Katherine Lucey, the founder and CEO of Solar Sister, is an Ashoka Fellow and a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur. She has been recognized for her work by Forbes’ “50 Over 50 Women of Impact” and Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Before becoming a social entrepreneur, Katherine spent over 20 years as an investment banker on Wall Street, providing structured finance solutions to the energy sector. While working for a family foundation installing solar systems in schools and clinics in Uganda, she realized the importance of energy access in people’s lives. With her background in energy and finance and her passion for finding a solution, she created Solar Sister by investing in women entrepreneurs and driving a clean energy revolution that benefits all of us. 

Solar Sister is more than just a social enterprise. In Katherine’s words, “we are a movement of women, men, allies, and partners who care about the well-being of people and planet.“ The company is making a change by creating a woman-centered network of entrepreneurs to bring clean energy technology to even the most remote communities in Africa. The Solar Sister model, to recruit, train and support women, improves women’s household income, health, education, status and control over resources. Their system allows women to gain confidence, financial independence and respect from their families. Solar Sister’s work has impacted over three million people across Africa by creating a solution for energy poverty. Energy access empowers people through better education, economic opportunities, protection from indoor pollution, reliable healthcare and improved working conditions. Helping women through the clean energy sector is vital for eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable solutions to climate change.