Billions in Change 2 Offers First Look at New Life-Changing Inventions for Solving the World's Biggest Problems

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Oct. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Indian-born billionaire, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Manoj Bhargava believes those with wealth have a duty to serve those with less. Bhargava's unique approach to philanthropy was originally chronicled in the 2015 documentary film, Billions in Change, which featured four solutions created by Stage 2, Bhargava's invention shop in Farmington Hills, Michigan, dealing with energy, water, and health. Billions in Change 2, available now to stream and download at billionsinchange.com, is the follow-up to the first documentary, and unveils five wholly new inventions that directly address those fundamentals.  

"Lights, clean water and nutritious food are the foundation of health, education  and livelihood," said Bhargava. "Without them it's impossible to live a productive life and care for your family," he adds.

In Billions in Change 2, Bhargava describes how some of the new devices evolved from solutions featured in the first documentary. He also reveals his own Darwin-like philosophy when it comes to the invention process, "If something works, I'm there. If it doesn't work, it's out," said Bhargava.

In the months following the 2015 release of the first Billions in Change documentary, the team at Stage 2 worked tirelessly to refine the products featured in the film in order to start production and distribution. They conducted multiple rounds of field-tests, made improvements, retested, navigated bureaucracy and red tape, and in some cases went back to the drawing board and started over because they discovered that they could make something better.

"I wish I was smart enough to go right to the end, it would save a lot of money," said Bhargava. "But unfortunately, we have to go through all the stuff that didn't work, all the stuff that was marginal, and then finally get to something that we say, 'Yes, we have it!'

The "it" Bhargava is referring to are five new inventions: The HANS™ PowerPack, The HANS™ Solar Briefcase, RainMaker for Brackish Water, RainMaker for Grey Water, and Shivansh Fertilizer.

The HANS™ PowerPack is a lightweight, portable power device that allows people to easily generate and store electricity for basic uses, such as lights, fans, and mobile devices. It includes a spotlight and room lighting, a USB port, and a 12-volt outlet for running small electronics. It can be recharged for free using the built-in solar panel, the HANS™ Solar Briefcase, or the HANS™ Free Electric™ bike (featured in the original Billions in Change film). It can also be plugged into a regular wall socket and charged off the grid. The HANS™ PowerPack is constructed from the same material used to make bulletproof glass and comes with a 12-year warranty, so it's made to last.

The HANS™ Solar Briefcase is a lightweight, portable, and simple-to-use set of solar panels designed for charging the HANS™ PowerPack from virtually anywhere on Earth. Created with portability and durability in mind, the HANS™ Solar Briefcase avoids the serious problems that make glass rooftop panels impractical.

Also featured in the film are two new RainMaker inventions for the billions of people who either lack access to safe drinking water, or live in areas threatened by shrinking water supplies.  The RainMaker for Brackish Water is a water filtration unit that takes the salts and other minerals out of brackish water so it can be used for both drinking and agriculture. The device simply attaches to the water source, uses minimal electricity from a small generator, and begins working immediately.

The RainMaker for Grey Water is a small, self-contained unit that uses a series of filters to purify any type of dirty water—river water, sewage water, bacteria-filled water, well water, etc.  It can be installed and used immediately. If electricity is not available, RainMaker for Grey Water can be used with a manual pump or a bike pump.

The fifth invention, Shivansh Fertilizer, is intended to help the billions of rural farmers who are unable to make a living and take care of their families because of the debilitating expense of chemical fertilizer. Shivansh Fertilizer is a simple-to-follow and cost-free method of making fertilizer using whatever is laying around the farm—dry plant material, fresh grass, crop residues, animal manure. After 18 days and relatively little maintenance, the result is a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Integrating this fertilizer into a field brings dead soil back to life within just one planting season. This fertilizer method was discovered and refined through work sponsored by The Hans Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in India, and also funded by Bhargava.

About Billions in Change (The Movement)
Billions in Change is a movement to bring useful inventions to the unlucky half of the world in order to improve quality of life for billions of people. Those inventions are focused on helping people obtain basic needs like clean water, reliable electricity, and sufficient food—fundamentals that set the foundation for education, health, and livelihood, enabling people to improve life for themselves and for their families.

The Billions in Change inventions include devices that create fresh water for drinking and agriculture; expense-free and pollution-free electricity generators that power homes, schools, and businesses; farming techniques that enhance crop yields, crop quality as well as farmer income; and healthcare solutions that actually address the main causes of disease. The Billions in Change movement includes its founder, Manoj Bhargava, Stage 2 (the invention shop in Farmington Hills, Michigan), The Hans Foundation (the organization responsible for deploying solutions in India), and tens of thousands of supporters and volunteers around the world.  For more information about Billions in Change visit www.BillionsInChange.com.

Contact:
Melissa Skabich
PCE Communications, LLC
973-760-9926
[email protected]

SOURCE Billions in Change