Aug 26, 2021
Gene & Keidy Palusky, Founders/Owners XTorch
Founders/Creators of the XTorch Solar Powered Light & Charger Source

Gene and Keidy Palusky, from Edina, MN are the founders/creators of the XTorch, a solar powered device that works as a flashlight, lantern and cell phone charger. Lack of light is a common problem in developing countries. Keidy experienced the issue first hand growing up in the Dominican Republic and while she and Gene were helping children in Equatorial Guinea, Africa.Now their life passion is to get an XTorch into the hands of energy-poor children and advocate the humanitarian benefits of a solar-rechargeable light.

The couple spent several years developing the XTorch. It's a family business. Gene's mother helps, along with their 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.

XTorch has four functions, the first being a flashlight. It can be used as a lantern that hangs from above or a table lantern, thanks to a sidelight. It's also a cell phone charger. The XTorch can be charged in the sun. It can also be plugged into a wall outlet and will charge in about an hour. 

Gene estimates one XTorch can save a customer about $2,000 in batteries and waste, that would most likely end up in a landfill. Keidy and Gene have found the XTorch can be handy to have in any household but the heart of their work involves bringing reliable light and power to some of the most remote places. They donate at least 25% of profits to disaster relief organizations. 

"So far we've donated 100% of all of our profits in the whole duration of our business," Gene said. "It's so exciting because you get these pictures back of these kids holding these lights in these very, very poor environments and they're reading. It's a wonderful thing." 

This year, they donated 2,000 devices that went to Haiti and the Colombia-Venezuela border. Since launching in 2014, they've donated more than 4,000 XTorches. 

One of Keidy's favorite stories involves XTorches that were donated and bought to help survivors after Hurricane Maria in September 2017. 

"Weeks later we get an email from this random person saying, 'Thank you so much for the XTorch. There was a blackout for weeks and I got this XTorch. I could charge it in the sun and I could charge my cell phone to get in touch with my family that was worried about me.' And we were like, 'Yes! Yes! That's what we want to hear. That's what it's all about,'" Keidy recalled. 

The more people who buy XTorch, the more the couple can donate to organizations.  They said: "We are little by little making a difference in the world."