Alexandria, VA – As I get into my car, set my GPS, adjust my rearview mirror, turn on my turn signal or windshield wiper, I thank the many women who designed these innovative godsends and I know their names because of the National Center of Women’s Innovations (NCWI). As I plan for my upcoming Thanksgiving feast and imagine what life would be without a mechanical dishwasher or the practical paper bag designed by women, I sigh with gratitude. Once again, women who have figured out just what is needed in a kitchen.
But I also pause and realize that many people around the world, including south of us, won’t be in warm, wonderful homes or driving their cars. They are victims of two hurricanes, acts of war, forest fires, mudslides, volcanic eruptions, or other global tragedies.
Yet, once again two remarkable women came forward to solve the need. They invented a solar light that regenerates cell phones and shines light on rescue efforts, as well as prepares adventurers and ordinary citizens for emergencies. Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshtra were Columbia U. architecture students enrolled in a disaster design course when the 2010 Haitian earthquake struck.
While many of the students geared into designing shelters, these two women discovered that lack of light once the sun went down was hindering recovery efforts. In addition, darkness was hindering daily chores and women’s safety. While there were solar flashlights at the time, they were heavy, bulky, and unhelpful for mass recovery needs. Stork and Sreshtra developed what is now called LuminAID, a portable lantern, lightweight and easily distributed inflatable, pillowlike plastic bag with a solar-powered panel to recharge the light.
Subsequently, these enterprising, compassionate ladies pursued funding through Go Fund Me, then with $1,000,000 in sales, went on Shark Tank in February 2015 and came away with new capital and Mark Cuban, a billionaire, owning 15% of the company.
Today, LuminAID Lab LLC continues with Stork and Sreshta’s leadership creating more products enabling cell phone power regeneration for emergency rescue equipment for backpackers, dog walkers, or backpackers. Their solar lanterns were recently used for rescue operations in North Carolina, Florida, and even in the not-too-distant past for the Puerto Rican hurricane onslaught! Worldwide their Lights on the Ground shines in Syria, Gaza, and throughout disaster locations spanning over 100 countries with the help of philanthropic partners.
The founders are well educated. Stork has an engineering degree from Dartmouth and a Master’s in architecture from Columbia U. and was a Kaufman Entrepreneurial fellow. Sresta received her Bachelor’s from Yale, Master’s in architecture from Columbia U., and then earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. While clearly their academic training is impressive, it is their ability to blend that training with their caring values that have made their inventions so helpful. Check them out and consider even contributing to their efforts. Learn more at luminaid.com.
Stork and Sreshta are just two more shining examples of how the world is improved with women’s inventive talents. That’s why I started the National Center of Women’s Innovations, to help shine the light on these under-recognized women. It’s been almost two years since the idea was embraced by Alexandria women, and has since grown into this blooming effort.
As an all-volunteer brigade of men and women, we are proud of our accomplishments, but we can do more. Help us to:
-proof our write-ups for the growing searchable database (containing over 1300 names)
-help promote our efforts
-assist in better managing our projects
-pursue government contracts or other key financial outreach
-sponsor an informational session in your home
-liaison with a South American educational digital producer eager to spread awareness of women innovators in Spanish.
Join our talent bank! [email protected]. Meanwhile, please add NCWI to your end-of-the-year giving list. We are positioned to:
-launch our searchable database of women innovators with an academic partner
-develop STEM hands-on programming linked to these women innovators
-unveil our interactive Dr. Gladys West traveling exhibit at Vt’ Center of Innovation string late January 2025.
Vote with your pocketbook. Let us know you support our efforts. womensinnovations.org/donate-to-ncwi/. We will be grateful this November and beyond.
