03/26/2026
Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta were graduate students at Columbia University's School of Architecture in 2010 when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. In one of their classes, they were assigned to develop a new innovation to help with disaster relief. Many students focused on designing shelters but, after speaking to a relief worker in Haiti, the two discovered that an often-ignored need following disasters was access to light.
The inventive duo focused on designing an inflatable, waterproof, and solar-powered lantern -- since then, they have donated over 150,000 lights to people in crisis around the the world, including shipping thousands of solar-powered phone chargers to help Ukrainian refugees and people impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the wildfires in Los Angeles. And, while their unique lantern is designed to meet the needs of people in the aftermath of a disaster, it has also become popular with outdoor enthusiasts and for home emergency kits, especially since they added a new model that doubles as a solar cell phone charger.
After their lantern is charged in the sun during the day, the LED light provides hours of light -- a feature that not only makes it more eco-friendly but essential in emergency situations when batteries are hard to find. Due to its inflatable design, it also provides diffuse light like a lantern so it can be used to illuminate a room or tent.
With their latest design, they also added the ability to recharge devices such as cell phones from the solar charger. While a handy feature for hikers and campers, this new feature is also potentially life-saving in emergency situations. Whether a backpacker lost in the woods or a refugee relying on their phone to find safe passage out of a war zone, the new light gives people the ability to charge a phone anywhere.
Since founding their company, Stork and Sreshta have donated tens of thousands of lights to aid organizations, helping people displaced by natural disasters or war in the U.S. and in over 100 countries around the world. They have also worked with aid organizations to help create safe spaces for women and children following disasters.
As Sreshta explains, "conditions once the sun goes down can be very unsafe, especially for women and children. After the massive earthquake in Haiti that inspired their work, for example, there were many cases of violence, kidnapping and r**e. Light is a basic human need, but [conventional technology] costs too much to ship and pack as part of disaster relief." Now, thanks to the work of these two creative innovators, more people will have access to the gift of light and connection during the darkest of times.
To stock your emergency kit and help support their work, all of their solar products -- including their lantern with a solar-powered phone charger -- are on sale for up to 30% off during their Black Friday and holiday sale at https://luminaid.com/mightygirl
Anna and Andrea are also featured in an excellent book about female innovators and inventors throughout history: "Girls Think of Everything," for readers 8 to 13, at https://www.amightygirl.com/girls-think-of-everything γ
For children's books about more real-life women in engineering / design and girls who love to invent, visit our blog post "30 Books About Mighty Girls and Women in Engineering," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=35594
For an inspiring book for tween girls who love to invent and tinker, which includes a variety of hands-on STEM projects, we highly recommend "Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers" for ages 8 to 11 at https://www.amightygirl.com/gutsy-girls-engineers
For two fun picture books about Mighty Girls who love to invent, both for ages 4 to 8, we recommend "Interstellar Cinderella" (https://www.amightygirl.com/interstellar-cinderella) and "Mazie's Amazing Machines" (https://www.amightygirl.com/mazie-s-amazing-machines)
For invention kits and toys to encourage your Mighty Girl's interest in inventing, visit our blog post "Building Her Dreams: Building and Engineering Toys for Mighty Girls," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10430
Thanks to the Make It Better Foundation for sharing this image!
