Archive for Environment

R.J. Duarte- Founder of GreenWorx Landscaping

R.J. Duarte, a nineteen-year-old talented entrepreneur found his light for work. He was accepted into Colorado State University, although he decided not to go. R.J. at nineteen said “College wasn’t for me” and he said this because he had a landscaping business that was bringing in six figures. He said, “I figured I should stick with this” that is so impressive to have your own business that is driving in six figures at such a young age. R.J. started cutting grass at a very young age, he was eight cutting in Golden, Colorado. At the age of eight, he had a unique work ethic that really made his business successful. He was tripling his income every year even at this young age, and in middle school, he and his friend came together so they could cut more lawns. When R.J. was in high school, he named the company GreenWorx. After high school, his friend went to college, and it forced a split between the two. Although, R.J. just took everything back into control, and he saw a lot of room for growth and innovation. Then, he rebranded his company and made it a premium landscaping and maintenance company. Duarte had said a few things on his decision, “It’s higher margins for more risk,” and “That comes with headaches, but without headaches, there’s no reward.” This shows that he had a mind of an entrepreneur, and he was willing to go big or go home and innovate with his company. Now, GreenWorx is up to twelve to fifteen members on staff that is made up of mostly high school students. R.J. definitely made the right decision considering just as of this year, GreenWorx is bringing in right around $750,000! This is just so amazing to see the innovations that R.J. had to make, and the outcome was exactly what he wanted. Finally, Duarte said, “We’re hardworking, blue-collar people,” and “There’s nothing wrong with that.” This is awesome, he and his crew are very comparable, and they make a lot of money doing what they do.

Nohbo-Ben Sterns environmentally friendly product

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.

Making Waves with Ryan Hickman

Ryan Hickman - YouTube

In a world where environmental issues are at the forefront of global concerns, one young boy’s passion for recycling is creating waves of change. Meet Ryan Hickman, a 13-year-old from Orange County, California, whose journey into recycling began at the tender age of three. What started as a small initiative has grown into a movement in southern California 

In 2012, Ryan accompanied his dad to a local recycling center, where he experienced turning recyclables into cash. This simple visit ignited a spark in Ryan. The very next day, he decided to distribute empty plastic bags to his neighbors, encouraging them to save their recyclables for him. Little did he know that this small act would set the stage for a remarkable journey.

Today, Ryan’s Recycling Company has customers all over Orange County, California. His mission is clear: prevent recyclable containers from reaching landfills, gutters, and the ocean. Every week, Ryan dedicates time to sorting through cans and bottles collected from his customers, preparing them for a trip to the recycling center.

In 2016, Ryan’s story went viral, capturing the attention of web platforms, television, and radio stations worldwide. He has been featured on prestigious shows like Ellen, Little Big Shots, and The Pickler & Ben Show. Ryan’s achievements include being recognized as a 2017 CNN Young Wonder, a multiple-time WE DAY speaker, and earning the title of “2017 Citizen of the Year” in his hometown of San Juan Capistrano.

Ryan’s impact extends beyond national borders, with features on international platforms such as Australia’s Channel 7 Sunrise morning show. He has become a global symbol of positive change, as evidenced by his recognition in various publications. This includes TIME Magazine for Kids, National Geographic, and Good Housekeeping.

The young eco-warrior didn’t stop at personal achievements. In 2021, he founded his nonprofit organization, Project3R, with a mission to educate and emphasize the importance of recycling to children and adults worldwide. Ryan is also a founding partner in Recycle From Home, a venture that aligns with his commitment to making a difference on a global scale. His company logo t-shirts, with the message “Make the Sea Trash Free,” contribute to supporting volunteer efforts at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. All proceeds from these shirts go toward this noble cause.

Apart from his entrepreneurial endeavors, Ryan actively engages in environmental education and outreach. He shares his story through presentations at schools, events, and conferences, demonstrating that even a single person, regardless of age, can make a substantial difference in the world.

 

It’s all about inspiring others to take action and make a positive impact on the environment.

As Ryan continues to grow and evolve, he remains a beacon of inspiration for people of all ages. His passion, dedication, and enthusiasm serve as a powerful reminder of the impact one individual can have on the world. Ryan Hickman is not just a young boy who collects recyclables; he is a symbol of hope and a catalyst for change in our collective journey toward a cleaner, more sustainable planet. 

Harold Ambuehl Student and Founder of Ryan's Recycling Company to host  Saturday Beach Clean-Up filmed by 'The Today Show' - CUSD Insider

Robert Felder

Modern Fashion: Robert Felder of Bearbottom On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today | by Authority Magazine Editorial Staff | Authority Magazine | MediumWhere most of us think of entrepreneurship as this world where we constantly come up with first-world ideas, one person went to a third-world place for innovation. Robert Felder’s story embodies not just innovation but also empathy. His journey began in high school with a transformative trip to South Asia, where he saw that while Bangladesh being a major apparel manufacturer, its people lacked basic clothing, and this deeply affected him. When he came home to the humid Florida winter, he couldn’t find any shorts he liked. These experiences became the driving force behind the company he founded right out of high school, Bearbottom.

Felder’s vision for Bearbottom extended far beyond profits. He aimed to bridge the gap between abundance and need. “The fact that they were producing millions of garments right there and the kids just outside didn’t have any clothing on just stuck in my mind,” he said. With this resolve, he ensured ethical working conditions for his partners and initiated a unique approach: communities that helped produce Bearbottom’s garments also benefited from them.Robert Felder unloading boxes of clothes inside container truck

When asked what he thought the five most important things you needed to lead a successful brand were, Felder responded with curiosity, a strong team, long-term thinking, a detail-oriented mindest, and hard work. Curiosity is essential for a brand to grow and improve, a strong team is needed to support your business goals, and that team needs to be thinking five, ten, even twenty years into the future in order to build a strong brand. Felder also believes in the saying “the sum is only as good as its parts” and says that focusing on details is critical when it comes to growing success. He finally understands that working hard is the key to being successful and believes that is what separates the great from the good.

Bearbottom has become a symbol of socially responsible entrepreneurship. Felder’s dedication to uplifting communities, combined with genuine partnerships, sets a powerful example. His story illustrates that business success isn’t just about financial gains—it’s about creating positive change. Robert Felder and Bearbottom remind us that entrepreneurship, when driven by empathy and vision, can transform lives and inspire a better, more compassionate world.

Ryan Hickman: Gen Z CEO

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.

Ryan’s Recycling Company

 Ryan Hickman, a brilliant, young, millennial entrepreneur, has a unique story behind getting his business started. From the age of three, Ryan was always disturbed by paper and plastic being left on the floor. Because he was so irritated by this, he wanted to take action. Because he was so young at the time, he started to fix this problem by taking action and picking up his family’s trash off the floor. Along with this, Ryan would go with his dad to take his family’s recycling to the recycling site. He made five dollars each time he would do that with his father for his family. Because he enjoyed doing this, and began making small amounts of money, he began thinking about furthering his “business” by offering to do the same thing he was doing for his family, also for his neighbors. By seven years old, this brilliant kid launched his own company that was known throughout his county. Ryan Hickman’s story is a great example of how even the youngest children have desires and ideas that have great potential and could turn into a successful business. Ryan’s business began with a small idea and turned into a successful business. Ryan’s story is a great example of how someone can take either a pet peeve or hobby and turn it into something more fruitful and successful. Just like Ryan, many young children might have a little hobby or pet peeve that could lead them to a greater idea which could formulate into something even bigger. Ryan’s story is inspiring because his business is both an ethically good idea, but also a brilliant one. After reading Ryan’s story as a millennial entrepreneur, I hope that more children would not be scared away by their age and will follow their passions and dreams because they could develop into something amazing. 

Ryan Hickman – Ryan’s Recycling

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.

Zandra Cunningham – Zandra Beauty

When Zandra Cunningham nine, her father wouldn’t let her buy more lip balm because of the harmful skin-damaging chemicals found in it. So Zandra made her own. Almost a year later, in 2010, Zandra launched a brand called Azariah’s Innocence, and at age 10, sold her own lip balm and body shea butter at the local farmer’s market.

As business grew and the brand expanded, Zandra renamed her brand to Zandra Beauty. Her brand still would sell lip balm made with natural ingrediants, but now she would sell more things than lip balm and shea butter, such as make up remover and face washes. As Zandra puts it, the brand motto is “No icky stuff!”

Now at age 21, Zandra has a net worth of $500,000. Her brand has expanded to making over 40 natural skincare products, all of which are not tested on animals. Not only did Zandra win awards such as the Etsy Open Call Golden PO, BE Teenpreneur of the year nominee (2016), and Small Business Administration Youth Entrepreneur of the year (2017), but she has also been featured on talk shows and other channels such as Nickelodeon.

A few words of advice Zandra has given are “be confident” and “networking is key.” The reason why Zandra’s story is inspirational is because of how young she was when she started her business, yet she wasn’t afraid of conquering the world with her skincare products. Zandra’s attitude is part of why she is such a successful entrepreneur. You can’t be afraid to change the world.

Keiana Cavé: Chemical and Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurship

Keiana Cavé, a STEM-minded, 24-year-old, is truly brilliant. At the age of only fifteen, she began studying oil spills, specifically the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This research sparked two of her major inventions: a method that would detect oil spills in a body of water and later, a molecule that would help better disperse said oil and fight carcinogens created when the sun hits it. These two inventions have won her $1.2 million of research money from Chevron and have led her to begin a research startup, called Mare, which aims to counteract toxins and carcinogens in personal/home products. 

Cavé attended the University of Michigan as a chemical engineering student but soon dropped out to continue growing her businesses. She has worked for Microsoft, Francensca’s, and Lululemon as a brand representative and website designer, not to mention Mare and her newest company, Sublima Pharmaceuticals. Cavé is the CEO and founder of Sublima Pharmaceuticals which is currently in the process of creating the first FDA-approved, non-hormonal birth control pill, a pretty groundbreaking concept. 

I am not STEM-minded at all but nevertheless, Cavé’s story really inspired me. Especially after reading about how she never saw herself being where she is now. It really reminded me that life can go completely off track in the best of ways and that you can’t sell yourself short, because great things may be waiting. 

 

Sources:

https://www.michigandaily.com/statement/student-of-the-year-keiana-cave/

https://thestrive.co/successful-young-entrepreneurs-stories/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiana_Cav%C3%A9

https://globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu/articles/meet-some-of-the-brightest-young-entrepreneurs/

Ryan Hickman

Ryan Hickman is a young entrepreneur who hated it when people would litter, so him and his family started searching around for trash. Determined to make the earth cleaner, he even went around his neighborhood to collect trash and recyclables. He turned his love for cleaning up trash into a business which he titled Ryan’s Recycling Company, and he also designed t-shirts to rally up enough money to donate. Using all of his profits, he donated to a rescue organization called The Pacific Marine Mammal Center, which helped make the earth a cleaner, healthier place for everyone. Whenever anyone buys a shirt from his website, the proceeds go to save a seal. Ryan started all of this at age 3 and made his own business by age 7. He gathered a lot of attention for being so innovative at such a young age, and appeared in famous networks such as Ellen, and Today. His overall goal is to make it so that recyclable containers don’t make their way to the gutters and out-to-sea where they can harm animals and the environment. Despite his young age, he still manages to run his business effectively with the help of his parents. Ryan’s unique and innovative execution of his business not only inspires others to take better care for the environment, but it saves the lives of animals and other living things.