Hayes Barnard
{{Short description|American entrepreneur and philanthropist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Hayes Barnard
| image = File:Hayes Barnard photo.jpg
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| birth_place = Creve Coeur, Missouri
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| nationality = American
| education = University of Missouri(BA)
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| occupation = Founder, Chairman, CEO of GoodLeap
Founder, Chairman, CEO of GivePower
| years active = 2003–present
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| children = 3
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| website = {{URL|https://goodleap.com/}}
{{URL|https://givepower.org/}}
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}}
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.{{Cite web|last=Pyper|first=Julia|date=2019-04-22|title=Loanpal Rockets to Second-Largest Solar Loan Provider in the US|url=https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/loanpal-rockets-to-second-largest-solar-loan-provider-in-the-us|access-date=2020-03-11|website=www.greentechmedia.com}}{{Cite web|last=Levy|first=Ari|date=2021-01-27|title=Exec who quit SolarCity now runs the leading lender for solar installations|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/27/hayes-barnard-turns-loanpal-into-billion-dollar-lender-after-solarcity.html|access-date=2021-02-01|website=CNBC|language=en}}
Early life and education
Barnard was born and raised by a single mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.{{Cite news|last=Driebusch|first=Matt Wirz and Corrie|date=2021-10-13|title=Tech Moguls Back GoodLeap's Green Housing Push With $12 Billion Valuation|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-moguls-back-goodleaps-green-housing-push-with-12-billion-valuation-11634126400|issn=0099-9660}} His father left when Barnard was three years old. Barnard graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in management and marketing.{{Cite web |title=Hayes Barnard |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayesbarnard/ |website=LinkedIn}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Ponciano |first1=Jonathan |title=Inside One Billionaire's Plan To Bring Solar Power To Every Homeowner |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2022/09/28/inside-one-billionaires-plan-to-bring-solar-power-to-every-homeowner/?sh=3d602dcaa840 |work=Forbes |date=28 September 2022}}
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. He then went on to work at Oracle as a sales executive.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidlevine/2017/05/07/generating-business-how-i-discovered-the-social-side-of-sales/|title=Generating Business: How I Discovered The Social Side Of Sales|last=Levine|first=David|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2020-03-11}} In September 2003, Barnard founded Paramount Equity Mortgage (later renamed to Loanpal and subsequently rebranded to GoodLeap),{{Cite web|date=2019-03-07|title=Tesla's solar retreat provides opening for Loanpal's return|url=https://asreport.americanbanker.com/news/teslas-solar-retreat-provides-opening-for-loanpals-return|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Asset Securitization Report|language=en}} one of the first to provide online residential home loans.{{Cite web|date=2011-03-08|title=California Lender Paramount Equity Pairs with Infomercial Creator Guthy-Renker|url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/california-lender-paramount-equity-pairs-with-infomercial-creator-guthy-renker|access-date=2020-03-11|website=American Banker|language=en}} In 2008, he founded Paramount Solar, a subsidiary of Paramount Equity Mortgage, and became CEO.
In 2011, Guthy-Renker became an investor and business partner assisting in the growth of Paramount Equity Mortgage and Paramount Solar. Barnard and Guthy-Renker also partnered with SolarCity.
In 2013, Paramount Solar was acquired by SolarCity for $120 million{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/12/26/hayes-barnard-exec-of-year.html|title=Top Execs of 2013: Hayes Barnard|date=26 December 2013|website=Sacramento Business Journal|access-date=2020-03-16}} and Barnard became SolarCity's Chief Revenue Officer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2013/08/13/solarcity-buys-paramount-solar-to-boost-homeowner-outreach/|title=SolarCity Buys Paramount Solar To Boost Homeowner Outreach|last=Wang|first=Ucilia|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2020-03-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/reinventing-the-solar-business-according-to-solarcity-exec-2019-7|title=This former SolarCity exec is trying to reinvent 2 parts of the solar business|last=DeBord|first=Matthew|website=Business Insider|date=2019-07-23|access-date=2020-03-11}} As Chief Revenue Officer, he managed a team of 8,000.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lendacademy.com/this-lender-has-quickly-become-the-leader-in-solar-finance/|title=This Lender Has Quickly Become the Leader in Solar Finance|date=2019-05-02|website=Lend Academy|access-date=2020-03-30}} He was also responsible for the company's growth and grew megawatts installed 300% from 2013 to 2015.{{cite web |title=SolarCity Form 10-K 2015 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1408356/000156459016012549/scty-10k_20151231.htm |publisher=SEC |access-date=2020-05-08}}
In 2014, Barnard founded GivePower while at SolarCity. GivePower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization{{Cite web|title=How This Foundation is Bringing Power to the People|url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/8/21/how-this-foundation-is-bringing-power-to-the-people.html|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Inside Philanthropy|language=en-US}} that develops clean water and energy systems in underserved communities in developing countries.{{Cite web|title=Solar-power desalination produces 20,000 gallons of fresh water each day • Earth.com|url=https://www.earth.com/news/solar-power-desalination/|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Earth.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Spaceship-Like Tesla Powerwall Setup Produces 50K Liters of Water a Day|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/57475-ex-solarcity-exec-is-using-tesla-powerwall-to-bring-clean-water-worldwide|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Inverse|language=en}} GivePower has developed water and energy systems in 17 countries, including communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.icastusa.org/solar-powered-desalination/|title=A solar-powered system can turn salt water into fresh drinking water|date=2019-09-06|work=ICAST}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://cleantechnica.com/2019/07/20/solar-power-comes-to-standing-rock-reservation/|title=Solar Power Comes To Standing Rock Reservation|date=2019-07-20|website=CleanTechnica|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-11}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/dividend-finance-enters-solar-loan-partnership-with-keybank|title=Dividend Finance Enters Solar Loan Partnership With KeyBank|website=Greentech Media|language=en|access-date=2020-05-01}}{{Cite web|title=The 3 Huge Trends Driving the Imminent Solar Energy Revolution|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/55481-the-3-huge-trends-driving-the-imminent-solar-energy-revolution|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Inverse|language=en}}
In 2020, Barnard started an asset management fund, GoodFinch.
In 2021, Loanpal rebranded to GoodLeap,{{Cite web|last=Anderson|first=Mark|date=2 June 2021|title=Loanpal rebrands to GoodLeap as it expands offerings|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2021/06/02/loanpal-rebrands-goodleap.html|website=Sacramento Business Journal}} "good for life, earth and prosperity."
Personal life
Barnard lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and three children.{{Cite web|last=Levy|first=Ari|date=2021-01-27|title=Exec who quit SolarCity now runs the leading lender for solar installations|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/27/hayes-barnard-turns-loanpal-into-billion-dollar-lender-after-solarcity.html|website=CNBC|language=en}}
In October 2022, Barnard ranked #271 on the Forbes 400 list with an estimated net worth of $4 billion. Forbes also awarded Barnard a self-made score of 10 out of 10, a score received by 28 out of the 400 list members.{{cite news |title=Profile-Hayes Barnard |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/hayes-barnard/?sh=4cc65efb2b28 |work=Forbes |date=20 October 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Ponciano |first1=Jonathan |title=The Forbes 400 Self-Made Score: From Silver Spooners To Bootstrappers |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/09/08/self-made-score/?sh=3f64f3a41e47 |work=Forbes |date=8 September 2020}}
In 2021, the USC Marshall School of Business established the Hayes Barnard Sustainability Fellowship, an initiative designed to support MBA students dedicated to sustainable business practices. Funded by Barnard, the fellowship provides financial assistance to students pursuing sustainability-focused projects and research.{{Cite web |last=Bleizeffer |first=Kristy |date=March 22, 2024 |title=The P&Q Interview: Geoffrey Garrett On Making USC Marshall An Energy Transition Leader |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/p-q-interview-geoffrey-garrett-131141870.html |access-date=March 21, 2025 |website=Yahoo! Finance}}
In May 2023, Barnard delivered the keynote address at the 140th commencement of the University of Texas at Austin.{{cite news |last1=Menchaca |first1=Megan |title='A very emotional time:' University of Texas graduates celebrate 2023 commencement |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2023/05/07/university-of-texas-graduation-class-of-2023-celebrates-commencement/70159578007/ |publisher=Austin American-Statesman |date=7 May 2023}}{{cite news |title=Hayes Barnard Delivers Commencement Address at The University of Texas at Austin |url=https://news.utexas.edu/2023/05/06/hayes-barnard-delivers-commencement-address-at-the-university-of-texas-at-austin/ |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |date=6 May 2023}}