Hayes Barnard

Hayes Barnard is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of GoodLeap and a pioneer in sustainable business.

Since Hayes launched GoodLeap in 2018, it has grown under his leadership to become America’s No. 1 point-of-sale technology platform for solar and other sustainable home solutions. He is also the Founder and CEO of the GivePower Foundation and Co-Founder and Chairman of GoodFinch.

Hayes’ career is a testament to the power of uniting remarkable people with disruptive ideas. Leveraging eight years of experience in virtual and field sales and enterprise software development at Oracle Corporation, Hayes founded Loanpal in late 2003 and scaled it to finance more than $40 billion in assets, serving customers in all 50 U.S. states. Recognizing the untapped opportunity to combine digital-first technology with the adoption of residential clean energy, Hayes launched Paramount Solar in 2009, where he invented the virtual sales model for residential solar distribution.

After a successful five-year partnership, Paramount Solar was acquired by SolarCity in 2013. Hayes served as SolarCity’s Chief Revenue Officer from 2013 to 2017, spearheading the company’s growth from 1,000 employees to more than 17,000 employees while increasing solar deployment from 10 megawatts to 100 megawatts per month, becoming the U.S. solar industry leader. After Tesla acquired SolarCity, Hayes launched GoodLeap to spearhead the development of a broader sustainability marketplace.

As of Spring 2021, the GoodLeap digital marketplace has deployed more than $7 billion in purpose-driven capital, supporting more than 44,000 jobs in clean energy, and enabling more than 200,000 homeowners across the U.S. to reduce their cost of living, move towards energy independence, and reduce their environmental footprint.

Every transaction on the GoodLeap platform supports the GivePower Foundation – an independent 501C non-profit that uses microgrid solar technology to provide fresh water, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities to communities in need around the world. Since Hayes founded GivePower in 2014, the organization has improved the lives of more than 500,000 people across 23 countries while uniting with more than 80 other solar companies to deploy clean energy solutions. In 2020, GivePower was awarded the Global Water Award for its life-saving Solar Water Farm technology for people in critical need of clean water access in the developing world.

Hayes’ work is motivated by the belief that there is a better way to care for the planet and empower people with sustainable solutions across the globe.

As an only-child, raised by his single mother, Diane (Dede) Barnard, in a rented apartment in the suburb of Creve Coeur, Missouri, Hayes learned early on that the key to success is hard work in the face of adversity. Inspired by his mother's relentless positive mindset and compassion for the underdog, Hayes developed a passion for connecting the world to serve those who need help the most. Hayes graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Business Management and Marketing. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Jessica and their three children.