Connecting a million beads of light to disrupt and illuminate an unbalanced system.
As TBCG designs sustainability-aligned systems and processes for communities, businesses and institutions we aim to identify, scale and replicate those with true SDG impact.
The power of disruptive, digital, innovative technologies to transform lives, communities, ecosystems and the health of the planet is immense and largely untapped.
Delivering sustainable development to the 2.4 billion people at the base of the socio-economic pyramid – the marginalised of the last mile – will determine the true success of the 21st Century.
In turn, this success will depend on the creative integration of new technologies into our socio-economic systems. This integration will support and protect natural systems, as well as harnessing these systems more effectively to create nature-aligned infrastructure. This change can only come with disruption.
TBCG advocates for disruption based on radical collaboration to catalyse Universal Infrastructure Coverage (UIC) as the anchor stone for complete SDG delivery.
We cannot confront a deeply entrenched, powerful, and well-resourced system based on 270 years of fossil fuel intensive development but we can bypass it. As we replace the current system, through the disruptive power of human creativity, lessons from nature, and well governed partnerships, the connections forged to link a “million beads of light” will seed a new global political economy.
Disruption through the power of moonlight
TBCG’s eight-year long investment in MWEZI – moonlight in Swahili – opened our eyes to the potential of distributed infrastructure and the integration of smart, digital, mobile, Pay-Go, systems that accelerate financial inclusion and empower communities to accrue their own productive assets. The use of solar lights to replace kerosene used by the fishing fleets on Lake Victoria, Kenya, is a simple while compelling use of new technologies. Everyone wins – including the planet.
MWEZI goes way beyond solar systems. As an asset backed distributor of Productive Use Appliances (PuA) serving the agricultural value chain through the provision of affordable credit, MWEZI has pivoted to become a disruptive financial institution for the SDG era.