David Reuben, 2020 At 21, Joseph Michael Daniels felt like he had hit a wall. He was with without qualifications, a place to call home and a purpose in life. He’d been living on the streets since the age of 15 and was seeking the stability that escaped him throughout his childhood. He tried to join the army, started building websites and then studied architecture online after experiencing an epiphany – “Why aren’t we using electrically powered systems that drive renewables to build homes?” He discovered at a young age that he could learn things incredibly quickly and at 23, homed in on this skill and launched Project Etopia - connecting energy, construction and intelligent technologies to revolutionise the built environment and shape a sustainable future.
Daniels has now accrued over 2 million in investment, established a partnership with Samsung, travelled to Africa and built renewable homes and is a multi-award winner both individually and company-wide, including the accolade of Forbes 30 under 30 in the manufacturing and industry category, as well as a feature in the United Nations 75th anniversary book for his contribution to climate change.
A Project Etopia facility is being set up in the United States, major Middle Eastern countries have signed up to ‘greenify’ the continent and the UK business is in hyper expansion mode, with more clients and more developments underway and upon the horizon. And they’re “not stopping there”.