Naming The Bloom Box
How did Bloom Energy - the maker of the Bloom box - get its name?
"We had an employee contest. Employees could give in names. And whoever came up with the name would get a trip to Hawaii," Bloom Energy's CEO, K.R. Sridhar, remembered. "So, my son at that time was nine years old. He said, 'Dad, can I offer names.' And I said, 'Unfortunately, no, because it's a contest with a reward, and I'll be a conflict of interest '"
The Bloom Box: An Energy Breakthrough?
Full Segment: The Bloom Box
Web Extra: The Magic Box
Web Extra: Plug-In Power Plant
Web Extra: Naming The Bloom Box
Web Extra: A Skeptic's View
"He said, 'I don't care about the reward. I'm going to write a name and give it to you. Submit it as an anonymous contribution,'" Sridhar remembered. "The name Bloom Energy kept coming to the top, which was his submission. And I tried to dissuade my team from sticking to that name without telling them why. "
"And his idea was ' life will bloom.' 'Children will bloom.' 'The environment will bloom.' 'Jobs will bloom.' 'Isn't that what you're working so hard for, Dad?'" Sridhar told "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl.
"Nine years old. The kid. You have to take the kid to Hawaii. Come on," Stahl joked.