466: Energy Poverty, Time Magazine, Six Million Solar Lights

Six years ago, after reading an article in Time Magazine calling energy poverty the worst kind of poverty, Simon Doble was driven to take action, and SolarBuddy was born. But, Simon is a true serial entrepreneur. By his early 20’s he was a successful businessman, investor & developer and has always sought to impact the built environment around him. It wasn’t until he began to visit UN refugee camps that he truly understood the magnitude of the problem energy poverty presents for nearly a Billion people around the world. So Simon put his ingenuity to work and began solving simple and elegant lighting problems for the dislocated masses fleeing poverty & war in their home countries seeking a new life and living in shelters. Now he’s on a mission of placing a light into the hands of 6 million children currently living in energy poverty And, exactly how he is going about raising the funds for this extraordinary effort really caught my attention. Today, Simon and I get deep into his background, the strategic partnerships he’s formed to bring light to dark places. Each SolarBuddy light positively impacts 5 people and provides essential access to light after dark. It has been shown that after receiving a SolarBuddy light children are studying up to 78% longer and families are spending 80% less on kerosene and firewood contributing to an improved environmental and economic outcomes.I was inspired by Simon’s story. He made me laugh and cry, and he’ll make you think twice about the impact you’re having. Are you settling? Or are you feeling a calling for more? If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus