EcoZoom is a certified B Corporation that makes charcoal, wood and biomass cook stoves. The company has offices in Portland, Oregon and Nairobi, Kenya. EcoZoom holds the exclusive license to distribute stove technology designed by Aprovecho in developing countries and a second license to distribute in the United States.[1]

EcoZoom
Company typePrivate
Websiteecozoom.com

History

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EcoZoom was started in April 2011 by Ben West to increase the distribution of improved cookstoves in developing nations.[2]

Timeline

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2011

  • January – EcoZoom receives B Corporation status[3]

2012

  • January – EcoZoom joins the Portland State University Social Innovation Incubator Vector Program[4]
  • February – EcoZoom completes a 10,000 stove pilot program with the Mexican government to replace open-fire cooking and indoor cooking stoves with a double burner stove called La Mera Mera[5]
  • November – EcoZoom is named by Sustainable Business Oregon as a Sustainable Business Award Finalist[6]

2013

  • May – EcoZoom opens up second office in Nairobi, Kenya[7]
  • September – EcoZoom Case Study is used by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to demonstrate product design process to increase adoption of stoves[8]

Product design

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EcoZoom stoves use a rocket stove design for efficient combustion of fuel. As a result, less fuel is used compared to an open fire with less smoke emitted, helping cooks from inhaling harmful smoke while using less natural resources.[9]

Business model

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EcoZoom sells stoves direct-to-consumer in the US while completing multiple international projects in Haiti, Kenya, Mexico, Rwanda, Somalia, and South Africa.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "EcoZoom works to clean the air". Sustainable Business Oregon. 16 November 2012.
  2. ^ "Cooking clean". Oregon Business. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014.
  3. ^ "EcoZoom". B Corporation. January 2012.
  4. ^ "Profit with purpose". Portland State University. 31 May 2012.
  5. ^ "EcoZoom installs 10,000 cookstoves in Mexico". Sustainable Business Oregon. 21 February 2012.
  6. ^ "SBO announces finalists for Innovation in Sustainability awards". Sustainable Business Oregon. 18 October 2012.
  7. ^ "EcoZoom cooks up Kenya office plans". Sustainable Business Oregon. 20 May 2013.
  8. ^ "Scaling adoption of clean cooking solutions through women's empowerment" (PDF). Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. 25 September 2013.
  9. ^ a b "EcoZoom: a model for selling clean cookstoves in Africa". The Christian Science Monitor. 29 November 2013.