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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. I first heard of SolarBuddy, and its mission of placing a light into the hands of 6 million children currently living in energy poverty through an outreach of one of Simon’s team members. And, exactly how he is going about raising the funds for this extraordinary effort really caught my attention. You see, 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 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 light problems for the dislocated masses fleeing poverty & war in their home countries seeking a new life and living in shelters.
Flash forward 6 years, and Simon is now routinely standing on stages like ours and educating millions of people in the developed world to raise awareness, capital and infrastructure to solve energy poverty. Simon and I get deep into his background, the strategic partnerships he’s formed, and broader education programs they’ve developed to empower the young people of the communities SolarBuddy’s products are delivered to. And it’s working! 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? Well then settle in for this riveting conversation and I challenge you to think about how we all have a personal responsibility to care for our neighbors. SolarBuddy isn’t your traditional SunCast interview narrative, but it most certainly is aligned with our core values of continuous self improvement, compassion towards the less fortunate and trust in the ingenuity of humans to always find a way forward.
I know you’ll be inspired by Simon’s story today, and I look forward to hearing how it impacts your life & business.
Timestamps
(3:37) What brought Simon to America
(4:17) Simon's family life growing up in the 80's
(9:08) Simon witnesses the fall of the Berlin Wall
(14:20) How a Time magazine article from 2011 change Simon
(16:47) What sparked the idea for BrightBeam
(22:56) Funding ventures, getting them off the ground and self sustaining
(25:09) Advice on funding your project and finding right partners
(31:04) From BrightBeam to SolarBuddy
(37:24) What are SDGs
(40:32) Understanding the purpose of the product that is SolarBuddy
(46:26) Growing SolarBuddy
(48:43) How we can help SolarBuddy
(50:12) Lessons from Simon's mentors
(52:50) Books that have influenced Simon
(54:48) Connecting with Simon
(56:44) Simon's bold prediction
(58:27) Wrap up
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Video:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“Never chase money, Simon, it will always run away. If you attract it, it will always stay.”
“If I can help one refugee, then that’s something good to be proud of.”
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SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.