Mathias Craig

Happy New Year from AshokaTECH!  To celebrate 2010, we're wasting no time in bringing you the newest episode!

On this week's episode of the AshokaTECH Podcast host Alex Budak interviews Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow Mathias Craig and his brother Guillaume, the cofounders of Blue Energy.  Blue Energy implements a reliable clean energy model for poor Nicaraguan communities and puts development in the hands of residents by emphasizing the local manufacture and maintenance of wind and solar energy systems.  In Nicaragua, nearly half of its 5 million citizens do not have electricity, which stunts economic and social development -- especially in rural communities.  Blue Energy presents a sustainable solution to bringing electricity to these and other rural areas.  Alex talks to the Craigs about the work they are doing, as well as the challenges faced in implementing new technologies in rural communities. 

As always, be sure to follow Alex on Twitter, @TheBudak, for updates on the podcast and your chance to have your own questions answered in future interviews.

Listen and subscribe to the AshokaTECH Podcast on iTunes

Driving through Nairobi to visit Senior Fellow, Ingrid Munro and her organization, Jamii Bora

Visiting one of Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow David Kuria's Iko Toilet market and sanitation kiosks.  The kiosks halt environmental degredation, create jobs, and improve health in Kenya's slums. From Left: Ashoka-Lemelson, Fellow David Kuria; Lemelson Program Director, Peggy Reid; Ashoka-Lemelson Fellows, Adrian Mukhebi and Vincent Bagiire.

An outside view of one of David Kuria's Iko Toilet kiosk.

Ashoka-Lemelson Fellows, Vijay Pradap Singh and Adrian Mukhebi, taking notes during a round-table Fellow discussion.

Driving through the outskirts of Nairobi.

Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow, Mathias Craig, posing with a revamped operation manual for local blueenergy technicians in Nicaragua.

Cynthia E. Smith, Curator of Socially Responsible Design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, recently wrote a post about the Ashoka - Lemelson partnership and our Fellows.

She writes: "Ashoka is now partnering with the Lemelson Foundation on a new initiative to support social innovators. The initiative AshokaTech now has over 70 fellows, individuals who are effectively aligning social entrepreneurship with technology."

She goes on to highlight the pattern-breaking work of Ashoka-Lemelson Fellows Matthias Craig, Howard Weinstein, and Amol Goje.

You can find the full post (and a lot of other cool content) here.