Alumni in the News

Meet the Woman Behind a $2 Million Superfood Business Helping Women Farmers in Africa

With the energy boost came the realization that raising moringa as a crop could not only improve local nutrition but also provide sustainable livelihoods. To fulfill that vision, Curtis and three colleagues started Kuli Kuli to sell moringa-based energy bars and shots, herbal tea, and powder supplements. “I knew that introducing moringa to the U.S. market was a venture that would be successful,” she says. “I just wanted to make sure it was done in a way that helps support women moringa farmers around the world.”
https://www.inc.com/magazine/201809/bill-saporito/2018-inc5000-kuli-kuli-foods.html

Alumni in the News

What’s Fancy Chocolate Made Of That Makes It So Expensive?

Organizations like Uncommon Cacao say they aim to “build a more fair and sustainable specialty cacao supply chain.” Uncommon Cacao issues a yearly transparency report that details the realities of growing cacao in each region and supplies information including annual farmer revenue, flavor notes and prices at each point of sale.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fancy-chocolate-expensive_us_5b7d8c4de4b07295150f25c6

Alumni in the News

Energy Harvesters LLC

Energy Harvesters brings a disruptive technology to the wearable market. Our Walking Charger™ patented technology gives users the ability to “charge their mobile device batteries anytime anywhere from their own walking”. We harness the energy of human motion providing an on-demand power source satisfying the growing energy demands of Smartphone users, Wearables and mobile electronic devices to power billions of batteries and sensors.
http://www.starthub.org/startups/energy-harvesters-llc

Alumni in the News

CAN MEAT BE BOTH KOSHER AND HALAL?

Until recently, there was no overlap: Meats were either kosher, halal, or neither. A new brand seeks to change that. Abe’s Meats, from Interfaith Ventures, reports that it is producing “the first-ever Interfaith Meat products that are both Halal and Kosher.” Founder Mohammad Modarres says, “Brands that offer dual Kosher and Halal food products do exist. However, meat is one of the most complicated and expensive products to produce as ‘Interfaith’ because of the production process, cost, and need to collaborate.
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/advice-guy/can-meat-be-both-kosher-halal?utm_source=Marketing%20Cloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RB-Daily_07-19-18&sfmc_s=1591418

Alumni in the News

CleanChoice Energy Launches Renewable Energy Broker Program

CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company providing 100% clean electricity to customers across the country, has launched the CleanChoice Energy Broker Program. The new program allows energy brokers and consultants to make CleanChoice’s 100% regional solar and wind power and Community Solar products available to both their business and nonprofit customers.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cleanchoice-energy-launches-renewable-energy-broker-program-300682722.html

Alumni in the News

AguaClara Hydrodoser Brings Clean Water to 206 People in Odisha

Today, the community of Lahanda in Keonjhar, Odisha in India commissioned a water system delivering safe drinking water on tap to 206 residents. The community is treating the water using an invention called the Hydrodoser, developed by New York State nonprofit AguaClara Reach. The Hydrodoser is a gravity-based, sensor-and-pump-free technology that delivers an accurate amount of chlorine to disinfect water, making it safe for human consumption. The simple yet sophisticated technology is making it a viable drinking water treatment option for remote communities that cannot afford conventional, electric-powered water treatment.
https://www.aguaclarareach.org/latest-press-release

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MCN Update: 2 July 2018

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Alumni in the News

Myanmar’s Startup Revolution

Koe Koe Tech’s app is called “Maymay,” meaning “mother.” It’s a health support service for pregnant women and mothers.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/editors/1/myanmarsstartuprevolution/index.html

Alumni in the News

Mapping women hygiene through innovation

Saathi began in 2015, when its co-founders came together on a mission to create fully eco-friendly, compostable sanitary napkins using locally sourced banana fiber from the state of Gujarat, where Saathi is based. Saathi pads are Biodegradable & Compostable, using plant-based materials for the leak-proof outer layers of the napkin. Saathi pads are made with banana fibre because of its highly absorbent properties, and the environmental and social benefits of its supply chain.
https://www.biospectrumindia.com/news/69/11162/mapping-women-hygiene-through-innovation.html

Alumni in the News

Fintech startup Tala opens first engineering hub in India in Bengaluru

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Tala was founded by Shivani Siroya, an Indian-origin entrepreneur in 2012. The startup aims to broaden access to credit and financial services by harnessing non-traditional data. Tala’s proprietary credit model leverages alternative data and state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to assess the creditworthiness of thin-file customers.
https://www.peoplemattersglobal.com/news/hiring/fintech-startup-tala-opens-first-engineering-hub-in-india-in-bengaluru-18590

Alumni in the News

For Success Beyond The Bottom Line, These Women Executives Lead With Purpose

In the realm of capital, Shivani Siroya’s micro-finance venture Tala is funding developing-world business owners who would usually be considered too risky by the traditional standards of credit bureaus or who would not be tracked at all. Tala landed on Forbes’ Fintech 50 2018 list of disrupters, with $109 million raised and 4.5 million loans initiated, with a repayment rate of 90%.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinelove/2018/06/20/for-success-beyond-the-bottom-line-these-women-executives-lead-with-purpose/#5f133cf740ca

Alumni in the News

The Farmer’s Smartphone, To impact the agriculture ecosystem

Atul believes in taking feedback from multiple people. He goes to the Sarpanch, meets the best farmer in his taluka, and then travels 70 kms to meet the Agri dealers at the market place. He ends up getting confused. The dealers talk to him about a new product being launched by a well-known company. They also try to convince him to buy a few low-priced unbranded products which are supposed to give bumper yields.
http://www.destaglobal.com/the-farmers-smartphone-to-impact-the-agriculture-ecosystem/

Alumni in the News

Wearables for Construction

SolePower’s integrated, self-powered device in its footwear provides real time location and data tracking of the workforce. Beyond the obvious accountability and emergency response features, this wearable can preemptively identify fatigued employees by the change in their gait along with a few other parameters.
http://constructionexec.com/article/wearables-for-construction

Alumni in the News

Chakr Innovation figures out how to turn generator exhaust into ink

India has some of the worst air pollution in the world and smog levels often spike during its sweltering summers, when smoke-belching diesel generators are used to offset power shortages, as air-conditioners and fans stoke consumption.
https://www.devdiscourse.com/Article/21766-chakr-innovation-figures-out-how-to-turn-generator-exhaust-into-ink

Alumni in the News

Inaara Impact Ventures invests in Jaan Pak in a revenue sharing model

Jaan Pak is a clean energy initiative, founded in 2014, and recipient of various local and international accolades since then. Jaan Pak won the Rwanga Social Startup Competition in October 2014, bringing home USD 20,000 to kick start operations.More recently, Jaan Pak was a finalist in the UNIDO Global Cleantech Innovation Program, Winner of the Shell Tameer Bright Energy Ideas Award, and again the only Pakistani company to date to win USD 100,000 at the Innovation Impact Dubai Expo Live program.

https://www.techjuice.pk/inaara-impact-ventures-invests-in-jaan-pak-in-a-revenue-sharing-model/

Alumni in the News

Biosense Technologies raises $ 1 million

Impact investment fund Menterra Venture Advisors, announced a new round of investment in Biosense Technologies alongside its investment partner Artha Venture Challenge.
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/biosense-technologies-raises-1-million/article23495927.ece

Alumni in the News

100 Bold Ideas to Improve Women and Children’s Health and Rights in the Developing World

Access Afya Kenya is developing and testing a revolutionary approach that aims to put nutrient monitoring into the hands of mothers using the non-invasive technique of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Fingernail scanning can be done by mothers at home, and results are instantaneous and easy to interpret. With the 1000 Day Nutrient Monitor, each mother can repeatedly analyse her and her baby’s nutrient levels, informing proactive diet changes.
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/05/31/1515272/0/en/100-Bold-Ideas-to-Improve-Women-and-Children-s-Health-and-Rights-in-the-Developing-World.html

Alumni in the News

Let’s Innovate with Nedraki

Because we believe in technology as a resource to build sustainable future, me as a part of Nedraki’s team felt very excited for our conference on may 10th and the commitment proved by the innovator’s who attended the event. They were so grateful to be an important piece in this day, they were able to connect with others that are doing similar things and is exactly this what liked them the most, the opportunity of doing networking, that I could see clearly. I also felt pleased to gather almost a hundred people in the event and felt very motivated to repeat this experience because almost another eighty people at least stay on the selection process that couldn’t be present in this conference.
https://medium.com/@astridjhc/lets-innovate-with-nedraki-6c34faad36e1

Alumni in the News

How 2 Liberal Arts Students created a million-dollar rainforest saving company.

In 2010, Brown University student Tyler Gage took a course about the languages and religions of the Amazon that blew his mind. Gage, who had grown up in the comfortable Bay Area suburbs, became enthralled by the rich, complex world of Amazonian tribespeople. Soon, it wasn’t enough for him to just read about these cultures; he wanted to see it all for himself. So, with some guidance from his professor, he packed his bags and moved to the Ecuadorian rainforest for two years.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3046136/how-two-liberal-arts-students-created-a-million-dollar-rainforest-saving-tea-company

Alumni in the News

Why Social Enterprise Can Be a Win-Win Scenario for Your Company’s Future

Take, for instance, Husk Power Systems, a social enterprise that was just awarded some hefty funding. Husk develops affordable, environmentally efficient minigrids that supply on-demand power to rural parts of Asia and Africa. The utility distributor recently garnered $20 million in a funding round led by Shell Technology Ventures with an eye toward expanding into India and Tanzania and potentially serving an additional 100,000 customers with affordable renewable power.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/310240

Alumni in the News

Prerna Mukharya: The data collector

Prerna Mukharya’s social-impact startup Outline India gathered data from 3 million people for academic institutions, government agencies and corporates.
https://www.fortuneindia.com/people/the-data-collector/101764

Alumni in the News

Takamoto Biogas creating jobs with Biogas Manufacturing

Takamoto Biogas- Is in the business of creating employment for through biogas manufacturing. Located in Githunguri, Kiambu County, local farmers in the region are the main beneficiaries of the technology. However, the company is striving to expand its clientele base across the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MPR2_Mckr8

Alumni in the News

Employee Transportation Startup MoveInSync Raises $8 Mn In Series B Funding

Bengaluru-based employee transportation startup MoveInSync Technology Solutions has raised $8 Mn in Series B funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners. Existing investors including Inventus Capital Partners, Saama Capital and Qualcomm Ventures also participated in this round.
https://inc42.com/buzz/employee-transportation-startup-moveinsync-raises-8-mn-in-series-b-funding/

Alumni in the News

These Entrepreneurs are Changing the Face of Energy in West Africa

Three entrepreneurs, however, want to change that narrative. Alexandre Tourre, Nthabiseng Mosia and Eric Silverman founded Easy Solar with a vision to transform the face of energy in a country that’s been in the dark for too long. Today, only 11 percent of Sierra Leone’s 7 million people have access to electricity. Easy Solar’s mission is to bring new hope and opportunity to the country by making high-quality solar energy available and affordable for all.
https://acumen.org/energy-video-series/

Alumni in the News

Land of a Thousand Ideas

Volantio, which makes software to help airlines with marketing automation and booking optimization, and Vayando, which offers an online platform connecting travelers with experiences offered by social entrepreneurs internationally, are headed to Toulouse as part of a program launched last year through Atlanta’s sister-city relationship Toulouse.
https://www.forbesafrica.com/entreprenuers/2018/03/28/land-thousand-ideas/

Alumni in the News

Life After Amazon: Why Whole Foods Will Not Become a ‘Conventional Grocery Store’

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Whole Foods to a generation of natural food and product startups. In the early 1990s, the retailer was instrumental in transforming a sleepy industry comprising dreary mom-and-pops into a $50-plus billion colossus incorporating eye-pleasing design and head-spinning variety. It also emerged as an essential bridge to the mass market. Ask an organic food entrepreneur about the watershed moment when she knew her business would succeed. More often than not she’ll respond: the day I got into Whole Foods.
https://www.inc.com/leigh-buchanan/some-vendors-still-love-whole-foods.html

Alumni in the News

BroadPoint, a Gold-Certified Microsoft Dynamics partner serving nonprofit and commercial clients, announces acquisition of The Jitasa Group’s nonprofit technology practice.

The merger of these two highly respected partners provides the nonprofit community with a single, trusted source for their technology solutions, services and support. Both companies are excited about the expanded opportunities the acquisition brings to nonprofits.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/broadpoint-announces-major-acquisition-to-benefit-nonprofit-community-300614616.html

Alumni in the News

NASA Licenses Gear Bearing Technology to Bahari Energy for Urban Wind Power Generation

The Strategic Partnerships Office (SPO) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has signed a partially exclusive license agreement for gear bearing technology with Bahari Energy LLC, of Rockville, Maryland, for use in its Energy Wind Tower designed for the urban environment.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/goddard/2018/nasas-goddard-space-flight-center-licenses-gear-bearing-technology-to-bahari-energy