Not only is this a year to applaud these entrepreneurs’ tremendous professional success, but it is also a year to admire their dedication to making a positive impact on our planet and our communities with their work.
Donnel Baird ’13BUS, Founder of BlocPower
Donnel Baird is the founder of BlocPower, a startup that markets, finances, and installs solar and energy efficiency technology to help houses of worship, non-profits, small businesses, and multifamily projects slash their energy costs.
BlocPower has raised $63M for its mission, which includes supporting high-paying jobs for workers in the communities the company hopes to serve.
Get to know Donnel, as “block by block, he aims to fight injustice and save the planet.”
Alice Bosley ’17SIPA and Patricia Letayf ’17SIPA, Co-Founders of Five One Labs
Five One Labs runs startup incubators and co-working spaces in Erbil and Sulaimani in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that help talented entrepreneurs in conflict-affected areas launch and grow their businesses. Since launching as the first incubator in Iraq in 2017, Five One Labs has provided training, access to a community, and funding to over 90 scalable startups in their incubation programs, and have reached thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs from across Iraq and Syria through other programs and support.
As entrepreneurs themselves, Alice and Patricia are driven by the mission to foster a network of innovators and fellow entrepreneurs who have the support, skills, and connections to make positive change in their local economies and communities.