Hayes Barnard is an American entrepreneur. He is currently the founder, chairman, and CEO of GoodLeap, a technology-based finance company. Barnard is also the founder, chairman, and CEO of GivePower, a nonprofit that facilitates solar powered projects to provide clean water and energy systems to underserved communities.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Barnard was born and raised by a single mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.[4] His father left when Barnard was three years old. Barnard graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in management and marketing.[5] He won a football scholarship to Central Missouri State, but was injured during his freshman year and subsequently transferred to the University of Missouri, where he graduated with a degree in management and marketing.[5][6]
Career
In 1995 Barnard went to San Francisco to be a part of the hi-tech boom. His first jobs were manning booths at trade shows.[6] He then went on to work at Oracle as a sales executive.[7] In September 2003, Barnard founded Paramount Equity Mortgage (later renamed to Loanpal and subsequently rebranded to GoodLeap),[8] one of the first to provide online[6] residential home loans.[1][9] In 2008, he founded Paramount Solar, a subsidiary of Paramount Equity Mortgage, and became CEO.[1]
In 2011, Guthy-Renker became an investor and business partner assisting in the growth of Paramount Equity Mortgage and Paramount Solar.[9] Barnard and Guthy-Renker also partnered with SolarCity.[7]
In 2013, Paramount Solar was acquired by SolarCity for $120 million[7][10] and Barnard became SolarCity's Chief Revenue Officer.[11][3] As Chief Revenue Officer, he managed a team of 8,000.[12] He was also responsible for the company's growth and grew megawatts installed 300% from 2013 to 2015.[7][13]
In 2014, Barnard founded GivePower[3] while at SolarCity.[3] GivePower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[14] that develops clean water and energy systems in underserved communities in developing countries.[15][16] GivePower has developed water and energy systems in 17 countries,[15] including communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.[11][3] In 2018, Barnard's non-profit organization built a solar-powered desalination system in Kiunga, Kenya that produces 19,800 gallons of fresh drinking water a day.[15][17] The organization also assisted the Sioux Nation in North Dakota in developing a 300-kilowatt solar farm in North Dakota, the first solar farm in the state.[3][18]
In 2016, Barnard left SolarCity and took on the role of chairman and CEO of Loanpal, a financial technology platform that provides financing for clean energy products.[1][19][20]
In 2020, Barnard started an asset management fund, GoodFinch.[2]
In 2021, Loanpal rebranded to GoodLeap,[21] "good for life, earth and prosperity."[6]
In October 2022, Barnard ranked #271 on the Forbes 400 list with an estimated net worth of $4 billion.[6] Forbes also awarded Barnard a self-made score of 10 out of 10, a score received by 28 out of the 400 list members.[23][24]
