Balki Iyer

Balakrishnan G. Iyer (Balki) is a seasoned energy industry management professional, with rich experience and a proven track record of driving business growth in global conglomerates (i.e., GE) and startups. Balki has successfully steered three startups from inception to exit with investments from some of the largest utilities and financial investors worldwide and even listed one of them in NASDAQ. He has global experience having worked in Asia, Europe and North America with excellent customer, employee, and investor relationships. He was recently CCO of Eos, a zinc-based stationery energy storage company and prior to that, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of Utopus Insights, a New York-based global renewable energy analytics company, acquired by Vestas. He is currently Chief Commercial Officer & Executive Lead for US Expansion at e-Zinc, who is on a mission to accelerate the shift to clean energy with sustainable, long duration solutions that transform how the world stores power while creating green collar manufacturing jobs in the US.

Balki began his career at Schlumberger; has previously served as COO of renewable energy giant, Enel Green Power; and as VP of Business Development at GE, where he drove technology developments for renewable energy and smart grid. Balki earned a Master’s in Engineering from Binghamton University in New York, an MBA from New York University (NYU) Stern, and Joint Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering & Master’s in Chemistry from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) in India. He is Six Sigma Black Belt Certified.

A prolific speaker at global conferences, Balki is passionate about the role of clean energy in changing the world and the role of education in empowering the people who can change the world! His business and entrepreneurial pursuits over the past decade have been guided by this passion. Balki is on the board for INK Global Foundation, a TED-like platform that promotes inspiring ideas by game-changers and a member of the State University of New York, Binghamton Alumni Board. Balki sat on the Executive Board for GE’s Asia Pacific American Forum, a diversity group focused on mentoring Asian American business leaders. As someone who believes in making a positive community impact through education, Balki co-founded Iyer Educational Institutions (IEI), which has more than 100 children currently enrolled, with the mission to offer inclusive learning opportunities for children with autism. He is a recipient of the prestigious ‘Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business’ award in 2017 and was listed in the ‘Top 100 North American Power List 2020’. In 2019, Balki was conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by his alma mater, Binghamton University, for his contributions to the fields of sustainable energy and inclusive education