From his earliest days, Stephen Katsaros’ life has been filled with a passion for innovation. A mechanical engineer and former ski racer, Steve began his career with the invention of several commercial products for the ski industry.
Stephen graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) and studied at the Bard Center of Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado from 1998-1999. He is an agent registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and received the 2012 Patents for Humanity award. Steve received the B.F. Goodrich Collegiate Inventors Award in 1995 and was also awarded the 2012 Outstanding Mechanical Engineer Award from Purdue University.
In early 2010, Steve Katsaros, founder and CEO of Nokero, came up with a simple portable solar light bulb with the potential to revolutionize life for the 1.3 billion people in the world who live without access to electricity. Five months after his first sketch, Katsaros launched Nokero, a for-profit company with a mission to provide affordable solar technology solutions for poor, off-grid communities around the world.
Nokero is the only brand of its kind with the usage of state-of-the-art solar light bulbs and two mobile phone charger skus currently distributed internationally in over 120 countries across the globe–more than any of its competitors.
Nokero is proud to spread its resources to those in need. Best of all, the state of the art lighting products are more economical than any other lights of their kind.
The company promotes education surrounding the solar industry, as well as the increased benefit of safe lighting (health, income, community). Its durable, weatherproof, long lasting lights encourage productivity at all hours without the use of fires or dangerous fuels such as Kerosene.
The company aims to be the number one leader in low-cost consumer solar products in the world. Nokero currently fosters relationships with world-leading NGOs that assist in helping the 20% of world population sans resources such as lighting, education, healthcare and more with the intent to solve the global energy resource crisis.
Ever since Steve Katsaros began cultivating his message to illuminate the world with his vision, he’s wanted his brand to speak to early-adopters in the western marketplaces with interest in the global energy poverty issue and the developing world’s emerging consumer.
By offering these rechargeable, innovative light source products Nokero aims to improve the lifestyles of the world’s undeveloped populations. By introducing Nokero as their renewable solar resource, the quality of life can be improved as a whole. Resources such as time, energy and money can be saved through Nokero products. Students have longer amounts of time to study, people can work longer hours in the day (and night) and money can be saved on current lighting equipment that requires maintenance, and/or third party energy source i.e. oil, battery, electricity. Nokero believes that by lighting up the world (so to speak) they are giving these communities the basic resources needed to help one another and educate the newer generations. By removing current light sources such as Kerosene, along with other harmful, expensive techniques they can produce a world that promotes safety, an environmentally-friendly environment, and the ability to live life in a new hope.
