迈克·林（Mike Lin）便是这批人数不断壮大的新生代创业者之一。他一向喜欢琢磨新事物，凭借在斯坦福（Stanford）和苹果（Apple）的积累和历练，他通过最大限度地使用自己的信用卡借贷，在旧金山创办了Fenix International公司。

https://share.america.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fenix_CEO-Mike-Lin-with-Entrepreneur-in-Rwanda.jpg

公司的目标？为得不到主流电网送电的人提供清洁和可再生的电源。

迈克·林是在访问乌拉圭的时候注意到，当地人很有创意地通过借用某些电源给手机充电或从事商务经营。于是，创建公司的设想由此而生。

即使有更好的方式，当时也不在迈克·林的视野所及之内。因此，他和同事设计出靠太阳能板或自行车发电的便携式充电电池ReadySet。

自从ReadySet电池在2012年推出后，乌干达和肯尼亚各地已经有数千人将它用在小生意活动中——从给手机充电的小商亭，到安装保护家畜不受狮子老虎伤害的安全照明灯。

迈克·林说：“一位养鸡农民发现，如果他们在鸡棚里安装一盏灯，鸡会长得更健康，产蛋量也会提高。”

今年6月，Fenix International公司成为奥巴马总统“把电力送到非洲电网不及地区”（ Power Africa: Beyond the Grid）行动计划的27个合作伙伴之一。这项计划力求为能够解决能源需求的不靠传统电网的小型供电系统打开投资和发展机会。Fenix承担了到2018年为东非地区提供100万个非传统电网太阳能供电系统的使命。

迈克·林认识到这是一项艰巨的使命。但是，他对作贡献怀有的必须赶早不赶晚的热情体现出有移动技术头脑的当今一代社会创业人的一个共同特征：迫不及待。

迈克·林说：“千禧代人不再着迷于显要工作地位。他们希望在眼前的工作中看到意义。”“今天，人们不需要等赚了千百万以后再去做非营利的事。”

Power to the people, literally. How one social entrepreneur is helping to create a mobile power grid

The past decade has seen the rise of the social entrepreneur. Whether it’s creating light with a bag or a soccer ball to help others, this new breed of entrepreneur wants to create work that is meaningful, not just profitable.

Meet Mike Lin. He’s part of this growing branch of entrepreneurs. Always one to tinker with new ideas, Lin made professional stops at Stanford and Apple before maxing out his credit cards to start Fenix International.

Its goal? To bring a clean, renewable power source to people living beyond the reach of a traditional power grid.

While visiting Uganda, Lin observed the creative ways people tapped into a power source to charge their mobile phone or run a business, which inspired the bright ideas that led to the San Francisco–based Fenix.

“People often used things like car batteries for power sources, but those spill acid,” he said. “I thought there has to be a better system.”

If there was, Lin didn’t see it. So he and his colleagues designed the ReadySet, a portable battery rechargeable via a solar panel or bicycle generator.

Since its launch in 2012, the ReadySet has been utilized by thousands of people across Uganda and Kenya for their small-enterprise purposes. It has been used for everything from a mobile phone charging kiosk to a security light to keep livestock safe from lions and tigers.

“A chicken farmer discovered that if they put a light on in the chicken coop, it improved the health of the chickens and their egg production,” said Lin.

In June 2014, Fenix became one of 27 partners in President Obama’s Power Africa: Beyond the Grid initiative, which seeks to unlock investment and growth opportunities for off-grid and small-scale energy solutions. For its part, Fenix has accepted the task of distributing 1 million off-grid, solar power systems in East Africa by 2018.

While Lin admits the task is daunting, his enthusiasm to make a difference sooner than later reflects a trait common amongst today’s mobile-minded social entrepreneurs: impatience.

“Millennials aren’t attracted to the big jobs anymore. They want to find meaning in their work now,” Lin said. “Today, you don’t need to wait and make your billions and then do nonprofit work after the fact.”