Dive Summary:

• The Chicago-based LuminAID, led by Andrea Sreshta and business partner, created a portable, inflatable solar light to provide power to millions of people in refugee camps around the world.
• After the biz duo took a trip to Japan during an earthquake which left millions of people without power, they launched LuminAID lamps, which can be shipped flat and printed with logos or instructions; a bundle of 100 weighs only 20 pounds.
• LuminAID won the 3rd annual Clean Energy Challenge in Chicago Thursday after rising to the top among 17 clean tech firms across the Midwest.
   

From the article:
“'This competition ... is often the first step toward moving new technology out of the lab and into the marketplace,’ said Amy Francetic, executive director of Clean Energy Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the development of clean-energy businesses in the Midwest.”