Prerna Kundoor

I studied economics and public administration for my bachelor's degree, with a focus on economy and governing people in general. I was preparing for a government exam to be a civil servant, as my main goal was to do something good for the community overall. I then explored the opportunity of coming to the U.S. to do my Master's in Business Administration, majoring in accounts, finance, and supply chain. In the final year of my semester, I was given the opportunity to do a project with a local nonprofit here in Connecticut, which was very exciting because it matched two of my major interests - business operations where I wanted to see myself professionally, and giving back to the community like I wanted to all the while. I worked as a business manager in the nonprofit organization while also interviewing for other jobs to grow in my career. That's how I came into the EV sustainable energy field. I chose it because it matches me giving back to the community and allows me to support the increasing interest and demand in EV vehicles today. I joined a really small startup firm, and my boss was very excited - they had bought like 100 electric vehicle DC fast chargers with the idea of installing and expanding across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Illinois. I work under Hondo Holdings, which houses Hondo Go (the energy entity I work with), as well as firms working in private equity, Hondo Finance (a loan servicing agency), and stock exchange. I am the only woman in the whole company across all these entities. I handle very technical work, coordinating with different engineers, construction managers, and different utility firms in different locations, dealing with different rules, regulations, and application forms for each utility. I'm handling this job with all men around me, and I am day in and day out coordinating with 100 people and 100 things all at the same time. As an immigrant to the U.S., I am adapting to a new culture and experiencing diversity while trying to excel in every step I take.