Voices
Share the stories of people you know that are doing good things in your community.
VOICES - People Doing Good Things in the World!
As the Director of Strategic Partnerships and International Development at Barefoot College International, Sue Stevenson is committed toward furthering BCI’s global grassroots initiatives. In doing so, she uplifts the BCI mission of providing educational and economic opportunities through women-led innovation. As a leader at BCI, she has facilitated the expansion of solar installation in over 2000 villages and 90 countries.
"BCI is a decentralized, vertically integrated NGO operating in 96 countries globally. We empower women to escape rural poverty by training them as Solar Engineers, Entrepreneurs and Educators, equipping them to solar electrify their communities, and to implement educational and economic uplift courses that leverage energy access into time and resource prosperity.
Women in rurally poor, remote locations are often marginalized and denied access to education; the communities around them suffer a double hit on top of poverty and their geographic and logistical limitations
by denying themselves a vibrant, energetic and insightful half of their adult workforce.
BCI partners at the grassroots with communities, and selects and trains marginalized women as Solar Engineers, Educators and Entrepreneurs; each project is funded by a combination of international cross-sectoral donor partnerships, and locally knowledgeable ground partners.
BCI communities gain access to clean and safe lighting and energy resources that they own and control; women become valued as domain experts and knowledgeable professionals who earn their own money. The quality of life of women and their entire community increases dramatically, setting them on a stable growth trajectory for the long term."
Learn more about Sue Stevenson and BCI at https://www.barefootcollege.org or follow BCI @barefootcollege
As the daughter of a chef, Leandra Forman has always been passionate about food and the connections it can make. Within Foodchain, she has worked as a farm manager, overseen the Processing Kitchen and Food Sector Job Training Program, and coordinated collaborations with local restaurants, farmers, and food pantries. Everything Leandra does at Foodchain is centered around food literacy, sustainable agriculture, and helping her community.
"FoodChain is a nonprofit forging links between our community and fresh food with education and demonstration of sustainable food systems. We build these connections through a demonstration-scale indoor aquaponics farm in a repurposed bread factory alongside a teaching and processing kitchen that makes local, nutritious food accessible to all. With food literacy education combined with direct food access programs, our unique space ensures that everyone in our community is able to get fresh, healthy foods and has the knowledge and skills to make empowered food choices that support a localized food economy. Our kitchen sources directly from Kentucky farmers, while also reducing waste in the food system with food rescue programs from both farms and grocery stores. Our program provides low-barrier access, with home delivery and no-questions-asked meal distributions. We have youth workforce programs in urban agriculture and our summer meals program, providing middle and high school students with opportunities to earn income while gaining important life skills for future job development. We provide nutrition access to areas affected by natural disasters, sustaining beyond the initial emergency response."
-Leandra Forman
Soňa Pohlová is the co-founder of Ecocapsule, a Slovak company founded in 2015, which is designing and producing cutting edge sustainable microhomes.
At Ecocapsule, we design and produce off-grid microhomes powered by renewable energy. With our products, people can live or work in remote locations without relying on external utilities. We offer sustainable solutions for tourism, research, humanitarian aid, and minimalistic lifestyles.
The company`s flagship and titular product, the Ecocapsule, was inspired by the growing need for energy-independent housing in the context of climate change, urbanization, and increasing demands for a flexible lifestyle. The Ecocapsule is fitted with solar panels, a high-capacity battery system, and a rainwater collection and filtration system, making the capsule not only a fully functional living space but also incredibly eco-conscious.
Ecocapsule recently introduced a new product: the Ecocapsule® Box. A modular, off-grid unit, which offers a larger interior space while maintaining the company’s core principles of sustainability, mobility, and smart design.
Currently Soňa and Ecocapsule are continuing to invest in research and development to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and affordability of their products.
Check out Soňa Pohlová at https://ecocapsule.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/ecocapsule_official/?hl=en
“I am the Executive Director at Interfaith Sanctuary, an emergency shelter located in Boise, Idaho. I did not have a plan to do this work—it came and found me through a series of life events. When my dad passed away, I came back to Boise. I found a tent city had formed on the backside of Interfaith Sanctuary. Many believed that this was a group of rule breakers who were choosing to live outside to avoid the rules and structure of a shelter. What I saw was a group of people who needed supportive services, compassion and care. I decided to find a way to deliver those services directly to them in their tent city.
Because of the work I did with this group, a job was offered to me, inviting me to bring the lessons learned from this population to Interfaith and help create a better kind of shelter. At Interfaith Sanctuary, we step in to provide shelter to anyone in need to the best of our ability. Our emergency shelter is a unique model in one of the fastest growing areas of the country. We provide wraparound services to our guests and aim to transition people out of homelessness as housing becomes available.
Interfaith Sanctuary Shelter serves people of all genders, races, religions, and sexual orientations, as well as families with children. Our work intersects with social issues communities face across the country, and at the center of it all is the fact that even small acts of kindness can change lives in big ways.”
Check out Jodi Peterson-Stigers and Interfaith Sanctuary at https://interfaithsanctuary.org/
Heather MacCleoud is the founder and CEO of the Asherah Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and support to women pursuing higher education around the world.
MacCleoud recognizes the profound loss that occurs when women aren’t afforded equal
opportunity in education. “Too many women have to give up dreams of getting a degree or certification. Some start the journey and drop out. Others never make it to the front door. They have families and financial obligations. They are interrupted by health challenges, political disruption, and war. The world has lost trillions of dollars and significant advances in health, culture, sustainable development, and governance as these women are kept out of higher education.”
MacCleoud started the Asherah Foundation to combat this problem. “Once we realized that no one was advocating for these women, we decided that ‘we would be the change we want to see’ and do it ourselves. We envision a world where every woman at any age is able to achieve her educational dreams.”
All recipients of scholarships from the organization demonstrate leadership and resilience in the face of obstacles like poverty, war, forced marriage, and gender
discrimination. “We provide opportunities through education, with women who have not been able to support or afford this on their own. Each woman we support helps others simply by becoming an example of what is possible.”
MacCleoud urges women to “never give up” on their educational dreams. One of her favorite quotes belongs to Nelson Mandela, who said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Learn more about the Asherah Foundation on Instagram at @asherahfoundation or at https://www.asherahfoundation.org/.
Chef Tara Punzone pioneered the first fully plant-based Italian restaurant and wine bar in the United States. Pura Vita, located in West Hollywood, offers traditional Italian dishes made with organic and plant-based ingredients. The restaurant also offers gluten-free pasta and bread options.
Punzone is proud to combine her Italian heritage and passion for sustainability with her love of cooking. “I have an undeniable passion for veganism and my cultural tradition, I cannot imagine doing anything else! I am lucky to do what I do every day and share my traditional Italian dishes with the community.”
She ensures that Pura Vita runs as a sustainable business in several ways. “Pura Vita is 100% plant-based therefore not contributing to the negative effects of animal agriculture. We also go out of our way to only use organic plant-based soaps and detergents and never use plastic for any of our take away. All of our take away containers and utensils are compostable.”
Punzone encourages others to be more mindful about how the environmental impact of the food they eat. “Eating sustainably is one of the most important decisions you can make for your lifestyle. We have a responsibility to take care of ourselves, our family and our planet. We must always show respect to all other living things.”
In additional to Pura Vita, Punzone has also opened Pura Vita Pizzeria, which serves plant-based Neapolitan-style pizzas and other traditional southern Italian foods, and Pura Vita Redondo Beach, a beach-front location.
Check out Tara Punzone and Pura Vita on Instagram at @cheftarapunzone and @puravita_la or at www.puravitalosangeles.com.
“I’m Shannon Bergstrom, the Sustainability Brand Manager at Recycle Track Systems. Every day, I help companies and individuals understand their impact on the environment and offer guidance on how they can start reducing waste. In the past few years, my focus has primarily been on developing and implementing waste diversion programs for clients, which includes everything from waste metrics reporting, to ensuring they meet compliance with local legislation. One of my favorite projects was the NHL Winter Classic game in 2018 when we were the first waste provider in NHL history to donate the entire hockey rink. This was an incredible feeling. More recently, I have been working on the launch of zerowaste.com, our consumer site which offers zero waste products and guides.
This journey has led me to make immense changes in my own life. The biggest change I have made to reduce my carbon footprint is cutting out meat from my diet. Thrifting is another way I’ve reduced my footprint. Consumers want to work with brands they can trust and companies are taking a closer look at their environmental impact than ever before. My advice is to be as transparent as possible. This means sharing your sustainability reports or disclosing company diversity metrics, for example. I think the pandemic has given a lot of people a deeper appreciation for our environment and a deeper understanding of how our actions impact the environment. It will become increasingly important for businesses to embrace practices that are good for the environment, their employees, and their communities.”
Check out Recycle Track Systems at @rtsgreen or at https://www.rts.com/
Seema Lisa Pandya is a visual artist, sustainability expert, and professor of sustainable design who uses her artwork to explore the intersection between sustainability, art, culture, and the built environment. From interactive kinetic sculptures and public art to fractal paintings and video animations, Pandya uses an array of art forms to help her audience better connect with nature.
"The journey of making sustainable art is one of inquiry that has no end and infinite amount of lenses. Artists have the opportunity to inquire about time, space, physics, life, death, consumption, sacred geometry, cyclicality, cooperation, and so much more. I can only hope that my art impacts an audience to connect more deeply and emotionally with the beauty of nature. For example, the `Tabla Sculpture Series` aims to celebrate used discarded materials as metaphorical cells of natural forms."
In addition to her environmentally focused artwork, Pandya has over 15 years of experience as a sustainability consultant.
"I work with building teams to make better design and construction decisions for buildings. The results are building environments that use much less energy and create renewable energy; reclaim, reduce, and reuse water; sites that need no irrigation and don’t add to the heat island effect; materials used that promote clean air and are healthy for occupants; materials that have longer lifespans and reduced carbon footprints; occupants that have greater equity to daylight views and health; and construction practices that reduce waste and protect workers from toxic exposure, as just a few examples."
Check out Seema Lisa Pandya at www.seemalisapandya.com or on Instagram at @seemalisapandya
