Founder: Jessica O. Matthews
Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor and entrepreneur who has a background in psychology and economics from Harvard and also received an MBA from Harvard Business school. At the age of 22, she founded Uncharted Play and became the CEO to develop a project called SOCCKET. As a clean alternative to diesel generators, SOCCKET is a soccer ball which transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy that can be used for power in third world countries. In 2016, she raised over $7 million in funding and renamed her company to Uncharted Power. She has won numerous awards such as “Innovator of the Year” in 2013 by Black Enterprise and has been recognized in both Forbes and Inc’s “30 Under 30”.
Matthews has the expertise and passion required to lead her company as the CEO. Her creative and visionary thinking led her to develop her idea for SOCCKET on a family trip to Nigeria, where she witnessed firsthand the impact of unreliable electricity. Not only is Matthews a reliable leader, she has chosen a diverse team that includes advisors from both the energy and public policy sectors, allowing them to navigate the regulatory and infrastructural complexities of clean energy. In 2016, Matthews received the “Outstanding Corporate Diversity Award”, highlighting the diverse nature of their team.
Venture: Uncharted Power
Uncharted Power is a renewable energy company that aims to create clean energy by harnessing kinetic energy and turning it into reliable power. Their first venture, SOCCKET, gained attention from investors around the world. Originally developed to solve the problem of unreliable energy in the founder’s home country of Nigeria, SOCCKET is a soccer ball that can harness energy that can power a small LED light for three hours from a half-hour session of use. This allows children in Nigeria and other third-world countries to have enough light to finish their homework or do some reading after the sun sets. Uncharted Power has since evolved to developing tools to harness energy from sidewalks, roads, and other public infrastructure. When Uncharted Power was renamed and formed in 2016, the company was valued at $57 million.
Reflection:
As a science teacher and lifelong learner, Uncharted Power and SOCCKET has inspired me to conduct more research into alternative and clean energy and how I can implement this into my classroom. Not only can this technology help in third world countries, it has the potential to revolutionize the energy sector and provide a source of clean energy worldwide.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaklich/2018/11/12/uncharted-power-founder-jessica-o-matthews-on-building-the-anti-silicon-valley-energy-startup/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVXdIcuuJkY (Uncharted Power, Youtube)
What an amazing and incredibly innovative idea to harness kinetic energy and turn it into a source of power!
Matthews identified a problem from what she witnessed, and thought of a viable solution for it. Instead of waiting for someone else to take initiative, she actively decided to tackle the energy issues faced by those in Nigeria and came up with a unique idea that the community could easily take part in.
Her vision and proactiveness are inspirational!