Paul Polak is president of International Development Enterprises (IDE), a nonprofit, poverty alleviation organization he founded in 1981. IDE pioneered the development and marketing of affordable technologies within developing countries. The Technology Museum of Innovation named IDE-International a Laureate for its development of "Easy Drip" a truly affordable micro-irrigation system for the rural farmers in developing countries. In 2004, Paul was awarded Ernst & Young's "2004 Entrepreneur of the Year" award in the category of social responsibility. As a result of technologies like "Easy Drip" and facilitated market entrance, IDE families have increased their net annual income by more than $200 million annually. Recently Polak was honored by Scientific American as one of the Top 50 innovators in 2003 for his work pioneering poverty alleviation worldwide. In 2007, Polak founded D-Rev, an organization created to design affordable technology for dollar-a day customers and developing markets where they can be sold profitably and sustainable at a fair market price. Paul Polak received his MD from the University of Western Ontario and practiced psychiatry for 23 years.
The same thing then applies to a hundred other things that are desperately needed around the world, way beyond farming. There's a billion people who need eyeglasses and don't have them. If you're a tailor and you don't have eyeglasses you're out of busin...(Full transcript available to logged in subscribers.).
Register & Subscribe
Login
Paul Polak States Irrigation Example Can Be Applied To Hundreds of Other Issues Affecting Poor
Paul Polak States Irrigation Example Can Be Applied To Hundreds of Other Issues Affecting Poor
Paul Polak Discusses Importance of Curiosity and Listening When Trying To Understand An Issue
Paul Polak Discusses Importance of Curiosity and Listening When Trying To Understand An Issue
Paul Polak States Entrepreneurs Are Global And The Best Are Willing To Take A Chance and Possibly Fail
