Beyond The Keynote Show
Speaking With Purpose: Leadership, Innovation & the Fight Against Energy Poverty | Simon Doble
Connect with Carmen Sederino Website: illuminatedstory.com LinkedIn: Carmen Sederino YouTube: Illuminated Story Instagram: @illuminatedstory Free Masterclass: Beyond the Keynote Masterclass Connect with Simon Doble Website: simondoble.com LinkedIn: Simon Doble Charity: SolarBuddy Episode Description Carmen Sederino sits down with Simon Doble, founder and chair of SolarBuddy, keynote speaker and social impact entrepreneur on a mission to end energy poverty for children worldwide. Simon grew up on a Somerset farm, left a London trading floor after two weeks, and volunteered across Africa and Bangladesh. A 2011 Time Magazine article on energy poverty arrived at the lowest point of his life. That collision became the spark for SolarBuddy, founded in Brisbane in 2016. His keynote career was never planned: a charity partnership, a phone call, Muscat, Oman. Key Moments His school leaving report read: "Simon is a natural born leader. He just needs to decide which way he's going to lead people." He chose the London trading floor. Two weeks later he walked out, left for Africa and Bangladesh, and never looked back. A 2011 Time Magazine article on energy poverty arrived at the lowest point of his life. He was a father cut off from his children: no tucking them in, no bedside story, no light to turn off. Millions in physical darkness. Him in his own metaphorical kind. That article didn't just spark SolarBuddy. It saved him. Millions of children use kerosene lanterns to study after dark. That smoke kills more people than AIDS and malaria combined: 4.8 million deaths a year. Not from conflict. Not from disease. From trying to learn. Simon was the first person to install a solar floodlight system in a refugee camp, now a global standard. He worked with the UNHCR to get solar lights into UN core relief kits: the previous kit: bucket, tarp, blanket, matches, water tablets, food. Nothing to see by. The children who studied under those lights became the teachers, doctors, and pilots they dreamed of being. His first keynote, Muscat, Oman. Speech on the plane. Backstage, three minutes from walking on, he handed MC Graham five pages he was never going to read from. Graham looked up and said: "The whole world needs to know about this. You've got this. I'll come out on stage with you, stand next to you, and when you feel comfortable I'll step back. When you don't, look for me." Two strangers. They hugged and walked out. Graham is still his stage partner today. In Berlin's Mercedes-Benz Arena, 3,500 people turned off the lights and held up solar lights for children in need. Standing on a rotating stage with light rising around him, he heard himself say on mic: "F*** me. What is happening?" The charity that started on a dining room table had just filled an arena with light. Quotes to Remember "We provided them a tool, just a tool, no silver bullet, no magic ball, just a little tool that they could study longer and better and get the grades. And they've gone on to fulfil their dreams." "The people in the room don't know what you're going to say word for word. So you don't have to know what you're going to say word for word." Simon's Journey Simon Doble is founder and chair of SolarBuddy, now active in 55+ countries and turning ten in May 2026. He has spoken at Davos, Times Square, and to crowds of 63,000 in South Africa. Advice for Speakers Build a spine, not a script. Lock a core message, carry "pockets of stories," and read the room. Nobody knows what you planned to say — going off-script is never the failure you think it is. Free Resource Beyond the Keynote Masterclass About the Host Carmen Sederino is the founder of Illuminated Story, transforming high-stakes presentations into unforgettable performances. Disclaimer The views expressed are those of the guests and host and do not reflect the official policy or position of Illuminated Story.
