Archive for Enviornmental

Monika Dharia- Founder/CEO of EcoRain Poncho

Posted by Hannah Ya 
· Saturday, September 21st, 2024 
· 1 Comment

Imagine coming up with and launching a business idea straight from your dorm room based off an issue with ponchos! Well, that’s what Monika Dharia did in 2016 as a sophomore at Duke. Monika Dharia studied environmental engineering, entrepreneurship, and economics during her time at Duke. She first realized that it rains a lot on the campus and went from thinking about renting umbrellas for free to eventually thinking about no plastic-based ponchos. She noticed that there was a problem with disposable petroleum-based products, especially with the ponchos. But how can you make a rain poncho more eco-friendly? And how can you make a poncho that’s different than any other poncho? Well, the answer lies in renewable materials and responsible packaging to help this ongoing issue. EcoRain Ponchos are sustainable ponchos that help to lower greenhouse gas emissions as well as being reusable and recyclable. These ponchos are responsibly sourced from Brazil made from sugarcane ethanol. What else also makes these ponchos unique? It’s that Monika made sure to include that the packaging for the ponchos is plastic free and made from FSC-certified recycled kraft paper. Soy based ink also helps to make their paper packaging easier to recycle. How many other companies that sell ponchos have unlimited uses because they’re 100% recyclable and is great for the environment? Not many other companies have thought of innovative ideas like Monika has! Monika has also won $35,000 in funding for her ponchos, but things started getting tough during the pandemic. Eventually she pulled through after getting a partnership with GreenGear. But it doesn’t stop there, because she also got a partnership with the Eagles and Braskem! So far, her ponchos have made an impact by fulfilling orders with Duke, Yale, North Carolina FC, the Eagles, and even some national parks like Yellowstone and Zion! Monika Dharia’s ideas and innovations towards the poncho market are groundbreaking, and it’s no surprise thanks to her entrepreneurial and environmental engineering skills! From an idea to reducing plastic in ponchos to being “the first 100% sugarcane-based poncho.” Monika has also been featured in Forbes 30 under 30, and in 2023 they have donated $11k to nonprofit organizations. If you still thought that was amazing, their business is also a minority and woman owned small business while also being 1% for the Planet members. So, Monika proves that if you see a need that can be fulfilled and even improved in the process to be more eco-friendly, to take a chance because your idea might be as great as an EcoRain Poncho!

Check out the EcoRain Poncho website here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Sustainable Rain Ponchos & Bags | GreenGear Supply Co.

Women ‘Green-Sports-Preneurs’: Monika Dharia, Founder of GreenGear – GreenSportsBlog

Forbes 30 Under 30 2024: Social Impact

1 Comment
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Business::Entrepreneurs, Clothing, Enviornmental, Female Empowerment, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Women Entrepreneurs

College Dropout to Millionaire-Ryan Trahan

Posted by bonaquistmr23 
· Saturday, September 21st, 2024 
· 3 Comments

A Youtuber and Entrepreneur, Ryan Trahan started at 14 to become an entrepreneur. He started a simple water bottle business that would later help make him into a millionaire. Starting his YouTube channel in 2015, Ryan posted about his daily life at college as a student athlete. However, he quickly gained followers due to his creativity and humor within his videos. Having adopted just 30,000 YouTube followers and juggling his business, Ryan was pressured with his college or his business. His school had set a tight rule with him, as a student athlete, making it so he couldn’t brand himself properly while in college. Because of this, Ryan had to choose between a high-risk endeavor or the college route, and he chose the entrepreneurial side. Ryan had the same mindset Peter Thiel speaks of, saying, “I view creating as entrepreneurial. Creating something from nothing has always been ingrained in me.” Thus, his career rocketed. His small water business became a great part of his revenue. The business, known as Neptune, was built to create sustainable water bottles which would reduce plastic waste. With his social enterprise, Ryan also used his business to support several organizations centered around cancer.

While Ryan had Neptune blooming, he also opened up a clothing line called Hydra Collection, which became his personal merch on his social media accounts, as well as another clothing line, Howdy Howdy, and a candy company, Joyride. Creating innovative videos on YouTube and establishing his businesses across the world has made Ryan Trahan into a wealthy, young entrepreneur. From going on live television to creating television series of his own, Ryan meets every corner around the world to grow and engage with his audience.

Ryan is known for his penny-to-a-house series and simply racing people in airports. Through his creative and entertaining work, he has amassed 17 million followers on YouTube with over 3 billion views worldwide!

3 Comments
Categories : Business, Business::Entrepreneurs, Celebrities, Content Entrepreneurs, entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Influencer, Kid Entrepreneurs, Male Entrepreneurs, Social Entrepreneur, Social Media, YouTube

Nohbo-Ben Sterns environmentally friendly product

Posted by morrowrb23 
· Saturday, November 25th, 2023 
· 1 Comment

Ben Stern’s passion for nature and worries about the environment drove him to start Nohbo. This company creates technologies for consumer goods products that fully dissolve and leave no trace behind. Stern decided to target the issue of plastic pollution at the root by trying to eliminate plastics. He figured out how to encapsulate your favorite personal care products in a fully water-soluble film. For example, you can have your shampoo in a fully dissolvable film.

Ben founded Nohbo when he was a freshman in high school after he discovered the harm that was being caused by single-use plastics. He was later featured on Shark Tank where he was able to land a deal with Mark Cuban. His company also gained a lot of visibility because of all the viewers that tune into the show. Nohbo has grown quite a bit since the show and is currently based in Palm Bay, FL.

They sell 3 dissolvable products which include, Drops, Hydrofill, and slips. Nohbo has found a big market in the consumer-packaged goods industry and hospitality industry as well. New legislation has been a large factor in how they found out about Nohbo. The push towards being environmentally friendly and sustainable has been a positive for Stern’s company as his product can help serve those who believe in that.

Nohbo owns and operates another company, Sunrise Session. As you could guess, it is a single-use, plastic waste-free self-care innovation brand. Their single-use remedies free you from your plastic obsession and deliver the same quality as other brands.

I appreciate the true problem solver that Stern is. He wasn’t afraid to jump in and tackle a huge problem which has allowed him to create a huge impact with lots of potential for growth.

1 Comment
Categories : beauty products, Clean water, Enviornmental, Environment, Health, Ocean

Ryan Hickman: Gen Z CEO

Posted by TurnerMD23 
· Sunday, October 8th, 2023 
· 3 Comments

Ryan Hickman may be the one of the youngest entrepreneurs to ever live. When he was three and a half years old, he took a trip with his dad to the local recycling center. When Ryan saw how the recycling of old bottles and plastic worked, he immediately fell in love. The idea of helping the environment by repurposing used materials was fascinating to him. Just after this escapade, he founded and became the CEO of his own recycling company: Ryan’s Recycling. After several years of hard work, he caught the attention of celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Aniston. Ryan explained his business during these interviews, which had consisted of him and his dad driving around Orange County collecting recyclable goods from locals. In the ten years that Ryan and his father have run Ryans recycling, they have collected and recycled 1.6 million cans and bottles. In the beginning, Ryan said he was primarily running his company as a for-profit in the beginning, but over time his business model changed. When he was 6, he started seeing his business as a way to also help the environment in addition to making money from it. This environmental aspect drove Ryan to work even harder in this endeavor. On the money side of things, Ryan is just as responsible. The pay he receives all goes into his college fund. As for college, he hopes to stay local so he can also work on building his recycling business. As the years have passed, Ryan has branched out into the nonprofit scene. In 2020, he founded Project 3R, which was created as a nonprofit to boost environmental education and awareness. In addition to his thriving nonprofit, Ryan also helps out other environmental-oriented businesses. All the money Ryan makes from selling company t-shirts he donates to the pacific marine mammal center in Laguna Beach to assist in the rescuing and rehabilitation of injured sea lions. Ryan is certainly an entrepreneur, and a thoughtful one at that.

3 Comments
Categories : Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Environment

4Ocean – Andrew Cooper and Alex Schulze

Posted by masonaj22 
· Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022 
· 3 Comments

While on a surfing trip to Bali, Indonesia Andrew Cooper and Alex Schulze were struck by the amount of plastic waste filling the oceans. Having grown up in Florida themselves, they feel a deep connection to the sea and all it provides and protects. Cooper and Schulze discussed this issue with local fisherman to get an idea of the ramifications this has on their livelihoods. After their conversations they decided to start an organization that staffs full time crews to rid the ocean of this unwanted waste.

Wanting to have a product to make from the recovered plastic, Cooper and Schulze decided to create bracelets as a “wearable symbol of their mission that would spark conversations about plastic pollution and it would act as a physical reminder to people to make ocean-minded choices like refusing single-use plastics.”

4Ocean has recovered 26,326,650 pounds of trash since 2017. Their unique approach as one of the few organizations that solely targets ocean clean-up has made a huge impact in communities and the world as a whole. Working in twelve locations, with seventeen vessels, 4Ocean employs 185 crew members who clean our waters.

This image comes from 4Ocean’s Osbourne Reef Tire Cleanup, where they work to remove hundreds of thousands of tires that have found their way to the ocean floor.

https://www.4ocean.com/

3 Comments
Categories : Clean water, Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Ocean

Emily Yoder – Sustainable Treats

Posted by petschkeRA22 
· Tuesday, November 15th, 2022 
· 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered why granola bars have ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or thiamin mononitrate? Since ingredients like this have been proven harmful when consumed by humans, then why are they still in our food?

A Kent state student, Emily Yoder, decided to challenge this questionable norm. Through research, she discovered ingredients like this were used to keep food from spoiling, make it cheaper with artificial flavor alternatives, and replicate natural aspects of food that disappear when being processed, not to mention that granola bars and such often have an unnecessarily high sugar content.

Since none of these ingredients were necessary to making food, Emily decided to make REAL food, so that people avoid the unhealthy chemicals.

Emily’s granola bars, brownies, and other treats went above ditching the unnatural chemicals: all of them are vegan and gluten free, organic, and made with local ingredients that are mostly non-GMO, packaged with eco-friendly materials. They are also free of refined sugars, trans fat, cholesterol, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

Emily sells her products at Ohio farmers markets, and has additional sales in other seasons. As of 2017, she planned on getting a space in Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen (CLLK) and hiring her first employees. Whether or not she was successful is unclear.

Emily’s idea is inspiring because she challenged the norm and tried to make something good. As she says, “There’s no point in being an entrepreneur unless you’re trying to change something for the better.” Even if you end up failing, it was worth a shot and a great learning experience.

1 Comment
Categories : Baking, Enviornmental, Food, Handmade, young entrepreneurs

Ryan Hickman – Ryan’s Recycling

Posted by hartmankg19 
· Thursday, November 10th, 2022 
· 3 Comments

Ryan Hickman - YouTube

Ryan Hickman is the founder of Ryan’s Recycling, which focuses on the collection of recyclable materials so that they do not go to waste. What makes Ryan Hickman a unique entrepreneur is he takes his own approach to a global problem, the problem being recyclable materials being wasted.

Ryan has been driven to make a difference in cleaning up the planet ever since he was at the age of three when he didn’t like seeing discarded bottles and cans lying on the ground, so he did something about it. This idea is great because it ensures that reusable materials end up being renewed instead of potentially being left in the world and polluting the environment.

Ryan is innovating by starting a new nonprofit, Project 3R, which he uses to educate and stress the importance of recycling to adults and kids alike all around the world. It will also help to organize and manage clean-up efforts for the community. He also sells T-shirts that state the message, “Make the Sea Trash Free.” All of the profits from the sale of his merchandise and recycling go to the rescue organization Pacific Marine Mammal Center. He has helped recycle 1.5 million cans and bottles and raised more than $14,000.

Ryan inspires me to look for problems in the world, find a good solution to that problem, and get others to care about the problems too through community and teamwork to help expand your business. I have learned the principle that getting others passionately behind your solution to the problem you are trying to solve can help expand your business.

3 Comments
Categories : Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Environment, Recycling

Ryan Hickman

Posted by beckta20 
· Monday, October 10th, 2022 
· 4 Comments

Ryan Hickman began his entrepreneurial career at the age of three when he realized the importance of recycling and the potential for earning money. Ryan began his journey by making a trip to a local recycling center and then being rewarded a few bucks. This passion for recycling has grown and developed into a much larger project. The three year old who is now a teenager has widened his vision and now is driven to help clean up the earth one person at a time. Ryan now sells merchandise promoting the message “Making the sea trash free.” The profits of this merchandise, as well as his recycling business, go to the organization Pacific Marine Mammal Center. This organization is a rescue sanctuary for sea lions and seals. Ryan has had a meaningful impact on the efforts of cleaning up the earth. He is very passionate about educating people about how important it is for people to recycle. Ryan believes that if everyone did just a little bit to help, then we would see a large impact on the health of the earth. I think Ryan’s story is incredible and very motivating. As simple as recycling may sound, his passion has driven him to something so meaningful in this world and he has become a part of something that is bigger than himself. I think it is fascinating to see the parallels between what we talk about in class with innovation and the process of growing a business to Ryan’s specific story. I think Ryan will inspire a lot of people to make an effort in doing their 1% and turning this world into a much better and healthier place.Ryan Hickman

4 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Blog, Enviornmental, Environment, Recycling

Manly Candles Made by a Kid

Posted by izakmh19 
· Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 
· 4 Comments

The main character in this venture is Hart Main. The kid is still only thirteen years old. That has not stopped him from creating a business that does over one million dollars in sales every year. It all started when his sister was selling candles at school. He was making fun of them for smelling so “girly.” He then came up with the idea for candles that appealed more to the male senses. Girls are not the only ones who like good, quality sents.

He started to make them and put the candles in reused cans. He and his parents started the business called ManCans. He originally did it to save up for a bike costing $1,500. Now he makes millions. His parents invested a lot in the company and play a big part of course. They clearly have taught Hart good Morales and values.

Not only do they do they recycle soup cans as the holder for the candles in order to help the earth. They also donate a portion of every sale to soup kitchens in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. This generation is very empathetic and also environmentally concerned. Hart Main has clearly taken that into account in his marketing strategies.

The product itself comes in many manly scents. Some ones I thought sounded good were campfire, bacon, sawdust, fresh cut grass, and grandfathers pipe. The product is a cool idea and it is cool to see someone so successful at such a young age. People in college can not use the excuse that they will get started on their dreams later when this kid is out here doing this. We can all use him as an inspiration. I hope he got the bike that he wanted.

4 Comments
Categories : Candles, Enviornmental, Smells, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact

Nohbo-Benjamin Stern

Posted by williamslg21 
· Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 
· 2 Comments

When he was 14, Benjamin Stern started creating eco-friendly products for an assignment for his 9th biology class. He was frustrated by the problem of waste, specifically plastic, so created his own solution. His product, called Nohbo, was a plastic free way of packaging toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and shaving cream. It is, “the world’s first single use, water soluble Drop for personal care products.” The shampoo is surrounded by a biodegradable, water-soluble, polymer film, similar to tide pods. In 2016, Benjamin pitched his idea on Shark Tank and secured a deal with Mark Cuban for $3.4 million. Since then, his company has grown tremendously. He plans to expand his company to other fields and educate consumers on ways to reduce waste. Nohbo states that their goal is, “to combat plastic waste in hotel amenities, and create a superior line of eco-friendly personal care products. They also highlight the importance of educating their consumers about plastic waste in their mission statement which says, “With monodose packaging, there’s a consumer journey. We need to educate consumers about what the products are, how to use them and their benefits. Education is critical.” Nohbo note only presents an different perspective on personal care but also helps their consumers to understand why their alternative is so important.

 

Sources:

https://nohbo.com/pages/our-story

https://markcubancompanies.com/companies/nohbo/

2 Comments
Categories : Clean water, Enviornmental
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