Dec. 19, 2024
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
The University of Missouri provides students with not only a strong academic foundation but also invaluable hands-on experiences and leadership opportunities that pave the way for success.
And Mizzou’s location in the middle of the United States gives graduates an edge, too.
Just ask Hayes Barnard, BS BA ’95, founder, chairman and CEO of GoodLeap and GivePower, as well as founder of GoodFinch. A self-made entrepreneur, Barnard credits the university for helping him stand out in Silicon Valley.
“When you marry Midwestern and Mizzou values with big, bold visions, you can really impact the world,” he said. “The University of Missouri gave me those foundational values that helped me understand work ethics, determination and perseverance. That’s allowed me to do some meaningful things in my life.”
From humble beginnings to Hall of Fame
Barnard’s path to success was shaped by his early life. He talks openly about being raised by a single mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and struggling with a learning disability in elementary school These obstacles fueled his determination and drive to improve the family’s circumstances.
At Mizzou, Barnard found a supportive community and network of friends as he learned the basics of business. After graduation, he moved to California to work at Oracle, selling software. Eager for greater challenges, he co-founded Paramount Equity Mortgage with fellow Mizzou alumni Matt Dawson and Jason Walker.
Since then, Barnard has founded, scaled and sold multiple businesses in the sustainability and finance sectors. Today, he leads GoodLeap, a technology company offering financing and software for sustainable solutions. In 2013, Barnard expanded his impact with GivePower, a nonprofit dedicated to providing solar-powered clean water and energy systems to underserved communities worldwide.
For his professional achievements and contributions, Barnard was recently inducted into the Mizzou Hall of Fame.
During his visit to campus, he met with business, journalism and engineering students, inspiring them to dream big and embrace risks.
“There will be highs and lows, but when it gets tough, don’t quit,” he told a group at the Reynolds Alumni Center.“ At Mizzou, we stick together and have each other’s backs. Let’s bring the start-up mentality I saw in Silicon Valley — where nothing is impossible — to our classrooms at the University of Missouri. Let’s prove that we can create world-positive businesses that solve real problems.”