Publications
Publications
- October 2013 (Revised January 2015)
- HBS Case Collection
The Slingshot: Improving Water Access
By: John A. Quelch, Margaret L. Rodriguez and Carin-Isabel Knoop
Abstract
In 2012, over 750 million people around the globe lacked access to safe drinking water. Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, sought to bring fresh water to poor and rural areas with the Slingshot, a water purification device. Kamen's challenge was to identify ways to distribute the Slingshot to areas where it was most needed. A partnership with the Coca-Cola Company helped Kamen to pilot distribution of the Slingshot in low-access regions.
Keywords
Water; Public Health; Health Care; Slingshot; Dean Kamen; DEKA; Coca-Cola; Developing Markets; Freestyle; Safety; Natural Environment; Pollutants; Health; Distribution Channels; Developing Countries and Economies; Innovation and Invention; Africa; Latin America; South America; Asia
Citation
Quelch, John A., Margaret L. Rodriguez, and Carin-Isabel Knoop. "The Slingshot: Improving Water Access." Harvard Business School Case 514-007, October 2013. (Revised January 2015.)