Corey Clive’s 2009 Gamble Pays Off
In 2009, amidst the turmoil of the Great Recession, Corey Clive left a Fortune 500 career to start an energy company that would put veterans to work. Seventeen years later, that leap of faith has made him the Treasure Coast’s 2026 Dan K. Richardson Entrepreneur of the Year. He accepted the award Thursday at Indian River State College and wasted no time passing the credit along. “It’s not about me, it’s about everybody else,” he said.
Clive played football for both the Navy and the Coast Guard, which few people can claim, and he built Venergy Group with the same resolve. The Fort Pierce firm helps clients ranging from federal agencies to private companies cut their energy use, and it has made room for fellow veterans from the beginning. Clive was chosen from a strong field of finalists that included David Carson of CareGlider, Robert Gluckman of Treasure Coast Urgent Care and William David Snyder of Evergreen Private Care.
What stands out about Clive’s story is the timing. He didn’t wait for a better economy or a safer moment. He had an idea and a reason behind it, and he started anyway. “One of the biggest benefits we’re going to get from an event like this is to inspire young entrepreneurs to take that risk to help our community,” said James Howse, Executive Dean of IRSC’s School of Business and Applied Technologies. If you’ve had a business idea sitting in a drawer, this is a good week to take it out.
