Ugwem Eneyo Showunmi

CEEAA Young Alumni Achievement Award, 2026

For leadership and entrepreneurial excellence in founding and scaling Shyft Power Solutions, pioneering IoT enabled energy management and advanced metering infrastructure to accelerate the deployment of distributed energy resources and smart city solutions across Africa; for transformative impact in climate technology through innovation, patent development, and successful transition through acquisition while continuing to lead as Chief Product and Innovation Officer and Board Director; for distinguished global influence as a recognized voice in sustainability, clean energy, and emerging markets; and for steadfast commitment to advancing equity, representation, and inclusive innovation within the global climate and technology ecosystem.

Biography

Ugwem Eneyo Showunmi is an engineer, inventor, and technology entrepreneur building the future of distributed energy systems in emerging markets. She is the Founder and Co-CEO of VIRA Power, a U.S.-based company developing first-of-its-kind virtual power plants across Africa.

Previously, Ugwem founded and served as CEO of Shyft Power Solutions, a venture-backed energy technology company pioneering IoT-enabled distributed energy resource management for urban microgrids and smart cities. Following Shyft’s acquisition by SteamaCo Group in 2024, she continues to serve on the Board of Directors and previously held the role of Chief Product and Innovation Officer.

Ugwem holds a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and pursued her MS/PhD at Stanford University before leaving the program to launch Shyft with early support from the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy, and after winning both the MIT Clean Energy Prize and the Berkeley Clean Energy Prize. Her patented innovations in cloud-connected switchgear and energy software formed the foundation of Shyft’s DERMS and advanced metering infrastructure platform.

She has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 (Energy) and Climate & Capital Media’s Ten to Watch, and continues to advise organizations advancing climate innovation, energy access, and resilient infrastructure across emerging markets.