Solar Sister
Model & Strategy
Solar Sister is a green energy revolution powered by women’s enterprise. Providing a grassroots solution to a global energy crisis, Solar Sister combines the breakthrough potential of clean energy technology with a deliberately women-centered direct sales network. Working in rural Africa, Solar Sister recruits, trains and supports women to become Solar Sister Entrepreneurs. The women build sustainable businesses selling solar lamps, mobile phone chargers and fuel efficient cook stoves. Using their natural networks of family, friends and neighbors to provide the most effective distribution channel to rural and hard to reach customers the women earn much needed income to support their families and provide a vital service to their communities. Access to clean energy and simple light has profound benefits including improved education, health and economic outcomes.
Katherine Lucey, founder and CEO of Solar Sister, brings 20 years investment banking and non-profit leadership experience to her role as social entrepreneur. She is an Ashoka East Africa Fellow and a winner of Social Venture Network 2011 Innovation Award and a Global Social Benefit Incubator Fellow for 2011 at the Santa Clara University Center for Science and Technology. Katherine currently serves on the UN Foundation initiative the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and is a co-chair of the Supply Chain and Entrepreneurship Committee of the Sustainable Energy for All Practitioner Network.
IMPACT
Solar Sister has built a network of more than 3,800 women entrepreneurs who earn income while bringing access to clean energy technologies to more than 1.5M people in Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria.
In the long term, Solar Sister provides livelihoods and energy access in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa – breaking the cycle of poverty by creating economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs and access to energy for the women, their families, and their off-grid communities.
Solar Sister News
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The latest The Solar Sister Daily! https://t.co/MAEs441GOt Thanks to @michelleinbklyn @PamelaScully @texasinafrica #edtech #impinv
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We are thankful for the brilliant minds of the @MillerSocent's Global Social Benefit Fellows who completed fellowsh… https://t.co/YNwUlxjd0C
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RT @LightSolar: What Will Last Mile Distribution Look Like in 2025? Six Predictions for an Emerging Sector - Business Fights Poverty @Sola…
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RT @KatherineHLucey: Celebrate good times! @Solar_Sister Nigeria recognizes its top Solar Sister Entrepreneurs with an annual Summit and Ga…
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So proud of our Nigeria team, led by Olasimbo Sojinrin, for participating in @africamanager's Empowering Managers p… https://t.co/Y3UmzlU72n
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Why work with women when it comes to increasing #energyaccess? @TheBeamMagazine & @energia_org answer this great qu… https://t.co/gOaLF1vpR7
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Although Solar Sister is women-driven, we also have an amazing network of #SolarBrothers, including Batty Mbumbi fr… https://t.co/VRK1docWOe
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RT @ElicoFoundation: Did you know the @EforA_Coalition is #RequestforProposals to develop & execute a consumer awareness campaign to promot…
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Nanbet has been a Nigeria Solar Sister Entrepreneur since 2016. With the profits from her #cleanenergy business, sh… https://t.co/Alq1pO4jEg
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The latest The Solar Sister Daily! https://t.co/eY5arlmOjE Thanks to @meowtree @OutofPoverty @stevesong #ict4d #workhappy
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Are you looking for a career at the intersection of #genderequality and #energy? Well...Solar Sister is hiring! We… https://t.co/CNMj9yjPIc
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Great article on how and why off-grid solar companies should be hiring more female sales agents! Women take on a sa… https://t.co/ksJAw8uqOm
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RT @TheBeamMagazine: Why talking about climate and #gender? How are they connected?🤔🌏🌱 📣Listen to #Episode3 of #TheBeamPodcast to learn mo…
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Congratulations to @Ignite_Solar for their #affordability record for low-cost electricity access in Africa! For le… https://t.co/U2HySnzlQx
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A lack of transportation is a major barrier to reaching new customers with #cleanenergy products in rural communiti… https://t.co/WoCaDjqVSK
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Access to clean, reliable lighting provides children with the opportunity to study at night. Our customers report t… https://t.co/5R5cfkFREY
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RT @KatherineHLucey: "What if Mass Media was Used for Good?" @EWCtweets profiles @RippleEffectImg powerful use of storytelling, including s…
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The latest The Solar Sister Daily! https://t.co/9e5O8XJDRh Thanks to @HenrietteKolb @appropedia @mmaren #workhappy #yearinreview
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Moshi Mohamed from Tanzania started her Solar Sister clean energy business in 2014. With the income from Solar Sist… https://t.co/DKEqxKwSlt