Fort Collins, Colorado
Leadership development often focuses on strategy, technology, and complex decisions. But sometimes the most meaningful lessons come from stepping outside the boardroom and connecting with real challenges communities face around the world.
During a site visit to the City of Fort Collins with participants in the RADIATE Women’s Leadership Program, U2030 leaders partnered with Engineering Brightness, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing global light poverty.
Engineering Brightness provides solar-powered lanterns to families living without reliable electricity. Many communities around the world still rely on kerosene lamps or open flames for light, creating safety and health risks.
Under the guidance of volunteers, participants learned to solder circuit boards and assemble solar lanterns by hand. Each lantern will be delivered to families in Liberia, where it will provide safe lighting for studying, cooking, and daily life.
For leaders working in the utility industry, the experience offered a powerful reminder that electricity is more than infrastructure—it is a foundation of education, safety, and opportunity.
Sometimes the impact of leadership can be seen in something as simple as a light turning on in a home thousands of miles away.
Learn more:
https://philanthropic-engineering.org/
