{"id":7861,"date":"2024-11-05T11:50:56","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T10:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestudententrepreneur.org\/?p=7861"},"modified":"2024-11-05T14:31:28","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T13:31:28","slug":"nthabiseng-mosia-powering-change-with-easy-solar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestudententrepreneur.org\/?p=7861","title":{"rendered":"Nthabiseng Mosia Powering Change with Easy Solar"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Nthabiseng Mosia <\/a>Powering Change with Easy Solar. Nthabi found herself curious\u2014and concerned\u2014about a huge gap she noticed on the ground. access to energy. Consistently, visiting many communities across Sub-Saharan Africa, she kept seeing the same issue. Most importantly, energy, the backbone of a modern economy, was often missing.<\/p>\n

From Concept to On-the-Ground Impact<\/h3>\n

“You can\u2019t talk about economic development and industrialization in Africa without access to power,” Nthabi observed.<\/p>\n

Consequently, determined to tackle this challenge, she enrolled at Columbia University\u2019s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).<\/p>\n

Furthermore, she was always interested in energy access and development, so she took a course focused on solving the energy access problem. Notably, In Professor Philip LaRocco\u2019s class, she and her classmates, Eric Silverman and Alexandre Tourre, created a business plan. This specifically was for a hypothetical company to provide energy access. Nevertheless, they submitted the plan to the 2015 SIPA Dean\u2019s Public Policy Challenge, part of the Columbia Venture Competition. They won, earning a $25,000 prize.<\/p>\n

However, with this prize, Nthabi, Eric, and Alex were ready to turn their concept into something real. Notwithstanding, In December 2015, they traveled to Sierra Leone to survey energy needs firsthand. Subsequently, visiting homes outside Sierra Leone\u2019s energy grid brought the reality of the energy crisis into focus.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, I\u2019d been to rural communities before, but this level of energy access deprivation was shocking, Nthabi recalled. \u201cOne house used a kerosene lamp for light, and we could barely stand the smoke it gave off. I still have a picture of that lamp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nthabiseng Mosia Powering Change with Easy Solar<\/h3>\n

Moreover, seeing the stark difference between life in Sierra Leone and theirs as New York City grad students struck her deeply. \u201cYou can understand injustice conceptually, but witnessing it was like seeing a lottery of privilege and access,\u201d Nthabi reflected. \u201cParticularly, the sensory experience of how people live at the bottom of the energy access pyramid was a turning point for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, with a clear need in front of them, they sprang into action. \u201cWe majorly leveraged every Columbia resource to build this grad school baby into Easy Solar,<\/a>\u201d Nthabi said. Presently, Easy Solar is a leading energy distribution company in West Africa. Specifically, bringing affordable, accessible energy services to underserved areas. Additionally, with a team of 800 people, Easy Solar has reached over 750,000 people in Sierra Leone and Liberia. They consistently provide solar lanterns, home kits, and backup battery generators through a pay-as-you-go model. They also partner with local agents, trusted community leaders, schools, hospitals, farms, and NGOs to expand impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we moved to Sierra Leone full-time, we didn\u2019t have any security\u2014we had student loans and a lot of risk,\u201d Nthabi said. \u201cBut when you find something meaningful that you\u2019re passionate about, there\u2019s nothing that compares to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was lucky to work with two other incredibly smart people with different perspectives. More so, we challenged and pushed each other to see things in new ways,\u201d Nthabi said. \u201cParticularly, a startup requires hunger, drive, and the willingness to leverage any resource you can. SIPA offered so many classes we could tailor to our needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, Columbia transformed Nthabi\u2019s outlook on entrepreneurship. \u201cI used to think you needed to have your life perfectly planned, with plenty of capital and a massive network,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the Columbia ecosystem showed me that, with a good idea and right support, you can create something practical and sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Nthabiseng Mosia Powering Change with Easy Solar. 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