Originally published on the Mandela Washington Fellowship website.

As an energy consultant with Guidehouse, Ryan Taylor advises clients on distributive energy resources and energy grid modernization around the world in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. But he has always had an interest in giving back to his community, both through mentorship and other types of knowledge-sharing and service.

In 2017, Ryan and 2016 Fellowship Alumnus and energy activist Paul Nkumbula partnered on a Reciprocal Exchange project through the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.

Their project provided solar energy access to rural villages around Lake Bangweulu in northern Zambia.  They also worked with U.S.-based engineer Jasmine Pearcey, who served as the project co-lead and led engineering design validation. Years after his Reciprocal Exchange, Ryan continues to use the local connections he made during his trip to expand his energy consulting portfolio and to reach new energy access opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Continue reading on the Mandela Washington Fellowship website.