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 4,500 women entrepreneurs who earn income while bringing access to clean energy technologies to more than 1.5M people in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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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Solar Sister Entrepreneurs provide clean cookstoves to families in last-mile communities who rely on wood or charco… https://t.co/m738TXfrPr
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🌎This is a really cool project by our friends at Mad Leap. Local green jobs in urban areas. @leap_mad https://t.co/ieA4xkccsW
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We're Hiring! Business Development Associates, Nigeria https://t.co/Lt53R3Pa6A via @solar_sister #Solar… https://t.co/hoWbSySW76
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RT @DataDotOrg: "We see this last-mile focus as an important component of success, and as an enduring trend that will continue in 2022 and…
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RT @Novustack: Last week, our talents worked on applying #designthinking principles in creating products that provide solutions to problems…
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🧡🎉Celebrate!! We have 10,000 followers on Facebook! Help us get more followers on Instagram to spread the word abou… https://t.co/Xk0yRpcGKe
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The 2022 Keeling Curve Prize is open-final deadline February 10, 2022! Have an effective climate mitigation solutio… https://t.co/Ad17mr6uFs
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One of our newest entrepreneurs Biesha Mfyule has gotten to know more women in the community. Her confidence has gr… https://t.co/6tI1Y7ISPb
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Leadership and innovation: @OlasimboSojinrin, @Solar_Sister 's Nigerian Country Director talks about how she is us… https://t.co/MDnGUUyPPx
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RT @KatherineHLucey: How cool is this? Find out how much you can save by going #solar with @PalmettoEnergy. Go green. Save money. Do good.…
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RT @KatherineHLucey: SO MUCH love for these women entrepreneurs! They inspire me every day! @Solar_Sister Entrepreneurs are bringing clean…
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Solar Sister works with #women who bring #energyaccess to last-mile communities in #Africa. In ImpactInvestor CEO… https://t.co/IKb9Ky17rz
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RT @KatherineHLucey: @PaulEDawson Check out the amazing partnership between @PalmettoEnergy and @Solar_Sister! Working together to ensure c…
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Thank you to all of our generous supporters for donating to our year-end campaign! We exceeded our $100,000 goal an… https://t.co/XPmidNQovc
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RT @DataDotOrg: "'If we don't also remember to look backward...and look at those who don't have the same access, we're not going to move th…
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Wishing you a very Happy New Year! We are incredibly grateful for each of you and look forward to continuing to cre… https://t.co/vt0Onf8rlF
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Enjoy the slide show of a few of our Sisterhood groups across Nigeria and Tanzania who shared stories & celebrated… https://t.co/WXx2m9ARHE
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🌞2021 HIGHLIGHTS for Solar Sister! To see more detail about our 2021 Highlights: https://t.co/pwhPAwUG32 There is… https://t.co/18iYDqA1zC
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RT @KatherineHLucey: Promoting Gender Smart Investing in Nigeria by @PowerAfricaUS - nice picture of @Solar_Sister Entrepreneurs, the best…