Myanmar Mini-Grid AcceleratorMini-grid developers operating in Myanmar have the potential to transform the lives of millions of people. To do so, they need

to overcome three key barriers:

ACCESSING INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL REDUCING COSTS`

CREATING SCALABLE BUSINESSES

PREPARING THE ENERGY CHANGEMAKERSSmart Power Myanmar, in partnership with the Silicon Valley-based Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, is bringing to Myanmar the country’s first ever Mini-Grid Accelerator Program. It is designed to take mini-grid developers to the next level in their business design, and strategy and investment-ready status.

The program brings together thirteen of the most promising mini-grid developers in Myanmar with twenty-three executive-level mentors from a wide range of companies in Silicon Valley and Myanmar. Developers, with help from a unique online platform, workshops and regular meetings with their mentors, will work their way through the 12-module program over six months.

The 12-module course has been specifically tailored to help mini-grid developers design business plans and pitch decks that will help them develop robust business plans that will drive their strategies and their ability to attract investors. Module topics include:

• Values Chains & Business Logic• Product and Service Offering• Financial Models & Viability• Modes of Financing• Vendors & Partners• Sales and Service

THE IMPACTBy the end of the program, each mini-grid developer will have crafted new and improved business plans and pitch decks with the ability to propel them into the future of off-grid energy in Myanmar.

The impact will be felt far beyond the developer. Myanmar’s future economic health depends on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) such as those that are part of the Accelerator Program. Our research shows that a healthy mini-grid market has the potential to connect millions to reliable, safe electricity and transform the lives and livelihoods of rural Myanmar.

JUNE - NOVEMBER 2020

Ashwini Jambekar is Vice President of Product Management and New DC Solutions at investment management firm QMA. She is highly experienced in managing product lifecycles and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

Alex Limberis is an Executive Advisor for multiple organizations and has a long history in deal-making and strategic partner engagement with a background in technology and product management. He holds an MBA from Santa Clara University.

Atul Vijaykar is CEO of Global Business Consultants and Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning at ZEITRO Inc. He has over 30 years of experience in business development and holds an MBA from University of California, Berkeley.

Dick Haiduck is a Strategic Advisor to multiple biotech companies. He has over 40 years of experience working across the biotech industry, having previously worked as Business Unit Director, Vice President, Managing Director, and more. He holds an MBA from Xavier University.

Eric Carlson is the Dean’s Executive Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University. He has over 20 years of experience in capacity building for social entrepreneurs and holds a Ph.D in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

John Beem currently works as a Consultant for Beem Consulting. Prior to this, he spent 13 years at Swords to Plowshares, a not-for-profit organization providing various services to veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Clinical Psychology from New College of California.

Daphne Pit is the founder and owner of Pit Pure Power, an internationally-focused advisory organization concentrated on strengthening social enterprises and start-ups. She has over 15 years of experience working in the energy sector and holds a Master’s in Management and Business from the emlyon business school.

Greg Starbird is Founder/Principal at Starbird Consulting, focused on distributing goods and services to broad populations. His previous work has included launching healthcare networks internationally, attracting corporate and philanthropic funding and creating playbooks to replicate successful business models.

Winnie Wan currently serves on the board of various biotech companies, including Bell Biosystems and Life Science Angles. She has extensive experience in launching and building life sciences companies and holds both a Ph.D in biochemistry from Yale University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Prabhakar Krishinamurthy is Senior Director of Research at Yahoo! and Startup Advisor at Bishop Ranch Intelligence Innovation Accelerator. He has extensive experience in product management, consulting, research and development, and holds a Ph.D in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

For the last six years, Pradeep Jotwani has sat on the Board of Directors for office product manufacturer ACCO Brands. He has over 40 years of experience across general management, global business and consumer sales and marketing, and holds an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

U Min Chan Win is Managing Director of Myanmar Eco Solutions, a company providing renewable energy services in Myanmar, and Country Coordinator for the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN). He holds a renewables-focused MBA from the Beuth University of Applied Science, Berlin.

Bob MacDonald is Technical Program Manager at Google with 18 years of experience focused on new business development, sales and product management. Prior to joining Google in 2013, Bob co-founded a telecommunications equipment company, founded a start-up and created a high growth division of a privately held optics company that led to a successful IPO in 2000.

Jessica Farmer is Principal Investment Officer – Infrastructure and InfraVentures – Asia Lead at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). She spent 14 years at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and holds a Master’s degree in Economic Development and International Finance from Colombia University.

Ben Fowler is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Silicon Valley Bank. Ben has extensive experience working with Stanford’s top entrepreneurs, Corporate Innovation teams across the Fortune 500 and a variety of grassroots organizations addressing challenges within their communities.

Philipp Hoffmann serves as Chief Performance Officer at Yoma Strategic Holdings, a leading business corporation with a diversified portfolio of businesses in Myanmar. He has more than 8 years of experience working in South East Asia and holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Waikato.

U Lin Tun is Managing Director of power sector development company Quasar Resources, LLC. He has over 25 years of experience in the energy sector and holds an MBA from New York University.

Shoon So Oo is Climate and Energy Program Manager at WWF Myanmar. He previously worked as Head of Division at Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy and has completed leadership programs at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Currently working as Advisor to GIZ in Myanmar, Ashish Dhankhar previously spent six years in the energy sector working for the Government of India. More recently, he spent two years as Vice President of Tech and Operations of renewable energy company Mandalay Yoma.

Mike Phone Myint works in the technology sector as Managing Director of BIM Consulting and CyberSecurity and Executive Director of the BIM Group. He has extensive prior experience across the telecommunications, banking and consulting sectors.

Robert Kremer is Energy Services Senior Director at Smart Power Myanmar. He has over 16 years of experience working globally across the energy sector and holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Wyoming.

Karl Matzke is a Management Consultant with a broad range of experience working in technology companies. He has worked across both the U.S. and Africa and held a number of positions, from CEO/founder of a start-up to executive at Fortune 500 firms.

Willem Grimmick is the Founder and Managing Director of one of Nepal’s first fund managers, One to Watch, which has invested over 3 million euros in SMEs to date. Prior to founding One to Watch, Willem worked in India and the Netherlands and gained a Master’s degree in Sociology from Tilburg University.

Wah Wah Min is Founder and Managing Director of capacity building firm Skills For Success. She holds an MBA from the Yangon Institute of Economics and was awarded the Outstanding ASEAN Women Entrepreneur Award in 2019.

Jes Kalieve Petersen is CEO at Phandeeyar, Myanmar’s first startup accelerator. Prior to moving to Myanmar in 2016, Jes co-founded Paywest, Afghanistan’s largest social network, that helps over 1.5 million Afghan users to connect using text messaging.

Hla Hla Win is CEO and co-founder of 360ed, an EdTech social enterprise based in Yangon. She was awarded the Schwab Foundation’s ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2019’ award and holds a Master’s degree from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Alakesh Chetia is Managing Director and CEO of Yoma Micro Power, which builds, owns and operates off-grid energy solutions in Myanmar. He has over 25 years of experience building successful businesses in Silicon Valley and holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

MEET THE DEVELOPERSTalent and TechnologyParami EnergyMega Global Green AutomationMREF PowerVoltaliaSun PowerEarth Renewable Energy

Asia Solar KCKM Pro Engineering Techno-Hill Engineering Innovative Energy Toyota Tsusho Myanmar

MEET THE MENTORSJUNE - NOVEMBER 2020