Dawn Paytosh is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brilliant Source Energy, a national energy and utility solutions firm built on one principle: organizations should only pay for the energy they actually use, and nothing more.
With more than 15 years of experience spanning healthcare, energy sales, and utility consulting, Dawn brings a rare, cross-disciplinary perspective to an industry often dominated by transactional procurement models. Her work sits at the intersection of financial accuracy, operational reality, and long-term energy strategy, helping organizations reduce risk, uncover hidden savings, and plan responsibly for the future.
A Career Built on Precision, Not Promises
Dawn’s professional foundation began in healthcare. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Registered Nursing and spent more than a decade as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Working in one of the most demanding clinical environments shaped her leadership style early: calm under pressure, detail-oriented, and deeply accountable.
That experience continues to influence how she leads today. In healthcare, accuracy matters, and mistakes have consequences. Dawn carried that same mindset into energy, an industry where billing errors, poorly structured contracts, and missed incentives can quietly cost organizations hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars over time.
After transitioning into the energy sector, Dawn held senior leadership roles at Glacial Energy, where she served as Senior Vice President of Sales and as a Business Development Manager across multiple U.S. markets. There, she gained firsthand exposure to commodity pricing, procurement strategies, and the limitations of broker-only approaches that focus on price without addressing accuracy or long-term risk.
Founding Brilliant Source Energy
In 2013, Dawn founded Brilliant Source Energy to solve a gap she saw repeatedly across industries: organizations were managing energy spend without full visibility, verification, or accountability.
Her conviction was reinforced during periods of market volatility, when sudden pricing shifts placed real businesses at real financial risk. Dawn saw how quickly costs could spike, and how often customers were left reacting after the fact. That experience helped shape Brilliant Source Energy’s long-term focus: protecting organizations from preventable surprises through billing accuracy, disciplined procurement strategy, and practical pathways to sustained savings.
Under her leadership, Brilliant Source Energy has grown into a trusted partner serving thousands of clients nationwide, including manufacturers, healthcare systems, municipalities, commercial property owners, nonprofits, and large commercial and industrial energy users.
The firm’s integrated model brings together expert consultants, bill auditors, engineers, analysts, and technical partners, allowing clients to address energy holistically rather than in silos. Services span utility bill auditing and recovery, procurement and risk strategy, tariff analysis, efficiency and conservation projects, incentive and grant navigation, and clean-energy pathways such as EFECs.
Brilliant Source Energy operates primarily on contingency-based or shared-savings structures, an intentional choice that reflects Dawn’s belief that credibility comes from outcomes, not promises.
Expertise Rooted in Real-World Operations
Dawn specializes in supporting large commercial and industrial organizations, particularly manufacturers and municipalities, where energy decisions carry long-term operational and financial consequences.
Her expertise includes:
- Energy procurement and contract strategy
- Utility billing accuracy and variance analysis
- Tariff optimization and regulatory navigation
- Innovative financing structures
- Grant and incentive identification
- Sustainability and emission-free energy planning
Rather than treating sustainability and cost control as competing priorities, Dawn helps organizations align reliability, financial discipline, and environmental responsibility without unnecessary complexity or greenwashing.
Leadership Philosophy
Dawn is known for building teams that value proof, transparency, and accountability. Her style is direct and practical: cut through complexity, verify the facts, and focus on the actions that change the outcome. She leads Brilliant Source Energy with a hands-on approach, emphasizing clear communication, measurable results, and long-term partnerships over quick wins.
She is supported by a national network of trusted experts who bring local insight alongside scalable resources, allowing the firm to meet clients where they are while supporting growth across regions and sectors.
Dawn also prioritizes staying grounded and credible in a fast-moving market. She focuses on what is happening, what it means, and what organizations can do next, without forcing a slant or adding noise.
Certifications and Recognition
Dawn is a Certified Energy Professional (CEP). Brilliant Source Energy also holds certifications through the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, including WBENC National and the WBENC Ohio River Valley Chapter, reflecting the firm’s commitment to supplier diversity and inclusive leadership.
Beyond the Office
Outside of work, Dawn continues to expand her knowledge across energy markets, sustainability, health, and wellness. Her background in healthcare, combined with her fluency in American Sign Language, reflects a career shaped by service, communication, and care, values that remain central to how she leads and how Brilliant Source Energy serves its clients.
We built Brilliant Source Energy to change that.
What started as a small team committed to doing things differently has now grown into a company guided by transparency, integrity, and real human connection. Our work is rooted in listening first, solving problems with intention, and helping people confidently navigate the energy systems that power their lives.
Today, we’re proud to serve communities across the region and are still driven by that same promise we made on day one: keep energy simple, honest, and dependable.
Horsburgh & Scott
“When we first engaged Brilliant Source Energy, we expected help managing our electricity contracts. What we got was a true energy partner who has transformed how we think aboutand spend onenergy across our operations.
Over the years, Dawn and her team have delivered results that go far beyond procurement. They upgraded our facilities to LED lighting, implemented power quality solutions to protect our equipment, and conducted thorough billing audits that uncovered significant overpayments we never would have caught on our own.
Most recently, Brilliant Source facilitated a comprehensive site assessment that qualified us for substantial grant funding. Now they’re proposing a solar installation for our Illinois facility that, between incentives, rebates, and grants, will essentially pay for itselfand then some.
What sets Brilliant Source apart is their holistic approach. They don’t just negotiate rates; they look at every angle to reduce costs and improve efficiency. They’ve become an extension of our team, and the value they’ve delivered has far exceeded our expectations.
We recommend Brilliant Source Energy without hesitation to any organization looking for more than a broker- they’re strategic partners who genuinely care about your bottom line.”
Wesley Decatur
“Dawn at Brilliant Source Energy provided us with a holistic approach to our energy usage philosophy. She provided us with easy to understand analysis with usueful insights explaining the complexity of the energy, why we are paying what we are paying, what we could be paying, and even lended a hand with our internal budget projections. Her knowledge of the space is bar none… we were at +12 cents per kWh and, by relying on Dawn & BSE, our power rate dropped to sub-4.5 cents within 60-90 days…The benefits we’ve experienced have exceeded all of our expectations. I would highly recommend Dawn & Brilliant Source Energy to anyone who likes to save money and likes hassle-free solutions in the industry.”
Mike Peplowski
“I have been working with Dawn since locating my business in Cleveland. Her and her team have helped us reduce costs and provide added value to our tenants as resource for those who pay their own electric bills across 450,000 sq. ft. of office, retail and residential rental properties in downtown Cleveland. I would highly recommend this company to anyone trying to get their utility costs under control. Big thumbs up from me.”
Rocky Carollo
“JPMS Property One and Two has used Brilliant Source Energy for years and I just wanted to note how happy we have been from the beginning with them. Dawn the owner has always been attentive to our needs and has saved us a lot of money in finding us the best ways to reduce our utilities and merchant costs for our buildings. The most impressive part is the professionalism, courtesy ,knowledge she provides her clients. We look forward to working with Dawn and Brilliant Source Energy for years to come and our excited about the additional opportunities she can provide in saving us money and making us more efficient in the future. I highly recommend Dawn and her team feel free to reach out to me for any further questions.”
What We Believe
Clarity matters
Quality matters
Community Matters
Responsibility Matters
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As the energy landscape continues to evolve, so do we. Our focus is on expanding our services, strengthening our support model, and introducing more efficient, sustainable solutions for the customers who depend on us.
We’re building for the long term — with a commitment to innovation, responsibility, and staying true to the values that started it all.