Meet Maria Dowd

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Dowd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.

Hi Maria, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

Certainly! Here’s a more beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant version of your response:

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**Where does my optimism come from?**

It begins with the fierce love and wisdom of my grandmother—a woman who had no tolerance for self-pity. Her philosophy was clear: either fix what’s broken, fix yourself, or fix both. That mindset taught me that optimism isn’t passive—it’s an active, creative force. It’s the fire that fuels my courage to course-correct, to lean into challenges with boldness, wisdom, and strategic grace.

My first instinct, when things feel off-kilter, is to seek the genius and strength in others. Community, after all, is part of what sustains me. The company we keep matters deeply—we must strive to be the kind of light we want to be surrounded by.

I draw optimism from our work in renewable energy—especially in communities too often overlooked. Watching lives light up, literally and figuratively, reminds me of what’s possible. I draw strength from the joy and resilience of my family, and from a deep-rooted belief in something greater than myself—an omnipotent love that calls us to rise.

To me, optimism is not for the faint of heart. It’s a sacred choice—a lifeforce. It’s a defiant belief in the brighter side, even when shadows threaten. And every day, I choose it. I choose life. I choose light.

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Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Maria Dowd
CEO, Dowd Solar Group

Empowering Property Owners. Advancing Clean Energy. Building Legacy.

Maria Dowd is not just selling solar. She is delivering energy independence, economic elevation, and environmental justice with heart, strategy, and soul.

As Founder and CEO of Dowd Solar Group, Maria leads one of Southern California’s most trusted and mission-driven solar firms. Her company—in collaboration with Current Energy—specializes in helping residential and commercial property owners dramatically lower their utility costs, boost their property value, and tap into federal incentives that make clean energy not just attainable—but profitable.

Maria’s leadership is anything but conventional. She’s not a career salesperson. She’s a movement maker who spent decades inspiring tens of thousands to rise economically, personally, and professionally.

Her origin story?

The visionary force behind African American Women on Tour, a 13-year global empowerment tour that reached over 29,000 women and girls, backed by major corporations and revered by audiences across the U.S. It wasn’t just an event—it was a revolution in mindset, money, and motivation.

Today, she brings that same passion to the renewable energy space. Maria believes solar energy is more than a utility decision—it’s a legacy decision. It’s about protecting your bottom line while protecting the planet. Through Dowd Solar Group, she helps families keep more of what they earn, offset rising electric bills with rooftop power, and generate passive income through referral partnerships. With her guidance, clients leverage powerful tools—federal tax credits and subsidies, and fully funded options—to turn their homes and businesses into powerhouses of resilience and financial return.

On the commercial side, Maria is a strategic energy partner to property owners, churches, schools, real estate investors, and nonprofits. She’s particularly focused on historically underserved and environmentally adversely impacted communities, helping organizations transform underutilized rooftops and land into income-generating, impact-delivering solar assets. Whether it’s a church seeking to fund its mission or a building owner ready to reduce operating costs while increasing value, Maria delivers customized solutions with care, clarity, and uncompromising transparency.
What sets her apart? It’s not just what she knows—it’s how she leads. With soul. With smarts. With a fearless belief that when you own your power—literally and figuratively—you change your life.

Maria has also authored multiple transformational books, including Journey to Empowerment, Journey into My Brother’s Soul, and Journey to a Blissful Life, featured in Essence Magazine as a top pick for personal renewal. She’s trained over 950 entrepreneurs in wellness, financial freedom, and business leadership—and now channels that wisdom into solar as a vehicle for generational wealth, clean living, and collective uplift.

Based in Los Angeles, Maria is a proud mother and grandmother, fiercely committed to creating a cleaner, safer planet for the next generation. Her business is guided by three core values: Honesty. Empowerment. Equity. That means no gimmicks. No mixed messaging. Just education, access, and solar systems that deliver.

If you’re ready to stop fighting rising utility rates, and turn your property into a power source, Maria Dowd is ready to lead the way.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Visionary Leadership

Advice: Cultivate a vision that’s bigger than yourself—and then garner the courage to act on it. Commit to reading and listening both widely and deeply. Read Surround yourself with people who challenge and stretch you. Great leaders aren’t just strategic; they’re emotionally and socially attuned.

2. Empathetic Communication

Advice: Practice listening more than speaking. Learn how to tailor your message to meet people where they are, not where you wish they were. It helps to study human behavior, psychology, and storytelling. Mastery comes from empathy.

3. Strategic Adaptability

Advice: Be a lifelong learner. Strategically aim for impact. Take smart risks, and when you pivot, pivot with a purpose. For most mere mortals, unexpected turns happen. Every skill you develop will eventually serve you, even if you don’t know how yet.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Referral Partners We’re Excited to Collaborate With

We welcome partnerships with individuals and organizations that deeply connect to their communities and care about financial well-being, environmental sustainability, and energy equity. Ideal referral partners include:

Real Estate Professionals
Church Leaders & Faith-Based Organizations
Contractors & Home Improvement Experts
Community Leaders & Nonprofit Advocates
Financial Advisors & Tax Professionals
Eco-Conscious Influencers & Educators

We’re a heart-centered, integrity-first community of solar advisers and referral partners who thrive on education and solutions. We offer generous compensation and customizable tools to help you promote solar in a way that aligns with your voice, values, and lived experiences. If you care deeply about people, truth, and transformation, there’s a place for you with Dowd Solar Group.

Contact Info:

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