PowerShift: Rethinking Design for Energy Access connects technology and development work to tackle issues of global energy access
In 2010, a simple idea convinced Steve Katsaros to leave a high-flying career in patent law to found Nokero Solar — a company that brings affordable light to developing communities.
Recognizing that more than a billion people around the world live without reliable access to electricity, he envisioned a simple solution that would help replace costly and dangerous kerosene lamps with affordable, reliable solar alternatives. The lights provide students in developing communities with extra hours to study at night, and offer a reliable light source in critical situations such as in operating rooms.
On Feb. 25, 2016, Katsaros joined a panel of speakers and researchers at the University of Waterloo for PowerShift: Rethinking Design for Energy Access, where students were encouraged to use innovation to address global problems — specifically, how to create a future where energy is available to all.