Big Thoughts

In this guest blog post from Chris Moyer at SME Solutions Group Inc. you will hear about his experiences through college, the importance of trade school and why he chose to sponsor the Think Big SME Technical Trades Scholarship.

Current Role

Currently I am the president and CEO of SME Solutions Group Inc. I studied at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business where I created a strategic business plan for a data analytics consulting firm focused on utility and power generation business intelligence needs. Bringing that plan to fruition has been a defining moment in my career which allowed me to act on my entrepreneurial dreams. In addition to my role at SME, I am also proud to be this year’s USF Muma School of Business ISDS Program Advisory Board Chair. Beyond my professional roles, I, along with the SME Foundation, provide financial scholarships, internships, and training bootcamps at USF and UT. Support includes an annual scholarship for first generation students at USF’s Muma School of Business. Outside of the Tampa area, I serve on the board of trustees, as the youngest alumni, at Williamson College of the Trades outside of Philadelphia.

Why Think Big?

Think Big for Kids aligns with the mission of The SME Foundation which was started in 2018 and has supported local non-profits including Think Big for Kids, Meals on Wheels, and Metropolitan Ministries.

Think Big gives students a good foundation and an understanding of the importance of work/life balance. Students learn to achieve greater things beyond the norm. Students learn that they need to properly budget and plan their time, to break boundaries with their work, and to always have a strategy to get to where they are trying to go. I think this is critical to any community and investment in building leaders! Additionally, Think Big for Kids not only provides financial and scholarship help, but also provides a focus on career mentorship and coaching.

Why the Think Big SME Technical Trades Scholarship?

I have always thought of myself as a continuous student. Someone who is always open to learning new things or improving on existing technical and business skills. Williamson College of the Trades helped me build character, confidence, and a desire to learn a specific trade and skills and I will pay that back to future generations of students as I believe it is my duty.

I chose to focus the scholarship on technical trades because I heavily believe that learning a trade is something that would be greatly beneficial for the students of today. Prior to bootstrapping SME Solutions Group, Inc. in 2011, I was a leader and manager in the power generation & energy industry supporting some of the top investor owned utility and energy companies in roles ranging from field and control room operations, maintenance, project management, quality and business. As a Subject Matter Expert in the energy and utility industry, it was a natural progression to introduce SME’s data and analytics consulting services to leaders in the industry. While SME has expanded outside of the utility industry into financial services, healthcare, and many other industries, the utility industry remains a part of SME, as reflected by some of SME’s longest running clients.

Trade schools instill a sense of professionalism and work ethic in their students resulting in lasting impacts that support their students for the rest of careers. And to me, the first step is all about diving right into a program and scholarships provide access for students to do this. Some students do not have the opportunity to attend higher education and scholarship funding opens them up to opportunities to learning a trade