Photo: Hispanic Standout: Young Inventor Javier Fernández-Han Makes Forbes' List While Changing the World
At just 17 years old, Javier Fernandez-Han has made a Forbes list of ‘30 Under 30’ in the Energy category for his humanitarian innovative inventions.
The son of immigrants from Mexico and China, Fernandez-Han has invented a system that uses algae to break down sewage and capture methane to be used for fuel.
In 2010, Fernandez-Han founded Inventors Without Borders, a humanitarian organization that seeks to “bring innovative solutions to real-world problems in rural, poverty-stricken areas”.
At a time when Latinos are lagging in science and math fields, Fernandez-Han proves that there are still young people not just pursuing such careers, but pursuing them to change the .
The Texas teen recently told, NBC Latino, ‘Once I realized I enjoyed inventing, I began to see how I could provide solutions to common problems. Inventing things became a way to help people.’
On of his systems would provide developing communities with a way to utilize the limited resources they possess to achieve economic sustainability by way of turning sewage into a renewable energy source using the digestive properties of specialized algae.
The same year he founded Inventors Without Border, at just the age of 16, Fernandez-Han delivered a speech at a conference hosted by the Prince of Spain in Girona. (See below.)
With so many years of innovation already under his belt and many to come, Javier Fernandez-Han is truly a Hispanic Standout.
