Meet Henk
Some may know him as the man who brought role-playing games to Japan or introduced a little-known game called Tetris to the world and turned it into an international phenomenon. Others may know his innovative energy lab and off-grid ranch on Hawaii Island, or his moonbase simulator on the slopes of Mauna Loa. The founder and/or leader of 10 companies and nonprofits, Henk Rogers is a visionary entrepreneur on a mission to save the Earth — and jump-start humankind’s journey to other planets.
“When we settle on the Moon or Mars, we will have to live sustainably, and that’s how we’ll learn to live sustainably on Earth.”
Vision
Henk Rogers’ bold vision for the future involves creating a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony, and space isn’t just a distant dream, but the next frontier for humankind.
Henk has four missions in life:
- End the use of carbon-based fuel.
- End war.
- Make a backup of life on Earth.
- Figure out how the universe ends, and do something about it.
After a near-death experience in 2006, Henk dedicated his life’s work to leading the transition to 100% clean energy, starting in his adopted home of Hawaii; influencing global climate action; and spearheading a movement to create a sustainable human presence on the Moon and beyond.
Career Timeline
1980
1983
Founded Bullet-Proof Software in Yokohama, Japan, and launched Japan’s first role-playing game, The Black Onyx, which went on to become Japan’s #1 computer game in 1984.
1988
Discovered Tetris at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, licensed the rights for Japan and published Tetris on eight different personal computer platforms and the Nintendo Famicom.
1989
Traveled to Moscow and secured the rights to distribute Tetris on Nintendo’s Game Boy system from ELORG, the Soviet organization responsible for the import and export of computer software. ELORG was the agent for the Computing Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences who had a license for Tetris from Alexey Pajitnov, the game’s creator. During that trip, he met Alexey and the two became instant friends.
1990
1995/1996
Founded Blue Planet Software and The Tetris Company. When Alexey’s license to the Computing Center expired, ELORG claimed it controlled the rights to Tetris. In order to continue commercializing Tetris, Blue Planet Software and ELORG’s affiliate set up The Tetris Company to serve as the exclusive licensor of Tetris. Blue Planet Software became the brand manager and the exclusive agent of Tetris.
2000
2002
Founded Blue Lava Wireless, one of the first companies to publish games for mobile phones in the U.S. market. Launched Tetris on mobile phones. Over 425 million mobile phone downloads of Tetris have been sold.
2004
Set up Tetris Holding, LLC with Alexey Pajitnov and acquired ELORG in 2005. Tetris Holding owns all rights to the Tetris game.
2005
Sold Blue Lava Wireless for a reported $137 million. Soon after, suffered a near-fatal heart attack and developed his new life missions during the recovery.
2007
Founded Blue Planet Foundation, a Honolulu nonprofit powering Hawaii’s transition to 100% clean energy and leading the way for global change.
2010
2012
Founded Blue Planet Research, a private laboratory that researches, designs and builds off-grid renewable energy infrastructures, energy storage systems, hydrogen production systems and Moon-Mars habitats.
2012
Founded Blue Startups, one of the first technology accelerators in Hawaii.
2013
Funded and built the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), a Moon-Mars simulation habitat on Mauna Loa.
2014
Became chairman of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), a state-funded aerospace organization working to bring the business of space exploration to Hawaii.
July 4, 2014
Energy Independence Day:
Took his Honolulu residence off-grid with a new clean energy system, which includes a 24 kW solar array and a 60 kWh Lithium-Ferrous-Phosphate battery system. The next generation of Blue Ion batteries would go on to become Blue Planet Energy’s staple product for off-grid living, backup power and self-supply markets.
2015
Founded Blue Planet Energy Systems, an energy storage company, which launched Blue Ion 2.0, a fire-safe energy storage system, that same year.
2015
Blue Planet Foundation launched a broad public campaign in Hawaii that successfully engaged community leaders, students and countless residents to show their support for the nation’s first 100% by 2045 renewable energy requirement. The legislature passed the aggressive law in a 74-2 vote.
2017
Founded the International MoonBase Alliance, a multinational organization with a goal to build a permanent human settlement on the Moon, and hosted the first ever International MoonBase Summit in Hawaii.
2018
Gave a speech as a special guest to the 139th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), thereby helping to convince them to declare climate change an emergency.
2019
Blue Planet Energy launched Blue Ion LXHV, the most advanced medium battery storage system in the world. The premium grid-optional energy storage solution integrates a wide range of energy sources to power businesses and critical infrastructure independent of, or in conjunction with, the utility grid.
2020
2021
Formed the Blue Planet Alliance, which unites individuals, organizations and communities to create a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony.