Jessica O. Matthews

Last updated
Jessica O. Matthews
NationalityNigerian-American (dual citizen)
Alma mater Harvard College, Harvard Business School
Occupation(s)Inventor, CEO
Years active2008-present
Organization(s)Uncharted, KDDC
Known for Soccket
Website www.uncharted.city

Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, Founder, CEO and venture capitalist. [1] She is the co-founder of Uncharted, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a portable power generator. Matthews attended Harvard College and graduated from Harvard Business School. [2] In 2011, Fortune named her one of its "10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs" [3] and in 2015, named her as one of it "Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs". [4] In 2012, the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations named her "Scientist of the Year." [5] Matthews is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Nigeria. [2] The President of Nigeria named her an "Ambassador for Entrepreneurship" for the country. [6]

Contents

Early life

Matthews was born on February 13, 1988, and grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, as a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria. She is the second of four children. Her parents run a software business, Decision Technologies International [2] [7] and her sister, Tiana Idoni-Matthews, became a marketing director of Uncharted Play. [8] Matthews attended Our Lady of Lourdes High School, [9] as a teenager pursuing science fairs and track and field. [7] Matthews then attended Harvard College where she majored in Economics and later Harvard Business School. [2]

Career

Uncharted Play

As a junior in college in 2008, [10] Matthews and classmate Julia Silverman invented Soccket as part of an assignment for an engineering class. [11] She has described the inspiration for the invention as coming from an experience attending her aunt's wedding in Nigeria. [12] When the electricity was lost and diesel generators were used to keep the lights on, Matthews recognized the health hazard posed from fumes and decided to try to do something about it. [2] She and Silverman presented Soccket as their proposed solution, a soccer ball that stores kinetic energy as it's used. A half-hour of play with the soccer ball generates enough energy to power a small, attachable LED light for three hours, [13] so that play with soccer ball also provides children a reading light with which to do their homework after dark. The two founded Uncharted Power to develop Soccket, with Matthews becoming CEO. [3]

After graduating from college in 2010, Matthews took a full-time job working at a crowd-funding company called CrowdTap. [6] The following year, she left that company to work on Uncharted Power full-time, [3] initially raising funds through Kickstarter and then utilizing convertible debt. [6] That same year, she presented Soccket at the Clinton Global Initiative University [3] and on President Barack Obama's 2013 trip to Tanzania. [7] [14] The company also makes a jump rope that stores energy in a means similar to Soccket called the Pulse, which generates three hours of power for an LED through 15 minutes of jumping rope. [6]

The initial manufacturing run of Soccket encountered significant quality control issues, so Matthews moved production to Uncharted Play's own facilities in New York. [15] She subsequently shifted the company's focus to developing a broader range of kinetic-energy-storing products in partnership with experienced manufacturers. [2] This shift included trademarking MORE, an acronym for Motion-based Off-Grid Renewable Energy, a system which uses Soccket's energy-storing method in consumer products beyond toys. [8] [16] "Matthews describes her company's proprietary MORE technology as an energy harvesting and emanating building block that can be seamlessly integrated into various infrastructures, objects and products — everything from floor panels, streets, speedbumps and sidewalks, to subway turnstiles, strollers, shopping carts and beyond." [16]

Uncharted Power

In 2016, Uncharted Power had been profitable for three consecutive years and doubled gross profit margins year by year. [17] In 2016, Matthews raised $7 million in Series A funding for Uncharted Power, [18] with the company valued at $57 million. [19] TechCrunch reported that this made Matthews the 13th black female founder to have raised more than $1 million in funding. [20] By March 2017, 500,000 Socckets and Pulses had been used in developing regions, primarily in Africa and Latin America. [21] In 2016, when Matthews moved Uncharted Power to Harlem, New York, she created a non-profit arm, the Harlem Tech Fund (HTF), which aims to support 100 new startups and offer technology training to 10,000 Harlem residents over the next two to five years. [1] Matthews serves as chairman of the board of HTF. [21] In the same year, she was recognized at the Harlem Economic Development Day, receiving the Outstanding Corporate Diversity Award. [1]

Other

Matthews has expanded to work on global infrastructure projects. [22] She is co-founder and executive director of KDDC, developing a hydropower dam project in Nigeria. [23] The 30-megawatt dam is among the first hydroelectric dam projects privatized in Nigeria. [22] In 2021, she was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy to the U.S. Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC). [24]

Recognition

Matthews has received numerous awards, honors and recognition. [5] [21] [25] In 2013, she was named "Innovator of the Year" by Black Enterprise, [26] and was recognised as both one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc.'s 30 under 30 in 2014 and 2016 respectively, [6] [27] and selected twice by Fortune for recognition. [3] [4] Matthews received the "One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year" Award in 2020. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Pincus</span> American Internet entrepreneur

Mark Jonathan Pincus is an American Internet entrepreneur known as the founder of Zynga, a mobile social gaming company. Pincus also founded the startups Freeloader, Inc., Tribe Networks, and Support.com. Pincus served as the CEO of Zynga until July 2013, then again from 2015 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Y Combinator</span> American startup accelerator

Y Combinator, LLC (YC) is an American technology startup accelerator and venture capital firm launched in March 2005 which has been used to launch more than 4,000 companies. The accelerator program started in Boston and Mountain View, expanded to San Francisco in 2019, and was entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies started via Y Combinator include Airbnb, Coinbase, Cruise, DoorDash, Dropbox, Instacart, Reddit, Stripe, and Twitch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Hughes</span> American entrepreneur

Christopher Hughes is an American entrepreneur and author who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking site Facebook until 2007. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Republic from 2012 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dustin Moskovitz</span> American billionaire internet entrepreneur (born 1984)

Dustin Aaron Moskovitz is an American billionaire internet entrepreneur who co-founded Facebook, Inc. with Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum and Chris Hughes. In 2008, he left Facebook to co-found Asana with Justin Rosenstein. In March 2011, Forbes reported Moskovitz to be the youngest self-made billionaire in the world, on the basis of his then 2.34% share in Facebook. As of June 2024, his net worth is estimated at US$23 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Altman</span> American entrepreneur and investor (born 1985)

Samuel Harris Altman is an American entrepreneur and investor best known as the chief executive officer of OpenAI since 2019. He is also the chairman of clean energy companies Oklo Inc. and Helion Energy. Altman is considered to be one of the leading figures of the AI boom. He dropped out of Stanford University after two years and founded Loopt, a mobile social networking service, raising more than $30 million in venture capital. In 2011, Altman joined Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, and was its president from 2014 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduardo Saverin</span> Co-founder and former CEO of Facebook

Eduardo Luiz Saverin is a Brazilian billionaire entrepreneur and angel investor, known for having co-founded Facebook. In 2012, he owned about 2% of Facebook shares, valued at approximately $2 billion at the time. Based in Singapore, he is the co-founder and co-CEO of the venture capital firm B Capital, and has also invested in early-stage startups such as Qwiki and Jumio. Saverin is the wealthiest Brazilian, with an estimated net worth of US$32.7 billion as of 19 December 2024, according to Forbes, and the 52nd richest individual in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mo Abudu</span> Nigerian talk show host and actress (born 1964)

Mosunmola "Mo" Abudu is a Nigerian media mogul, philanthropist, and former human resources management consultant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soccket</span>

SOCCKET was a soccer ball that harnesses and stores energy from play for later use as portable power source in resource-poor areas. It was the flagship product of Uncharted Play, Incorporated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiel Fellowship</span> Scholarship founded by Peter Thiel

The Thiel Fellowship is a fellowship created by billionaire Peter Thiel through the Thiel Foundation in 2010. The fellowship is intended for students aged 22 or younger and offers them a total of $100,000 over two years, as well as guidance and other resources, to drop out of school and pursue other work, which could involve scientific research, creating a startup, or working on a social movement. Selection for the fellowship is through a competitive annual process, with about 20–25 fellows selected annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black mecca</span> Colloquialism for a location featuring high or potential Black economic prosperity

A black mecca, in the United States, is a city to which African Americans, particularly singles, professionals, and middle-class families, are drawn to live, due to some or all of the following factors:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli</span> Nigerian social entrepreneur

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is a Nigerian entrepreneur, an expert on African agriculture and nutrition, philanthropy, and social innovation. Since April 2, 2024, she has been serving as the CEO of the One Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji</span> Nigerian social entrepreneur

Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and human development expert whose work cuts across entrepreneurship, education, youth development and public leadership. She is the founder and chief executive officer of Rise Networks, a Nigeria-based private and public sector funded Youth Interest social enterprise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Lampe-Önnerud</span> Swedish chemist

Maria Christina Lampe-Önnerud is a Swedish inorganic chemist, battery-inventor, and entrepreneur. She has founded the companies Boston-Power Inc. (2005–2012) and Cadenza Innovation. She is developing batteries for use in computers, electric vehicles, and grid storage. She has received a number of awards, including the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer Award in 2010 and again in 2018, and is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Lampe-Önnerud has many interests, including opera singing, jazz dancing, playing the cello, and choir directing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifeoma Malo</span> Nigerian lawyer

Ifeoma Malo is a Nigerian lawyer working in international development. Her work focuses on clean energy technologies, and energy access and climate change mitigation and adaptation across Africa.

Adenike Adebukola Akinsemolu is a Nigerian sustainability advocate, educator, author, and a social entrepreneur. She is a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University. She is known as one of the country's leading experts on environmental sustainability.

Katherine 'Kate' Taaffe Richard is an American business woman and the founder of Warwick Investment Group, a private equity firm focused on real assets with approximately $2.3 billion in managed assets. Warwick Investment Group is a SEC-registered investment advisor, managing funds that invest globally in natural resources and real estate. Warwick has an established track record in strategic consolidation in these sectors, having completed more than 4,000 transactions since inception. The firm has ~130 team members and advisors across offices in Oklahoma City, Dallas, New York and London, investing across private equity funds, special purpose vehicles and open-ended structures. Warwick also manages capital for pension funds in 8 of the 50 states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ade A. Olufeko</span> Nigerian-American Polymath (Born 1980)

Ade Abayomi Olufeko, is an American-born designer and technologist primarily active in Lagos, Nigeria. He is known for his international contributions to humanities. Olufeko has given talks and exhibited in the Africa, Asia, United States and Europe. His work evolved from direct interactions and collaborations with consortiums, advocacy groups, and artist collectives. He is the founder of Visual Collaborative, an American platform collaborating with diverse experts on socio-economics.

Yasmin Belo-Osagie is co-founder of She Leads Africa, which she co-founded with Afua Osei. She is the daughter of Nigerian billionaire Hakeem Belo-Osagie and lawyer Myma Belo-Osagie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibilola Amao</span> Nigerian engineer

Ibilola Amao is a Nigerian and British engineer, principal consultant of Lonadek Services and consultant for the vision 2020 initiative. She received several awards such as most active women business enterprise IWEC 2016, Energy Institute Champion 2016, C3E international woman of distinction Award, Access Bank “W” 100, and the 2019 Forbes Africa rising star Award. She was a Vital Voices (VV) GROW fellow, a member of vv100 and a WEConnect international fellow. Ibilola was also the co-founder of the cedar STEM and entrepreneurship hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumoke Dada</span>

Jumoke Dada is a Nigerian entrepreneur and the founder of Taeillo.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Abello, Oscar Perry (October 20, 2016). "This Woman Wants to Run Harlem's First Billion-Dollar Tech Company". NextCity. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hartmans, Avery (October 8, 2016). "The inventor of the energy-harnessing soccer ball made a huge pivot — and it's paying off big time". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Doing it for themselves - The Social Entrepreneurs (2)". Fortune. September 30, 2011. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Groden, Claire (September 9, 2015). "Meet Fortune's 2015 Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs". Fortune. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Matthews, Silverman are Scientists of the Year". Harvard Gazette. March 30, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
    - "The Harvard Foundation Honors Jessica Matthews '10 and Julia Silverman '10 as the 2012 Scientists of the Year at the annual Harvard Foundation Science Conference" (PDF). The Harvard Foundation Journal. XXXI (2). Spring 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
    - Stych, Anne (April 5, 2016). "Energy-generating soccer balls, jump ropes help keep lights on in developing countries". The Business Journals. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Helman, Christopher (January 6, 2014). "The Stars Of Forbes' 30 Under 30 In Energy And Industry". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 della Cava, Marco (May 27, 2014). "Change Agents: Matthews' Soccket lights up lives". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Shamah, David (April 4, 2016). "The soccer ball that lights up when kicked, and other kinetic energy converters". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Jessica O. Matthews '06". Our Lady of Lourdes. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Uncharted Play - Upstarts: The Playmakers". CNN Money. June 24, 2015. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ Karas, David (November 13, 2014). "Jessica O. Matthews has a ball generating energy". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN   0882-7729. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  12. ↑ Hartogs, Jessica (July 23, 2012). "Powering the future: Kick a ball, switch on a light". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  13. ↑ Valet, Vicky (October 1, 2015). "The New Inventors: Catching Up With Six 30 Under 30 Makers". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  14. ↑ CNN Political Unit (July 2, 2013). "Obama shows off his 'Soccket' moves". CNN. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2017.{{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  15. ↑ Collins, Jennifer (April 8, 2014). "Impoverished kids love the soccer ball that powers a lamp — until it breaks". Public Radio International. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  16. 1 2 "Her Renewable Energy Startup Turns Soccer Balls and Sidewalks Into Power Sources". Free Enterprise. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  17. ↑ Buchanan, Leigh (May 20, 2017). "An Entrepreneur Who Never Runs Out of Energy". Inc. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  18. ↑ Hirtenstein, Anna (September 22, 2016). "Magic Johnson Funds Uncharted Play's Ball That Generates Power". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ "The Funding Is Female: 18 Founders And Venture Capitalists Changing The Tech Landscape". ValueWalk. March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
    - "The Funding Is Female: 18 Founders And Venture Capitalists Changing The Tech Landscape". ValueWalk. March 8, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ Dickey, Megan Rose (19 September 2016). "Black female founder raises $7 million for renewable energy tech startup". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  21. 1 2 3 Ochieng, Akinyi (March 17, 2017). "Jessica O. Matthews is the Tech Maven Bringing Renewable Energy to Nigeria and Beyond". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  22. 1 2 Sharma, Charu (18 June 2015). "Going Against the Flow: Jessica O. Matthews, Founder/CEO of Uncharted Play". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Jessica O. Matthews - SuperSoul 100". SuperSoul TV. August 3, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  24. ↑ "U.S. Department of Energy Announces 2022 Electricity Advisory Committee". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  25. ↑ "Toyota Awards $50K in Grants to Women at Women in the World Summit". Manufacturing Close-Up. March 17, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2017– via HighBeam Research.
    - Adams, Kirby (September 27, 2014). "Awards celebrate legacy of 'The Greatest'". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
    - Simon, Mashaun D. (February 11, 2017). "#NBCBLK28: Jessica O. Matthews has a brighter idea to capture the energy of play". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  26. ↑ Dingle, Derek T. (July 3, 2013). "How One Black Entrepreneur 'Powers' Obama's Africa Strategy". Black Enterprise. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  27. ↑ Fenn, Donna (May 24, 2017). "These Young Entrepreneurs Are Shaping the Future". Inc. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  28. ↑ "One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020 - Winners Announced". One Young World. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.