Student Pioneers Sustainable Solutions – The Colgate Maroon-News

Colgate University’s Thought Into Action (TIA) program allows students to get a taste of entrepreneurship and even has the potential to kickstart them into a future career as business owners. This has been the case for junior Macdonald Chiara’s experience with TIA. Chiara is majoring in biology and minoring in global public and environmental health, studies that connect to the company he founded: Everlasting Technology. The company is committed to sustainability and focuses on products such as their Solar Ecostove, which enables eco-friendly cooking using solar energy.

Chiara’s idea for his company stemmed from wanting to address energy challenges and environmental degradation, issues he has witnessed firsthand. Today, the business is making a real change, allowing communities without reliable electricity to have clean cooking solutions.

“Since its inception, Everlasting Technology has witnessed considerable growth. We recently initiated a pilot program by distributing 100 units of our Solar Ecostove in Zimbabwe, which has been pivotal in optimizing our product for the local context,” Chiara said. 

As the company has evolved, Chiara has connected with more and more people. Currently, he is working to collaborate with a non-profit organization to further amplify the impact of his venture.

“This partnership aims to leverage both our technological innovation and the non-profit’s reach and expertise to bring sustainable cooking solutions to a broader audience,” Chiara said.

Everlasting Technology has seen incredible growth, but at one point, it was just an idea. Chiara was able to use the TIA program at Colgate to help smooth out the transition from an idea to a successful business.

“The TIA program served as a catalyst for Everlasting Technology, transforming it from a concept to a viable business,” Chiara explained. “The network of peers and alumni from TIA also fostered a collaborative environment, allowing for valuable feedback and the exchange of innovative ideas that have been instrumental in [Everlasting Technology’s] growth and development.”

For Chiara, the growth and development of Everlasting Technology have been a balancing act, as he must split his time between the company, schoolwork and hobbies. Chiara is involved with TIA, the equestrian club and is a community leader (CL). Despite these commitments, Chiara says he finds his time at Colgate invaluable because of the applicable skills he is learning through his coursework.

“The range of classes has honed my critical thinking skills, enabling me to approach challenges with analytical rigor and creativity,” Chiara said. “This interdisciplinary education fosters a versatility that’s essential in business, allowing me to draw connections between disparate ideas and integrate them into innovative business solutions. It has taught me to appreciate diverse perspectives, an appreciation that’s reflected in how we develop and adapt our technologies to meet varying customer needs.”

While his education has been valuable, Chiara plans to graduate from Colgate next year and move to running his business full-time. 

“Post-graduation, I plan to focus on scaling up our operations, enhancing our product line and extending our reach into new markets. The goal is to make sustainable energy accessible to even more people, leveraging the momentum we’ve built to create a larger, more substantial impact on energy poverty and environmental health,” Chiara said.

Chiara’s intelligence and passion have led his idea to become a business that has made a positive impact on the world. 

“I see Everlasting Technology not just as a company, but as a movement towards a greener, more sustainable future,” Chiara said.