Episode ten of season two of SOCAP’s podcast series, Money + Meaning: Unlikely Allies Building New Markets for Impact is now available!
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Spreading Light: An Interview with Seungah Jeong and John Salzinger of MPOWERD
“Light is a basic, fundamental human need.”
–Seungah Jeong
Because her family did not have access to electricity, Seungah Jeong’s childhood home in South Korea was lit with kerosene lamps. Out of necessity, billions of people around the world still use kerosene lamps to light their homes, despite the fact that this type of lighting is dangerous to human health and the environment. Jeong is now President and CEO of MPOWERD Inc, a B Corp that makes innovative solar light products. MPOWERD’s business model was developed with a mission to sustainably provide clean, safe, and affordable solar lighting to everyone, including the people in developing countries who need it most.
MPOWERD’s co-founder John Salzinger applied his background in media, marketing, sales, and entrepreneurship to building the venture, which has a well earned reputation as a design-focused maker of clean technology consumer lighting products that are as beautiful as they are useful.
From everyday task lighting around the home, to illuminating a campsite, to quickly supplying emergency lighting in disaster zones, there are an infinite number of uses for MPOWERD’s innovative products. Collapsible, inflatable, durable, waterproof, dustproof, maintenance free, with a battery that lasts up to ten years–MPOWERD lighting is ideal for last mile delivery in emerging markets. So far, MPOWERD has worked with over 500 humanitarian organizations to deliver clean light solutions, including a current partnership with Save the Children. Their lighting products are also ideal for disaster relief. Over 80 thousand MPOWERD lights were distributed in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Their company was named as one of the 2019 Real Leaders 100, a list of the one hundred most impactful ventures around the world.
In this episode of Money + Meaning, recorded live at Momentum Summit in Asheville, North Carolina, host Alex Kravitz interviews Salzinger and Jeong about their own journeys to impact and the inspiring ways MPOWERD products are helping people around the globe. They also share their insights into the challenges and joys of running a social enterprise, give examples of how they are measuring and reporting their impact, and offer some valuable advice for emerging social entrepreneurs.
Featured Voices
Seungah Jeong
President & CEO
MPOWERD Inc.
John Salzinger
Co-founder & Chief Business Development Officer
MPOWERD Inc.
Host: Alex Kravitz
About Money + Meaning
Money + Meaning is the official podcast of SOCAP. This series aims to expand the conversation around impact investing and strategies to finance and support social change while stimulating innovative and valuable new partnerships across sectors.
Resources
MPOWERD has created a variety of educational products, including kits that teach STEM skills and a curriculum that teaches kids and about the power and potential of solar energy.
Read more about MPOWERD’s partnership with Save the Children.
Read about MPOWERD’s newest innovation — Luci Solar Inflatable Base Light
