Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher is the co-founder and CEO of KickStart International, a non-profit social enterprise focused on alleviating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.15 Here are some key details about Martin Fisher:

Background and Education

Martin Fisher was born in London and grew up in New York.1 He has a strong background in engineering, with the following educational qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University (1975-1979)
• Master of Science and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University (1979-1985)
• Executive education in Strategic Management for Non-Profits from Harvard Business School (2000)3

Career and Achievements

Early Career:: After completing his PhD, Fisher went to Kenya on a Fulbright Fellowship to study the impacts of appropriate technologies on poverty. He ended up staying in Kenya for 17 years.14

KickStart International::

• In 1991, Fisher co-founded ApproTEC, which later became KickStart International.13
• Since 2002, he has served as the CEO and Co-Founder of KickStart International.2

Impact::

• KickStart has enabled over 390,000 smallholder farming families to transition from rain-fed to irrigated farming.
• Their efforts have helped over 1.5 million women, men, and children climb out of poverty and adapt to climate change.14

Awards and Recognition

Martin Fisher has received numerous accolades for his work, including:

• Schwab Foundation "Social Entrepreneur of the Year" (2003)
• Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneur (2005)
• Stanford Engineering Hero (2018)2
• Time Magazine European Hero1

Personal Interests

In his spare time, Martin Fisher is an avid hiker, biker, and explorer.14

Martin Fisher's work with KickStart International has pioneered the use of simple business models and technologies to fight poverty, making him a prominent figure in the field of social entrepreneurship and sustainable development.