The incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in low-middle income countries (LMIC) is up to six times higher than in developed countries. SSI can be prevented by ensuring that instruments are clean and sterile between procedures. In the developing world, this proves difficult with limited resources. Current methods for decontaminating surgical instruments involve a bleach soak, which does not effectively remove the organic matter, and the bleach itself is corrosive to the stainless steel tools. SurgeCare is a locally sourced solution in the form of a foot-powered surgical instrument washer, which utilizes pressurized and recycled water, has the potential to provide surgeons in LMIC with clean instruments, thus decreasing the frequency of infection related to surgery.
Current farming practices are degrading soil at a rate of 75,000 acres per day, with about a third of global soil considered severely degraded and the remaining projected to last only 60 years. By reducing agricultural productivity, soil degradation is responsible for a global annual economic loss of $27.3-billion. ArboSol addresses this problem locally–in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV)–where soil degradation is anticipated to cost California $3-billion in annual revenue and up to 64,000 jobs by 2030. ArboSol uses a novel sunlight-powered desalination to remove salts from saline agricultural drainage; producing a high-purity water that can be reused for irrigation. Through a leasing model, ArboSol will partner with corporations operating in the SJV to collect salts for resale. By implementing ArboSol on a large scale (15% of agricultural fields in the SJV), the effects of soil salinization can be reversed, while producing $59-million worth of salt each year.
Solanga builds solar powered community centers, or Solanga Hubs, in areas that lack electricity. The Hubs provide people valuable services at affordable prices – such as cell phone charging stations, computers, televisions, well-lit study or social gathering spaces in the evening and electric water pumps. These services are sold on a per-use basis. The Hubs are 3rd party financed. Solanga’s business model lowers the cost of critical services to individuals by scaling and centralizing the energy system for the community at large. Social centers where people exchange goods, services and ideas are of utmost importance but are harder to create in the developing world due to the absence of well-lit spaces. Solanga Hubs solves this problem and also reduces CO2 emissions by minimizing the need for dirty kerosene lanterns and diesel generators. Solanga is the WeWork + Internet Cafe + library of the developing world.
The rise in home solar generation is reducing emissions from the residential building sector. However, net energy metering (NEM) policies are being phased out in many states, making residential solar projects less attractive from a financial standpoint. EMPOWER is addressing this problem through the development of a modular, affordable, residential energy management system that leverages the predictive power of modern machine learning to simultaneously optimize local energy generation, storage, and flexible loads within a house or microgrid. It integrates weather, photovoltaic, and user behavior forecasts to increase efficiency and is retrofittable to existing homes. In areas without NEM policies, EMPOWER estimates savings of over $500/yr for a product with a target price of $200-300.
Plastic waste. Poor roofing. Unemployment. Poverty. — Four developing world problems with one solution. In sixty years, the world has produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic and recycled only 9%. In developing countries, plastic waste is generally burned, releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. Quality roofing material is often unaffordable for many subsistence farmers and poor urban dwellers. Trash to Tiles (T3) addresses all of these issues by changing the paradigm to use plastic waste as a vast, profitable resource. T3’s innovative, energy and cost efficient technology produces quality, affordable roofing tiles from recycled plastic using only one machine which entrepreneurs can easily finance. Housing is made safer and more comfortable, and plastic waste and atmospheric pollution are reduced. The franchise business model empowers local entrepreneurs to achieve economic independence and enables Trash to Tiles to scale rapidly.
Healthy LiPHE is a readily accessible “one-stop-shop” mobile health application that targets disadvantaged adolescents via a youth-friendly platform. It contains features such as: Clinic Finder, Condom Finder, Sexual Health, Mental Health, Frequently Asked Questions, Ask a Question, and PHE Connect. Existing online resources are neither comprehensive nor youth-friendly and teens may turn to online resources that contain invalid information. Additionally, with the uncertainties surrounding healthcare accessibility, it is imperative now more than ever to provide an equal opportunity for youth to make healthy decisions informed by high quality health information. With these tools readily accessible on the user’s phone, Healthy LiPHE is ideal for last minute decisions, and can lead to better health outcomes in the future. Healthy LiPHE is designed to be comprehensive enough to appeal to both youth with or without prior health education. Through its engaging interface, youth will feel empowered to take control of their health.
According to the 2016-2017 Berkeley Food Institute Annual Report, 40% of all UC students are food insecure. Food security is a right, not a privilege. The current basic needs ecosystem at UC Berkeley is expansive and difficult to navigate as there are over twenty organizations that focus on the topic of food education. Because advisors are few and far between, students must navigate this complex ecosystem alone. Of the 10,000+ food insecure students on the UC Berkeley campus, less than 25% have used the most advertised and accessible resources available to them. nourishAI addresses this problem by using conversational artificial intelligence to help students navigate the complicated food insecurity ecosystem on UC campuses.
Today there are 65 million people that have been forcibly displaced, including 22.5 million refugees. As this humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, the international system is struggling to adapt. Only 2% of refugees have access to durable solutions, and the remaining options are long-term encampment, urban destitution, or a perilous informal journey. In each context, refugees lack access to relevant information and services. MarHub is building a migration management platform to transform how refugees and migrants access information and services, and how organizations and governments provide them. Short-term, MarHub’s chatbot will help refugees navigate the asylum process by providing tailored legal information and connections to NGOs. Long-term, MarHub’s integrated case management platform will help migrants and humanitarian actors work together to provide and evaluate information and services. MarHub ultimately seeks to improve access to protection and durable solutions that respect the dignity of people on the move.
Using basic behavioral finance principles and leveraging the Donor Advised Fund structure, GivingFund makes it easier for young professionals to give, give more, and give more intentionally, all through a single, online interface. Users can automatically donate a percentage of their paycheck to their personal “givingfund”. GivingFund pools the capital across funds to invest in the impact investing market, tax-free – giving users access to more deals than the average retail investor. Users can donate the returns and their original principal, to any NGO of their choice – when they want, how they want. By providing space between the monthly payment and the donation experience, and by providing a central spot to track and measure all of a user’s impact throughout the year, GivingFund believes it can turn the pain and obligation of giving that Millennials feel into joy and even excitement, and double the amount of impact capital Millennials deploy.
