Robert Blake is the owner of Solar Bear, pronounced Gizis-o-makwa in Ojibwe, a solar development company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Robert also serves as Executive Director of the non-profit Native Sun Community Power Development in Minneapolis. Robert is a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation. His passion is spreading the word about renewable energy through communication, cooperation, and collaboration. Robert recently led a successful effort to secure federal funding to purchase electric school buses for the Red Lake Nation school system, and launched the Solar Cub program to educate and train students on solar energy planning and development. He also helped secure a SMART grant award to fund e-bikes, charging stations, and glow in the dark bike pathways for the Red Lake Nation, an idea he got from reading an article about a similar effort in Poland. Robert attended the Carlson Executive Education at the University of Minnesota and has a Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership degree from Metro State University.