The Worthy 100
John Salzinger
Industry: Retail/Tech
Headquarters: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Next Chapter:
After more than a decade leading MPOWERD, the company he founded to create the category of solar portable lighting and power, John Salzinger has turned the page to a new chapter. Under his leadership, MPOWERD became a global Benefit Corporation, reaching over 5 million people without access to reliable energy, averting 4 million tons of CO₂, earning 25 patents, generating $80 million in revenue, and achieving a world-class B Corp score of 140.5. In 2024, the company was acquired by a strategic partner—cementing its legacy as both a market innovator and a force for good.
With that milestone, John set out to build something even better—an evolution of the technology, the model, and the mission that started it all. The result is HAVEN: a company informed by NGOs and designed for crisis readiness.
John’s first company pioneered a hybrid business model—using traditional retail distribution to fund reduced-margin sales through nonprofit and humanitarian partners. The approach helped scale impact globally while proving that sustainability and profitability can thrive together.
Drawing on those lessons, John reimagined what modern solar lighting and power could be. HAVEN’s first product is a 10,000 mAh powerbank, expandable lantern, and full-panel flashlight delivering 1,200 lumens, up to 120 hours of runtime, and IPX6 waterproof durability. It can charge two phones or a tablet and is built with the same attention to design and purpose that defined his earlier work.
But for John, HAVEN is about more than technology.
It’s about creating a guiding light, a safe harbor, and a beacon of hope for people everywhere—especially when they need it most.
About His Business & Career: John Salzinger, a serial entrepreneur and business veteran, founded MPOWERD in 2012, and it has quickly become a heavyweight in the social and environmental impact space. MPOWERD is a solar energy company dedicated to providing light and safety to people all over the world, particularly to those in communities without access to clean, harmless energy. One of the main products produced by MPOWERD is their inflatable, solar-powered lamp. These affordable, safe, and easily distributed lamps are donated in droves by the B Corp to help those left powerless by natural disasters and to replace the need for the use of harmful fuel sources, such as coal or kerosene.
Why He Made the Worthy 100: Salzinger’s MPOWERD is a mission-driven company dedicated to providing clean, safe energy to those who go without. Salzinger is acutely aware of the disadvantages posed when power is inaccessible, such as medical safety, health risks that accompany the burning of kerosene lamps, safety for women, restrictions on education and so much more. MPOWERD partners with over 700 nonprofits and NGOs to provide broader access to clean, safe solar-powered light. One of the ways that MPOWERD is able to donate and distribute thousands of solar lamps is by utilizing their consumers—with every purchase, the website makes it easy to donate $10, which provides a lamp to someone in need. Sustainability and safety are at the forefront of MPOWERD’s mission, and they emphasize this with every decision they make.
‘Worth’ magazine names three outdoor industry leaders to inaugural ‘Worthy 100’ list
