Jonathan Cedar
Jonathan Cedar is the CEO and co-founder of BioLite, a social enterprise that specializes in providing affordable and clean energy solutions to off-grid communities worldwide. With a BA in engineering and environmental science from Dartmouth College, Cedar previously served as a Senior Design Engineer at Smart Design where he honed his skills and expertise in creating durable products ranging from housewares to biomedical devices.
Cedar's work at BioLite has been recognized worldwide, earning the 2011 St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, the 2012 Tech Awards, and the 2012 and 2014 Fast Company Innovation By Design Awards. Business Week also named Cedar one of America's Top Social Entrepreneurs in 2011.
BioLite's wood-burning stoves, their first product, significantly reduce toxic smoke emissions while they generate enough electricity to charge cell phones and LED lights. Cedar follows a model of "parallel innovation" in which he funds the one-time market establishment costs for emerging markets by reinvesting revenue from product sales in US and European recreation markets.
In addition to his work at BioLite, Cedar is a former Board Member of several organizations, including Climate Neutral, Outdoor Industry Association, and WAZER, and a former Ship's Engineer at the Sea Education Association.
