Origin
We met as Harvard undergraduates in an Engineering Sciences course at Harvard in a program known as the Idea Translation Lab. All of the members of our group have a deep background and interest in Africa, and we became interested in finding ways of passively harvesting energy to power lights and cell phones, taking advantage of the rich natural and human resources we knew existed in rural Africa.
What’s in a name?
In South Africa the Northern Sotho word for light, lamp, or candle is lebônê. Pronounced [La - bo - ney]
The Team:
Hugo Van Vuuren, Founder & Managing Partner. Born and raised in South Africa, Hugo graduated from Harvard with a degree in Economics. He works with the Idea Translation Lab at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and focuses on building the partnerships and financing aspects of Lebônê.
Stephen Lwendo, Founder & Technology Partner. Stephen is from Tanzania and studies Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Harvard. He has worked extensively on educational ventures in Tanzania, and is directing our pilot study there.
David Sengeh, Founder & Technology Partner. David studies Engineering at Harvard and is from Sierra Leone. He is working on the technology design aspects of Lebônê and develops our technological partnerships.
Zoë Sachs-Arellano, Founder & Program Partner. Zoë graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in Philosophy in 2007. She has co-founded the Namibia Connection Youth Network incubating teams of change agents in Namibia. She is working on the African program development aspects of Lebônê.
Aviva Presser, Founder & Program Partner. Aviva is a doctoral student at MIT Biology/Harvard SEAS, and founder of the nonprofit Bears Without Borders. She is a consultant for thehungersite.com, and is working on the technology and program development aspects of Lebônê.
Alexander Fabry. Program Partner. Alexander is studying History of Science and Physics at Harvard and is working on the technology development and grant application aspects of Lebônê.
We are in the process of recruiting engineers and project coordinators, and establishing goal-orientated partnerships.
Advisers and Partners:
+ Paul Bottino, Esq., co-founder of the Harvard Technology and Entrepreneurship Center and the Idea Translation Lab at Harvard and Medicine in Need Corporation.
+David Edwards. Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Harvard. He has founded several companies, including Pulmatrix and Advanced Inhalation Research (AIR), the Idea Translation Lab, and a non-profit, MEND.
+Peter Girguis. Professor of Biology at Harvard. Pioneer of microbial fuel cell technology and founder of Living Power Systems.
+Richard Kirk. Founder of the multi-million dollar company Elumin8 (www.elumin8.com) and current consultant to PETeC and CPI.
+James Russell. Senior Director of the Clinton Climate Initiative, former McKinsey consultant and graduate of Harvard College and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The Harvard Idea Translation Laboratory and The Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard
Contact
hello-at-lebone.org
