Right now, Yenso Solar is in the beta-testing stages, and we have recently begun implementing our marketing strategy in Ghana.
8 months ago, Ariana, one of the members of our team passed a sign advertising a social innovation competition called Y-Prize at BYU. Excited by the prospect of getting involved with social innovation and eager to learn about how solar lighting could help people in Africa; she called two friends - Harrison and Cole. Harrison served an LDS Mission in Ghana, and Cole had considerable interest in social innovation. They pulled their roommate, Braden, onto the team who helped initially with marketing techniques. The four of them attended multiple meetings and began researching possible marketing strategies to sell social lanterns to those living off-grid in Ghana.
Slowly, the Yenso team grew. We were joined by Chase, who had experience in entrepreneurship and studies international development at BYU. Michaela - a journalism student at BYU - joined the team after completing her LDS Mission in Zambia and helped to develop videos, social media and the fundraising campaign.
Shortly before Harrison and Cole left the United States to establish Yenso in Ghana, we were joined by Sean and Edison, who are currently managing the United States side of Yenso Solar.
What started on a college couch now has the potential to change lives and provide a sustainable solution to the Dumsor crisis in Ghana.
