005, Rick Hooper, Barefoot Power

As a Vice President for Philips Electronics, Rick Hooper was actively involved in Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR. While in Thailand, he and his wife supported a local school and charity. There, he began to see the difference that for-profit companies can make.

Today, Rick is the CEO of Barefoot Power, a for-profit social enterprise that assists people in developing countries to access affordable renewable energy while reducing poverty and creating new markets. Today, Barefoot Power has revenues in the tens of millions of dollars.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

The trend toward and the challenges of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The ambition of the developing countries. Barefoot Power’s business model. The economic ecosystem required for Barefoot Power to do its work. The role of the micro-entrepreneur and microfinance in lifting people out of poverty. New, innovative approaches to lighting up the rural country side.

Rick also has advice to offer more experienced business leaders who are considering an encore career in a social enterprise.

Resources:

Barefoot Power on the Web: http://barefootpower.com/

Barefoot Power on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1280445

Barefoot Power on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarefootPower/

24 Hours of Reality: https://www.climaterealityproject.org/24hoursofreality