Jessica O. Matthews
{{short description|Inventor and entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
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| nationality = Nigerian-American (dual citizen)
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| alma_mater = Harvard College, Harvard Business School
| occupation = Inventor, CEO
| years_active = 2008-present
| organization = Uncharted, KDDC
| known_for = Soccket
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| website = {{URL|https://www.uncharted.city}}
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Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, Founder, CEO and venture capitalist. 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/uncharted-play-jessica-matthews-pivot-2016-10|title=The inventor of the energy-harnessing soccer ball made a huge pivot — and it's paying off big time|date=October 8, 2016|work=Business Insider|last1=Hartmans|first1=Avery|access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-date=February 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205211145/http://www.businessinsider.com/uncharted-play-jessica-matthews-pivot-2016-10|url-status=live}} In 2011, Fortune named her one of its "10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs" and in 2015, named her as one of it "Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs". In 2012, the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations named her "Scientist of the Year."{{cite news|title=Matthews, Silverman are Scientists of the Year|url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/03/matthews-silverman-are-scientists-of-the-year/|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=Harvard Gazette|date=March 30, 2012|archive-date=March 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306082753/http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/03/matthews-silverman-are-scientists-of-the-year/|url-status=live}}
- {{cite journal|title=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|journal=The Harvard Foundation Journal|date=Spring 2012|volume=XXXI|issue=2|url=http://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/harvardfoundation/files/hfnewsletter_2012s.pdf|access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330091046/http://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/harvardfoundation/files/hfnewsletter_2012s.pdf|url-status=live}}
- {{Cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2016/04/energy-generating-soccer-balls-jump-ropes-help.html|title=Energy-generating soccer balls, jump ropes help keep lights on in developing countries|last=Stych|first=Anne|date=April 5, 2016|newspaper=The Business Journals|access-date=February 22, 2016|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406020515/http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2016/04/energy-generating-soccer-balls-jump-ropes-help.html|url-status=live}} Matthews is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Nigeria. The President of Nigeria named her an "Ambassador for Entrepreneurship" for the country.
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 and her sister, Tiana Idoni-Matthews, became a marketing director of Uncharted Play. Matthews attended Our Lady of Lourdes High School,{{cite web|title=Jessica O. Matthews '06|url=https://www.ollchs.org/live/profiles/121-jessica-o-matthews-06/templates/details/alumni-profiles.php|publisher=Our Lady of Lourdes|access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406021807/https://www.ollchs.org/live/profiles/121-jessica-o-matthews-06/templates/details/alumni-profiles.php|url-status=live}} as a teenager pursuing science fairs and track and field.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/05/27/change-agents-jessica-matthews-soccket-ball/9013529/|title=Change Agents: Matthews' Soccket lights up lives|date=May 27, 2014|work=USA Today|last1=della Cava|first1=Marco|access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406202704/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/05/27/change-agents-jessica-matthews-soccket-ball/9013529/|url-status=live}} Matthews then attended Harvard College where she majored in Economics and later Harvard Business School.
Career
=Uncharted Play=
As a junior in college in 2008,{{cite news|title=Uncharted Play - Upstarts: The Playmakers|url=https://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2015/06/24/upstart30-playmakers/2.html|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=CNN Money|date=June 24, 2015|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406022810/http://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2015/06/24/upstart30-playmakers/2.html|url-status=live}} Matthews and classmate Julia Silverman invented Soccket as part of an assignment for an engineering class.{{Cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2014/1113/Jessica-O.-Matthews-has-a-ball-generating-energy|title=Jessica O. Matthews has a ball generating energy|last=Karas|first=David|date=November 13, 2014|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|access-date=February 23, 2017|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=February 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223114433/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2014/1113/Jessica-O.-Matthews-has-a-ball-generating-energy|url-status=live}} She has described the inspiration for the invention as coming from an experience attending her aunt's wedding in Nigeria.{{cite news|last1=Hartogs|first1=Jessica|title=Powering the future: Kick a ball, switch on a light|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/powering-the-future-kick-a-ball-switch-on-a-light/|access-date=February 22, 2017|work=CBS News|date=July 23, 2012|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406021143/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/powering-the-future-kick-a-ball-switch-on-a-light/|url-status=live}} 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. 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,{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/vickyvalet/2015/10/01/the-new-inventors-catching-up-with-six-30-under-30-makers/#334280295d63|title=The New Inventors: Catching Up With Six 30 Under 30 Makers|last=Valet|first=Vicky|date=October 1, 2015|newspaper=Forbes|access-date=February 19, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406023821/https://www.forbes.com/sites/vickyvalet/2015/10/01/the-new-inventors-catching-up-with-six-30-under-30-makers/#334280295d63|url-status=live}} 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.
After graduating from college in 2010, Matthews took a full-time job working at a crowd-funding company called CrowdTap. The following year, she left that company to work on Uncharted Power full-time, initially raising funds through Kickstarter and then utilizing convertible debt. That same year, she presented Soccket at the Clinton Global Initiative University and on President Barack Obama's 2013 trip to Tanzania.{{cite news|last1=CNN Political Unit|title=Obama shows off his 'Soccket' moves|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/02/obama-shows-off-his-soccket-moves/|access-date=February 22, 2017|work=CNN|date=July 2, 2013|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819105641/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/02/obama-shows-off-his-soccket-moves/|url-status=dead}} 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.
The initial manufacturing run of Soccket encountered significant quality control issues, so Matthews moved production to Uncharted Play's own facilities in New York.{{cite news|last1=Collins|first1=Jennifer|title=Impoverished kids love the soccer ball that powers a lamp — until it breaks|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-04-08/impoverished-kids-love-soccer-ball-powers-lamp-until-it-breaks|access-date=February 22, 2017|work=Public Radio International|date=April 8, 2014|archive-date=February 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221163054/https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-04-08/impoverished-kids-love-soccer-ball-powers-lamp-until-it-breaks|url-status=live}} She subsequently shifted the company's focus to developing a broader range of kinetic-energy-storing products in partnership with experienced manufacturers. 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.{{cite news|last1=Shamah|first1=David|title=The soccer ball that lights up when kicked, and other kinetic energy converters|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-soccer-ball-that-lights-up-when-kicked-and-other-kinetic-energy-converters/|access-date=February 21, 2017|work=The Times of Israel|date=April 4, 2016|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406024740/http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-soccer-ball-that-lights-up-when-kicked-and-other-kinetic-energy-converters/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.freeenterprise.com/this-startup-turns-soccer-balls-and-sidewalks-into-power-sources/|title=Her Renewable Energy Startup Turns Soccer Balls and Sidewalks Into Power Sources|date=May 3, 2017|work=Free Enterprise|access-date=May 17, 2017}} "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."
=Uncharted Power=
In 2016, Uncharted Power had been profitable for three consecutive years and doubled gross profit margins year by year.{{cite news|last1=Buchanan|first1=Leigh|title=An Entrepreneur Who Never Runs Out of Energy|url=http://www.inc.com/leigh-buchanan/jessica-matthews-will-never-run-out-of-energy.html|access-date=February 22, 2017|work=Inc|date=May 20, 2017}} In 2016, Matthews raised $7 million in Series A funding for Uncharted Power,{{cite news|last1=Hirtenstein|first1=Anna|title=Magic Johnson Funds Uncharted Play's Ball That Generates Power|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-22/magic-johnson-funds-uncharted-play-s-ball-that-generates-power|access-date=February 21, 2017|work=Bloomberg|date=September 22, 2016}} with the company valued at $57 million.{{Cite news|url=http://www.valuewalk.com/2017/03/the-funding-is-female-18-founders-and-venture-capitalists-changing-the-tech-landscape/|title=The Funding Is Female: 18 Founders And Venture Capitalists Changing The Tech Landscape|date=March 8, 2017|work=ValueWalk|access-date=March 22, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=October 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- {{Cite news|url=http://www.valuewalk.com/2017/03/the-funding-is-female-18-founders-and-venture-capitalists-changing-the-tech-landscape/2/|title=The Funding Is Female: 18 Founders And Venture Capitalists Changing The Tech Landscape|date=March 8, 2017|work=ValueWalk|access-date=May 17, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=October 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} TechCrunch reported that this made Matthews the 13th black female founder to have raised more than $1 million in funding.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/19/black-female-founder-raises-7-million-for-renewable-energy-tech-startup/|title=Black female founder raises $7 million for renewable energy tech startup|last=Dickey|first=Megan Rose|website=TechCrunch|date=19 September 2016 |access-date=February 19, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084853/https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/19/black-female-founder-raises-7-million-for-renewable-energy-tech-startup/|url-status=live}} By March 2017, 500,000 Socckets and Pulses had been used in developing regions, primarily in Africa and Latin America.{{cite news|last1=Ochieng|first1=Akinyi|title=Jessica O. Matthews is the Tech Maven Bringing Renewable Energy to Nigeria and Beyond|url=http://www.okayafrica.com/culture-2/okay100women/jessica-o-matthews-okay-100-women/|access-date=March 22, 2017|work=OkayAfrica|date=March 17, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084850/https://www.okayafrica.com/jessica-o-matthews-okay-100-women/|url-status=live}}
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.{{cite news|last1=Abello|first1=Oscar Perry|title=This Woman Wants to Run Harlem's First Billion-Dollar Tech Company|url=https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/revolutionary-energy-company-moves-into-harlem|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=NextCity|date=October 20, 2016|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084820/https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/revolutionary-energy-company-moves-into-harlem|url-status=live}} Matthews serves as chairman of the board of HTF. In the same year, she was recognized at the Harlem Economic Development Day, receiving the Outstanding Corporate Diversity Award.
=Other=
Matthews has expanded to work on global infrastructure projects.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charu-sharma/going-against-the-flow-jessica-o-matthews-found-_b_7616284.html|title=Going Against the Flow: Jessica O. Matthews, Founder/CEO of Uncharted Play|work=Huffington Post|last1=Sharma|first1=Charu|date=18 June 2015 |access-date=February 22, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084823/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/going-against-the-flow-jessica-o-matthews-found-_b_7616284|url-status=live}} She is co-founder and executive director of KDDC, developing a hydropower dam project in Nigeria.{{cite news|title=Jessica O. Matthews - SuperSoul 100|url=http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-100/entrepreneurs/jessica-matthews|access-date=February 19, 2017|work=SuperSoul TV|date=August 3, 2016|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084857/https://www.oprah.com/app/super-soul-sunday.html|url-status=live}} The 30-megawatt dam is among the first hydroelectric dam projects privatized in Nigeria. In 2021, she was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy to the U.S. Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC).{{Cite web |title=U.S. Department of Energy Announces 2022 Electricity Advisory Committee |url=https://www.energy.gov/oe/articles/us-department-energy-announces-2022-electricity-advisory-committee |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=Energy.gov |date=31 August 2022 |language=en}}
Recognition
Matthews has received numerous awards, honors and recognition.{{Cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-30947979.html|title=Toyota Awards $50K in Grants to Women at Women in the World Summit|date=March 17, 2012|newspaper=Manufacturing Close-Up|access-date=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119223832/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-30947979.html|archive-date=November 19, 2018|url-status=dead|via=HighBeam Research}}
- {{Cite news|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/09/27/awards-celebrate-legacy-greatest/16361773/|title=Awards celebrate legacy of 'The Greatest'|last=Adams|first=Kirby|date=September 27, 2014|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|access-date=February 22, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084853/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/09/27/awards-celebrate-legacy-greatest/16361773/|url-status=live}}
- {{cite news|last1=Simon|first1=Mashaun D.|title=#NBCBLK28: Jessica O. Matthews has a brighter idea to capture the energy of play|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbcblk28-2017/nbcblk28-jessica-o-matthews-techie-inventor-harnesses-power-play-n714681|access-date=February 21, 2017|work=NBC News|date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084938/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbcblk28-2017/nbcblk28-jessica-o-matthews-techie-inventor-harnesses-power-play-n714681|url-status=live}} In 2013, she was named "Innovator of the Year" by Black Enterprise,{{cite news|last1=Dingle|first1=Derek T.|title=How One Black Entrepreneur 'Powers' Obama's Africa Strategy|url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/blogs/obama-investment-power-africa-trade-africa/|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=Black Enterprise|date=July 3, 2013|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084826/https://www.blackenterprise.com/obama-investment-power-africa-trade-africa/|url-status=live}} and was recognised as both one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc.'s 30 under 30 in 2014 and 2016 respectively,{{cite news|last1=Helman|first1=Christopher|title=The Stars Of Forbes' 30 Under 30 In Energy And Industry|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2014/01/06/30-under-30-energy-industry/#2d31229f5bd2|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=Forbes|date=January 6, 2014|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084824/https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2014/01/06/30-under-30-energy-industry/#2d31229f5bd2|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.inc.com/donna-fenn/2016-30-under-30-these-young-entrepreneurs-are-shaping-the-future.html?cid=nav-1|title=These Young Entrepreneurs Are Shaping the Future|last=Fenn|first=Donna|date=May 24, 2017|newspaper=Inc.|access-date=February 22, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084906/https://www.inc.com/donna-fenn/2016-30-under-30-these-young-entrepreneurs-are-shaping-the-future.html?cid=nav-1|url-status=live}} and selected twice by Fortune for recognition.{{cite news|title=Doing it for themselves - The Social Entrepreneurs (2)|url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/smallbusiness/1109/gallery.most_powerful_women_entrepreneurs.fortune/2.html|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=Fortune|date=September 30, 2011|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084856/https://archive.fortune.com/galleries/2011/smallbusiness/1109/gallery.most_powerful_women_entrepreneurs.fortune/2.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Groden|first1=Claire|title=Meet Fortune's 2015 Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs|url=http://fortune.com/2015/09/09/2015-most-promising-women-entrepreneurs/|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=Fortune|date=September 9, 2015|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215084858/https://fortune.com/2015/09/09/2015-most-promising-women-entrepreneurs/|url-status=live}} Matthews received the "One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year" Award in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.oneyoungworld.com/news-item/one-young-world-entrepreneur-year-award-2020-winners-announced|title=One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020 - Winners Announced|publisher=One Young World|accessdate=23 December 2020}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110923175020/http://www.soccket.com/ Official SOCCKET product website]
- [http://www.unchartedplay.com Official Uncharted Play website]
- Freakonomics podcast interview with Matthews - [http://freakonomics.com/podcast/creativity-4/ Episode #369: "A Good Idea Is Not Good Enough"], February 27, 2019
{{Authority control}}
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Category:21st-century American inventors
Category:American women inventors
Category:American women chief executives
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:American people of Nigerian descent
Category:African-American inventors
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:Businesspeople from Poughkeepsie, New York
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American venture capitalists
Category:American women investors
Category:Women venture capitalists
Category:Nigerian venture capitalists
Category:Nigerian women business executives