Nan Zhu

Energy Entrepreneurship: A Potential Solution to International Development

I interned at a renewable energy entrepreneurship incubator called Embark Energy. The organization trains and funds entrepreneurs in developing countries and its pilot program is in Tanzania.75% of the population in Tanzania live in rural areas and only 2% of its rural population have access to electricity. My internship with Embark Energy demonstrated that entrepreneurship can be an effective way to solve the supply shortage problem if it can meet the market need. Although Embark Energy is a young organization, the founders have years of experiences in the international development space and used to head one of the largest impact investing fund called E & Co. Some of the funders are also professors at Columbia University the School of International and Public Affairs. I worked with them as well as some Columbia students in New York in a flexible and highly paced startup environment.