Transcript A Sustainable Social Business - Howard Weinstein - Solar Ear

A Sustainable Social Business
Innovative products
and services to lower
hearing loss and the
burden of hearing
loss for children in
developing countries
The scale of silence: the problem
626 million people with hearing loss and 2/3 in
developing countries
9 million hearing aids are manufactured a year
Average price of hearing aid in USA is $1,800
Price of one battery is $2 and need is 1 a week
Dearth of professionals
50% hearing loss can be prevented
181 million
children with
a hearing
loss
70% of USA
and
88% of
developing
countries are
underserved
Our business model
We are a sustainable social business manufacturing
solar powered hearing aids by people who are deaf
for people with a hearing loss
What We Do
Our products
provide a child the
ability to learn to
develop speech
therefore an
opportunity to go
to a public school.
Solar Ear’s mission: M 8 goals
1) Millennium goals but for people with
disability.
2) Offer training and employment to
young people who are deaf, especially
women.
3) Provide education programs on issues
of HIV-AIDS and maternal health
programs.
4) Showing society the special abilities of
people with a disability.
5) Develop new methods to deliver
sustainable health programs.
Solar Ear throughout the world
China, 2012
Change public policy
First NationsNative
Americans, 2016
Cross border
cultural
leadership
training
10 more places in
next 5 years
10 more social
missions
India, 2015
Disability rights
Palestine-Israel,
2015
Peace building
Brazil, 2006
Free therapy for
5,000 children a year
Botswana, 2002
HIV-Aids Education
for children
First rechargeable hearing aid battery
Invented by people who are deaf.
Maintains capability or capacity for 2-3 years.
Can be used in 80% of 50 million hearing aids
on the market today.
Can be charged via sun, household light or using
Nokia cell phone plug.
Three-month break even for consumer.
Environmental Savings : 200,000,000 disposable
batteries used per year.
Our Products: Rechargeable Hearing Aids
90% of parts come from the same suppliers as
other hearing aids companies
98% of value of component from USA suppliers
Solar Ear selling price $99 - $250 versus
other companies $1,800 - $9,000 plus batteries
Costs of Materials from $36 to $79
Proven sales in 39 countries
Independent University studies = Credibility
Central Michigan University, University of Copenhagen,
Stanford University, Special Olympics, UNICEF video
Solar Ear Awards
Ashoka
Fellowship
American Academy
of Audiology
Humanitarian
Award
Lemelson
Foundation
Fellowship
Tech Award
Economic
Empowerment
Marion Downs Souring Heights China
Alex Graham Bell
Museum Permanent
exhibit
Smithsonian
Museum
Design for the
other 90%
Solar Ear in the media
Improving Health and Education
Outcomes
Hearing
health
Unemployment
Lack of
education
VICIOUS
CYCLE
Hearing
loss
Inclusion
VIRTOUS
CYCLE
Employment
Exclusion
Education
Impacts
Increased wealth of population due to more children
going to school and more adults being employable
Reduced social and economic costs
Self-sustaining Solar Ear programs
Changed civil society perception about the skills of
people.
Programs can be scaled to other countries and other
health problems, e.g. diabetes, dyslexia.
Peace- Building
Holistic sustainable
health solution via DREET
DETECT
RESEARCH
Detection hearing test via touch screen
Research free bi-product
Education: 50% hearing loss can be prevented
EDUCATION
EQUIPMENT
Equipment : Smartphone sold by microentrepreneurs
Training: build in field capacity of secondary
health care workers, teachers
TRAINING
The Smartphone for Holistic mobile DREET
Hearing Care
Detection
Hearing loss detection by micro-entrepreneurs
Results sent via cloud to Solar Ear professionals
Smartphone becomes a hearing aid
Professionals remotely program the phone
Smartphone becomes a hearing aid= $3,000.USD
Education
50% hearing loss can be prevented
Language neutral apps
Therapy app
Research free bi-product from Detection
Comprehensive Disribution Network
From HQ to Rural Villages
Future- by 2020
15 Solar Ear centers in 15 duty free zones servicing over 60
countries with access to over 3 billion people
Solar Ear
Projected Solar Ear sites
Value Proposition
Established, PROVEN sustainable holistic HealthCare
offering
Global brand name
Access to different customer group (bottom-of-pyramid
via micro-entrepreneur
Close collaboration with Academia, Government,
NGOs , Foundations
Scalable Business Model
[email protected]