Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Innovation to Help People in Emerging Nations

I love stories of innovation that are driven by a desire to lift others. An example we discuss in the forthcoming book, Conquering Innovation Fatigue, is Empower Playgrounds, the innovative non-profit organization of retired chemical engineer Ben Markham. They develop new ways to advance education in Africa by turning playground equipment into power generators that can charge LED lamps to allow students to study after dark. Marvelous!

Another recent example is Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE), an organization working to develop market-based solutions to provide low-cost feminine care products to women in emerging nations. Wonderful concepts!

The work of Anil Gupta in India also inspired me. He's reaching out to find innovators in the villages of India who may have marketable products. It's bringing hope to many. See Sristi.org for details.

What are your favorite examples of innovation efforts to life those in emerging nations?

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