Dear Friends,
2009 was a year of great change at E+Co, including my appointment as CEO. We have weathered a tumultuous economy, heads down and belts tightened, happy to put the year behind us and looking forward to a new decade of opportunity. Because there is increasing recognition that our work at the intersection of clean energy and poverty alleviation is the key to solving some of the world’s most pressing issues, we do believe this will be the decade of “clean energy opportunity.”
Despite a lack of concrete action steps coming from December’s climate change meetings in Copenhagen, there is growing recognition of the need for low cost capital to effect climate change, as outlined in Vinod Khosla’s recent article in MIT’s innovations publication. It has been our mission for the past fifteen years to provide “affordable” and “patient” capital to entrepreneurs seeking to launch clean energy businesses. The success stories of our investment, from solar supplier SELCO India (solar solutions for the poor) to Toyola Ghana (energy efficient cook stoves) to La Esperanza Honduras (hydropower) highlight the wide ranging effects of this capital.
One effect of the recent recession, however, has been the reduction in funding support for our “enterprise development services,” the training and education we provide to entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses. This remains a pressing funding need, and we will continue to reach out to you, our stakeholders, during the next year to secure your financial support for this important aspect of our work as we seek to launch new programs and platforms to reach increased numbers of clean energy entrepreneurs.
Thank you for helping us make it through the past year, we could not have done it without you. We still have a lot of work ahead of us – after all, 1.6 billion people still have not seen a light bulb.
Best Wishes,
Christine Eibs Singer
Dear Christine:
I simply would like to express my support and admiration for the work you and Mr. LaRocco have been performing since the inception of E+Co more than 15 years ago. I wish someday I could be part of this phenomenal organization and be able to carry on such important mission around the globe.
Sincerely,
Nestor