NextStep conférence, networking et entrepreneurs

NextStep

Apprenti
29 Déc 2011
1
0
9
Shanghai
NextStep revient le Mardi 14 Aout pour une nouvelle conférence !


Nous souhaitons la bienvenue à Yotam Ariel, fondateur de Bennu solaire, afin de discuter avec nous de son parcours et de la façon dont il a réussi à construire son entreprise pour fournir à des milliers d'Africains de l'énergie propre en utilisant les forces du marché et en concurrençant les conglomérats Chinois de fabrication de panneaux solaires.

Rejoignez-nous pour savoir comment les méthodes prométantes de M. Auriel ont transformé l'industrie solaire! De plus, notre hote du jour est devenu un conseiller fréquent à la Fondation des Nations Unies, et cité à plusieurs reprises par le New York Times en raison de son leadership entrepreneurial dans l'énergie.

A la fin de la conférence, profitez de l'occasion pour prendre un verre et prendre soin de votre carnet d'adresses !

Entrée gratuite

Prix spécial sur les boissons

horaire : 19 - 21.30




Rejoignez nous au Bloc 2 / F, 139-19 Changle Lu, près de Ruijin Lu
长乐 路 139-19 号 2 楼, 近 瑞金 路 Proche station de métro Shanxi Nan Lu.
 
On pourra avoir un compte rendu de cette soirée pour ceux qui sont loin ( de chez EEEUUUUuuuxxxx [/KTV off]
 
Hop voilà le review ;)

Aussi dispo ici : Lien retiré

Conf super intéressante!

About Yotam Ariel
As soon as I stepped into Bloc’s top floor, I recognized Lien retiré since he was carrying some kind of plastic LED bulb. He handed his triangle business card to me, and said :
“You see, that’s what the world is, a pyramid. Bill Gates and his friends are sitting here, on the top of it. It’s really small because they’re not that much. Then you and me, we’re under them, not so far actually. And the biggest part, at the bottom of the pyramid, represents all these people who live in poverty, can’t afford electricity or light. Well, my goal is to link them, and by doing so, to put them on top of the pyramid. As individuals, their weight is very limited. But as a group, they’re heavier than Bill & Co.”
Martin Luther King Jr said one day : “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”
That’s what Yotam does : giving access to light & electricity to all of these people, by uniting them in order to place group purchases of solar products, and by doing so, pulling poor people out of poverty.
That gives local dealers in Africa and other countries the leverage they would never have if they were dealing directly with the producers. Thanks to Bennu Solar, they now obtain better prices, and better after sales service! Consider it as the social Groupon of the solar industry.
A (very) dark presentation
The ice breaker was quite efficient. Yotam asked us “Can you remember the last time you experienced an electricity shortage? Can you spend a couple of days without electricity?”. Since no one could remember, he offered us to experience it. The lights went off, and he lit a little candle. “Now, that’s what a lot of people in this world are using as sole source of light”, he said.
- The room being so dark, all the attention was suddenly carried to Yotam, and all cellphones went off, making anyone using it really obvious. That is truly the best and most impressive way to make sure your audience is focusing on you. I never thought about that before, but I’ll use someday it for sure! -
Today, things can change since he helps local dealers to access LED solar products, such as this plastic bulb, which contains a simple rechargeable battery, 4 LED lights, and a small solar panel. This product is sold about 10 USD to the final user (usually villagers in poor countries).
This is quite an investment for them, since they spend an average of 2 USD per month for lighting (using a kerosene lamp). But once these 10 USD are spent, the light can be used for 2 years, then the battery can be replaced for 1USD, and it goes for another 2 years.
That’s where we realized how lucky we are. For us, lights equals a simple push on a switch. For these people, it means way more than this, and this solar light helps them to leave this circle of poverty they’ve been stuck in for years.
I could tell you about the various examples we learnt about that night, but I’ll let you contact Yotam if you want to hear more stories! He’s now working on a platform to unite all the local re sellers, simplify the order process, and allow them to provide efficient feedback & tracking about products which are breaking down.
To sum up, I’d say that was a great presentation, making you realize we’re leaving in some kind of bubble while most people struggle every day to get access to very basic things such as light!
The place
Bloc was a great location to host the event. Next Step booked their second floor, making it private and ideal for a business presentation. They also offered good deals on drinks (great Cocktails at 35RMB), and free finger food which really made me consider coming back for dinner very soon. The service was really good too (I never say no to some extra smile, and there were plenty of it!)
Next Step & Networking
Following the presentation, we had the usual networking time, sharing business cards and stories, the usual stuff. Next Step once again did a good job about gathering people from various horizons, and this is a good opportunity to meet new people every time!
I’ll keep you posted about their coming events (and as you may have seen, I added an event section to the right of that blog).