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        <rss:title>let there d.light!</rss:title>
        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light</rss:link>

        <rss:description>This is Sam Goldman's story. He grew up in Mauritania, Pakistan, Peru, India and Rwanda, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin and studied biology and environmental studies in Canada before receiving his MBA from Stanford.

“My neighbor’s son in Benin was badly burned by a kerosene lamp. I decided to provide a source of light that is safe and cheap.”

This is the story of a social entrepreneur in the making and the building of a global social enterprise: d.light design.</rss:description>
        

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                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/29/28yr-old-kamla-devy"/>
                
                
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                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/20/government-scheme-1-154-the-legend-of-the-biogas-stove"/>
                
                
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/14/from-washing-machines-to-chimney-lanterns-the-good-the-bad-and-the-fruitful"/>
                
                
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/01/10/entrepreneurial-design-for-extreme-affordability-2013-the-story-of-a-pen"/>
                
                
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2007/12/23/www-dlightdesign-org-matching-generous-donors-with-aspiring-families"/>
                
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    <rss:image rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/logo.png">
        <rss:title>let there d.light!</rss:title>
        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light</rss:link>
        <rss:url>http://www.socialedge.org/logo.png</rss:url>
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    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/07/06/getting-the-d-juice-flowing">

        <rss:title>Getting the d.juice flowing</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/07/06/getting-the-d-juice-flowing</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>This last saturday we held our first design training for d.light's India team and it was awesome!  A huge thank you to Sarah and Joe for their participation and coaching.  The design process is certainly all about practice - and if felt great to get back to our roots and go out - observe - synthesize - brainstorm - prototype - and create. Also -  a quick plug for all PD's to check out: http://dlightdesign.com/jobs/JD-PD-India.pdf</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          Our team keeps growing, and somehow we keep expanding the number of amazing people participating in d.light's extended family.&amp;nbsp; This weekend was a good example.&amp;nbsp; My girlfriend Sarah, who had led the executive education programs at the d.school,&amp;nbsp; took on the task of leading a highly accelerated&amp;nbsp; full design training&amp;nbsp; with a&amp;nbsp; motley crew of&amp;nbsp; hard core sales staff, marketers,&amp;nbsp; admins, mba's,&amp;nbsp; social change agents,&amp;nbsp; and&amp;nbsp; designers.&amp;nbsp; It was super fun and our new team-India excelled at bonding and tackling the ambiguous job of being 'designers.'&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Our job was to improve the 'lunch' experience for street vendors.&amp;nbsp; From the git go we learned all about being open, observation skills, and key interviewing tactics.&amp;nbsp; Then we hit the road in 2 teams with notebooks and cameras, spending the lunch hours with our users and collecting tons of juicy stories which later found their way onto white boards, walls, and windows as pictures and post-it notes.&amp;nbsp; From there we extruded our deepest insights into a single point-of-view statement, and amidst some healthy laughter we brainstormed all the possible solutions to meet our street vendors needs.&amp;nbsp; The day ended to music and some ubber rapid prototyping with random styrofoam, card-board, and other office supplies turning into mobile vendor carts, loudspeakers, and stamp pressing machines.&amp;nbsp; Based on the looks of others who passed by our 'war room' - activities like this were definitely NOT going on in most of the corporate offices around Delhi last Saturday ;)&amp;nbsp; It was a great first step and eye opener for our new team here, and an important step in our gaol to make to making everybody in d.light's operations, whether they are in sales or finance, a great designer - filled with understanding and empathy for our customers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thanks Sarah &amp;amp; thanks Joe for leading a wonderful day.&amp;nbsp; Thanks Mr. India for coming up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
PS:&amp;nbsp; For any and all of you amazing product designers out there who are looking for a killer job.. please check out our latest posting in India:&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="http://dlightdesign.com/jobs/JD-PD-India.pdf"&gt;http://dlightdesign.com/jobs/JD-PD-India.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-07-06T11:38:05-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-07-08T11:47:27-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/29/28yr-old-kamla-devy">

        <rss:title>28yr Old Kamla Devy</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/29/28yr-old-kamla-devy</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>d.light was created, funded, and is fueled by stories.  I particularly like the story of Kamla Devy and her husband Udayveer. I was shocked, amazed, and really excited when Kamla's husband, Udayveer, called up 2 friday's ago with an announcement...</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          We first met 28yr old Kamla Devy 8 months ago.&amp;nbsp; We stayed at her house, ate with her family, and learned the rhythms of her life.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
4:30am - Kamla is up at the crack of dawn to sweep and fodder the families buffalos by moonlight&lt;br /&gt;
5:00am - Kamla begins milking the buffalos one by one in the darkness of the shed&lt;br /&gt;
5:30am - Kamla makes butter and paneer for the family with 1 of the 6 liters of milk. She will sell the other 5 litres to supplement the families farming income&lt;br /&gt;
6:00am - Kamla's husband Udayveer returns from his morning prayers, and the family drinks chai together made from fresh buffalos milk&lt;br /&gt;
6:30am-6:30pm - the family works in the fields, mostly tending to the wheat crop&lt;br /&gt;
7:00pm - Kamla makes chapatis for the family, working by the dying light of the earthen fire&lt;br /&gt;
7:30pm-&amp;nbsp; The family eats together&lt;br /&gt;
8:00pm - Kamla's 2 eldest sons begin studying by the light of a kerosene lantern.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Their lives have significantly changed now.&amp;nbsp; Kamla was one of the earliest prototypers of the first rev of the Nova Solar Light.&amp;nbsp; She absolutlely loved it, and when the newer manufactured versions started being sold in India, her husband Udayveer got one.&amp;nbsp; And then 13 neighbors bought them.&amp;nbsp; And then we started getting calls.&amp;nbsp; Almost daily.&amp;nbsp; Udayveer needed more lights.&amp;nbsp; Other villages wanted them.&amp;nbsp; The most amazing thing happened 2 friday's ago, when Udayveer called up to say that he needed another 200 lights urgently, and that he was willing to sell 3 of his buffalo to get the working capital to make it happen.&amp;nbsp; He wanted to become an impromptu d.light distributor!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is exactly what we were hoping for. More Udayveers.&amp;nbsp; More Kamla's.&amp;nbsp; Our lights are finally getting deeper and deeper into the villages and are making a big impact on the lives of thousands of people.&amp;nbsp; I'll keep you updated as this story progresses.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img width="175" height="200" alt="Kamla Devy, 28 years old" src="./resolveUid/482279ef9b0bf1c468b145ec4cd4b3b6/image_mini" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Kamla using one of d.light's early Nova protoypes
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-06-29T12:00:54-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-06-29T12:00:54-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/18/it-feels-like-day-1">

        <rss:title>It feels like day 1</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/18/it-feels-like-day-1</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>This has been one of the most exciting weeks for me in d.light.  We've moved into our new branch office in Noida, UP, and are adding almost 1 person everyday!  The team is incredible and work is exhilarating.  The best thing thats happened to me in d.light in the last 4 months is surrounding myself with all these awesome and motivated employees.</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The last few days felt exactly like the end of June 2007 when it all started in d.light's first office in Mountain View, CA.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; Fast forward&amp;nbsp; 1 year to India - and I&lt;/span&gt; had 4 people in our new office in Noida, UP, India on Monday, 5 people on Tuesday, 6 on Thursday, and 7 on Friday.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The 8th came on Monday and we hiring in another today.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Meanwhile &amp;ndash; its absolute mayham with all hands on board.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Containers of products are arriving in the ports, we are getting distributor requests almost on an hourly basis from all over&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;the world, the media is abuzz, web companies, designers, media, distributors and customers are calling into the new office, and meanwhile we are cranking out fliers, posters, finalizing pricing on new products, and reaching out to our corporate and institutional partners.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I got home the other day to speak with Ned and I could barely breathe, the whole day I would&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;literally start an email, get&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;through one paragraph before taking a call, which led to 2 emails half started, then a group meeting, then a distributor would arrive in the office, then some vendors.. and when I stopped to look around I noticed that literally everybody in the entire office, was embroiled in a similar level&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;of extreme multi-tasking.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;We are&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;literally co-creating a sub-culture within d.light for India and I&amp;rsquo;m am soo excited with the awesome awesome caliber of people we&amp;rsquo;ve got.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Its taken months &amp;ndash; but we've built a great team - d.light quality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
To put this in perspective, I have worked with a lot of teams before, but I have never worked with a group of people who were complete strangers several days earlier, and who come from different industries, speak different languages, and yet are able, without any orientations or prompting, to create magic and jam so fast and so well.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Here&amp;rsquo;s to India - here's to Team-India - &lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;/span&gt;and lets go sell some lights! &lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-06-18T02:02:20-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-06-18T02:02:20-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/02/the-king-size-bed-sheet-revelation">

        <rss:title>The King Size Bed Sheet Revelation</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/06/02/the-king-size-bed-sheet-revelation</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>I don't like shopping. and i'm not a huge fan of Pink. but looking for bedsheets made me realize getting local staff and local designers is a higher priority than I would have thought.  welcome to the king size bed sheet revelation... and its impact on growing a global corporate culture.</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I have a king size bed with bright pink sheets.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;100% true.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;They were the only ones in the store that fit the bed &amp;ndash; &lt;span style="font-family: Wingdings;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;J&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Its laughable though &amp;ndash; because Sarah and I went out the day after we bought them to try and find some more toned down colors. We ended up looking in the local textile market called Lajpat Nagar, which has just about anything you could dream of &amp;ndash; but the vast majority of the towels, sheets, curtains, etc won&amp;rsquo;t last that many washes.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Then we looked in high end but eco/social stores&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;like Fab India, with excellent quality, and then the in-betweens, like big-bazaar and the home store, which are &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;situated in India&amp;rsquo;s new mega malls.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Anyway &amp;ndash; as we bargained with the storekeepers in Lajpat Nagar, or sorted through the bulk bins in Big Bazaar, there was almost nothing that suited our tastes.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Lots of paisley patterns and garish colorings.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;In fact &amp;ndash; we didn&amp;rsquo;t even find one sheet set in the whole mall that came with either 2 sheets (top and bottom.. they all just came with one) and/or one plain solid color.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;It just wasn&amp;rsquo;t there.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I wasn&amp;rsquo;t looking for a plain solid color, but I also can&amp;rsquo;t imagine not having that option available.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Nor could we imagine selling a bed sheet set with only one sheet.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;That wouldn&amp;rsquo;t be the American or Canadian reality.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In the taxi on the way home, I was remarking that Xian, d.light&amp;rsquo;s chief product designer, wouldn&amp;rsquo;t be caught dead sleeping in those patterns.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;In the midst of chuckling over the possibility, it became so glaringly obvious how out of our element d.light sometimes is &amp;ndash; trying to remotely design for the Indian, and rural Indian at that, customer.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;No matter&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;how much time we spend in villages &amp;ndash; we as foreigners still can&amp;rsquo;t completely appreciate all of our customers tastes and sensibilities.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
That&amp;rsquo;s why I am so happy that we now have an Indian sales team shaping up and some product designers with both architecture and mechanical engineering backgrounds that should be joining us next week!&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The office is growing &amp;ndash; and the more Indians helping us to make decisions about India the happier I am.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The tough part is going to learning how to incorporate d.light&amp;rsquo;s culture and values into a growing office, and meanwhile taking the Indian culture out of India to our other offices.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-06-02T04:10:19-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-06-02T04:10:19-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/05/27/value-for-money-is-no-joke-neither-is-for-ex-hedging">

        <rss:title>Value for Money Is no Joke.  Neither is For-ex Hedging.</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/05/27/value-for-money-is-no-joke-neither-is-for-ex-hedging</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>After our visits to several villages and towns last week, the lights work. Thats for sure -we could barely drive our car down the road without gettting stopped with another request to purchase.  That said - its troubling times for a manufacture.  I wish I had paid more attention in b-school to hedging markets and currency!  we're learning fast....</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          I'm leaving the airport in Hong Kong and reflecting on the last week.&amp;nbsp; In my last entry I spoke about a visit to rural UP.&amp;nbsp; The villages we went to were both on-grid with sporadic electricity, and completely off-grid (and these two cases were often just a 15min walk apart).&amp;nbsp; One thing I now know for sure - families love our lights.&amp;nbsp; I had not intended to sell them, as this was more of an exploratory visit - however, when it was time to go, there was a small crowd around our car wanting to purchase lights.&amp;nbsp; We had&amp;nbsp; 2 models in the car - a&amp;nbsp; solar only version, and a model that could be powered by either solar or grid electricity.&amp;nbsp; We agreed to start selling and before we knew it there were motorcycles coming in from surrounding villages and even the local brick-making baron sent one of his 'men' to collect us and bring us to his office because he wanted to buy one.&amp;nbsp; It was incredible.&amp;nbsp; In a matter of 30mins word must have traveled 30km.&amp;nbsp; So that was awesome and powerful, and boy did it feel great to sell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand - it was a troubling moment.&amp;nbsp; In case you were like me, and didn't use to check yahoo finance on a daily basis (now I do).. you can take a look at this chart.. http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&amp;amp;from=USD&amp;amp;to=INR&amp;amp;submit=Convert and you'll see something that makes my heart pound and frustrates me to no end.&amp;nbsp; The world is certainly in a state of unbelievable flux and increasingly unstable markets.&amp;nbsp; The Rupee/$ exchange rate is completely gone crazy in the last 3 weeks.&amp;nbsp; Now - d.light is a small and growing company - and one of the things we haven't, until now, prioritized, is how to hedge literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory that are being ordered and made in one currency, booked in a different currency&amp;nbsp; and sitting on boats for weeks, and then shipped to retailers and sold in a third currency.&amp;nbsp; Yikes.&amp;nbsp; Any forex hedging experts PLEASE we want to talk with you.&amp;nbsp; As we grow this adds a huge amount of risk to our company and we want to master it in our favor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lastly - in terms of the value for money equation we want to provide our customers - i couple the currency fluctuations with a 7%+ and growing inflation rate (a 42 month high for India!!!!) http://www.actionforex.com/latest-news/asian-economy/india's-inflation-rate-climbs-to-42%11month-high-of-7.61%25-2008050945440/ and we've got a situation where prices must go up. That's exactly the opposite of what I want to do for customers - many of whom are extremely value conscious.&amp;nbsp; Its tough. but its life.&amp;nbsp; We'll&amp;nbsp; just need to deal with it and if any of you readers have suggestions pls do share.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These are the wonders of a manufacturing business.&amp;nbsp; I really never thought in my life I would be so concerned about for-ex and inflation rates!&amp;nbsp; Now - if i can figure out how to upload pictures I can show some of our customers and their houses.&amp;nbsp; hopefully by next week that will be sorted -- it says access forbidden.....&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-05-27T22:13:20-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-05-27T22:13:20-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/05/18/sawed-off-shot-gun-what">

        <rss:title>Sawed off shot-gun what?</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/05/18/sawed-off-shot-gun-what</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>My girlfriend just arrived in town - and unfortunately the power went out, our water ran dry, and the thermometer is climbing.  I wish I could have welcomed her in a different way.  Tomorrow we are heading out to the villages for a few days of added roughness - intending to hold some community meetings.  These are definitely not on the tourist circuit - and this is something I really like about d.light and our community - we don't take the easy road.  Then again - we've got to be careful.</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          I'll be up at 5:30am tomorrow morning to meet with our European partners, a young doctor who used to work in Mathura district, UP and has seen first hand the after-effects of kerosene burns, and Aarthi - an amazing young women who recently joined our team full-time.&amp;nbsp; We'll be driving into rural UP for many hours into some pretty interesting small towns, district headquarters, and small villages.&amp;nbsp; Last time we went out - it was like a different world.&amp;nbsp; These small towns are way more crowded, alive, and full of the completely wonderful chaos of India than anything I've seen in Delhi.&amp;nbsp; I was also shocked to see so many guns&amp;nbsp; - something i've hardly thought about in India.&amp;nbsp; There were young men standing around in trios with holsters, and even when we got to the hotel the receptionist had a shotgun and two of the guys on a couch drinking tea were packing pistols.&amp;nbsp; I'm told this is quite a political state - and these are fairly 'wild west' areas - but I had never seen it first hand.&amp;nbsp; At one point we were going past the local police station so we stopped to ask if there were any NGO's in the town who worked in rural areas and might give us some advice.&amp;nbsp; The police said that there weren't even an NGO's registered in the whole district!&amp;nbsp; Yikes.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That said - besides just a show of bravado and potentially irresponsible behavior on our part, we do feel completely safe in the villages and perfectly comfortable as long as we are off the roads before dark.&amp;nbsp; The reality is that these areas are perhaps the worst governed, and as a result, the hardest hit by basic infrastructural failures.&amp;nbsp; and of course - electricity is one of them.&amp;nbsp; most of these families are without electricity for between 18-20hrs/day.&amp;nbsp; And the thing that really excites me about working here is the same reason that we came to india in the first place: namely- India is what i consider the hardest place in the world to succeed as a product company.&amp;nbsp; We have to be extremely low priced, while delivering high quality with extended warranties - or else we can't out compete the small scale manufacturers, black market, or established players.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When I eliminate India's southern most states from the d.light picture - where electricity is better, civic organization is better, and where a lot of other&amp;nbsp; organizations focus their ramp up - we are&amp;nbsp; left with the toughest of the toughest areas to operate.&amp;nbsp; These are&amp;nbsp; communities that need our products the most, but have the lowest ability to pay.&amp;nbsp; If we can succeed in these communities - then we can succeed in sierra leone, in Nigeria, in the heart of the congo, in ethiopia, in myanmar, in sudan, in whatever countries might come our way.&amp;nbsp; I'm not saying its sensible - and it certainly isn't our only strategy - but its&amp;nbsp; one approach that I like.&amp;nbsp; Hopefully we'll be back in a few days, in one piece, and ready to give you a download :)
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-05-18T10:25:13-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-05-18T10:25:13-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/05/08/yeah-for-growing-teams-sadness-for-myanmar">

        <rss:title>Yeah for Growing Teams | Sadness for Myanmar</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/05/08/yeah-for-growing-teams-sadness-for-myanmar</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>There really is nothing like building up a good team. I have been struggling the past few months in India essentially alone, and I'm overjoyed that we are hiring great people to re-enforce our Indian and Chinese teams.  To me, this is really what its all about - with great people I feel like we can make anything happen!  On another note.. Myanmar is a country dear to d.light's heart.. and the current events have deeply troubled us all.  We are looking for a way to support the efforts there when the time is right and with the right partners.</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          I am in good spirits lately as our Indian office and company 'set-up' chores decline and selling begins!&amp;nbsp; The last year has been a struggle no doubt.&amp;nbsp; Sometimes I feel like my d.light path resembles a long mountain climb.&amp;nbsp; I keep seeing the top of false peaks.&amp;nbsp; However - I know the summit is up there - and we're only getting closer each day.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The greatest joy is that after months of interviews we are starting to form a killer d.light team.&amp;nbsp; I know our investors and supporters have invested in us as individuals and a team - and not just in 'the idea'.&amp;nbsp; I am glad to be bringing on teammates who complement, improve upon, and strengthen our ability to communicate with customers, design products, build out distribution channels, and market our products.&amp;nbsp; Its been really interesting to see how d.lights HR needs have shifted in the last year - and I feel my greatest challenge is going to be transitioning from 'doing-it-all' to being able to best manage, encourage, and entice current and new talent.&amp;nbsp; I am indeed excited to be working with high performers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On another note: I'm deeply troubled by Myanmar and the stream of worsening news.&amp;nbsp; Our whole d.light team has previously traveled in the hardest hit areas, and we have good friends and supporters who live and work amongst the population.&amp;nbsp; I personally spent several weeks in Dec/Jan 2006/7 in villages in the Ayerwaddy Delta, which is the region directly struck by the cyclones.&amp;nbsp; The families there remain embedded in my mind and I am dearly hoping they survived.&amp;nbsp; These families were in such stark poverty and drastic need even back then for basic housing, water, food, etc, and I am desperately worried that the current destruction is going to require serious international efforts to reconcile.&amp;nbsp; They were by far and away some of the nicest, most gentle, honest and endearing communities I have ever met.&amp;nbsp; At d.light we are looking for partners who can help us provide mini solar lights to groups of families in need.&amp;nbsp; We can do this at cost once we find the right implementing partners.&amp;nbsp; I realize that food, water, and shelter are the immediate order of the day - but having seen the electricity situation pre-cyclone (almost none) I am sure that even for many months ahead the skys will be dark - and many families will be eager to illuminate their nights as they plan for the future.&amp;nbsp; Light is a very important part of the cultural and religious life of the families I visited - and I'm hoping d.light can, at least, provide a positive tool there.
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-05-08T02:28:54-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-05-08T02:28:54-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
            <dc:subject>myanmar</dc:subject>
        

    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/04/28/how-many-extra-lights-do-we-have-to-sell-every-time-i-email-our-lawyers">

        <rss:title>how many extra lights does d.light have to sell every time I email our lawyers</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/04/28/how-many-extra-lights-do-we-have-to-sell-every-time-i-email-our-lawyers</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>When will we democratizing law (or at least make it affordable)? What if the language of law was more accessible for every person - whether they are drafting a will, signing a housing lease, making a distributor contract, or incorporating a new social enterprise?  I am spending a lot of time these days (and its distracting me from my mission!) getting d.light's various subsidiaries set-up properly.  I would love to find resources that can put the maze of legal templates, case-studies, distributor and rep office contracts, and other legal matters into an intelligible and readily accessible format (google please help!!!) and for FREE.  </rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The global world is amazing.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I just got back from a trip into rural Uttar Pradesh, India, and I&amp;rsquo;m amazed to see how computers, internet, and cell phones are flourishing despite the absence of reliable electricity, and furthermore how these instruments are truly democratizing the flow of information!&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Its getting harder and harder to pull one over on anybody these days &amp;ndash; even if they are semi-literate and live in an unelectrified village. AND, its getting easy and easy for people to do business and improve their lives.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;That said, I am beginning to think that the legal profession is one of the last big barriers to democratizing business and allowing small and micro entrepreneurs to play on a level field with the corporates.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I would never have thought that over the last month I would spend 50% of my time dealing with legal and bureaucratic issues, nor, that one of d.light&amp;rsquo;s biggest expenses in the past few months would be legal. Ouch! Every time I get another monstrous bill, I keep asking myself, 'what is going on' &amp;ndash; and 'why is it costing literally thousands and thousands of dollars to complete this paperwork, especially when that money could better be put into manufacturing lights and delivered into the hands of families?'&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I was brainstorming with my friend Jeff Gupta-Smith, about how the legal profession is structured in such a way that ordinary people like ourselves are intimidated, scared, and unsure in making our own legal documents.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;However, for the most part &amp;ndash; all those documents are fairly simple/standard, except that so much weight is put on saying things in just the right manner (and unintelligible form) &amp;ndash; that it becomes almost impossible for somebody without extensive training to feel confident.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;It seems that we/lawyers/systems of justice have created a legal forms that generates billions of dollars of value (mostly for itself) essentially propogating a language that is indicepherable to the masses.&amp;nbsp; Wouldn't it be amazing if we could do a revision of the legal language (just like every other language) and make it accessible to all?&amp;nbsp; I'm dreaming of a day when anybody can go on-line, regardless of the language they speak or how fluently, and get access to great legal templates, and file and share all these docs/forms for free and instantly.&amp;nbsp; It can't be that hard...&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;On a more personal level, I can't stand distracting myself with legal details, and I want to rush out and build a great business.&amp;nbsp; Neverthess I am stuck.&amp;nbsp; So I am wondering if anybody has any suggestions as to when in a companies growth they need to worry about legal, and how important is it to set a company and legal foundation up perfectly from&amp;nbsp; the get-go? I ask and am simultaneously empathisizing will all who have passed before me in setting up global entities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-04-28T15:14:54-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-04-28T15:18:00-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/04/22/moving-overseas-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-this-difficult">

        <rss:title>Moving overseas wasn't supposed to be this difficult :)</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/04/22/moving-overseas-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-this-difficult</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>I am used to moving. I moved my whole life. In fact, for the last 7 months I was living out of a suitcase and others generosity.  I never even paid rent.  I was super excited to get to New Delhi, quickly get a house, and start team-building.... but I'm learning that operating on silicon valley and d.light time, just means that really I'll operate on India time.</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;There is a reason I've been writing so little lately.&amp;nbsp; and its because I'm so busy learning the hard way.&amp;nbsp; I was caught in a bubble of relative ease during my childhood and then MBA at Stanford.&amp;nbsp; Arriving in India, and in New Delhi in particular, to set up a global company, I have been battling with a different set of circumstances, and with a new culture that doesn't understand or value social entrepreneurship the way I want it to, and certainly not compared with its 5,000 year old history. I think this would be a challenge in any environment, but without corporate budgets and their extensive resources, I salute and want to learn from all the social entrepreneurs who are out building global companies in new countries!&amp;nbsp; I am looking for YOU and for your advice :)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Challenge Numero Uno: Housing/Office:&amp;nbsp; Moving is supposed to be fun. New. Exciting.&amp;nbsp; But I've found it to be extremely exhausting.&amp;nbsp; I grew up in a USAID household where we moved countries every 3-5yrs.&amp;nbsp; When we touched down in a capitol, there would be a driver who whisked us to our new fully furnished house, with a little spiral bound booklet of what the city had to offer, where to get good drinks and food, and what to do for fun on the weekend.&amp;nbsp; A cook would most likely be at the house and a generator at the ready in case the power went off. If we needed anything, or anything was broken, somebody would help us out.&amp;nbsp; oh - so nice. it seems a bit like a dream now.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My experience:&amp;nbsp; I got a pre-paid taxi to a $5 hotel because there is nothing really in between a 5 star $200/night and 1 star $5/night.&amp;nbsp; There was no hot water and the sheets smelled but that was fine - I was on an mission.&amp;nbsp; I didn't have internet but could get basic email on a little USB key I bought.&amp;nbsp; It was impossible to hold team meetings or make calls because my cell phone kept getting shut down.&amp;nbsp; But none of that bothered me, I had a huge network to reach out to, and I really only needed a 2 bdrm house and a couple hundred feet of office space to put some desks.&amp;nbsp; How hard could it be? Meanwhile, I could set up the legal structure for our company, deal with distributors, launch some products, and start hiring the team.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HA.. I was definitely operating on America time not India time.&amp;nbsp; The reality of India for me is that everything seems so easy and seems so possible and straightforward.. but then in reality it always, always, takes 10 times longer and is never simple.&amp;nbsp; I now budget 4 times what anybody tells me, whether its a consultant, lawyer, taxi driver, or dinner invite.&amp;nbsp; The best advice I got was from my girlfriend, who has never even been to India, who told me that I needed to start operating on India time, and stop trying to force India to operate on Sam time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thinking back on our first d.light office outside Stanford - It took me 15mins and a template I grabbed off the internet to sign our office lease, and within one day we had moved in, furnished the place off craigslist, and painted and changed the locks at wal-mart.&amp;nbsp; wow.&amp;nbsp; It took me 8 weeks to find a house here that would accept a private lease from a foreigner, 2 weeks to get my house lease squared away, and a full day of waiting in 10 different lines, and signing and thumb printing the back and front of tens of pages, just to move into a house that had nothing.. not even a refrigerator.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I was just not prepared for India - and I should have paid a consultant, friend, initial hire, somebody ANYBODY to help with this.&amp;nbsp; I always was pushing it off saying i'll hire somebody when i have an office, or I don't want to spend all the money on a consultant, but the lesson I learned is HIRE EARLY somebody who is local and help me get set up as fast as possible.&amp;nbsp; it will save tons of time in the long run.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The good news is that I have a great guest-room so one thing I can do, that is culturally appropriate, is host guests!&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-04-22T13:57:49-07:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-04-22T14:01:16-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/03/06/jobs-jobs-jobs-indian-consumer-research-human-factors-specialist">

        <rss:title>JOBS JOBS JOBS - INDIAN CONSUMER RESEARCH | HUMAN FACTORS SPECIALIST</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/03/06/jobs-jobs-jobs-indian-consumer-research-human-factors-specialist</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>dlight is staffing up in India and Hong Kong.  Come join the team :  http://www.dlightdesign.com/jobs/ I will write more about the day 2 day soon... but right now building a strong team is the most important thing on my mind!</rss:description>

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        in 4 people do not have access to electricity.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/v:group&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;span style="position: relative; z-index: 251658240;"&gt;&lt;span style="position: absolute; left: 1764px; top: -3px; width: 4632px; height: 731px;"&gt;&lt;img width="4632" height="731" alt="" src="file:///C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image006.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026 _x0000_s1027 _x0000_s1028 _x0000_s1029 _x0000_s1030 _x0000_s1031 _x0000_s1032 _x0000_s1033 _x0000_s1034" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"&gt;US&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;d.light design is hiring a consumer research and human factors specialist to research and synthesize deep consumer, market, and distribution insights which can be developed into meaningful products &amp;amp; services.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;This position will report directly to the CEO-India and operates out of our new headquarters in Noida.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The candidate must also be ready to join a rapidly growing startup and tackle multiple responsibilities, including product design, brainstorming, managing office logistics, and performing admin support as needed.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;This is an incredible opportunity to work with a high growth Silicon Valley social enterprise funded by both US and Indian investors including Mahindra &amp;amp; Mahindra, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Acumen Fund, Nexus India Capital, Gray Matters Capital and Garage Technology Ventures.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Our goal is simple &amp;ndash; to eradicate kerosene lanterns from the face of the earth.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;To do this we will become the market leader in delivering safe and affordable lighting solutions to over 1.6 billion people who currently do not have access to electricity.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Our initial focus is India, where we will provide modern lighting to the 78 million families still using kerosene lanterns.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"&gt;YOU&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;You are a self-starter.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;You can formulate and execute research plans independently, and you are able to offer creative solutions to problems.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;You are curious, patient and eager to spend multiple weeks at a time in rural &amp;amp; semi-urban UP, MP, Bihar, etc. sleeping in villages houses, building relationships and learning about our customer&amp;rsquo;s needs through observations, interviews and spending quality time experiencing their lifestyle.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;You are outgoing, have a hands-on prototyping mindset, and you are comfortable with brainstorming multiple solutions and ideas with teammates. You are adaptive and excited to join a start-up, and willing to take on a myriad of roles, which will initially include coordinating logistics, setting up our design office and assisting the CEO. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;Most importantly, you are a budding social entrepreneur, with the desire to empower the underserved and positively impact the lives of others.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;These are the things that drive you through the long hours of work and extensive travel required.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Your role is to:&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;RESEARCH &amp;amp; ANALYZE&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Spend      days and weeks interviewing and observing rural and semi-urban customers      in order to build empathy and understand their true needs &amp;amp; context,      i.e. needfinding&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Organize      customer research data &amp;amp; draw insights and build frameworks from which      d.light will make strategic &amp;amp; product design decisions&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Extensively      research current market space, including competitor products, electronics      &amp;amp; consumer goods markets, and rural &amp;amp; base-of-the-pyramid markets&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Spend      quality time with multiple members of d.light&amp;rsquo;s supply chain in order to      draw insights and innovate on d.light&amp;rsquo;s processes&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Actively      prototype viable product &amp;amp; service ideas, packaging, instruction      manuals, and marketing strategies in order to gain insights and develop      strategies&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Synthesize      customer data and effectively communicate insights and research summaries      clearly to d.light team via powerpoint, creative visuals &amp;amp; diagrams,      prototypes, emails/teleconferences, etc.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Offer      design advice and guidance as the leading &amp;lsquo;Customer Expert&amp;rsquo;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;MANAGE &amp;amp; COORDINATE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt; (until Office Manager is recruited)&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Organize      &amp;amp; supervise day-to-day administrative activities for the CEO.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Take charge of IT related issues &amp;amp;      challenges.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Provide      logistics support especially travel &amp;amp; accommodation&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;QUALIFICATIONS&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;University      degree; Engineering and/or social sciences degrees a bonus&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Hindi      &amp;amp; English fluency required, other north Indian languages a bonus&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;General      know-how of Indian business procedures.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;      &lt;/span&gt;Extensive familiarity with Delhi/Noida a bonus&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Strong      communication skills: &lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
    &lt;ul type="circle" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
        &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Able       to communicate respectfully with rural customers &lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
        &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Able       to properly coordinate &amp;amp; communicate with local &amp;amp; international       businesses&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
        &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Able       to clearly present research findings via written and visual documentation       to d.light team&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;/ul&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;2-3      years consumer product/customer/market research&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Engineering,      Product Design, Graphic Design, and Web experience a bonus&lt;u&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: none;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;COMPENSATION&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Compensation is commensurate with experience.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The Human Factors Specialist position is an integral part of creating our India team and product portfolio and will have a competitive salary.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;INTERVIEWS&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;You will favorably impress us by contacting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt;"&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:India@dlightdesign.com"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;India@dlightdesign.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt; and including your CV and either:&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;A description of a project where you used the human-centered design process to bring something new to the world&amp;mdash;especially as it relates to product design.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;OR&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Your response to this exercise: Find an environment where you can watch people who you believe are earning less than Rs. 150 per day going through daily life (such as a park, a restaurant, a transit station or vehicle, etc.)&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Spend time observing activities and interactions, documenting what you notice (in photos or diagrams for instance) and share with us your thoughts about how people&amp;rsquo;s experiences there could be enhanced, and what resulting opportunities there might be for a viable market offering.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Myriad Pro&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Following successful phone interviews, Erica Estrada (Product Engineer and VP Customer Research) will conduct personal interviews in Noida.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-03-06T13:04:57-08:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-04-09T11:35:52-07:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
            <dc:subject>hiring</dc:subject>
        

    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/24/d-light-hiring-for-vp-sales">

        <rss:title>D.LIGHT HIRING FOR VP SALES INDIA</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/24/d-light-hiring-for-vp-sales</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>If you are a social entrepreneur with sales background in India - Come join our team in Delhi!     

Please forward the job description to interested friends and alumni at http://www.dlightdesign.com/jobs/</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;JOB DESCRIPTION: VP SALES INDIA&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;US&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;d.light design is hiring a VP Sales Executive who will report directly to the CEO and build sales and distribution in India. This position is based in Delhi and is an incredible opportunity to work with a high growth Silicon Valley social enterprise funded by both US and Indian investors including Mahindra &amp;amp; Mahindra, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Acumen Fund, Nexus India Capital, Gray Matters Capital and Garage Technology Ventures. Our goal is simple &amp;ndash; to eradicate kerosene lanterns from the face of the earth. To do this we will become the market leader in delivering safe and affordable lighting solutions to over 1.6 billion people who currently do not have access to electricity.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Our initial focus is India, where we will provide modern lighting to the 78 million families still using kerosene lanterns. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;YOU&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;You are passionate social entrepreneur, driven to create change and improve the lives of millions of Indian families. You are a great salesmen, with a successful track record and at least seven years experience executing sales and marketing initiatives in India. You are extremely entrepreneurial and creative in acquiring partners and leveraging resources. You are driven to succeed and willing to travel extensively and work long hours to propel d.light. Finally, you are a team builder, ready to build increasingly sophisticated sales teams and a leader that inspires others and acts with the utmost honesty and integrity.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Your role is to : &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: none;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Lead&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Create sales and distribution strategies for rural and peri-urban environments&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Build the d.light brand by managing a national distribution network and sales force&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Measure distributor and sales team progress against leading indicators&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Sell&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Market test products new to the Indian market and consumer&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Hit high volume targets in 18 months for d.light&amp;rsquo;s first five products&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Engage a range of distribution partners, including multi-national corporations, regional distributors, non-governmental organizations, and government offices&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Manage key accounts including negotiating pricing and terms with distributors&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Plan&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Forecast sales volumes, profit margins, and net profit and achieve clearly defined, mutually agreed upon revenue/gross profit targets&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Manage and meet marketing expense budgets&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Innovate&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Develop and continuously evaluate promotional and advertising activities&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Deliver innovative business models, branding, and marketing approaches&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Work closely with d.light design&amp;rsquo;s manufacturing and design officers to consistently improve our product line &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: none;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Qualifications&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Masters Level Degree&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Strong direct and remote sales skills. Extremely comfortable dealing at senior levels. Must bring strong negotiating skills and ability to close&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Intimate knowledge of rural Indian customer needs.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Hindi fluency required.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;At least seven years direct experience marketing, selling, and building distribution networks in rural and peri-urban India&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Knowledge and experience working with distributor networks in India&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Excellent communications skills: Must have experience crafting and presenting effective proposals, and bring strong demonstrations skills&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;middot;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Responsible and resourceful manager who operates effectively without supervision &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Compensation&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Compensation is commensurate with experience. The VP Sales position is an integral part of our team and will have a competitive combination of salary and equity. The candidate is joining a pre-Series A start-up and should expect a modest base salary and high equity upside. As entrepreneurs, we earn our salary through results which convert into big returns!&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: none;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Interviews&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Interested parties should contact &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="FR"&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:india@dlightdesign.com"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;india@dlightdesign.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt; and include their CV and a statement off interest. Following successful phone interviews, the CEO, Sam Goldman, will&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;conduct personal interviews in Delhi.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"&gt;
&lt;v:stroke joinstyle="miter" /&gt;
&lt;v:formulas&gt;
&lt;v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" /&gt;
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&lt;v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" /&gt;
&lt;o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" /&gt;
&lt;/v:shapetype&gt;&lt;v:shape id="Picture_x0020_362" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:273.15pt;
margin-top:43.5pt;width:188.85pt;height:161.9pt;z-index:2;visibility:visible;
mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;
mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;
mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;
mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text'&gt;
&lt;v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Sam\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png"
o:title="" cropright="13184f" /&gt;
&lt;/v:shape&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;span style="position: absolute; z-index: 2; left: 0px; margin-left: 364px; margin-top: 58px; width: 252px; height: 216px;"&gt;&lt;img width="252" height="216" alt="" src="file:///C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_362" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if gte vml 1]&gt;&lt;v:shape id="Picture_x0020_360"
o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="jyotimother" style='position:absolute;
left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:-10.35pt;margin-top:43.45pt;width:244.05pt;
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&lt;v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Sam\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.jpg"
o:title="jyotimother" /&gt;
&lt;/v:shape&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;span style="position: absolute; z-index: 1; left: 0px; margin-left: -14px; margin-top: 58px; width: 325px; height: 216px;"&gt;&lt;img width="325" height="216" src="file:///C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.jpg" alt="jyotimother" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_360" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;"&gt;Are you excited? Are you ready to sell millions of lights?&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a rel="me" href="http://technorati.com/claim/kmwv2ge7j2" /&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-02-24T10:58:41-08:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-02-29T15:47:56-08:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/20/government-scheme-1-154-the-legend-of-the-biogas-stove">

        <rss:title>Government Scheme #1,154: The Legend of the Biogas Stove</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/20/government-scheme-1-154-the-legend-of-the-biogas-stove</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>A short story of government interventions in the social space at first was depressing.  However, I then met an NGO from Orissa, Gram Vikas, who picked up the government contracts and did an outstanding job.  I wonder how a for-profit social entrepreneur would have faired?</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;One of d.light&amp;rsquo;s all-star engineers, Erica Estrada, visited villages in MP during January and February, and shared the story below.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The story is relevant because I recently met with the founder and executive director of Gram Vikas, an innovative NGO and pioneer in sanitation work in east India.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;They took over the government contract for providing biogas stoves to villages in Orissa and did an incredible job, building over 54,000 biogas plants with an astonishingly high rate of operation.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Hearing Erica&amp;rsquo;s story reconfirmed my convictions that we need to move quickly to provide private sources of lighting to families, because the switch from kerosene to electricity, both of which are controlled by the government will be slow in the coming.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;This is especially true in Northern India.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;***&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;While touring a very &amp;quot;off-the-beaten-path&amp;quot; village in MP, we kept noticing these huge concrete structures near people's houses. &amp;nbsp;The structures came in threes: One concrete dome approximately 5ft in diameter, and 2 concrete tubs each about the size of a western bath tub. &amp;nbsp;The building materials seemed like an anomaly among the earthen essence of the village houses. &amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We asked one of the villagers about the structures, and what their use was. &amp;nbsp;She explained that it was part of a 'government scheme' to bring bio-gas to villages. &amp;nbsp;It was a breath of fresh air after seeing the lack in availability of kerosene and the prohibitive price of diesel. &amp;nbsp;Biofuel--what a great idea! &amp;nbsp;We started asking the lady how the system worked, and were eager to work our way to finding out the impact it's had on her life. &amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The conversation starting dying when we realized that she had no idea how the system worked, and that it had been sitting in her yard for about 5 years. &amp;nbsp;She explained that this was of no use to her because she doesn't own any kind of gas-lamp or gas-stove! &amp;nbsp;A few years back the head minister of the state was coming for a visit, and so some thought that it would be a great idea to show-off the 'great work' that they are doing for the local villages. &amp;nbsp;They started the 'scheme,' the minister came and went, and the work for the scheme ended at about the time the minister was getting back into his car to move to his next stop. &amp;nbsp; Somewhere in this whirlwind of politics and scheming, they forgot to talk to the villagers and find out whether or not they owned any gas-operated appliances.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;And so now these giant concrete structures sit--in the graveyard of government schemes.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-02-20T19:17:05-08:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-02-20T19:17:05-08:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/14/from-washing-machines-to-chimney-lanterns-the-good-the-bad-and-the-fruitful">

        <rss:title>From washing machines to chimney lanterns:  The Good, The Bad, and the Fruitful</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/02/14/from-washing-machines-to-chimney-lanterns-the-good-the-bad-and-the-fruitful</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>I have been on 3 continents in the last three weeks. We shipped our first containers of lights several weeks ago and had 7 people staying in North Indian villages investigating new products.  Momentum is up and we are wading head first into the tangled, complicated, and unfortunately highly unethical waters of Indian imports, distribution, and sales.  However, our hands and hearts remain clean.</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The Good&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;First off - It feels GOOD to ship containers of our own d.light manufactured lights. &lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;/span&gt;We shipped a container to India, and container orders are coming in from other countries as the pace of adoption picks up.&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;After one and half years of 18hr days, we are starting to see some results!!!&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;That said, life is busy.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Last week I returned to the US for a few days to say goodbye to friends and family, and I am currently in Europe for a few days on my way to India. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;Next week I&amp;rsquo;ll start searching for my new house in India. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;I am really excited to move.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I love all the bustle and growth around Delhi, people&amp;rsquo;s faces seem full of expectation and anticipation of a more prosperous future, and it&amp;rsquo;s a great mix side-by-side with India&amp;rsquo;s abundance of culture and history.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The Bad&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;It is sad leaving California and my great friends there. Living in Delhi is also terrible on my lungs and its hard to work off the 18hr days without any meaningful exercise.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Stepping off the plane is a little like opening the door to one of those smoking rooms in the airport and just never coming out.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;When I arrived in San Francisco last week it was a dream &amp;ndash; the sun so bright I had to squint and the air so light and pure.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;But, I am ready for the transition back. Of course, even the delhi air is nothing compared to what the villagers put up with at night, when the women cook over cow dung fires, and the children cluster around fires and kerosene lanterns for warm, inhaling the noxious fumes.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;And The Fruitful&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Last month, we had 7 people staff in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for a couple weeks.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;They spent time interviewing families, sleeping in villages, demonstrating products to distributors, and learning about how goods make it from Delhi, or Bombay, or Chennai (the port towns) through India&amp;rsquo;s web of intermediaries and freight forwarders, and into the very discriminating hands of small town shopkeepers and rural customers.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;We will have some great stories and photos up on our new website soon (&lt;a href="http://www.dlightdesign.com/"&gt;www.dlightdesign.com&lt;/a&gt;), and some new products are coming out of these explorations.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;One thing is certain, there is absolutely nothing in Delhi that compares with sleeping in the villages.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I LOVED it.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Peace and quiet.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;No horns. Great food. Generosity.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;It was really important for me to reconnect with rural families making a hard living farming, and to understand what is front and center on their minds (ie agriculture and getting water for their fields).&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;It was also sad to help young children out with their homework by the light of dung fires.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I could barely see their books and the smoke made my eyes sting and water.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;They seemed used to it, but when I broke down and provided one of our lights to see how behavior would change all the students migrated below it.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Now the eternal challenge - how to make it affordable to these families.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;That&amp;rsquo;s what we are going to figure out.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2008-02-14T14:23:42-08:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-02-14T14:23:42-08:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
    </rss:item>

    
    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/01/10/entrepreneurial-design-for-extreme-affordability-2013-the-story-of-a-pen">

        <rss:title>Entrepreneurial Design for EXTREME AFFORDABILITY – The Story of a Pen</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2008/01/10/entrepreneurial-design-for-extreme-affordability-2013-the-story-of-a-pen</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>A micro case-study from China and India in EXTREME Affordability.  Can a 12 cent pen make a social entrepreneur?

Also please support www.DLIGHTDESIGN.ORG and Dalit communities in India!</rss:description>

        <content:encoded>
          <![CDATA[
          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt; Back at Stanford in Jan 2006 I strolled into my favorite class, &amp;lsquo;Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability&amp;rsquo;, and like the other students, I was eager to learn how to make affordable products for underserved populations.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;In the last few months, I have learned that many of the answers are already out there &amp;ndash; they are just framed far differently. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;--------------------------&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In November I was in the tiny village of Rajugela, in Mathura, UP, visiting the India Schoolhouse Fund.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I also took time to learn about the villages improving infrastructure.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;A paved road, some electrical lines that have been working mostly of late, but sometimes go off for 18 days at a time, and their hopes for pumped water soon.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;That evening I visited a tailor to ask him about light.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;He tried out our new light, the NOVA, and loved it.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;He then explained that when the power is out he seldom does work, but when he does, he uses a little pen light to thread the needle, and then a couple kerosene lanterns for general lighting.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;He loved our light and said he could easily sew with it.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I paused and asked him about the pen he has showed me.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;My guide that night, a teacher at the school, was using the same little pen light to show me around the unlit dirt and cobblestones alleys weaving between the houses.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;It was a faint bluish light, a joke really compared to the NOVA, which I was using on its lowest setting.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I hadn&amp;rsquo;t thought much the pen light when we were walking.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The tailor said, &amp;ldquo; I replace the pen about every 3 weeks and it costs 5 Rs each time.&amp;rdquo;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I asked to buy the pen. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;An incredible story was becoming clear.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Everything that I had been taught in the Stanford course was being done, right here before my eyes, without any of my lofty intentions, and in a much much MUCH less expensive way than any of us students could have imagined or designed.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Somehow, the tailor in a village that&amp;rsquo;s a train ride, bus, and donkey cart from Delhi, was able to purchase a working pen that seemed at the outset to beat out a Bic in quality and looks, with a working LED penlight on top, for 12 cents, made, delivered, marked-up, and retailed.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I challenge anybody anywhere to beat that.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I was taught that poorer families heavily discount future earnings, and they much prefer to payout less now and sacrifice future savings, even at the expense of quality.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I don&amp;rsquo;t think anyone can beat a 12 cent pen and working light.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Even though its minimal, and less bright than a candle, it still works. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;You can buy a new one every week for months and months before they would cost the same as the average flashlight, which by the way, would only last about 1yr anyway&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;As a designer, I cannot help my own bias&amp;rsquo;s.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I would have been hard pressed to imagine that a faint, almost pathetic single LED blue light, with a lifetime of a few hours, would be a substitute for flashlights.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I would be ashamed to have it under my &amp;lsquo;brand&amp;rsquo; and I would be comfortable selling millions less lights, but selling lights of &amp;lsquo;quality.&amp;rsquo;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;And yet, it was evident, even for better-of families, like the gentleman showing me around, who could easily have afforded much more, that this pen was ENOUGH.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I am learning that I still don&amp;rsquo;t know what is GOOD ENOUGH, and what is not good enough, and how pennies affect that decision.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I say it and say it but I am having a hard time practicing it &amp;ndash; perfect is the enemy of the good.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I am also committed to scale.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The kind of impact I want to have on the world is measured in tens of millions.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Those pen lights are entrepreneurial design for extreme affordability in every sense of the words.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;They must be manufacturing them for about 6 cents in China.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;That means they have cost reduced every micrometer of that product, and shipped gazillions around the world to get economies of scale. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;And they will continue to do so, and I would never have previously thought of them as social entrepreneurs.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;And they probably aren&amp;rsquo;t doing it so that tailors can stay up a little later and make a little more money, or villagers can save money on bad flashlights and batteries and put their savings elsewhere&amp;hellip;. But they are doing millions of people a great service.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Tata gets so much acknowledgement for a $2500 car&amp;hellip; but what about these guys?&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Maybe they should be blogging not me.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Or perhaps I should go find that factory and learn from their designers.&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In the meantime, lets help a few villages.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Please don&amp;rsquo;t forget to support &lt;a href="http://www.dlightdesign.org/"&gt;www.DLIGHTDESIGN.ORG&lt;/a&gt; and the Dalit communities of Karnataka!&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
          ]]>
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        <dc:date>2008-01-10T21:39:04-08:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2008-01-11T03:34:06-08:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
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    <rss:item rdf:about="http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2007/12/23/www-dlightdesign-org-matching-generous-donors-with-aspiring-families">

        <rss:title>WWW.DLIGHTDESIGN.ORG - Matching Generous Donors with Aspiring Families</rss:title>

        <rss:link>http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/let-there-d-light/archive/2007/12/23/www-dlightdesign-org-matching-generous-donors-with-aspiring-families</rss:link>       

        <rss:description>We decided that to acheive our mission to eradicate kerosene lanterns, we would have to provide lighting solutions for free to those families that can't afford even 50cents for improved lighting.  Therefore, we have partnered with OWCF and REDS and generous donors can now provide tax-deductible donations and sponsor solar lighting for families in Karnataka India still living without electricity. </rss:description>

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          &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you want to make a tax deductible donation and provide improved lighting please visit &lt;a href="http://www.DLIGHTDESIGN.ORG"&gt;WWW.DLIGHTDESIGN.ORG&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We will be improving the website over the next week to make the donation process easier but I wanted to blog about d.light.ORG because&amp;nbsp;many of our families and friends want to donate during the holidays.&amp;nbsp; In fact, on Friday, the donations from a generous foundation will&amp;nbsp;provide&amp;nbsp;several hundred&amp;nbsp;Dalit families in Karataka with improved lighting!&amp;nbsp; I am looking forward to visiting those families in 2008 to witness the impact lights are having on their lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Dlightdesign.org came about after I visited REDS twice during my trips to India.&amp;nbsp; I wrote about one trip&amp;nbsp;to the Dalit community in an earlier blog.&amp;nbsp; I visited families their who&amp;nbsp;are living&amp;nbsp;by&amp;nbsp;the light of little whisky bottles they fill with kerosene, and I heard stories about how they would wake up in the morning and wipe black soot off their faces where the carbon would settle from the lanterns they left burning dimly at night.&amp;nbsp; Their children can't study at night easily, and the kerosene costs a significant fraction of their total income, especially for the families who were living under plastic tarps or grass huts.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;We at d.light were&amp;nbsp;determined to help REDS deliver improved lighting to the&amp;nbsp;most needy families they worked with.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, I was familiar with One World's Children Fund (OWCF) and the terrific work they have done championing projects overseas and allowing US donors to provide tax deductible assitance to international projects.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;It has truly been a pleasure to work with the&amp;nbsp;inspirational founders and staff at both REDS and OWCF.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile,&amp;nbsp;we are very proud&amp;nbsp;to provide solar lighting to these families in Karnataka.&amp;nbsp; Erica is just back from 20 days visiting families in UP who were using our lights.&amp;nbsp; She observed first hand&amp;nbsp;that their children are studying on average 1.5 hours per night with our lights, a huge improvement, and both farmers&amp;nbsp;and tailors told her&amp;nbsp;they are saving up to 25Rs a week (over 50cents/week) using the lights to water their fields, tend to buffalos and other animals, and sow crops.&amp;nbsp; Finally, women are using the lights both to prepare meals in the morning and at nighttime, and the family usually eats and socializes by the d.light.&amp;nbsp; All the families she met wanted to buy a 2nd light which is great!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Something that's less important to the families, but very important to d.light and many donors, is that each solar lantern not only provides a huge increase in standard of living, but also dramatically reduces carbon emissions which would otherwise be emitted by the dim but polluting kerosene lanterns.&amp;nbsp; Therefore, donating solar lanterns also plays a&amp;nbsp;needed role in reducing global warming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please do spread the word and donate a light for a family by visiting &lt;a href="http://www.dlightdesign.org"&gt;www.dlightdesign.org&lt;/a&gt;!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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        </content:encoded>        

        <dc:date>2007-12-23T22:20:28-08:00</dc:date>

        <dc:modified>2007-12-23T22:20:28-08:00</dc:modified>

        <dc:creator>Sam Goldman</dc:creator>

        
            <dc:subject>REDS</dc:subject>
        
        
            <dc:subject>One World Children's Fund</dc:subject>
        

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