Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta filed their first provisional patent for a solar circuit integrated into an inflatable shape, the seed of LuminAID.
On June 1, 2010, Anna Stork and her Columbia University graduate school classmate Andrea Sreshta filed their first provisional patent application, protecting the novel idea of embedding a solar-charging circuit inside a waterproof, inflatable plastic pouch. The concept emerged from a class assignment focused on designing disaster-relief solutions after the two were tasked with creating shelter and lighting options for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
This provisional filing was the earliest legal step in transforming a classroom idea into a commercial product, giving the inventors a priority date to build upon as they refined their design. The inflatable, solar-rechargeable light would eventually become the flagship product of their company, LuminAID.
Filing a provisional patent as young designers just beginning their careers demonstrated foresight about intellectual property protection at a critical, early stage of product development. It set the foundation for a series of full utility patents that would follow over the next several years, underpinning LuminAID's ability to manufacture and distribute their solar lights globally for humanitarian aid, camping, and outdoor use.
This moment marks the true origin point of what would become a widely recognized social enterprise addressing light poverty in disaster and off-grid settings around the world.