 Deloitte Fast 500' and the ‘2022 Forbes AI 50' platforms have recognized it. It has also ranked as one of the ‘2022 Best Remote Companies to Work For by Built In’. Co-Founder and CEO of Aurora Solar, Christopher Hopper said, "We are thrilled to announce Aurora's incorporation in Canada." He added, "Canada's work in the renewable energy sector combined with its experienced and skilled pool of SaaS talent make it an ideal location for Aurora Solar as we expand our footprint. Our Canadian presence highlights our commitment to creating a future of solar for all, and we look forward to furthering our mission with support from Canadian colleagues." (Source - Business Wire) Director of Engineering at Aurora Solar, Thusha Agampodi said, "Aurora Solar's Canadian launch marks a long-term investment in Canada, offering remote-first flexibility, and a collaborative, inclusive environment enjoyed by all Aurorans as we unite on our mission to build a sustainable future." She added, "As a resident of Ontario, I'm incredibly proud and excited to continue building on our team's momentum here, leveraging the diverse talent pool across Canada." (Source - Business Wire) About Aurora Solar Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Aurora Solar, a software development company dedicated to the solar energy industry, provides services for solar PV design, cloud computing, enterprise SaaS, solar sales, solar design customizations, solar PV performance modeling, solar software, solar engineering, solar financial analysis, and solar project design automation. Its cloud-based software has transformed solar design, sales and delivery operations since 2013. It offers an entirely accurate customizable design for every customer, with only an address and electric bill requirement. With its dedication and innovation, it is making solar energy accessible to everyone worldwide.

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ENERGY

Canadian Solar Inc. | March 16, 2023

Canadian Solar Inc., a solar technology and renewable energy company, has recently announced that its three solar power projects in Japan, particularly in Gunma Takasaki, Oita Kitsuki, and Yamaguchi Hofu, have reached their commercial operation in early 2023, totaling about 42 MWp. Canadian Solar's bifacial BiHiKu modules powered these projects. The grid operators from the respective areas purchased the energy generated from the projects through Japan's feed-in-tariff program. This purchase would continue for about 19 years at the rates of JPY32 (US$0.24), JPY14.49 (US$0.11), and JPY14.25 (US$0.10) per kWh in approximation. The projects would produce about 53,000 MWh of renewable energy. This energy will power over 15,000 households and avoid approximately 24,000 tons of carbon emissions per year. It is delivering more clean, safe and affordable solar energy to the world. Of the total project pipeline, 2.9 GWp of projects are in late-stage development and have secured energy offtake agreements. In addition, it has a geographically diversified utility-scale solar power project pipeline of around 10 GWp. Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar Inc., Dr. Shawn Qu said, "We are delighted to be part of the green transformation that Japan is going through with these additions to our portfolio. Our teams worked closely with the local communities and governments to bring these projects to fruition. Working closely with the local community to cultivate a sustainable long-term relationship is one of our ESG sustainable development goals. Canadian Solar's Sustainability Report provides a detailed discussion on our ESG goals, targets and approaches." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Canadian Solar Inc. Headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, Canadian Solar Inc., a renewable energy semiconductor manufacturing company, offers solutions for solar projects, solar panels, PV applications, bankability, solar modules, solar farms, renewable energy, and sustainability. It has been working as a global energy and solar energy solutions provider and solar PV modules manufacturer since 2001. It has conducted successful business subsidiaries in different countries and delivered about 55 GW of solar modules worldwide. It runs solar power projects and plants with the commercial operation, with a resale value of approximately US$1.2 billion. It was listed as Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Tier 1 Module Manufacturer in bankability for Q4 2018. GTM Research named it the Top 3 Global Utility-scale Solar PV Project Developer for 2017.

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