From two TechTown cubicles to a multi-million-dollar company, Carla Walker-Miller’s company provides energy efficiency services around the country 

Where does a small business begin and what do those early ups and downs look like? With TechTown’s support, I grew Walker-Miller Energy Services into a multi-million-dollar company. We are now in six states as an energy efficiency services provider. Walker-Miller Energy Services has more than 200 team members — and more business than we can effectively pursue. 

Walker-Miller Energy Services is considered an “implementation contractor,” primarily for utilities and government. They hire businesses like us to help them and their customers use less energy and decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. Through our contracts, we have the opportunity to help companies with outreach, education and tackling their biggest issues with energy efficiency. 

Along the way, we invested in our culture and community. We’re a certified B Corp — a for-profit company that has been certified by the global nonprofit organization B Lab for meeting high standards of social and environmental performance — which is consistent with who we are. We’ve found a way to sustainably serve the community and environment while generating profit. 

Carla Walker-Miller speaks at the 2024 Resilience and Equity in Clean Energy Sector Summit, her company’s clean energy conference. Launched in 2023, RECESS was created as a way to address climate change in every community.

An efficiency hero’s origin story

Before I even got into the energy waste reduction business, I knew the electric grid needed to be modernized and made smart. That, however, costs money. I knew for a fact that Detroiters largely could not afford to pay more for electricity, water or gas than they were already. Because of this, I began hosting energy efficiency workshops to support everyday citizens.  

I started in 2000 as a home-based business, possibly one of TechTown’s first small business clients and coworking members. Around 2005, I rented two cubicles. I found myself in the midst of business owners and potential customers, all coming in and out of a central location. In fact, I found my first IT vendor and one of my first marketing vendors through TechTown. Being at TechTown helped me forge my first relationship with a law firm. My first connection with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation was through TechTown. The space and community that TechTown has created was absolutely fundamental to many of my early business relationships. 

By 2007 to 2008, we had stable revenue, enough to consider moving into our own office. While were a small company, we did have revenue of about $12 million a year and growing. TechTown had fulfilled its goal of helping to incubate and stabilize our small business — at least until the end of ’08. Then, recession hit, and it hit hard.

With TechTown’s support, Walker-Miller Energy Services was able to recover from the 2008 recession and become the “catalyzers of equity in clean energy” they are today.

The road to recovery

One of the greatest blessing for me and for Walker-Miller Energy Services is that TechTown was there for me when the recession hit. If I had not already been plugged into TechTown’s community, I can’t say with certainty I would have made it. It was vital being able to commiserate, or even just cry, with other business owners. We shared information about available resources, eligibility and how to access support. It was my first time having that type of community as a small business owner, and it was critical for my emotional and business well-being. 

In 2014, I was among the first cohort of entrepreneurs in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Detroit program through Wayne State University, which TechTown had helped bring to the city. Walker-Miller Energy Services was based out of TechTown until 2016. 

All these years later, we proudly call ourselves catalyzers of equity in clean energy and catalyzers of excellence. Our plan is to keep growing and also bring along people who are disconnected from the clean energy and energy efficiency industries. That’s what we’re doing, and we’ll continue to do it with all of our heart.

Walker-Miller Energy Services is committed to doing outreach efforts for their clients’ customers and constituents.  

Giving back to where it all began 

Now, people see me and Walker-Miller Energy Services as a success, but few truly know the difficult road to get to where I am now. Small business owners know, and because of this, I give back to TechTown. There are so many small businesses that need the support I needed. It’s a necessity for me to help other businesses not make the same mistakes I made. Detroit was basically a support desert for small businesses when I first started in 2000, but TechTown was there for me. I served on TechTown’s Board of Directors from 2012 until early 2024.

I donate because I know that the resources and relationships at TechTown can be the difference between success and failure for a small business. If you really want to invest in an entity that gets it — and has gotten it for a long time — and is going to continue to serve the local community, TechTown is it. Your donation makes every bit of difference.