US business magazine Forbes is once again looking to Munich. TUM graduate Jakob Schillinger has been listed in its "30 Under 30 Europe – Social Entrepreneurs" list. The 26-year-old is one of the founders of the association OneDollarGlassesThis company trains opticians in developing countries who manufacture and sell extremely affordable glasses.
Glasses that everyone can afford and that can be easily manufactured anywhere – that's the idea of the OneDollarGlasses association. According to a WHO study, around 150 million people with visual impairments cannot afford glasses and are therefore often excluded from education and certain professions. In response to this need, Erlangen teacher Martin Aufmuth developed a low-cost pair of glasses in 2012: a spring steel frame with pre-ground polycarbonate lenses. He also constructed a bending machine for producing the glasses, which is portable and can be operated without electricity.
The students of the Enactus Munich team became aware of the invention and offered support in developing the project. Students volunteer at Enactus, a global non-profit organization, whose goal is to empower people to help themselves through economic activity.
Rollout in Burkina Faso
Together, they founded the OneDollarGlasses association to train local people in the production of the glasses, conducting eye tests, and selling them. Among the founders was Jakob Schillinger, who studied technology and management-oriented business administration at TUM. In 2013, he traveled to Rwanda, then to Bolivia and Burkina Faso.
The 26-year-old is now employed by the association and travels to the West African country several times a year as the country's coordinator for Burkina Faso. His goal: to supply all of Burkina Faso with glasses, which would mean producing approximately two to three million pairs. He will soon be traveling there again, first to the capital, Ouagadougou, and then to the villages to inspire people there to pursue a career as an optician, to inform them, and to train them in technology and business management.
Glasses for three days' wages
The opticians manufacture the frames for the "one-dollar glasses" for just under a dollar. The selling price is two to three local daily wages, or about six dollars. Currently, about 23 people work for the association. They and their families live off the sale of the glasses.
Jakob Schillinger himself has also benefited from his commitment: "I learned that communication is paramount. That you can't expect added value from the outset, but that it develops when you simply act without expectations. I learned very early on to take on a leadership role and responsibility for decisions and the people affected by them."
Schillinger earned his bachelor's degree from TUM in April 2014 and will complete his psychology studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich this year. He is delighted about his spot on the Forbes list: "It's also a door opener."
TUM supports start-ups of the top “30 Under 30”
For years, the business magazine has been identifying outstanding individuals in the US under the age of 30 whose achievements inspire the future. Now, for the first time, it has published its "30 Under 30" lists for Europe, in several categories.
In the “Science and Healthcare” section, four entrepreneurs from IUVAS and Celonis represented whose start-ups are or were supported by TUM.
