EarthEnable: Improving health through sustainable architecture and green chemistry
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?
Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Founding Story
Team
Invitation to enter from Ashoka Changemakers
Co-Founder and CEO of EarthEnable
No Poverty, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action.
In college, I co-founded the Harvard College Youth Leadership Initiative, an afterschool program for middle school students in Cambridge, MA. We evaluated the needs of the local community's youth, and found while several tutoring and childcare-like programs existed, there was no holistic program that focused on life skills like teamwork, communication, time management, and self-introspection. I led the curriculum development, getting feedback from teachers, parents, students, and other afterschool programs. We had a successful pilot of 25 students in our first year, and immediately went to 80+ students in our second year.
In addition, I have pioneered entrepreneurial initiatives within institutions that I worked in. While I was with the Ministry of Finance's Department of Revenue in Liberia, I recognized high-potential internal investments to gain more revenue and successfully lobbied for them. When I was a consultant with Dalberg Global Development Advisors, I coordinated the DC office's weekly training sessions and speaker series. And when I was in graduate school, I co-directed Operations for the Social Enterprise Conference by the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School.
Since we began to research the idea of providing affordable earthen floors to Rwanda, we have been mentored and guided by leaders in the earthen building and natural building community, namely by Sukita Crimmel and Kevin Rowell. We also received significant business mentorship from professors at Stanford's design school and Graduate School of Business. We have also partnered with the local government in Rwanda and several other social sector organizations in Rwanda in order to raise awareness about our product and its health and environmental benefits.