Innovators Rob Keil and Steve Maruyama have worked together for 19 years at four Silicon Valley technology companies, including market leaders Cisco and StrataCom, to deliver compelling technology solutions for their customers. They founded EnerAllies, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., in 2011.
Rob Keil is the CEO and co-founder of EnerAllies, a leading software-centric IoT solution for commercial energy management. He has a 26-year track record as a successful leader for Silicon Valley-based technology companies, serving as the CEO and in senior executive roles in product-management, marketing, and business-development.
Prior to EnerAllies, Rob was vice president of product management for Silver Spring Networks (now Itron), a leading Internet of Things (IoT) and smart grid supplier to utilities. Rob was responsible for network infrastructure and distribution automation of wireless routers, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and next-generation hardware product lines.
While an entrepreneur-in-residence at Foundation Capital, Rob incubated the idea for Hammerhead Systems, and became the networking equipment maker’s founding CEO. At Hammerhead, he served as CEO as well as vice president of marketing and business development, spearheading the fundraising of Series A and Series B rounds. He led Hammerhead to secure major deals with Verizon, Fujitsu, Savvis and Covad.
Previously, Rob served as the vice president of marketing for Zaffire, an optical networking start-up. Rob joined Zaffire after 3 years with Cisco Systems, where as a senior group manager he led the product strategy, product management and marketing of a pioneering product line of MPLS switches that grew to become a $1 billion product line. Prior to Cisco, Rob led Internet product strategy and product planning for StrataCom, a leader in wide-area networking.
Earlier in his career, Rob was an investment professional in venture capital and private equity for Bain Capital, and a management consultant with Bain & Company.
Rob earned an MBA from Harvard University and a BS in economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Steve Maruyama is the CTO and co-founder of EnerAllies. For the past 30 years, Steve has successfully lead engineering for technology companies and built world-class development teams for three start-up companies.
Prior to EnerAllies, Steve consulted for Cisco Systems’ video business unit, transforming organizational and product development processes.
In addition, Steve was vice president of software for Hammerhead Systems, a networking equipment start-up. He also co-founded Silver Peak Systems (now Itron), and served as its vice president of engineering.
Earlier in his career, Steve was senior group manager for Cisco, Blue Leaf Networks, and StrataCom overseeing strategic big-data collection and analytics projects for customers such as AT&T, British Telecom and MCI/WorldCom.
Steve earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
J.B. Lyon established Mount Independence Investments in 2012 after spending 20 years as an entrepreneur and intrapreneur and then 10 years as an investor.
He manages Mount Independence Investments, which focuses on growth capital service businesses and real estate. J.B. also is co-director of the Rebuild Congress Initiative.
Prior to starting Mount Independence Investments, J.B. helped create and manage private equity firms Ziff Brothers Investments Ventures and Vision Media Investors to invest in energy and media, respectively. Previously, he was vice president of Staples.com and vice president of operations for Staples’ business development. Before joining Staples, J.B. co-founded and managed food company Uncle Dave’s Kitchen.
He also initiated the use of satellite technology for the 1988 presidential election. An entrepreneur since high school, J.B. also served as assistant to the president of the production company New World Entertainment, producer of the television show The Wonder Years.
J.B. earned a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and affairs from Tufts University.
