Erik Hersman

Erik Hersman is co-founder and CEO of Gridless, pioneering decentralized energy solutions through bitcoin mining to electrify off-grid communities across Africa. With active renewable-powered sites in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, Gridless uses bitcoin mining to monetize excess energy and build a financially sustainable path to rural electrification for the continent's 600 million unconnected people. He is also the founder of Node, a Nairobi-based campus for energy and compute, and the best coffee and baked goods in Nairobi.

Erik has spent two decades building tech and infrastructure for Africa. He co-founded Ushahidi, the crisis-mapping platform now used worldwide; the iHub, Africa's largest and most influential tech hub; and BRCK, Africa's largest public WiFi platform. He writes and speaks regularly on Bitcoin, energy, and the future of African infrastructure. He lives in Nairobi with his family.