A pioneer in using business models to solve poverty, Martin co-founded KickStart (pka ApproTEC) in 1991—a non-profit SE with a mission to enable millions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to earn a lot more money & climb out of poverty. Since 2000, KickStart has designed & promoted lowest-cost irrigation tools that smallholders use to transform their farms into highly profitable businesses. Over 380,000 farmers have used KickStart’s pumps to grow & sell high value crops year-round, independent of rains, & to adapt-to-climate-change. Over 1.4M women, men & children have stepped out of poverty and with almost no irrigation in SSA, millions more can irrigate to gain income & food security. KickStart; works with multitudes of partners to promote irrigation in 17 countries; innovates new irrigation techs; & advocates for system changes to irrigate Africa. With a Cornell BSc, a Stanford MSc & PhD, a Fulbright in Kenya, and many awards, Martin is a Skoll & Schwab SE & a Stanford Engineering Hero.
Clean EnergyClean WaterEconomic OpportunityEnvironmental SustainabilityFinancial ServicesLivelihoodsResponsible Supply ChainsSmallholder ProductivitySustainable MarketsWater ManagementYouth Job Skills
Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa
