An Umbrella Made from Ocean-Bound Plastic, with Deirdre Horan, Dri
Deirdre Horan, Founder and CEO of Dri Dri produces durable, fashionable, and environmentally sustainable umbrellas from ocean-bound plastic. As a fifteen year-old, Deirdre Horan left her comfortable home in Acton, Massachusetts to join a youth group traveling to Gulfport, Mississippi. This was two years after Hurricane Katrina, and the community continued to struggle. “What really […]
Grants, Challenges, and Incubators (Oh My!) with Shubham Issar of SoaPen
Shubham Issar of SoaPen Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand go from the UNICEF Wearables for Good Challenge to Shark Tank and beyond. Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand grew up in New Delhi but met at Parsons School of Design in New York. They loved working together on hands-on design projects that made a difference. In […]
Can Meta be a Force for Good? An Interview with Emily Dalton Smith
Emily Dalton Smith, Vice President of Product Management at Meta Is it possible for the company formerly known as Facebook to be a force for good? There are some bright spots. If you want to hear bad news about Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, you don’t have to look far. And, there’s plenty […]
The Many Faces of Service, with Kate Glantz, Luma Legacy
Kate Glantz, Luma Legacy Being of service does not have to look a certain way. Find the way that works for you. Kate Glantz has always been driven to serve. “I wonder if [my sense of service] comes from my culture,” Kate ponders. “I’m Jewish, and there is a deep tradition of service, Tzedakah. I’m […]
Katherine Venturo-Conerly and Tom Osborn, Shamiri Institute
Katherine Venturo-Conerly and Tom Osborn, Shamiri Institute Half of the young people in Kenya have elevated depression and anxiety. 45% of the disease burden comes from anxiety and depression. The Shamiri Institute has an answer. Kenya has been described as a young hustle culture. But that hustle takes a toll. According to Tom Osborn of […]
Tap into the Strengths of Neurodiversity, with Isabella He
Isabella He, SN Inclusion and AUesome High school students work on behalf of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the United States, 1 in 54 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unemployment rates for individuals with ASD are approximately 85%. More than half a million individuals with ASD will enter the workforce in the […]
A Sense of Justice for Women and Girls, with Judith Martinez, InHerShoes
What would you do if you were 1% more courageous? Judith Martinez is a leader at the intersection of social justice and the future of human capital. She is the CEO of InHerShoes, the modern woman’s community for courage. When Judith was in the fifth grade, she witnessed a scene that changed her life direction. […]
Eliminate Plastic from Your Oral Care, with Kathy Ku, Juni Essentials
Helping bamboo farmers and women in impoverished regions become self-reliant while eliminating plastic waste. If Kathy Ku’s name is familiar to you, you might have heard about her previous social venture in Uganda, Spouts of Water. I interviewed Kathy in December 2016. Kathy and her co-founder John Kye left Spouts of Water, but it continues […]
Screen Printing with a Social Mission, with Sara Weihmann, New Avenues INK
Sara Weihmann, New Avenues INK Offering paid job training for youth. Sara Hart Weihmann is the Director of Social Enterprise at New Avenues for Youth in Portland. She oversees a portfolio of workforce development social enterprises that offer goods and services to the local community. This provides paid work experiences and job training for youth […]
Changing Lives through a Second Chance, with Karen Lee, Pioneer Human Services
Karen Lee, Pioneer Human Services People who were involved in the criminal justice system are more than their labels. Karen Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer Human Services. She was born during the 1960s civil rights era. “During my lifetime, I’ve seen quite a bit of discrimination. I’ve always wanted to do something […]