Welcome to Windward Ventures: Pioneering Utility Technology Energy Investments for a Sustainable Future
Founder & Managing Director, Windward Ventures
Brett Olson is the Founder and Managing Director of Windward Ventures, a Nebraska-based strategic advisory and investment firm focused on the intersection of energy, technology, and human leadership. Windward Ventures partners with electric utilities, private equity firms, institutional investors, and technology innovators to identify opportunities that drive both financial growth and meaningful impact.
For Brett, business and humanity are inseparable. Every acquisition, merger, or capital investment represents not just a financial transaction, but a story of people, their purpose, their innovation, and their potential. He founded Windward Ventures on the belief that sustainable success comes when we align financial excellence with human values, and that M&A should be about building people and organizations, not just buying them.
Transforming Energy and Technology Investments
Windward Ventures specializes in sourcing off-market transactions and executing strategic growth initiatives across the energy, engineering, renewable, and technology sectors. Brett leads full-cycle deal execution from sourcing and due diligence to negotiation and integration for companies with revenues ranging from $10 million to $500 million. His work bridges the gap between operational strategy and capital investment, helping clients position themselves for long-term resilience in a rapidly evolving market.
Brett and his team provide insight-driven advisory services on market trends, M&A strategy, capital optimization, and operational efficiency helping organizations modernize, diversify, and thrive. What sets Windward Ventures apart is not just analytical rigor, but empathy: an understanding that at the core of every deal are the people who make value possible.
A Foundation Built in Public Power
Before founding Windward Ventures, Brett spent nearly two decades leading technology and operations at Cornhusker Public Power District in Columbus, Nebraska, where he served as Director of Information and Operations Technology. There, he oversaw key departments including AMI, GIS, IT, and SCADA, leading digital transformation and cross-functional collaboration that bridged engineering, operations, and finance.
Brett’s leadership helped shape the integration of technology-driven solutions that strengthened grid reliability, optimized financial performance, and empowered teams to perform at their best. His deep understanding of utility operations, cybersecurity, and strategic planning continues to inform his investment philosophy that innovation must always serve people and purpose.
Innovator and Industry Leader
Brett’s contributions to the energy and technology sectors are recognized nationally. He served as a Research Designer for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), where he advanced smart grid and control system research. In 2016, he became the Lead Customer Designer and Developer for Landis+Gyr’s first Distribution Automation RF Device for Smart Irrigation Load Management and Control an innovation that connected agriculture and energy efficiency in groundbreaking ways.
He also founded Nebraska’s first IT/Cyber and Strategic Planning Community, uniting 28 public power districts in a collaborative effort to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity posture and strategic vision. His leadership in innovation and community building earned him the 2024 Central Community College Outstanding Alumni Award and a Certificate of Utility Recognition from U.S. Representative Michael J. Flood.
A Philosophy of Human-Centered Leadership
Brett’s approach to leadership is grounded in one powerful truth: when people feel valued, they create lasting value. His background in utilities, where reliability, safety, and community stewardship are paramount, taught him that culture is not a slogan, but a system of trust built every day.
He brings that same philosophy to his investment and advisory work. Whether guiding a merger, structuring capital, or developing growth strategies, Brett ensures that the human dimension stays at the center. He helps clients not only scale operations but build cultures of innovation, care, and accountability.
Credentials and Commitment
Brett holds an MBA in Finance Management, a Master’s in Computer Information Systems Management with specializations in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and Mathematics, and a Bachelor’s in Software and Electrical Systems Engineering. He is currently completing a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), focusing on Information Assurance and Business Logistics — further integrating his expertise in technology, strategy, and finance.
Building a Better Future Through Energy, Technology, and People
At Windward Ventures, Brett continues his lifelong mission: to connect innovation with integrity, finance with purpose, and business with humanity. His vision is to help energy and technology organizations grow stronger, more sustainable, and more people-centered, proving that in every great investment, the real power lies in people.
