In honor of Black History Month, we’re sharing a series of posts highlighting the significant contributions of the Black community in shaping and driving the energy industry, as well as important initiatives to advance equal access to clean, affordable energy.
Ugwem Eneyo, Co-founder and CEO of SHYFT Power Solutions
U
gwem Eneyo is a Nigerian-American engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, currently serving as the co-founder and CEO of SHYFT Power Solutions, a venture-backed, award-winning energy technology company. The company is a byproduct of her research as a former Stanford MS/PhD student in Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Headquartered in Oakland, CA with a subsidiary in Lagos, Nigeria, SHYFT Power Solutions is an energy technology company that develops IoT and software solutions to connect and intelligently manage distributed energy resources, like solar and energy storage, in markets that struggle with grid reliability and resiliency. SHYFT helps homes and businesses optimize and automate energy sources, allowing customers to manage their energy use and cost and monitor fuel and battery levels, among other services.
Like Donnel Baird from BlocPower, Eneyo’s experience shows that despite the business’ merit – a Stanford-developed, award-winning technology, substantial market, a CEO with industry and lived experience – getting investments for SHYFT was difficult. That didn’t stop Eneyo, whose backers now include the U.S. Department of Energy, Backstage Capital, Cisco, FM Capital Group, Powerhouse and Total. To hear more about her experience as an entrepreneur and how she hopes to shift representation of Black women in tech and business, read Ugwem’s interviews with Forbes and Inc, and listen to her informative podcast interview on Sistas in STEM.
Accomplishments
- Recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy, Climate & Capital Media's Ten to Watch, and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy Honors, among other recognitions.
- Won awards from MIT, Berkeley, Cisco, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and California Clean Energy Fund.
- One of the early Black, female founders to have raised over one million dollars in venture capital.
- Speaker at the World Bank State of the African Union Forum, Global Climate Action Summit (opening prior to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore) and Ceres.
Eneyo hold an undergraduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to graduate school at Stanford, she worked as an Environmental and Regulatory Risk Advisor for infrastructure projects throughout South Asia, Africa and the Americas.
The Energy Spotlight Series Honoring Black History Month
- Post 1: Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928)
- Post 2: Donnel Baird & BlocPower
- Post 3: Ugwem Eneyo & SHYFT Power Solutions