Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Search our database of 478,988 cutting edge ideas.
Join 104,725 entrepreneurs, innovators and CEOs who rely on our weekly trend report to stay ahead of the crowd. You'll get special access to premium content and trend research that cannot be found anywhere else.
William Kamkwamba's keynotes offer a window into an incredibly resourceful mind and enterprising spirit. Being born in a small village in rural Malawi to poor parents, Kamkwamba did not have much growing up. In fact, he had to drop out of school because his family could not afford the tuition.
In Kamkwamba's village there was no electricity, but there was a library. One day the young boy decided that he would visit this library. He found a book, 'Using Energy,' which contained designs for electricity-generating windmills. Drawing on this book, but modifying the designs to suit his needs and constraints, Kamkwamba built a windmill using bicycle parts, blue gum trees and materials from a scrapyard. As explained in William Kamkwamba's keynotes,
this windmill was used to provide his village with electricity.
Currently, Kamkwamba is studying at Dartmouth College.
Featured Keynote - Teaching Yourself Skills
William Kamkwamba Reveals How He Built a Windmill Using a Library Book
In this moving presentation concerning innovation and invention, 19-year-old William Kamkwamba tells the attendees of this event how he was able to build a windmill for his family that would produce electricity… Read More