• About ZOLA iNTELLIGENCE

Our journey began in the Serengeti
15 years ago.

  • It was here that our mission was born

To solve one of the world's greatest problems, energy inequality.

Founded by Bill Lenihan in 2023, ZOLAi was born out of Off Grid Electric (later ZOLA Electric), building on more than a decade of experience scaling energy systems across emerging markets. ZOLAi delivers an AI-enabled enterprise technology platform that combines a complete hardware stack with intelligent control, data, and software layers — empowering Energy as a Service providers to manage the entire customer journey from sales through support.

Today, our platform enables EaaS companies to deploy, manage, and optimize distributed energy serving over 3 million people and businesses across 10 countries and four continents. By driving efficiency, growth, and financing, ZOLAi has become the leading enterprise technology partner for energy infrastructure in the Global South.

At our core, ZOLAi is at the forefront of integrating intelligence into emerging market infrastructure — transforming energy access and unlocking opportunity at scale.

500k+
Installations deployed
3 Million
People with clean, reliable energy
10+ Countries
Served across 4 continents
10 Years
Hands-on experience
  • Our journey:
    From hardware to enterprise platform

Meet our leaders

Our leadership team is composed of a dynamic mix of employees and trusted independent experts who bring unique perspectives and experience to our mission. We are proud to work with industry leaders who guide our strategy and operations.

Bill Lenihan
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Architect of ZOLA’s transformation from a consumer-facing energy provider into the world’s first distributed energy technology platform. Bill has held operating and private equity roles at Goldman Sachs, Bain & Co, Calera Capital, and Switch Lighting, shaping his expertise in business expansion.
Suresh Karri
VP Engineering
A technology pioneer with a track record of launching large-scale enterprise platforms and connected products in clean energy, e-mobility, and smart grids. Suresh has held engineering and product leadership roles at Proterra, Sunverge, Nokia, and ABB, driving innovation across multiple industries.
Mukul Kundu
VP Product
Mukul is an experienced product leader with success in scaling cloud software, AI-driven climate tech, and energy storage systems. Mukul has held product roles at Resource Innovations, Nexant, and Oracle. He holds a BS and MEng in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from MIT.
Johnson Kiwango
VP Customer Success
Built the most successful energy company serving the developing world. As Director of Operations and Expansion, Johnson has led ZOLA’s expansion into multiple markets. He holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and leadership certification from Harvard University.

Board members

Bill Lenihan
Chairman

Bill serves as the Founder and CEO of ZOLA Intelligence. Over the past 10+ years, he has led ZOLA’s Enterprise Technology model and expanded the company from one country to more than ten across four continents.
His experience spans operations, private equity, and leadership at top firms.

David Hatfield
Board member

A seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in software and cloud infrastructure. David helped scale Pure Storage from its early stages to a multibillion-dollar data center technology leader. His expertise in hyper-growth, profitability, and innovation supports ZOLA’s mission of providing global energy equality.

Ben Fried
Board member

A veteran Chief Information Officer with a strong background in technology and strategy. Ben’s leadership at Google has shaped innovation in distributed systems and large-scale infrastructure. His expertise strengthens ZOLA’s ability to develop cutting-edge energy solutions while ensuring technological excellence aligns with social impact.

Nancy Pfund
Board member

A pioneer and leader in impact investing, Nancy has demonstrated the power of venture capital to drive social and environmental change. As the founder of DBL Partners, she was recognized on the FORBES Impact 50 List.
Her expertise in impact investing supports ZOLA’s mission of energy equality.

Herald Chen
Board Advisor

A leader in the technology and finance sectors. He is an advisor to the CEO and a board member at AppLovin, where he previously served as President and Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to joining AppLovin, he was the head of Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) investing at KKR.

Lyndon Rive
Board Advisor

A serial entrepreneur with a passion for building impactful companies. Lyndon co-founded SolarCity, which installed over 300,000 solar systems before being acquired by Tesla in 2016. He also founded Everdream, acquired by Dell in 2007, showcasing expertise in software and distributed systems. Lyndon’s entrepreneurial drive highlights his dedication to innovation.

Our Partners