Inspired as a teenager by the first Mars rovers and the promise of innovative technologies, Hahna Alexander is now seeking to improve lives on this planet with self-sustaining wearables. Her company, Sole Power, addresses the need for portable power by harnessing everyday movement. Its first product, a connected boot, generates electricity with every step, enabling the footwear to communicate with the cloud or track movements. “It doesn’t matter if it’s nighttime, if it’s sunny out or if it’s raining. Every time you step, its spinning that generator,” Alexander says.
The U.S. Army, which worked with Alexander’s company, is using the boots to lighten the load of soldiers. The boots and their embedded electronics are also useful in construction, energy and other remote service industries. The result is a safer, better connected and more efficient work force, one step at a time.
Since its inception in 2012, Toyota has cultivated the Toyota Mothers of Invention program by not only awarding more than $1 million to these women-led companies with Driving Solutions grants, but also facilitating networking opportunities, building relevant connections, and providing access to intellectual capital to help their organizations go places. These women, who are leading the charge to work on issues like homelessness, education, food, water, energy, and more, come from all over the world, and are using innovation to create lasting and sustainable impact.
To learn more about Toyota’s Mothers of Invention, please click here.
