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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You can bring life-changing light to rural communities across Sub-Saharan Africa AND empower women through entrepre… https://t.co/OUjJspsNqg
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On Friday, October 23rd, join Solar Sister Nigeria Country Director and #bosslady, @Olasimbo, for a panel discussio… https://t.co/AZZTwUznC9
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On Saturday, October 24th, Join Solar Sister Nigeria Business Development Manager, Chinenye Anekwe, for the UN75 Di… https://t.co/k8v5iAlt7D
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Not only do these womenpreneurs know how to ride their @globalbike bicycles in style, they also know how to repair… https://t.co/09LL5KPKYi
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RT @Sunrise_Kat: 95% of sales agents of companies participating in the @SNVworld #solar market #RBF in #Tanzania said that they had confide…
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RT @SEforALLorg: The increasing trend in using geospatial modelling in #energyplanning is highlighting one of its key challenges: data gaps…
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There's only a few days left to get one (or several) of @joannapinneo's award-winning prints on sale! A portion of… https://t.co/Rx1lU4bMV2
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RT @MaryBeallAdler: Learn more abt @globalbike’s partnership w/ @Solar_Sister in Tanzania https://t.co/JtJ6zyTcSA @globalbike provides bike…
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For 36 years, in 66 countries, @joannapinneo has photographed unforgettable moments for numerous magazines and book… https://t.co/SYcD4SXtLn
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Through our partnership with @SNVworld in Tanzania, Solar Sister has been able to improve the use of sustainable… https://t.co/WdVv5yLbSo
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RT @KatherineHLucey: Join the celebration by making a donation to @Solar_Sister today! Your gift will be matched to double the impact! #Int…
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RT @Rare_org: On #RuralWomensDay, shout out to last year's #SolutionSearch winners @1millionwomen and @Solar_Sister who are putting women a…
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On this International Day of Rural Women, we are celebrating the #empowered Solar Sister Entrepreneurs across Tanza… https://t.co/8PrlKPXjdp
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RT @SEforALLorg: How does access to reliable electricity benefit #ruralwomen?⚡♀️ Reliable #energyaccess allows women in rural communities…