The Causeartist Social Entrepreneurs to Watch list reaches its 11th edition this year.
This annual list highlights innovative social entrepreneurs who are making a positive impact through their organizations and initiatives.
2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021 / 2022 / 2023
Over the past ten years, I’ve had the honor of speaking with over eight hundred social entrepreneurs around the world. These conversations have provided a window into the passion and innovation driving impact globally.
I’ve interviewed pioneering leaders in fields like ethical fashion, FoodTech, ClimateTech, EdTech, Web3, Impact Investing, and regenerative agriculture.
Each year I take some time to reflect on the stories and insights gained from these social entrepreneurs.
The challenges we face as a society are complex.
But there are also many brilliant minds developing solutions.
While negative news often dominates, at Causeartist. we choose to focus our energy on the dreamers and visionaries dedicating their lives to impacting the world.
I created Causeartist to spotlight these courageous creators, whether they are confronting climate instability, reinventing education, tackling the future of food, developing better supply chains, or developing a more sustainable fashion industry.
Business can be a powerful force for good.
I’ve seen it transform communities, uplift lives, and elevate teams with a sense of purpose.
Social Entrepreneurs: Looking Back and Towards the Future
Social entrepreneurship has been on the rise over the past decade as more people seek to start mission-driven businesses that aim to solve social or environmental problems.
According to a 2022 report by the OECD, there were over 397,000 social enterprises just within the European Union, accounting for more than 6% of employment in European countries.
According to BLab, there are over 6,000 certified B Corps across more than 80 countries, including over 2,800 in the United States.
Nigeria is experiencing rapid growth in social enterprises. According to a recent study, there are an estimated 443,000 social enterprises now operating in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
Overall, social entrepreneurship continues to gain interest worldwide, driven by a demand for businesses that can deliver social and environmental impact along with financial returns.
As the sector matures, data shows increasing numbers of social enterprise startups along with growing revenues and investments into the space.
The social entrepreneurs featured here are just a sample of the many driving critical impact worldwide. Their work continues to inspire my optimism in our collective ability to build a more just, sustainable and regenerative future.
Social Entrepreneurs to Watch for in 2024
Rich Wurden & Kenny Lee // AIGEN
The Impact – Aigen aims to positively impact farmers, communities, and the environment by promoting sustainable agriculture through their innovative robotic and analytical technologies. Their mission is to improve human and planetary health.
Kenny and Rich have both experienced the impacts of chemicals on human health first hand, and live with diseases linked to pesticide use.
With roots in farming, electric vehicles, robotics and impact investing, Rich and Kenny founded Aigen in 2020 to connect farmers to breakthrough technologies and decarbonize agriculture.
At Aigen, they believe in a future with no harmful chemicals in our food. They believe in a future where farmers prosper, people thrive, and the planet flourishes.
Aigen’s Element robotic fleet can autonomously navigate, weed, and analyze row crops without any chemicals or diesel fuel.
Offered as a service and powered 100% by solar and wind, Aigen’s vehicles reduce farmers’ workload and their reliance on fossil fuels, while increasing their crop and soil health.
Azuraye Wycoff // Yellow Barn Farm
The Impact – Yellow Barn Farm’s social impact focuses on sustainable land use, regenerative food systems, community education, and catalyzing a resilient local ecology and economy. Their nature-based approach aims to provide holistic, empowering solutions.
Azuraye is a dynamic leader in sustainable agriculture and community development. She is the founder of Stalk Market, a unique local grocery model, and Yellow Barn Farm, her 100-acre regenerative farm.
Azuraye is passionate about local economies, circular systems, and sustainable farming. She has a talent for operations, logistics, and bringing out the best in people.
Yellow Barn Farm is revitalizing its land for small-scale, eco-friendly food production and sustainability education.
Once an international equestrian center, the farm now partners with Drylands Agroecology Research to cultivate regenerative practices.
Their goal is to create a holistic farming community that builds resilience by linking sustainable food, education, and economic networks locally. They believe in a “give first” philosophy, seeding regenerative systems that give back over time.
Some key projects include planting over 10,000 trees for silvopasture, windbreaks, and soil restoration research. Workshops, farm-to-table meals, and celebrations also engage the community.
By gathering diverse ideas, Yellow Barn Farm aims to find innovative solutions for a sustainable, thriving ecosystem. Azuraye’s leadership helps drive this mission through her skills in designing nature-based systems that empower people.
Katerine Gutierrez Villaverde // Traces of the World
The Impact – Traces of the World’s social impact is rooted in its commitment to supporting artisans worldwide, improving socio-economic conditions, preserving traditional crafts, promoting sustainable lifestyles, ensuring supply chain transparency, and contributing to cultural exchange through curated and sustainable fashion.
Katerine Gutierrez studied fashion design in Amsterdam and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. As a student, she worked as a stylist for Dries Van Noten fashion shows and continued working as a fashion stylist for over 7 years on editorials and advertising campaigns.
After an extensive experience in fashion, she emigrated to Spain for more corporate roles. Katerine studied an MBA and worked for over 8 years in corporate banking.
Sustainability, ecology, and spirituality have always driven Katerine’s artistic inspiration. After years away from fashion, this passion led her to Mexico and Guatemala where she spent over 7 years collaborating with artisan communities.
There, she explored ancestral weaving techniques to create contemporary sustainable styles celebrating local artisanship.
Katerine founded Traces of the World, an online platform offering sustainably handcrafted women’s clothing made by artisans worldwide. As a curated platform, it supports artisans and brands while generating socio-economic, cultural, and environmental impact.
The artisans are the foundation of the value chain, applying heritage skills to create unique handmade clothes. This collaboration improves artisans’ lives, mostly women, and preserves endangered crafts.
With intentionally limited production and on-demand capabilities, Traces of the World promotes sustainable lifestyles and supply chain transparency. The organic, locally sourced materials adhere to fair trade standards.
Royford Mutegi // Vermi-Farm
The Impact – Vermi-Farm’s social impact encompasses empowering smallholder farmers, promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing crop yields, minimizing water usage, facilitating market linkages, fostering a greener environment, and creating a regenerative farming system.
The initiative’s holistic approach aims to address social, economic, and environmental challenges within the agricultural sector.
Royford Mutegi is a student at the Multimedia University of Kenya, where he is pursuing a BSc. in Applied Physics and Computer Science.
He is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Vermi-Farm, which promotes integrated waste management by raising awareness around vermi-composting through workshops for farmers.
The initiative also provides additional job opportunities.
In 2019, in recognition of his commitment to leading ethically and delivering positive change, Royford was awarded the Individual CSR Award by the Work Her Dream Organization.
In 2020, Royford was nominated as the Canopy Lab Brand Ambassador in Kenya by CanopyLAB, an eLearning company based in Denmark.
His responsibilities include overturning taboos on educational technologies and digital learning, as well as spearheading access to online learning in his community by connecting learners with the company’s free learning platform.
Chris Georgen // Topl
The Impact – Topl’s social impact is evident in its efforts to revolutionize business interactions, provide access to new capabilities, and facilitate positive global impact through various initiatives. The platform’s focus on transparency, fairness, and efficiency contributes to creating a more responsible and sustainable business ecosystem.
Chris is a highly accomplished leader in the web3 space with an impressive track record. As Managing Director and Co-founder of Topl, he helps spearhead the only blockchain ecosystem dedicated to radical impact.
Chris takes an active role in protocol design while leading tokenomics and governance efforts.
He has been a part of the web3 sector since 2012 when he co-founded a mobile payments fintech that launched on Ethereum shortly after its inception.
His success stems from degrees obtained at Rice University spanning Mathematics, Chemical Physics, and Philosophy.
During his time at university, Chris made an impact in academia by researching complex systems and developing models that would power Topl’s unique design.
He also pushed forward conversations on blockchain technology, economics, sustainability, and international development across 20 countries through invited talks and working groups.
His efforts further empowered web3 to bring meaningful social impact initiatives to fruition.
Topl is revolutionizing the way businesses interact in today’s economy. By utilizing its groundbreaking blockchain technology, corporations, startups, and nonprofits have access to new capabilities that unlock value from positive global impact.
With this technology comes data capture methods never seen before, as well as smart asset digitization and tokenization, allowing for cutting-edge markets and economies built on the Topl platform.
Businesses around the globe are leading a modern revolution of conscientious action. Powerful tools developed in recent years mean making an impact is more efficient, cheaper, and effective than ever before.
Topl is helping the impact revolution in various ways:
- Helping coffee and cocoa farmers earn a living wage
- Tracking COVID-19 tests to ensure they stay cold on their journey to patients
- Opening visibility into diamond supply chains, offering proof that stones are conflict-free
- Enabling seamless carbon capture, allowing businesses to transact in growing markets while giving back to the earth
Kevin Noertker // Ampaire
The Impact – Ampaire’s social impact is evident in its pursuit of sustainable aviation solutions, including emissions reduction, noise reduction, lower operating costs, and the introduction of electric flight on short routes.
The company’s efforts contribute to a more environmentally friendly and economically viable future for air travel.
Kevin Noertker has made significant contributions to aerospace engineering and scientific research. He lent his expertise to stealth aircraft and satellite development programs at Northrop Grumman.
As a research fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he furthered our understanding of the universe.
Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Kevin is motivated to apply the science and engineering practices of large aerospace organizations to pressing environmental issues.
He sees the robust startup culture in the U.S. as an opportunity to direct technological innovation toward benefiting people and communities, rapidly gathering feedback and making progress.
Before co-founding Ampaire with Cory Combs, Kevin served as a senior systems engineer at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, working on satellite programs.
Among other accomplishments, he led a team that developed a hardware fix for a key component on the Joint Polar Satellite System.
This improved NOAA’s hurricane projections from three days to 5-7 days and enhanced other crucial weather data supply.
Earlier in his career, as an engineer at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Kevin developed low-observable (stealth) technology, earning two patents.
About Ampaire – Ampaire is pioneering sustainable aviation with its practical electric aircraft. The aerospace company is retrofitting existing passenger planes with proprietary hybrid-electric propulsion systems to reduce emissions, noise, operating costs, and fuel use.
By 2024, Ampaire plans to launch commercial operations of its hybrid-electric aircraft with regional airline partners. This will make electric flight a reality on short routes of up to 500 miles.
Ampaire’s parallel hybrid-electric powertrain recharges in flight or on the ground, providing ample power and extra electrical capacity.
Ampaire is currently forging partnerships to develop electric aviation networks with operators like Surf Air Mobility and Hawaii Air. With airline, airport, and government partners, Ampaire is aiming to make electric flight practical and compelling within existing fleets.
Maijid Moujaled & Ham Serunjogi // Chipper
The Impact – Chipper’s impact is evident in its contribution to financial inclusion across Africa, the expansion of its product suite, global reach, and the leadership’s commitment to providing accessible and trusted financial services.
The company’s efforts align with the broader goal of empowering individuals and businesses to achieve financial stability and success.
Maijid Moujaled is the co-founder and current President of Chipper. He oversees the Product, Engineering, Design and Growth teams at the company. Maijid has a passion for building consumer mobile products that positively impact people’s lives.
Before founding Chipper, Maijid worked on developing and growing various mobile apps, including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Sports, Flickr, and Imgur. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Computer Science from Grinnell College.
Ham Serunjogi is the Co-founder and CEO of Chipper. As CEO, Ham heads the Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for leading the company’s overall direction and strategy.
After graduating from Grinnell College in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Ham began his career at Meta (formerly Facebook) where he worked in their Dublin, Ireland office building partner relationships with some of Facebook’s biggest UK advertisers.
Today Ham also serves on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater Grinnell College, where he is one of four Trustees on the Investment Committee overseeing the management and allocation of the college’s approximately $3.5B endowment.
About Chipper – Chipper is a financial technology company serving over five million customers across Africa. In 2018, Chipper revolutionized moving money in Africa by introducing fee-free transfers for personal payments, enabling financial inclusion across the continent.
Since then, Chipper has expanded its product suite with personal investment products and business solutions, while also extending its reach into the US. Led by co-founders Ham Serunjogi and Maijid Moujaled, Chipper is focused on its mission to provide the most trusted and accessible financial services for people in Africa and beyond.
Bethany Tran // The Root Collective
The Impact – The Root Collective’s social impact is characterized by the creation of sustainable jobs, empowerment of artisans, realization of business potential for positive change, and the promotion of conscious consumerism.
The brand’s rejection of mass production in favor of ethical small-batch production exemplifies its commitment to fostering a connection between makers and consumers while addressing broader social and economic challenges.
The Root Collective represents Bethany Tran’s pursuit of her calling. Her journey to founding the ethical fashion brand took many twists and turns.
Bethany started on a professional marketing career path in college, landing a job without much forethought. She didn’t initially realize how perfectly suited it was for her talents.
After about 12 years, Bethany had risen to work at a Fortune 500 company in downtown Philadelphia. She changed jobs a few times, working at a 4-person tech startup and mid-sized businesses. But these unfulfilling roles left her feeling empty.
As a purpose-driven person, Bethany knew she lived in a hurting world that needed healing to become what Jesus intended – full of beauty rather than pain. She felt a responsibility to ease the widespread hurt somehow.
So Bethany started The Root Collective, working with Guatemalan artisans to create sustainable jobs. With no experience, she was in over her head and could only pray and cling on.
It was incredibly difficult at first. But as the company started to grow, Bethany saw its potential for real impact. More jobs opened up and her tribe made a noticeable difference.
She realized business and conscious consumers could solve many global problems.
What motivates Bethany daily is watching people realize their power to create change through their purchases and lifestyles.
About The Root Collective – The Root Collective is a footwear and accessories brand rejecting mass production. Instead, they reconnect maker and consumer through ethical small-batch production.
Saad Alam // Hone
The Impact – Hone Health has a social impact by challenging stereotypes associated with aging, promoting individual optimization, leveraging technology for personalized healthcare, emphasizing scientific excellence, fostering transparency, and empowering individuals to actively engage in their health journey.
The overall goal is to create a better and more proactive approach to health and well-being.
Hone was founded by Saad based on an unwillingness to accept the notion that “aging” equals “declining.” The company does not aim to turn back time or help people become who they used to be.
Instead, Hone believes our bodies can be optimized to perform at their peak for whatever matters most, whether that is running an Iron Man at 45 or playing with kids after work.
When Saad turned 35, his energy, focus, stamina, and libido suddenly vanished.
After doctors helped him regain his vitality, he decided his mission was helping other men take charge of their health as they age.
It reminded Saad of his father, who at 35 was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that later became type 1 diabetes along with strokes and kidney disease.
Although Saad’s doctor said it was just aging, he knew there must be more to it and didn’t want to deteriorate as he had watched his father do.
After six months of tests and seeing specialists, Saad finally got answers – he had the testosterone levels of an 80-year-old man.
When Saad’s doctor said he needed testosterone replacement therapy, Saad immediately thought of the stigma around back-alley clinics, massive bodybuilders, and dubious late-night infomercials.
He also worried about serious health risks from misusing anabolic steroids. It took a long time for Saad to feel comfortable discussing his issues, which he realized reflect a silent epidemic of hormone imbalance that men feel ashamed about.
Because of this experience, Saad made it his life’s mission to have honest conversations and provide science-backed information to help people live better for longer.
Saad started Hone to take a technology-led approach to individualized treatments that give patients clear, proactive ways to understand and address imbalances.
Hone’s products are clinically proven to improve energy, focus, libido, and overall wellbeing. By removing stigma and concern, Hone helps people regain confidence, drive, and vitality.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan // Flavors From Afar
The Impact – Flavors from Afar has a positive social impact by supporting refugees with job and training opportunities, sharing their stories, contributing to the financial sustainability of the Tiyya Foundation, preserving cultural heritage through cuisine, and fostering cultural exchange within the community.
As a daughter of refugees and woman of color, Meymuna Hussein-Cattan founded two award-winning organizations – The Tiyya Foundation nonprofit and Flavors From Afar social enterprise restaurant.
Through founding these organizations, Meymuna learned that her unique story and background add value rather than disrupt settings.
Flavors From Afar started with the idea that cooking and sharing food is a universal gesture that transcends cultural boundaries.
It speaks a language of love that all understand. But Flavors From Afar is more than just a restaurant – it represents the power of community, compassion, and positive impact.
Flavors is a social enterprise of the Tiyya Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants and displaced families.
Through this partnership, Flavors aims to share not just global flavors but also stories of resilience and hope that refugee friends bring to Los Angeles.
A portion of proceeds goes to Tiyya Foundation’s programs for economic advancement, women and children’s services, and community development.
The restaurant honors and preserves the traditional cuisines of its immigrant and refugee chefs. It also invites guests to partake in a cultural exchange.
The talented team of immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeker chefs have shared treasured family recipes passed down through generations. These recipes have been adapted and shared with love.
Niv Ben-Ami & Ron Livny // Resugar
The Impact – Resugar’s impact is evident in its efforts to revolutionize the food industry by providing healthier sugar alternatives.
By addressing sugar-related health concerns, responding to consumer preferences, and offering practical solutions for manufacturers, Resugar contributes to fostering healthier lifestyles and positively impacting public health outcomes.
Niv Ben-Ami gained years of technical experience in the hi-tech industry. During the past few years, he has been immersed in sugar reduction solutions as he focused on building Resugar’s business and technology.
His entrepreneurial spirit and passion for healthy and delicious food are what led him to found Resugar.
Ron Livny has dedicated his professional career to helping people improve their lives through adopting healthy habits. He is passionate about health and deeply believes everyone should have access to nutritious and delicious foods.
About Resugar – Resugar is a FoodTech company that uses innovative technology to reimagine the future of sweet. Resugar’s sugar replacement solutions perfectly replicate the taste and properties of sugar while eliminating all of its harmful effects.
Sugar addiction has generated a growing health crisis.
40 countries have sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, and there is a 10% decrease in sales of sugar-sweetened beverages when a 10% tax is added.
74% of US consumers are trying to limit or avoid sugar (IFIC 2020).
Resugar envisions a world where people can live a healthy life and enjoy all the foods they love without the harmful adverse effects sugar induces.
Resugar is bringing new cost-effective sugar products to the food industry, enabling manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in their products without altering flavor profiles and remove negative labels and warnings from product packaging.
Jonathan Segal, Tyler Bernstein, & Jake Matthews // Zeno Power
The Impact – Zeno Power’s social impact lies in its contribution to energy accessibility and sustainability through the introduction of modernized radioisotope power systems.
The technology’s potential to provide clean and constant energy aligns with the vision of a future where energy is an enabling factor for diverse markets and applications.
At Zeno Power, they believe in a future in which access to energy is not a limiting factor, but an enabling one. Zeno Power is introducing a new category of energy technologies to the commercial market: radioisotope power.
Zeno Power’s radioisotope power systems (RPSs) are compact devices that convert the heat from decaying radioisotopes into a constant supply of clean energy.
RPSs utilizing plutonium-238 have long been used on marquee government space missions, such as NASA’s Voyager and New Horizons missions.
Additionally, the Department of Defense has deployed strontium-90 RPSs for use in remote terrestrial and maritime environments.
Using 21st century materials science and nuclear fuel manufacturing innovations, Zeno Power has developed a commercially available RPS with a novel design that uses abundant and available isotopes.
With this technology, Zeno Power can quickly scale production to meet the demand of commercial and government customers in space and terrestrial markets.
Ella Peinovich, Hedvig Alexander, & Alison Phillips // Powered by People
The Impact – Powered by People’s social impact lies in its efforts to champion the cause of independent makers, promote sustainable and responsible production, and provide global market access. The platform’s commitment to creating sustainable economic opportunities reflects a dedication to social and economic empowerment in the face of technological advancements.
Ella Peinovich is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Powered by People. She is a MIT graduate who has led projects in design, tech and entrepreneurship.
Ella was the founder and CEO of Soko, a jewelry brand with a “virtual factory” application that can produce 50,000 units/month across a network of 2,500 mobile-enabled Kenyan artisans. She is an Ashoka fellow.
Hedvig Alexander is the VP of Community & Impact and Co-founder at Powered by People. She is a Danish Army Captain and Yale graduate.
Hedvig founded Far + Wide Collective, an online platform with a network of 5,000 suppliers and 400 retailers in 18 countries.
She led Building Markets, adding 1.6% to Afghan GDP (‘06), was Managing Director of Turquoise Mountain, and founded The Pin Project for refugees.
Alison Phillips is the VP of Design & Merchandising and Co-founder at Powered by People.
She holds 100+ patents and has led award winning teams in the tech and retail sectors as Managing Director, Global Head of Industrial Design at BlackBerry, Head of Merchandising for Aritzia, and founder of lifestyle brand Caban, which was acquired by Polo Ralph Lauren.
At Powered by People, they see the power of technology enabling human capital, rather than displacing it. In an age of automation, Powered by People sees the beauty in handmade.
With offices around the world, Powered by People understands firsthand the challenges and complexities that makers face today.
Powered by People believes the future of wholesale is small-batch and responsibly made. Powered by People enables independent, diverse makers and brands by providing access to markets, financing, and digital tools.
It makes it easy for buyers to source differently.
With backgrounds in retail, design, tech and international development, the founders created Powered by People to be a company built on more than just its bottom line—but one that could make a genuine impact.
Powered by People works to provide sustainable economic opportunities to independent makers by providing them access to the global economy.
The makers, in turn, strengthen the lives of their employees, families and communities, potentially impacting millions worldwide.
Since its launch in June 2021, Powered by People has grown to become a truly global company.
With team members strategically located in the US, Canada, Kenya, India, Mexico, Turkey and the UK, PBP provides real-time support to its community of more than 700+ maker partners—which are spread across 70+ countries.
Powered by People will continue to work to expand its community because that is what’s best for its maker partners.
Hector Saldívar // Tia Lupita® Foods
The Impact – Tia Lupita Foods has a positive social impact by promoting sustainability, celebrating cultural heritage, fostering culinary innovation, and contributing to a more conscious and diverse food market. The brand’s commitment to environmental responsibility is demonstrated through its product offerings and collaborations, influencing both consumer choices and industry practices.
Hector Saldívar is the Founder of Tia Lupita® Foods with 14 years of CPG experience.
Hector started as a field rep and has moved up the ranks working for companies such as Nestle USA and Diamond Foods where he has done everything from customer development to market strategy and planning for a 1⁄4 billion-dollar brand.
He is passionate about food and his background. Hector is a firm believer that good food has the power to unite.
His mom built a bridge to him by sending him her hot sauce so that he could share it. Hector aims to build a bridge to better and healthier Mexican food products for others.
This sauce, bearing the name of his mother, Tia Lupita, was a family favorite.
Seeing its commercial potential, Hector embarked on a mission to share this culinary gem with the world. This marked the birth of Tia Lupita Foods.
What began as a homage to Tia Lupita’s hot sauce quickly evolved into something much more diverse and innovative for Tia Lupita Foods. The brand ventured into sustainable product offerings that included cactus-based creations.
These products represent not only the Tia Lupita brand’s commitment to delicious and healthy food but also a nod to Mexican culinary heritage.
Among these innovative offerings are Grain-Free Cactus Tortilla Chips, Salsa Macha (Mexican Chili Crisp), and Cactus Tortillas.
These products showcase the Tia Lupita brand’s dedication to crafting unique and sustainable items, further diversifying their product range.
Tia Lupita Foods recently joined forces with Renewal Mill, makers of Upcycled Okra flour, to create the best tasting, grain-free tortilla ever tasted.
By partnering with Renewal Mill, Tia Lupita has developed a tasty, grain-free tortilla using upcycled okra flour.
This collaboration allows both brands to further their mission of sustainability while providing consumers with a delicious and nutritious product.
Adriana (Botti) Carrig / Little Words Project
The Impact – The Little Words Project has a positive social impact by promoting kindness, building a supportive community, empowering individuals through tangible reminders, and actively contributing to philanthropic causes. The project’s emphasis on spreading positivity and engaging in charitable activities reflects a commitment to creating a better and more compassionate world.
Adriana (Botti) Carrig started Little Words Project to spread kindness and positivity through their unique word bracelets. Little Words Project believes people should always remember that words matter and to use kind ones – with themselves and others.
After years of bullying, Adriana began making bracelets in college for herself and her sorority sisters. The wearable affirmations reminded them of their worth, and got them through the tough times together.
Ten years and millions of bracelets later, the Little Words ProjectTM community is living proof that kindness is a superpower.
Little Words Project thanks its community for being a part of spreading kindness, and remembers to “Just Be Nice.”
Little Words Project’s handcrafted bracelets are made to be worn, loved and shared—bringing self-love and kindness to each person they touch. The idea is to wear your Little WordTM, then pass it to someone who needs it more.
Together with the help of its community, Little Words Project has donated over $545,000 to incredible causes, from cancer prevention to mental health awareness. The brand stays on the lookout for opportunities to join its community in giving back.
Aureline Grange, Frederic Fournier, & Michael Kelly // Open Forest Protocol
The Impact – Open Forest Protocol’s social impact is notable in promoting sustainable forestry, climate change mitigation, and inclusive participation in environmental conservation efforts. The emphasis on transparency and data-backed financing mechanisms adds credibility to nature-based climate solutions facilitated by the platform.
Open Forest Protocol (OFP) is a scalable open platform that allows forest projects of any size, from around the world, to Measure, Report, and Verify (MRV) their forestation data.
Through OFP, individuals, communities, NGOs, entrepreneurs, and governments are able to create transparent, immutable, proof-of-impact data that is comprehensively verified by a network of independent experts.
OFP is creating the foundation for more inclusive, scalable, and data-backed financing mechanisms for nature-based climate solutions.
Open Forest Protocol is creating the foundation for more inclusive, scalable, and data-backed financing mechanisms for nature-based climate solutions.
For project developers, OFP provides unparalleled tools for seamless registration, management, transparent monitoring and efficient carbon credit issuance for forest carbon projects.
For carbon credit buyers, OFP provides access to nature-based removal carbon credits with unmatched transparency and integrity.
For validators, OFP offers the opportunity to create revenue by participating in the most robust data verification system for carbon projects.
The Voluntary Carbon Market is projected to reach $100 billion by 2050. To realize this potential, it must evolve with streamlined, inclusive, and transparent mechanisms that ensure accessibility and a genuine global impact.
Open Forest Protocol currently collaborates with afforestation and reforestation projects across 20 countries and remains committed to continuously expanding its reach by onboarding new initiatives globally.
Roy Scott / Healthy Hip Hop
The Impact – Healthy Hip Hop is making efforts to create a socially responsible and impactful platform for children, combining music and entertainment with positive values and a safe online environment.
Hip-hop has always been a major influence in Roy Scott’s life. As a teen, he became an aspiring rapper, passing on a college basketball scholarship to pursue his musical passion.
But years later, when Roy heard his four-year-old son Justus repeating explicit lyrics from his songs, he realized something needed to change.
That defining moment led Roy to found Healthy Hip Hop in 2022. The organization provides youth with an uplifting hip-hop alternative that promotes positive values like mental and physical health, education, and empowerment.
As CEO, Roy now uses his platform to make a difference for the next generation of hip-hop fans.
Healthy Hip Hop is building a brighter future by replacing negative content with music that inspires. Under Roy’s leadership, the movement is helping youth find their voice, follow their dreams, and become the best version of themselves.
Healthy Hip Hop offers a fun, family-friendly hip hop experience through its newly improved app.
Designed as a safe social media platform for kids, the app provides a one-stop-shop for culturally relevant music and content that parents can feel good about.
Children can play, watch, and create their own hip hop challenges to share with friends and family.
They can rap over popular beats, take part in dance challenges, and express their creativity through music in a secure environment monitored by Healthy Hip Hop.
The app allows kids to showcase their talents while parents maintain peace of mind. Healthy Hip Hop releases new kid-friendly content, challenges, and social features weekly to keep families engaged and entertained.
As the premiere destination for hip hop culture designed for children, Healthy Hip Hop app offers an exciting musical journey for the entire family.
Lindsey & Alison Delaplaine // Plaine Products
The Impact – Plaine Products was created to reduce plastic waste by providing alternative eco-friendly products and empowering sustainable consumer choices. This positively impacts society by addressing environmental issues caused by disposable plastics.
Plaine Products was founded by sisters Lindsey and Alison Delaplaine with the goal of reducing plastic waste in the world. After personally testing and approving each product, the sisters ensured their entire families and friends could use them as well.
Lindsey spent 10 years living and working in the Bahamas where she witnessed firsthand the impact of disposable plastic pollution on beaches, oceans, and roads. This inspired her to take action.
After realizing just how much plastic she had in her own home, Lindsey called her sister Alison and they began brainstorming ways to not only reduce their plastic usage but make it easy for others to do the same.
The sisters spent a year thoroughly researching natural product alternatives that met their standards of being high-quality yet chemical and toxin-free.
Every ingredient is run through the Environmental Working Group’s database to ensure safety.
Driven by their vision for a world with less plastic waste, Lindsey and Alison founded Plaine Products to provide effective plastic-free options that are family-approved and consciously-created.
Tessa Callaghan & Aleks Gosiewski // Keel Labs
The Impact – Keel Labs’ impact extends to environmental sustainability, resource conservation, job creation, economic benefits, industry innovation, and education, making a positive contribution to global efforts towards a more sustainable and socially responsible future.
Keel Labs is a company specializing in the development and production of seaweed-based fibers, with their flagship product being Kelsun™ fiber, a material derived from the biopolymers present in kelp.
Recognizing kelp as a highly abundant and rapidly growing resource, Keel Labs positions Kelsun™ fiber as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional textile fibers like cotton and polyester.
The advantages of Kelsun™ fiber over conventional textiles are manifold. Firstly, its production is more environmentally friendly, requiring 70x less water than cotton.
Kelsun™ fiber is verified to compost in home composting environments, and is also highly compostable within 61 days under industrial thermophilic composting conditions.
In line with their commitment to fostering a sustainable future for the fashion industry, Keel Labs is actively working to expand the availability of Kelsun™ fiber.
The manufacturing process involves harvesting kelp from the ocean, followed by cleaning and processing to extract biopolymers.
Keel Labs’ technology leverages seaweed biopolymers to create a stable, functional fiber that serves as an alternative to natural and cellulosic fibers.
Keel Labs envisions Kelsun™ fiber as a transformative force in the fashion industry, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of textiles.
Their dedication is evident through efforts to scale up production and explore new applications for Kelsun™ fiber, believing it holds the potential to revolutionize fashion and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Brandon Deroche // Propeller
The Impact – Propeller generates social impact by activating celebrity influence and pop culture to increase support, engagement and action for important nonprofit causes and social movements.
Brandon Deroche is the founder and CEO of Propeller, which he launched in 2015. With over 14 years of experience creating and leading social impact campaigns for some of the biggest names in music and culture, including Lizzo, Justin Bieber, Bon Iver, and more, Deroche leverages their influence and reach to support impactful causes through Propeller.
The digital marketing platform operates at the intersection of culture and social good to connect causes with new audiences and drive measurable action.
Prior to founding Propeller, Deroche co-founded The Urgency Network, where he developed successful campaigns supporting nonprofits like Greenpeace, Music for Relief, and Oxfam by partnering with renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Skrillex, and Thom Yorke, as well as personalities including Sir Richard Branson, David Lynch and Ram Dass.
Lakeysha Hallmon // The Village Market
The Impact – The Village creates social impact by driving economic inclusion, opportunity, business support, and empowerment for Black entrepreneurs and communities.
After founding the Village Market in 2016, Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon has served thousands of entrepreneurs and facilitated $8.3 million of direct sales to Black-owned businesses.
Now with several verticals under the Village Market moniker, Dr. Hallmon has recently expanded her village to include her storefront The Village Retail, located in Ponce City Market, a curated collection of premier Black businesses.
She also founded Our Village United, which is an organization that provides businesses with technical assistance, grant dollars, mentorship, and more.
Her goal is to build a Black mecca, where Black businesses can build and grow anywhere, and with several verticals serving Black businesses, she’s just getting started.
over the years, Dr. Hallmon has partnered with the White House Office of Public Engagement, Mastercard, Verizon, Target, Walmart, Puma, Michael Jordan Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Clorox, Kellogg Foundation, Essence, and more.
Dr. Hallmon also serves on the board for Invest Atlanta and chairs the URFA Housing Committee.
Tiffany (Yinhei) Chiu // Juliemay Lingerie
The Impact – Juliemay creates social impact by sustaining ethical and inclusive practices that empower women, workers, the environment, and small businesses. Their allergy-friendly lingerie promotes comfort, confidence and sustainability.
Juliemay is an allergy-friendly, sustainable lingerie brand creating beautiful undergarments for women of all shapes and sizes. Their collections are made with hypoallergenic, antibacterial Pima cotton and silk that have been tested and approved by dermatologists.
The company has received notable recognition including being named The Most Promising New Business of the Year by the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by the Kent County Council.
Juliemay Lingerie was also awarded Best Lingerie Brand of the Year at the London & South East Prestige Awards 2022. Additionally, Juliemay was voted as one of Britain’s most inspiring Firms by Small Business Saturday UK.
Available in a wide range of bra and brief sizes, Juliemay caters to those with and without sensitive skin. What makes them stand out is their use of high-quality, skin-kind materials like pure silk and organic Pima cotton.
Every bra is lined with silk and all elastics are wrapped in cotton for an irritation-free experience. As the first in the industry using these sustainable materials, Juliemay is on a mission to provide comfort, ethics, and beauty.
All products are handmade at an ethical, fair trade production site. As a member of Greenspark, Juliemay offsets their carbon footprint and uses environmentally-friendly practices.
Their allergy-friendly, sustainable lingerie provides women comfort and quality while helping save the planet.
Lindsay Medoff // suayla
The Impact – Suay creates social impact by promoting environmental sustainability, fair labor practices, economic circularity, and community empowerment within the fashion industry.
Suay is a Los Angeles based 100% vertical sewing and production shop founded in 2017. Pioneering the clean up economy, Suay products are created from a combination of post-consumer waste, deadstock and domestically, organically grown fibers.
Operating out of a 5,000 sq. ft sew shop and retail space in Northeast L.A., Suay is cultivating a new workforce of textile recyclers within the garment industry with a team of thirty employees dedicated to eradicating the massive amount of destructive waste from the fashion industry.
In 2019, Suay diverted over 250,000 lbs of garments from landfills, as their positive environmental impact continues to grow year by year.
Founded on the vanguard ethos of true progressive circularity, ‘Know your grower, know your sew-er’, Suay has continued to support garment workers’ rights and policy reform for fair wages, highlighting the numerous systemic injustices within the fashion industry.
In the spring of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Suay expanded its activist arm to include weekly food distribution to garment workers, solidified long term partnerships with national organizations to support indigenous communities and launched their nationwide textile donation recycling program, Suay SOS.
Suay remains determined to create a culture of community and reuse. Their dedication to design, coupled with a drive for activism, is putting reclaimed products at the center of a social, economic and environmental revolution.
John Thomson // Payit
The Impact – PayIt leverages technology to create a more efficient, sustainable, accessible, and effective government that better serves residents and communities.
PayIt is the solution government agencies use to take the friction out of resident transactions. Their composable customer experience platform enables agencies to collect revenue faster, improve efficiency and sustainability, and give people the smooth digital experience they have come to expect online.
PayIt integrates into any back-office system, launches in about 90 days, and provides residents with a single GovWalletTM to store transaction history, receipts, and payment methods for multiple agencies.
Serving more than 80 million residents in North America, PayIt has received awards from Fast Company, StateScoop, and has been listed in the GovTech 100 for 7 years and counting.
Zane Adams // Fedup Foods
The Impact – FedUp Foods aims to transform the beverage industry and wider food ecosystem through regenerative, ethical business practices that benefit small farmers, local economies, ecosystems, and consumers alike.
Combining his passion for people and planet with marketing savvy honed over 20+ years, Adams shepherded many growth strategies for impact CPG brands and launched FedUp Foods in 2020 to further the mission of fostering regenerative agriculture.
As co-founder and Chairman of Kombucha Brewers International, Adams is an influential voice shaping the kombucha trade worldwide.
He’s a leading speaker and media commentator on food systems change, featured in the Washington Post and New York Times.
FedUp Foods forges the next generation of functional beverages using sustainable manufacturing and regenerative ingredients to positively transform our food ecosystem.
Community-centered and values driven, FedUp Foods crafts delicious, high-quality, nutrient-dense fermented products while investing in regenerative agriculture and positive social impact.
Unique in the industry, FedUp Foods elevates food and beverage production through quality regenerative ingredients and sustainable practices as the new standard.
Supporting small farmers and local businesses, FedUp Foods offers private label cold-pressed juices, plant milks, sparkling water and more created through innovative techniques that make products nutritious, sustainable, and transparent from farm to table.
Bridie Ohlsson & Cadel Watson // Geora
The Impact – Geora generates social impact by leveraging blockchain technology to provide increased sustainability investment and supply chain transparency to empower farmers and food systems worldwide.
Geora’s mission is to support the future of agriculture by providing digital infrastructure that builds trust and delivers financing to farmers everywhere. Since 2016, Geora has been the global leader at the intersection of blockchain and agriculture.
Originally the blockchain pilot workstream within Australian agtech leader AgriDigital, Geora worked with customers like CBH Group and Rabobank to pioneer blockchain solutions for supply chains.
Now as an independent company, Geora is delivering blockchain-based supply chain platforms through simple workflows on their Geora platform.
To meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, an additional $2.1 trillion needs to be invested annually across supply chains. Geora is building the digital framework to enable this sustainable financing.
With farmers worldwide solving some of our biggest global challenges, Geora supports their efforts by supplying blockchain-powered trust, traceability and access to investment across agricultural supply chains.
As pioneers in the blockchain and agriculture space since 2016, Geora is dedicated to serving the future of sustainable farming.
Kris Cody // Paka Apparel
The Impact – Paka Apparel’s impact extends beyond environmental considerations to encompass ethical employment, community support, cultural preservation, and the promotion of conscious consumerism. The brand’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices contributes positively to both local communities and the broader global context, making it a socially responsible and impactful player in the outdoor apparel industry.
Founded in Peru, Paka Apparel is an ethical outdoor apparel brand with a clear mission to craft natural, multi-purpose clothing tailored to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts.
Embracing innovation, Paka utilizes the unique properties of alpaca fiber and other sustainable materials to provide consumers with healthier, eco-friendly options that foster a deeper connection to nature.
Sustainability is core to Paka’s ethos. By carefully selecting materials and manufacturing processes, the brand aims to enhance the outdoor experience while promoting conscious consumer choices that benefit the planet.
With each garment, customers can embrace a more environmentally responsible lifestyle and make a positive global impact.
Beyond their eco-consciousness, Paka takes pride in supporting local communities by sourcing materials from the regions they serve.
This ensures their products directly contribute to the betterment of the communities they originate from.
Guided by their sustainable mission and commitment to their roots, Paka Apparel is an ethical brand creating natural outdoor apparel that empowers both people and the planet.
Kendrick Nguyen // Republic
The Impact – Republic aims to make private markets investing more inclusive while supporting startups and empowering people globally to build wealth. Its social impact centers on democratizing access, lowering barriers, and creating a more equitable investment landscape.
As Co-founder of Republic, Kendrick Nguyen leads a team dedicated to democratizing access to private market investments globally. At Republic, investors can allocate to equity, crypto, real estate, and more—from seed to SPAC.
Kendrick and his team empower people worldwide to invest with passion, build wealth, and drive progress.
In addition to Republic, Kendrick co-founded two fintech startups and advised numerous funds, startups, and blockchain projects.
His experience spans New York and Silicon Valley, where he focused on business strategy, product, and investing—most recently at AngelList.
Earlier in his career, Kendrick practiced law and completed a fellowship at Stanford Law School. Today, he channels his legal expertise into pro bono work.
About Republic – Republic is a financial technology company that specializes in investment-related services in the private markets, which include a retail investment platform, a blockchain advisory service, and a private capital division.
Republic has deployed over $2.6 billion in investments, supported over 2,000 ventures, with a community of over 2.5M users across 150 countries.
Kaveto Tjatjara // Flushh
The Impact – Flushh aims to tackle a major sanitation crisis and improve public health outcomes, while also driving economic development, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment. Its social impact centers on providing dignity, opportunity, and systems change.
Kaveto Tjatjara, CEO and Founder of Flushh, believes business can be a force for good. In 2014, watching his grandmother walk far to defecate during a village visit highlighted the harsh realities of underserved communities and sparked action.
In 2020, his social enterprise won SEED SPOT Impact Accelerator’s award for most impactful startup. That same year, Kaveto received a Global Good Fund fellowship for leadership.
Previously in 2018, he was selected for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
Kaveto works to form cross-sector partnerships that challenge the status quo by applying alternative sanitation technologies to build more resilient communities.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and auditing from the University of Namibia.
About Flushh – Flushh is a social enterprise tackling the sanitation crisis in Namibia by turning human waste into valuable biochar fertilizer.
Working closely with local communities, Flushh builds eco-toilets from locally sourced materials to create clean, hygienic environments and restore dignity.
This approach creates local jobs, improves public health, and enables key partnerships to drive change. In 2019, Flushh won TotalEnergies’ Total Startupper of the Year award for transforming toilet resources into biochar.
Jasper Driessens // Glo
The Impact – Glo aims to combat poverty and empower the poor through an innovative crypto model optimized for social impact, sustainability, and economic freedom for recipients. It expands the crypto giving space in an accessible, transparent way.
Glo is a USD-pegged stablecoin that enables holders to donate to those in extreme poverty simply by owning Glo tokens. Profits are distributed to GiveDirectly, an NGO providing direct cash transfers to lift recipients out of poverty.
Owning Glo is not considered a donation – holders can exchange Glo dollars for US dollars at any point. However, it allows contribution without giving money away.
Glo aims to have a low environmental impact by building on efficient platforms. Ethereum recently transitioned to a proof-of-stake system, lowering energy use by ~99.95%.
Polygon has committed to going carbon negative and achieved carbon neutrality through offset partnerships.
Overall, transacting Glo currently uses little energy, and platforms it leverages are taking steps to become even more efficient and sustainable over time as innovations emerge.
Antonio Nuño // Someone Somewhere
The Impact – Someone Somewhere’s social impact encompasses economic empowerment, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, and the promotion of conscious consumerism, making a positive contribution to the communities it engages with and the broader societal and environmental landscape.
Someone Somewhere specializes in creating products for companies aiming to revolutionize their textile supply chains with a focus on sustainability and social impact.
Their approach involves leveraging generative AI for enhanced product design, sourcing the most sustainable raw materials (and developing them when unavailable), collaborating with indigenous artisan communities for fabric and key components, and engaging marginalized manufacturing workers in Mexico for the final production stages.
This strategic location allows them to benefit from NAFTA and closer proximity to the US, ensuring their products remain cost-neutral upon landing.
Over the past year alone, Someone Somewhere has successfully produced more than 10 million Climate Neutral products for major Fortune 500 companies like Delta Air Lines, Google, and Accenture.
This initiative has tripled the income of over 3,000 individuals in marginalized communities.
The company’s unique mobile-based supply chain connects conscious consumers and corporations with artisans across LATAM, contributing to the upliftment of thousands from extreme poverty and recycling substantial amounts of cotton and plastic.
Someone Somewhere focuses on connecting indigenous artisans, primarily 98% women, in remote regions with thriving markets in the United States and LATAM.
They achieve this by delivering functional, fashionable, sustainable, and high-quality products, ranging from apparel and backpacks to accessories and luggage.
Operating through both B2B and D2C channels, Someone Somewhere collaborates with large corporations like Google and Uber, assisting them in integrating artisans into their supply chains.
Simultaneously, they engage directly with socially conscious consumers through their online and physical stores, making sustainable and impactful products accessible to a wider audience.
Deirdre Horan Bird // Dri Umbrellas
The Impact – Dri Umbrellas makes an impact by actively participating in plastic pollution reduction, promoting environmental sustainability, engaging with communities, educating consumers, fostering innovation in the circular economy, supporting sustainable practices, and leading in the production of eco-friendly products.
Deirdre Horan, the founder and CEO of Dri, established the company after being deeply moved by a documentary on the ocean plastic crisis in 2020.
A few days later, while walking to work, she encountered the common issues with her umbrella, which prompted her to address both the mechanical problems of umbrellas and the pollution associated with their production.
This led to her vision of creating umbrellas from recycled ocean-bound plastic. After years of iteration, Dri officially launched its line of umbrellas in 2023.
About Dri – Dri is dedicated to protecting oceans through its eco-friendly, durable, and stylish rain umbrellas crafted from recycled ocean-bound plastic.
The canopies of Dri umbrellas are composed entirely of ocean-bound plastic, with each umbrella utilizing eight plastic bottles diverted from the sea.
The umbrella shafts are constructed from solid stainless steel, and the handles are made from sustainable, regenerative bamboo.
Available in a range of unisex, ocean-themed colors such as Marine Green, Pacific Blue, and Arctic Gray, as well as a popular Sea Turtle pattern, Dri has successfully diverted over 16,000 plastic bottles from entering oceans to date.
Farouq Ghandour // Neutral
The Impact – Neutral’s impact revolves around addressing climate change, fostering financial inclusion, developing robust markets for tokenized ecological assets, and empowering traders with more control and flexibility in their transactions.
Farouq Ghandour, Co-founder & CEO of Neutral, transitioned from supporting Web3 teams in product development and operations to focusing on full-time work addressing climate change.
Recognizing a gap in institutional-grade trading infrastructure for tokenized ecological assets within the Regenerative Finance(ReFi) ecosystem, he co-founded Neutral.
Neutral serves as an exchange for ReFi assets, offering users the ability to trade spot assets and derivative instruments through specialized order books.
The innovative order book design enables traders to interact with fungible liquidity pools while expressing preferences over the characteristics of underlying assets.
This approach provides credit specificity without fragmenting liquidity, allowing sellers to maintain control of their credits and buyers to express preferences in addition to specifying price and quantity.
Farouq’s leadership underscores Neutral’s commitment to creating a platform that caters to the nuanced needs of traders in the ReFi asset space.
Mohamed Aburawi // Speetar
The Impact – Speetar aims to increase healthcare access and quality, particularly for disadvantaged populations, through telehealth technologies and care model innovation. Its solutions can improve health equity, outcomes, and strengthen health systems.
Mohamed Aburawi is a surgeon turned health-tech entrepreneur with an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a Center for Public Leadership Fellow and Edward S. Mason Fellow.
He also received an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. In 2017 Mohamed founded Speetar, an AI-enabled telehealth platform awarded by Harvard and supported by MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund.
Piloted in Libya and currently being scaled across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, Speetar links under-served patients in low resource settings to a global pool of cultural and language-matched medical specialists.
Speetar represents a disruptive healthcare model, breaking down economic, social, and geographic barriers that too often limit the options patients have when seeking quality medical care.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Speetar’s COVID-19 Platform, a newly developed rapid response solution helped triage patients and mitigate resource limitations in war-torn Libya.
The partnerships built with local health authorities enabled an unprecedented centralization of national data collection & analytics generation by Speetar.
Prior to launching Speetar, Mohamed worked at Harvard Medical School’s Center of Engineering in Medicine as a senior researcher where he led the design and development of a novel discarded human kidney reconditioning system, utilizing non-blood based ex-vivo organ perfusion (first in the USA).
The cutting edge work he innovated is paving the way for a ground-breaking multi-center clinical trial supported by the New England Organ Bank.
Mitko Simeonov & Kyle Treige // Pioneer
The Impact – By streamlining funding for climate solutions, Pioneer aims to accelerate decarbonization, support climate action startups, and facilitate a just transition to a low-carbon future.
Dimitar (Mitko) Simeonov hails from Bulgaria and is an engineer, author (see d13v.com), and math whiz who won three International Math Olympiad medals before moving to the US to study at MIT for his undergrad and master’s.
Before starting Pioneer, he founded Sleek, which was acquired by SnackPass. Simeonov was an early engineer at Dropbox and Twitter, and was the first employee at Slapdash (a YC W19 company), which got acquired by ClickUp in 2021.
Kyle Treige is a Wisconsin-born startup entrepreneur who founded Moonshot Learning, an EdTech startup focused on teaching AI ethics that has reached over 425 high schools.
He most recently worked at a VC firm in San Francisco where he interacted with renowned figures including Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum founder), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn founder), and Adam Grant (acclaimed author).
About Pioneer – Pioneer is helping coordinate funding for rapid decarbonization of the economy, working with its clients to win grants, contracts, and loans for climate tech companies.
Pioneer serves as an extension of their clients’ teams, managing the end-to-end process and automating tedious tasks, ultimately saving time and resources.
Founded in 2022, Pioneer’s team has deep expertise working across AI, startups, and in climate ranging from strategic and grant consulting to energy efficiency technologies.
Galina & Dan Witting // Baabuk
The Impact – Baabuk aims to drive impact through sustainable design and production, ethical practices, valuing traditions, and innovating to make responsible fashion accessible worldwide.
Baabuk is a responsible fashion brand headquartered in Switzerland redefining the meaning of ethical and sustainable fashion in a unique and compelling way.
Established in 2013 by the visionary couple Dan and Galina Witting, Baabuk’s journey began with a profound respect for tradition and an unwavering commitment to the environment.
Drawing inspiration from the traditional Siberian Valenki boots, the Wittings embarked on a mission to create authentic, responsible, and exceptionally comfortable wool footwear.
In the years that followed, Baabuk’s dedication to its mission manifested through multiple successful crowdfunding campaigns, each introducing innovative collections of footwear crafted from what they call “nature’s magic fiber.”
With over 100,000 pairs sold in more than 60 countries, Baabuk has become a symbol of values and adventurous spirit, earning recognition as an ISPO Gold Winner and achieving B-Corp certification.
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