Manuel
Wiechers
mexico
ilumÉxico
www.ilumexico.mx / [email protected]
My venture is called Iluméxico and we design solar-powered
electrification systems. We install them in rural communities to
replace gas lamps, fossil fuels and battery-powered equipment.
We have integrated development platforms within communities,
including microfinance, development funding, environmental
consciousness programs and micro-entrepreneurships.
How are you “doing well by doing good?”
Social entrepreneurship is the most innovative way to do business
and I believe that companies providing goods and services to the
bottom of the pyramid will prosper enormously. Our company has
just started and is growing. It’s very satisfying to manage a company
that’s main interest is not only maximizing profits, but also about
creating an impact among the rural poor.
These markets, developed through social entrepreneurship,
will be full of great economic opportunities. An interesting sideeffect is seeing our profits grow side-by-side. It’s now feasible to
dedicate your life towards social benefit, which for many years was
confused with not generating any income. Social entrepreneurs
will prove that there is no other way of doing business, other than
through social responsibility, and helping the majority of the
world’s population.
What will the face of business look like in 2020?
Business will tend to have many smaller companies that specialize,
rather than the great conglomerates we have today. Today’s huge
companies will need to reduce the variety of goods and services
they offer and more specialized small and medium enterprises will
become more competitive.
There will also be a trend towards social responsibility and
sustainability. Companies that ignore this will fall away. I believe
that consumers will start t