Edward Bartholomew began his career as a lighting designer in the San Francisco Bay Area and later in Seattle. This was a formative time for him where he was able to explore big design ideas that interested him, most prominently, sustainable lighting solutions that integrated daylighting and electric lighting, and the application of contrast and luminance in interior spaces that he referred to as “exquisite darkness.” He later moved to the Boston area and worked at the utility National Grid as an Energy Efficiency Lighting Program Manager. In this position, he developed utility incentive programs that supported energy efficiency and lighting quality. After leaving National Grid in 2019, Bartholomew went on to work as a Senior Associate at the lighting design firm Available Light. In March of 2020, during the global pandemic, he was laid off at Available Light. Bartholomew saw what many would view as a setback as a great opportunity instead. He used his time to restart his own design firm, Bartholomew Lighting, and to focus his firm on the opportunities of retrofit lighting, and how these projects could benefit from his lighting design experience. Now, a little over one year into this venture, Edward has multiple projects and is competing for more.