Bill Potter

Background

About Bill Potter

Through my decades of experience, I help utilities transform their customer experience, turning challenges into opportunities for growth. By implementing cutting-edge technology like AI-powered threat detection and real-time outage maps, I ensure utilities don’t just react to problems—they prevent them. This proactive approach builds trust, reduces downtime, and keeps customers happy. In today’s world, where customer expectations are always rising, staying ahead isn’t just an advantage—it’s essential. My goal is to equip utilities with the tools they need to lead the way in reliability and service. I’ve spent decades building, scaling, and exiting businesses in the technology and utility sectors. My journey started on Wall Street in mergers and acquisitions, but my true passion was entrepreneurship. After founding a growth advisory firm, I quickly realized I had a knack for helping companies scale rapidly and execute successful exits. In the 90s, I discovered voice broadcasting while running direct mail campaigns for clients. I immediately saw its potential—it took businesses from the cluttered mailbox to a direct connection in customers' homes. This pivot led to massive success, converting my direct mail clients into voice broadcasting customers. Before long, we were working with J.P. Morgan Chase and AT & T, both of whom remain clients to this day. Eventually, I turned my attention to the utility sector, an industry ripe for innovation. Utilities were far behind in customer engagement, so I grew my company, Message Broadcast, into a leading provider of omni-channel communication solutions. We helped major brands proactively communicate with their customers across voice, text, email, and more. The results were astounding—saving clients millions and drastically improving their customer experiences. We achieved a 40% market share in the utility sector. In 2021, after 20+ years of growth, I sold Message Broadcast to LINK Mobility, marking a successful exit. Now, I focus on helping software and technology companies—particularly those serving utilities—grow through my firm, Thrive Advisors. We specialize in removing barriers to growth, optimizing operations, and raising capital, all while preparing companies for rapid expansion and a high-value exit. I’m also Executive Chairman of DataCapable, where we provide utilities with cutting-edge AI-driven threat detection and outage mapping solutions that improve operations and enhance customer satisfaction. If you're a tech company looking to scale or prepare for an exit, let’s connect.