PowerChampions Founder To Address EGSA Conference

PowerChampions founder and chief executive Ashish Achlerkar will speak at the 2026 EGSA Fall Conference in Washington, DC, on 14 September, with a session focused on people-centred business building in critical power. Titled “People First, Power Always: Why People-Centric Business Building Matters in Critical Power,” the presentation will examine technician development, leadership, culture and workforce investment. Achlerkar’s experience includes founding NearU in 2018 and serving as its chief executive for five years, during which he acquired and worked alongside 24 companies. PowerChampions will also sponsor the EGSA Awards Lunch during the conference.

People As A Growth Priority

Achlerkar’s conference session will focus on the workforce pressures affecting generator service companies and electrical contractors. The company says recruitment, training, career development and retention are increasingly central to the ability of businesses to meet opportunities in reliable backup power.

The presentation will cover the relationship between technician retention and growth, leadership beyond the founder, culture, service quality, succession and long-term business value. It will also consider how companies can expand while retaining the identity and legacy established by their teams.

Ashish Achlerkar, Founder and CEO at PowerChampions, said:

“Capital can help a business grow, but capital alone cannot build a great company. You need people who believe in where the company is going, leaders who can bring others with them, and an environment where technicians and employees can see a future for themselves. If we want to build stronger companies in critical power, people strategy must drive business strategy.”

Entrepreneurial Experience

Before entering the skilled trades, Achlerkar worked in investment banking and mergers and acquisitions. He went on to establish NearU, a platform serving skilled-trade industries including HVAC, plumbing, electrical and critical power.

His work has also included investing in and advising businesses across the sector, serving at board level and supporting emerging technology companies seeking to better understand the industry. At PowerChampions, the company says this experience informs three priorities: long-term alignment with capital providers, leadership culture, and investment in training and technology.

Achlerkar is also co-founder of the American Skilled Trades Academy, which focuses on workforce development and technical training.

Recognition At The Conference

PowerChampions’ sponsorship of the EGSA Awards Lunch is intended to recognise the technicians, leaders, owners and companies working across the critical power industry. The company is using its participation in the Fall Conference to support discussion of workforce development, business building, leadership and succession among independent generator service companies and electrical contractors.

Ashish Achlerkar, Founder and CEO at PowerChampions, said:

“EGSA brings together many of the people who have built this industry, and we believe recognizing those contributions matters. The future of critical power will be built by people — technicians, owners, service leaders and teams. Supporting an event that celebrates those people is very much aligned with who we are and what we believe.”

Building Capability For Critical Power

PowerChampions is building a national network of locally operated service companies and branded depots, providing generator installation, maintenance and energy resiliency solutions. Its conference contribution places the emphasis on the people and leadership capability needed to support sustained growth across the critical power sector.