Jesse Thornburg
Assistant Teaching Professor, CMU-Africa
Jesse Thornburg researches energy applications, batteries, and electric vehicles while teaching courses in electrical engineering and entrepreneurship. He enjoys mentoring students and alumni to harness siloed data for research and entrepreneurship. His background is in tech entrepreneurship, IoT, and software design, specifically in the automation and energy sectors. He is co-founder of Grid Fruit, a software company that provides U.S. electrical utilities services in optimization, machine learning, and energy efficiency. He has more than 15 years of experience working with startup companies and early-stage entrepreneurs. He received two SB degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering and media.
He worked in robotics for iRobot before leading power generation and water purification projects in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo for two years. He then completed M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Carnegie Mellon University in electrical and computer engineering. He was the head of engineering programs at Samarkand International University of Technology (SIUT) in Uzbekistan, where he was also the founding director of their WIN Center for Entrepreneurship.
Thornburg has co-founded and worked as CEO of three companies, as well as mentoring and supporting many for-profit and non-profit ventures. He has served as a board member since 2020 and was invited to join Rwanda’s national investment steering committee in 2023. In 2026, he was selected for the deep tech cohort of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship. He loves to build multidisciplinary, international teams. He has authored or co-authored over 40 technical publications and is an IEEE Senior Member. He is also a member of the National Postdoctoral Association.
Tech Entrepreneurship across Sub-Saharan Africa
Education
Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
MS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
SB, Mechanical Engineering, MIT
SB, Comparative Media Studies, MIT
Affiliations
Research Interests
Media mentions
Carnegie Mellon University Africa
Chisom Ogbogu optimizes use of off grid energy in new research
Chisom Ogbogu (MS ECE-AD '26) grew up with unreliable energy in Lagos, Nigeria, and today he is working with assistant teaching professor Jesse Thornburg on a potential solution for reliable energy for Rwanda and beyond.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
CMU-Africa and exchange program featured in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
CMU-Africa and its exchange program between the Kigali, Rwanda and Pittsburgh locations was featured by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
CMU Engineering
Using explainable AI to increase energy connectivity
Sarah Moses (MSIT ’26), who grew up in South Sudan and Kenya with limited or no access to power, saw an opportunity to help energy developers lower costs and save time by using AI for prefeasibility studies.
IEEE PES 17th Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Engineering Conference
Iyata Adikpe (MS ECE '26) presented research at IEEE conference
CMU-Africa student Iyata Adikpe (MS ECE '26) presented his research "Solar PV and Hydropower Generation Planning for Benue, Nigeria: A Simulation Study" at the 2025 IEEE PES 17th Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Engineering Conference.
IEEE Southern Power Electronics Conference
Akabway Rurangwa (MS ECE ’26) presented research at IEEE conference
CMU-Africa student Akabway Rurangwa (MS ECE '26) presented his research "Modeling of Hybrid Geothermal-Solar PV Power Generation in Uganda" at the 2025 IEEE Southern Power Electronics Conference.
IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo, Asia-Pacific
Ian Ahereza (MS ECE '25) presented research IEEE conference
Ian Ahereza (MS ECE '25) presented his research "Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar PV and Grid Integration for Electric Vehicle DC Fast Charging in Uganda" at the 2025 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo, Asia-Pacific (ITEC Asia-Pacific).
2025 IEEE International Microwave and Antenna Symposium
Chisom Ogbogu (MS ECE '26) presented research at IEEE conference
CMU-Africa student Chisom Ogbogu (MS ECE '26) presented his research "Phasor Measurement Integration in Wireless Power Transfer Systems for Grid Applications" at the 2025 IEEE International Microwave and Antenna Symposium. The research was co-authored by CMU-Africa's Jesse Thornburg.
CMU Engineering
Afretec Network awards $2.3M in multi-institutional research grants
The multi-institutional grants will build research capacity and accelerate digital growth throughout the African continent.
CMU Engineering
Automated feeders and computer vision to revolutionize fish farming in Africa
CMU-Africa professor Jesse Thornburg is using automatic feeders and computer vision to make fish farming in Rwanda more economical.
Vermont Business Magazine
Thornburg discusses Grid Fruit refrigeration tools
CMU-Africa’s Jesse Thornburg, cofounder of Grid Fruit, talked with Vermont Business Magazine about his efforts to bring data-driven intelligence to food retail operations.
Teknovation
Thornburg’s startup helps grocery stores save money and electricity
Grid Fruit, led by CMU-Africa’s Jesse Thornburg, provides energy-saving measures to grocery stores by improving refrigeration and freezing cycles.