Inspiring TBS Student Irma F. – 1-WATT

Irma, who combines business & planet

Irma is an environmental economist and a TBS alumnus of the 2017 MBA program. Since her graduation, she’s launched her own start-up to market an innovative eco-friendly product: a LED bulb that works on 1 single watt, yields the luminosity of a 40-Watt lightbulb and lasts for over 50,000 hours.

Creating eco-friendly lightbulbs

The idea behind 1-WATT is to increase awareness of how collective consumers make decisions and of how these decisions impact the planet. More often than not, cheaper products have a heavier impact on nature in terms of waste, carbon footprint and depletion of natural resources. Irma was looking for a practical solution to fight climate change. She estimates that, if every home would replace their lightbulbs with 1-WATT lightbulbs, they would save energy and lower CO2 emissions at the same time.

How the TBS MBA program inspired Irma

“The courses on strategy are very important. When you start imagining future scenarios, you realize their importance in today’s decisions. Leadership is also very important: it’s not about individual accomplishments but how we work together to reach a common goal.”

Join the 1-WATT crowdfunding operation

Today, 1-WATT needs to raise the required funds to manufacture prototypes, test them and have them validated by regulatory authorities. Once they’ve obtained approval, they can start manufacturing their 1-Watt LED bulbs.

I’d like 1-WATT to become a participative project. If you’d like to help reduce everyone’s carbon footprint, we’d be very grateful for your contribution, which will help us raise the necessary funds to launch production. Please visit our crowdfunding platform, make a contribution and share our campaign!

Irma F. Founder of 1-WATT and TBS MBA alumnus

Inspiring advice for TBS students

“We can’t keep on living in an individualist society. We need to recognize that our actions have an impact on the world we live in. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said : “To love is not to look at each other, it’s to look in the same direction.”

“Above all, commit to what inspires you as a person.“

“The planet belongs to us all, we need to love it, take care of it. Whether at home or in a work environment, always keep in mind that we need to aim for sustainability. Look at the environmental impact of the brands you buy, reduce waste, use sustainable means of transport… And when you’re looking for an internship or a job, always check if the company is in tune with the environment.”

Learn more about the TBS Global Executive MBA program and find your inspiration!