At S1 Licensing, our mission is to empower tradespeople by eliminating bureaucratic hurdles and providing clear, frictionless pathways to professional advancement.
We believe that for too long, the application process—defined by overly complex forms and inconsistent requirements—has acted as a barrier to the very people who keep our infrastructure running. Our goal is to simplify that path, acting as your personal advocate and external licensing department.
Why We Do What We Do
The "why" behind S1 Licensing is rooted in two core beliefs:
For the Individual: There are countless workers today who already possess the skills and experience to qualify for their trade exams but are held back by the sheer frustration of government bureaucracy. We are here to open the gates, providing the administrative support you need so that you can walk through to a better economic future.
For the Industry: we believe that by investing in a person’s future, companies foster loyalty and retention while ensuring they stay on the right side of the law.
For Safety: We believe that bringing more workers into compliance makes job sites safer and reduces the legal and financial perils that unlicensed work creates for everyone involved.
Meet our Founder
James Bergeron graduated cum laude from Villanova University and served two years in the Peace Corps in Honduras before beginning his career in the electrical trade. He started as a temp worker on a commercial job site, learning the industry from the ground up. He quickly moved into team leadership and, after four years in the field, qualified for his journeyman electrical exam. From there, his career expanded into construction management, where he led large crews on major renewable energy projects, eventually advancing to project management and executive leadership.
James later served as Vice President overseeing Operations and Maintenance for more than 350,000 solar and battery assets at SolarCity prior to its acquisition by Tesla. After launching his own company, he obtained contractor and master electrical licenses across more than two dozen states, primarily west of the Mississippi. Having personally navigated each state’s licensing process, James understands how complex and frustrating it can be. He founded StepOne Licensing to ease that burden—so other professionals can focus on advancing their careers, just as he did.