Computing Alumna Turns Grandfather’s Legacy into Georgia’s Clean Energy Future
Olivia Amyette spent countless Saturdays in “epic video game battles” with her dad and sister, which sparked her fascination with understanding how video games were made.
This fascination pulled her toward computer science (CS) at Georgia Tech where she imagined her future would be in video game development.
But, as job offers from major gaming studios began rolling in a few years later, Amyette found herself choosing a different path.
“I graduated in December 2020, right in the middle of Covid, when everything felt uncertain,” she said. “My grandfather needed me, and he was my best friend. Choosing to stay home and care for him was a decision that changed my life.”
Her grandfather, an Ecuadorian immigrant and veteran who served three tours in Vietnam, often told her about learning English by candlelight because he couldn’t afford electricity. Those stories reframed energy as more than a utility.
“Energy is something that defines opportunity and dignity,” she said.
This perspective inspired Amyette to launch Infinite Energy Advisors, a fast-growing solar engineering, procurement, and construction firm serving homeowners and businesses across the Southeast.
She also founded the Solar Knowledge Institute to train the next generation of clean energy workers and established Georgia’s first Department of Labor–certified solar apprenticeship program.
Her success in the solar industry has made Amyette a highly visible renewable-energy advocate, and she was named to Georgia Tech’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025. She serves on the boards of:
- The Georgia Solar Energy Association
- Georgia’s Solar for All program
- The Southern Sustainability Institute
- The Georgia Tech Women Alumnae Network
Her companies also partner with Capital Good Fund to bring solar access to low- and moderate-income households.
Although helping others is important for Amyette, the most meaningful part of her work is closer to home and remains deeply personal.
“I still remember writing the first paycheck for one of my employees,” she said. “He told me it would help buy his kids’ Christmas gifts and go toward their college savings.
“That moment showed me how far-reaching the effects of my work really are. That’s what success looks like to me.”
Computing as a Foundation for Impact
Although Amyette didn’t pursue game development, her CS education remains central to her work.
She built custom software used daily by both of her organizations to streamline engineering, permitting, project management, and workforce training. She credits her Georgia Tech education with shaping a problem-solving mindset that drives efficiency, innovation, and scalability across her teams.
Mentorship played a crucial role in developing that mindset. She says Melinda McDaniel and Mary Hudachek-Buswell from the School of Computing Instruction (SCI) encouraged persistence, curiosity, and interdisciplinary thinking, lessons that guided how she built her companies.
One of her most formative experiences at Tech was participating in the Grand Challenges Living Learning Community, where she facilitated over 20 student research projects each semester.
“It taught me to think like an entrepreneur, approach every obstacle as an opportunity for innovation, and never settle for the first solution,” she said.
Serving as a teaching assistant (TA) strengthened her leadership skills, teaching her that effective instruction requires empathy, patience, and the ability to translate complex ideas into simple terms without losing depth.
Lessons learned as a TA later informed the curriculum she wrote for the Solar Knowledge Institute.
A Commitment to Opportunity
Amyette’s apprenticeship program blends technical solar training with leadership development, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. She personally mentors each apprentice.
“I know what it feels like to start with limited resources but limitless potential,” she said. “Clean energy isn’t just about technology, it’s about people. When our graduates secure jobs or start their own companies, I see my grandfather’s legacy living on.”
Advice for Future Founders
For students or alumni hoping to launch their own ventures, Amyette says to start with what you have.
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment, it doesn’t exist. Entrepreneurship is about learning to adapt quickly,” she said.
“When you lead with purpose, the right partners, clients, and opportunities will follow. Build something that matters and let that conviction drive your work through the hard days.”
Impact remains the driving force for Amyette. A mission rooted not in profits or prestige, but in the quiet power of expanding opportunity, one household and one career at a time.
