O2 Group Ventures CEO Awarded Business Person of the Year

O2 Group Ventures CEO Joel Olsen receives Business Person of the Year award from 2023 LKN Chamber Chair Douglas Marion and Bobby Cashion representing the Cashion family. The award is named for the late Robert T. Cashion. Photo: John McHugh/Ocaid Photography

March 26. Joel Olsen with O2 Group Ventures was named the Business Person of the Year at the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting last week.

Olsen is the CEO of O2 Group Ventures which focuses on profitable ventures in sustainability. Joel and his wife Tonje also operate several other businesses including Sun Raised Farms, Aderis Energy, The Montgomery Sheep Farm and The Lovill House Inn.

O2 was an early entrant in the solar industry and helped shape state and federal clean energy policies that made North Carolina the second largest market of installed solar by 2018. Joel and Tonje have worked closely with local businesses, neighbors, farmers, government staff and elected officials in each project community to maximize the local benefit of each project O2 develops. Their innovative and sustainable approach have influenced the clean energy industry nationwide.