Light Up The World: Social Responsibility

LIGHT Up The World: Social Responsibility 

Many companies have found success by using both business metrics and social missions as their main strategy such as American companies like Tom’s Shoes and Timberland. MPowerD is a start-up company looking to light up the world by helping end energy poverty around the world. They designed an affordable solar panel lantern called Luci. Luci is compact, light weight, waterproof, and provides 12 hours of light after charging 5-6 hours in the sun. The portable light can hold its charge for a total of 3 months.The target market for MPowerD is large because of the wide variety of uses, such as military, recreational campers, in the aftermath of a natural disaster and the primary source of light in third world countries just to name a few.

The CEO and co-founder of MPowerD Jacques-Philippe Piverger believes the experience of his team combined with his product's design gives him a competitive edge because of its design and usefulness among multiple platforms. He explains that his market base consumers could be either or from the developing world or a developed market, because of its beautiful design and usefulness.

Some marketers question the long term effectiveness of social responsibly. The product needs to have a basic assumption on which prevention concept based. In 2012, MPowerD incorporated their idea called “solar justice,” of helping people around the world in providing light. They implemented their model buy-one-give-one, every time they sell a Luci in the US at $14.95, they will send one to someone in the developing world for free through one of their non-governmental organization (NGO) partners.

Although Piverger has experience with working in the financial investments field for over a decade, his inspiration for the start-up company came from his desire to be more involved in philanthropic projects throughout the world. One  the program he began was an organizational project called “Light Up the World” that  supports communities like New Jersey and New York post hurricane Sandy. Last year along the project donated a total of 1,0000 portable lights.  

In a CNBC interview Piverger . "In the U.S. for example we have gone from zero to 60 retailers in the last six months,".  His company has already sold more than 100,000 lights with back orders for 100,000 more.  The CNBC Power Pitch panelists questioned Piverger on  how MPowerD would access potential customers in in the world’s most remote markets. Piverger response was that along with governments and NGOs, companies in the private sector who plan on marketing this product,  have helped penetrate Luci’s reach to remote corners of the earth.

MpowerD has already planning on making  the Luci available in the UK, Europe and Australia.  Along with expanding  their product into new countries they are going to modify the product to make it out of biodegradable plastic. They also want to launch more MPowerD products such as a solar-powered light that charges smartphones and recyclable materials that store energy are on the cards.