Off the Record
Off the Record is a podcast exploring the lives and stories of Twin Cities executives. Join the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, in partnership with Platinum Bank, for robust conversations with local leaders as they share pivotal moments in their lives, some of their career highlights, and their goals for the coming years. You know their names and faces, now get to know their stories.
Off the Record
Ravi Norman, chairman and CEO of Sagiliti, on “the synthesis of Black and green”
Today, Ravi Norman serves as the CEO and chairman of energy management services company Sagiliti — but in truth, his first entrepreneurial endeavor was his newspaper route, he says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast.
“I learned a lot about how business works inside that paper route,” Norman said to hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank. According to Norman, he and his cousins all had paper routes — but he did them all.
“They didn’t like to get up and do their paper route,” Norman said. “So, I gave them a bit of money to just stay in bed, give me (their) routes, I’ll do them. It was a great model.”
Listen to the latest episode to hear more about Norman's career trajectory, including:
- Finding a tangible source of “aspiration and inspiration” in a nearby mentor.
- How Norman realized he was going to have to dream big to transcend his adolescent environment.
- Norman’s wrap-up presentation from his college internship — and where it led him.
- The wide-ranging opportunities that came from banking and coaching.
- Sagiliti’s core mission and offerings for the 15,000 buildings it serves in North America.
- Why Norman’s whole agenda is “the synthesis of Black and green” — in other words, reducing consumption and boosting sustainability through the lens of the Black experience.
Leaders like Norman understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.