#Asia Aisa Mijeno to Obama and Jack Ma: Electricity, light are basic needs


The Filipino Co-founder sat with US President Barack Obama and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma to talk about SALt’s vision to spread light in the country

Aisa Mijeno

Aisa Mijeno, CEO, SALt

At the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Manila today, Aisa Mijeno, CEO, SALt, spoke with US President Barack Obama and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma about climate change and sustainable living.

She had founded SALt, which stands for Sustainable Alternative Lighting, in 2012 with her brother Raphael Mijeno. The company is in the midst of producing a seawater-powered LED lamp that can emit light for eight hours at only US$6 a year.

These lamps would be especially useful for households in rural areas, where many cannot afford electricity or do not have access to the power grid. Additionally, Mijeno wants to reduce the use of kerosene, which is regularly used in lamps, for safety reasons.

“The danger in [kerosene] lamps is it could case fire accidents,” she said, as quoted in the Inquirer. “We want to provide a lighting option that is more cost-effective, more safe, more sustainable and environmentally friendly by way of a lantern that uses saline solution or ocean water, as a catalyst to generate electricity.”

Also Read: Dear Filipino entrepreneurs, conquer the world

According to Rappler, Mijeno told the other members of her panel that electricity, or light, is a basic need that should be addressed.

Image Credit: SALt

Image Credit: SALt

She also said that SALt is in need of funding to go into mass production, and “a support system from the private and government sector” for mentorship, guidance and help when relevant.

The company is looking to produce and send approximately 600 SALt lamps to poor and off-grid areas, where electricity might be hard to come by, by early 2016.

President Obama, who has been a huge proponent of fighting climate change, was awed by Mijeno, and commended her for her work in the industry.

“I think Aisa [Mijeno] is a perfect example of what we’re seeing in a lot of countries — young entrepreneurs coming up with leap-frog technology,” he told the audience.

e27 has reached out to Mijeno for more details. Watch this space.

The post Aisa Mijeno to Obama and Jack Ma: Electricity, light are basic needs appeared first on e27.

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