Martin Aufmuth was born in Immenstadt, Germany in 1974. After his studies at the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, he taught mathematics and physics from 2004-2014. In 2008 he founded the association co2mouse. Under his presidency 2008-2014, this was the largest climate protection competition for adolescents in Germany. In 2012 he founded OneDollarGlasses. As president of this NGO his strategic goal is to build up a sustainable basic eye care system in developing countries by training people how to produce and dispense high quality and affordable eye glasses.

As an inventor, social entrepreneur and visionary, Martin Aufmuth is working on creative technical and social strategies for solving global problems in the areas of development cooperation and climate change. Key questions are: How can be effected by simple means big changes? How can people be motivated to take action? Aufmuth follows new paths in development cooperation, in the field of education and public relations. In addition to technical, psychological and economic aspects, for him the practicability and scalability is always in the foreground.

In 2016, he received OSA’s Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award for his work with OneDollarGlasses. In 2015, Aufmuth was awarded the Tech Award (San Jose, USA) in the category economic development. In 2013, among 800 projects worldwide he won the 1st prize of the “empowering people. Award” of the Siemens Stiftung in Nairobi. He received several other prizes from the UNESCO, the German Government, the German Council for Sustainable Development and the Allianz Foundation.