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John Doran
John Doran
01:04

John Doran

PlugIn Stations Online

Albany, NY USA

"I always try to think two steps into the future."

Career Roadmap

John's work combines: Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Accomplishing Goals

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Day In The Life

President

I lead a full-service electric vehicle infrastructure company.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Geography

    SUNY Oneonta

  • Graduate Degree

    Geography

    Kansas State University

  • Certification

    Teaching Credential

    The Sage Colleges - Russell Sage College

Life & Career Milestones

I've taken a lot of twists and turns

  • 1.

    I grew up in New York.

  • 2.

    I earned my bachelor’s degree in geography, specializing in satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems, and then went on to earn my master’s degree.

  • 3.

    I started on my Ph.D. but didn’t like the program, so I came back home and started working for my brother’s lawn sprinkler company.

  • 4.

    The sprinkler company wasn’t something I could see myself doing long-term, so I moved to Rhode Island and got a job at an electrical supply house.

  • 5.

    I spent some time working as an electrician after a customer piqued my interest in pursuing the trade.

  • 6.

    Working as an electrician was fun and a valuable trade to learn but I knew it wasn’t the ultimate route for me, so I moved back to New York and started working toward becoming a schoolteacher.

  • 7.

    While working as a teacher, a friend and I started PlugIn Stations Online, an electric vehicle infrastructure company—I jumped right in and started learning all about the electric vehicle industry.

  • 8.

    In addition to leading PlugIn Stations Online, I’m also the owner and president of Valatie Falls Hydropower, where we generate about 160,000 watts of continuous power for Valatie, New York.