Meet Tumba Cool, the visionary founder behind Cambridge Networks, a full-scale Solar Engineering, Procurement, and Construction firm dedicated to excellence in work quality, communication, and customer service. With a background rooted in an entrepreneurial family, Tumba draws inspiration from his grandfather’s legacy of business ownership. Relocating his family from Pennsylvania to Kentucky in 2021, Tumba seized the opportunity to establish Cambridge Networks as a new family business, driven by a mission to promote sustainability while creating economic opportunities for others.
The journey of Cambridge Networks began with Tumba’s firsthand experience in the solar energy industry, initially recruited by Vivent Solar. Witnessing the inner workings of a large-scale solar business sparked his entrepreneurial spirit, leading him to establish Godflo to do business with Vivent Solar. Over time, this evolved into Cambridge Networks, specializing in solar EPC and fiber optic cable installation services.
Inspired by his grandfather’s legacy and a desire to create a sustainable lifestyle for his family, Tumba took a significant risk by relocating to Kentucky. Despite setbacks, he remained focused on his vision, pivoting to offering training programs and diversifying the company’s services. As Cambridge Networks grows, Tumba remains committed to fostering a culture of excellence, teamwork, and innovation.
Q&A Session with Tumba B. Cool
CEO of Cambridge Networks
Q: Provide an overview of your background and what inspired you to become an entrepreneur and start your own company.
A: I grew up in an entrepreneurial family of artists, farmers, and stock investors but it was my grandfather who owned an optician business and a multi-unit apartment building in New Jersey who truly inspired me to want to be an entrepreneur. I greatly admired his lifestyle. I started my business Cambridge Networks because when I relocated my family of nine from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Lexington, Kentucky in 2021, I recognized an opportunity to start a new family business. Ever since we’ve been in Kentucky, we have been on a mission to establish a sustainable lifestyle that is profitable and helps others.
Q: What was the initial idea or concept behind your business, and how did it come about?
A: I got recruited by a company by the name of Vivent Solar to help within their sales department ahead of their $2 billion IPO. I got a chance to see the inner workings of what’s involved with a solar energy business at scale. I asked myself how I could support Vivent with a business of my own, and that’s when I started a company called Godflo to do business with Vivent Solar. Now, the solar EPC and fiber optic cable installation services are solely through Cambridge Networks.
Q: What were the first steps you took to turn your idea into a reality, and how did you secure funding (if applicable)?
A: I came to Kentucky with all my solar stuff ready to go, and soon after being here, I realized there would be more challenges to starting – and growing – a solar company than I’d originally thought. To get my business off the ground, I started off doing whatever work I could. I even did Doordash for a bit. The first major break I’d say I got was when a neighbor of mine connected me to an opportunity to transport Afghan refugees from the Indianapolis airport for the US government. That was the contract that eventually would lead to the fiber optic cable work, and while delivering on fiber optic cable contracts I realized the way technical fiber optic cable skills transferred to technical solar energy installation skills.
Q: Can you describe the early days of your startup? What were the biggest challenges you faced during the launch phase?
A: Early on, I took on whatever contract I could get. This meant oftentimes working with subcontractors of subcontractors, and essentially just breaking even after covering payroll and fuel. There were even more workers that I wanted to hire, but couldn’t. In searching for ways to get to some kind of profit margin and grow my workforce, I learned about payroll subsidy programs, and we’re seeing the benefits of working with programs like these already.
Q: Were there any key moments or experiences that motivated you to take the leap and start your own business?
A: Really, all the motivation I have ever needed has been a combination of observing my grandfather while growing up as well as wanting to start a family business to leave behind a legacy as he did. My grandfather has passed away, and so has my father. Some time ago, I just told myself that it’s all on me now.
Q: Entrepreneurship often involves taking risks, can you share a significant risk you took early in your journey and how it turned out?
A: Leaving Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to come here to Kentucky is probably the biggest risk I’ve taken with respect to my journey. I made the decision to live more sustainably which meant I needed solar, my own water supply, food source, etc. Beyond starting a solar company, that’s what I came to Kentucky to do. As of today, we’ve been here in Kentucky for three years, have a thriving organic vegetable farm, two horses, and some chickens, and we are enjoying the process of homeschooling our children.
Q: What has been your most rewarding accomplishment as a founder so far?
A: It’s got to be my son. I feel like he’s been watching me the same way I was watching my grandfather. That gives me all the fuel I need.
Q: On the flip side, can you talk about a specific setback or failure you encountered and how you overcame it?
A: Last year in January, I took out a loan for $50,000 to purchase a dump truck. Two months later, the truck caught on fire. That put my business completely on pause. I had to ask myself what I could do to pivot, and what I could do to keep going. So, I told myself why not help other people learn how to do what I’m doing? That’s what led to the inaugural training program we just completed this past December.
Q: Building a business can be mentally and emotionally taxing, how do you manage stress and maintain your motivation during the tough times?
A: The children and the horses…and therapy…just the love for my wife and my family, my mom, they keep me going.
Q: Can you share a few examples of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned as a founder and how they’ve influenced your approach to business?
A: What I’ve learned over time is how important it is to have fun. That’s what’s allowed me to manage the times when I needed to pivot, and that’s what I do my best to keep at the core of all we do at Cambridge.
Q: How did you go about assembling your initial team, and what qualities do you look for in the people you work with?
A: I talk to everybody. I talk to anybody who wants to talk to me about my business. That’s often how I discover who I can work with, and who I can partner with. If someone responds with excitement, they might be a potential partner or collaborator. Beyond this, I’m always looking for people who are flexible, can pivot, and are ready at a moment’s notice to handle change. It’s vital in our business.
Q: As your business grew, what were some critical milestones or turning points that shaped its trajectory?
A: The initial training program we completed last year has been a critical milestone for sure. We were able to get all of our first group of trainees fully qualified to work on fiber optic cable installations, and on another note, the training also has now attracted solar again in a significant way. We’re excited to start training people to get to work on solar energy installations across the country.
Q: How do you stay innovative and adaptable in an ever-changing business landscape?
A: Besides having a cloud-based system and process for delivering on our EPC work, I consider myself a futurist and appreciate economics, so I’m always looking at trends and making projections. I love taking an opposing position to crush my industry so to speak, for example, what’s the Netflix to the Blockbuster? That’s how I train my horses. I approach training my horse by saying, what’s the biggest threat to this horse winning? What could knock this horse off his feet?
Q: What role has mentorship played in your entrepreneurial journey, and do you have any advice for aspiring founders on seeking mentorship?
A: For the most part, anybody who’s invested their time, money, or a pat on the shoulder has been a mentor. That’s how I see it. To be specific, though, the mentorship approach I follow is to find somebody who is doing what you want to do and learn from them, but above all, find a way to add value to them. I’ve been fortunate enough to find solid mentors at every step, whether it was a good buddy of mine who introduced me to SOAR or the Mountain Association, or a neighbor who connected me to my first major contract.
Q: Can you talk about your company culture and the values that drive your team’s success?
A: I do my best to keep the spirit that came with going door to door when I first started in the solar industry. Beyond that, I’ve come to realize that relationships come first in business, and I do my best to weave that mindset into everything we do at Cambridge Networks. But of course, we strive every day to deliver excellent results to our clients, too. We believe how we do anything is how we do everything.
Q: How do you prioritize work-life balance as a founder and what strategies do you use to maintain it?
A: Honestly, I could be much better at it. Victory comes with risk and sacrifice. Over time, I’ve learned that a good man provides for his children’s children. But truly, spending time with my family is all the motivation I need, and that is definitely balancing for me.
Q: What do you believe sets your business apart from competitors, and what is your long-term vision for the company?
A: What sets us apart is our ability to get a project to successful completion faster than other solar construction companies. We have an agile, cloud-based operation, and we give our clients the visibility they need into their assets from start to finish. We’re also truly committed to developing the person versus the employee with our training programs. Our holistic training and employee engagement effort is something we’re very passionate about.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic (or any other external factors) impacted your business and how did you adapt to these challenges?
A: Before COVID, I had already transitioned to doing all my initial solar sales presentations virtually. By the time we had that virtual call, I could give them a presentation with a customized design in black-and-white, easy-to-understand figures. That just continued when COVID happened. Thankfully, I was well-prepared. It can be more challenging to build that trust component virtually, though, for sure.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting their journey?
A: Find somebody who’s doing whatever transaction you want to do and get as close as you can to them. And, know when to pivot. Some people say, know when to give up, but instead, I say know when to pivot.
Q: Looking back, is there anything you wish you had known when you first started your business?
A: I never needed any money to start my business. I just needed a good idea and great people to work with.
Feeling Inspired?
Learn more about Cambridge Networks:
If you have the dream of entrepreneurship, but you’re just not sure where to start, reach out to our SOAR Innovation Team to help you find out your next steps. They can help you identify opportunities for your business and provide guidance along the way!
Download our Complete Guide to Entrepreneurship in Eastern Kentucky for a step-by-step guide to building and growing your business dreams!
A Note From SOAR Innovation Director of Business and Innovation, Sabrina McWhorter:
“Our team is excited to work with Tumba through his innovative idea to solve a problem so many face in Eastern Kentucky. We are grateful to walk alongside him in his journey and honor his story.”
If you want to learn more about the work our SOAR Innovation team does across the region, contact Sabrina McWhorter, Director of Business and Innovation, at sabrina@soar-ky.org.