Our Roots

The true roots of Goal Zero

Deep in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) came a realisation so hard-hitting, our founder, Robert Workman, couldn’t ignore it. War torn and politically turbulent for decades, the DRC is a country in trouble – in most places there isn’t even access to electrical power. Impoverished in so many ways, except for the abundant resource of its people, who are dedicated to making the Congo a better place. Robert couldn’t stand by and watch a beautiful and hopeful culture try to survive with such limited access to dependable power. So he joined in the fight to make the DRC a better place by creating an entirely new way of supplying reliable, portable energy – the first Goal Zero prototype.

When Robert Workman returned home, he founded a non-profit organisation, Tifie Humanitarian, on the the principle that all individuals deserve the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. Goal Zero and Tifie were conceived to work together, not only to provide access to portable power, but to empower. TIFIE – Teaching Individuals and Family Independence through Enterprise – receives proceeds from each Goal Zero purchase. We dream that someday there will be ZERO illiteracy, ZERO poverty, and ZERO hunger. Our spirit of giving back comes before our other goals – so in other words, it’s our GOAL ZERO.

Helping a hand in Nepal with the power of Goal Zero

In June of 2016, a group of Goal Zero Employees, Nepalese Sherpas, and Goal Zero Ambassadors Mike and Lilliana Libecki, accompanied representatives of World Wide Trekking/Human Outreach Project to Nepal’s famed Khumbu Valley to distribute solar equipment, Dell Computers, a divvy water filtration system, and gifts to monasteries, schools and medical clinics.

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