Running low on inspiration because of the global pandemic? Feeling like nothing’s changing and the world’s against you? Waiting for a sign that doing the work is worth it? This is it. We are beyond thrilled to announce 35 phenomenal individuals who are in the business of saving the world, from all corners of it.
So much has happened since the last edition of our Green Warriors list was announced. Most of all, we’re now in a pandemic. So this year, our photos were shot at home, pandemic-safe measures and all. Green Is The New Black founder Stephanie Dickson shares about what makes this year’s campaign so special: “This last year has forced a lot of us to innovate, pivot and get creative with how we operate, and our annual Green Warrior list was no different. The exciting part is, for the first time, we were able to celebrate warriors from around the world as borders were no longer a restriction in the digital sphere.”
Co-founder Paula Miquelis adds, “We collaborated with two amazing photographers, Olivier Yoan and Nicoline Aagesen, based in Europe who shot our warriors all around the world from their phones. This allowed us to connect with our warriors in their intimate homes, lifestyles, and even family.” Indeed, the theme for this year’s shoot was “The Intimacy of the Soul”. We wanted to celebrate the authenticity of our warriors in their own environment. And the result? Miquelis says: “stunning”. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
But before that—what is the Green Warriors list, and what does it celebrate? Well, the Green Warriors list is packed full of people from all walks of life. Social media activists, to NGO founders. DJs to architects. Humans working at the international level, to those working at the community, local level. And certainly, the issues our Green Warriors care about cross all aspects of sustainability and touch every part of our lives. Sustainability, of course, is no longer just about saving the planet, as we’ve all learned over the past year.
Photographer Olivier Yoan reflected “Doing this project during the pandemic brought me excitement and meaning, in a time where meeting anyone new was hardly possible. Connecting with people from all around the planet, with the common wish to care for it, helped revive me, and bring me into the light, filled with hope for a world where contribution and the awareness of interconnectedness are the building blocks of society.”
“Each of these incredible humans,” Dickson shares, “are changing the world for the better with their daily work and influence. We have a lot to learn and share from them. Join us in taking the time to appreciate their efforts and take inspiration to continue your green journey with #littlegreensteps.” With such a wide range of Green Warriors, this campaign is proof that no matter where you come from, or what you do, you can make a difference. You can be part of the movement to save the world.
Ready? Without further ado, here are all 35 of our 2021 Green Warriors.
Aditi Mayer | Sustainable Fashion Photojournalist (she/her)
For decolonising fashion and speaking up for labour rights
Aditi Mayer is a familiar name if you’ve been around Instagram (or more recently, TikTok). A social and environmental justice advocate, Aditi’s work crosses various mediums, including writing, speaking, photography, and more. She’s a sustainable fashion writer, photojournalist and labour rights activist. Today, she’s often found speaking on these issues in the fashion space, and on other related issues like minority representation, responsible storytelling and more. Aditi sits too on the council of Intersectional Environmentalist. And to top it all off, Aditi is also a filmmaker and consultant in parallel to ADIMAY, all in pursuit of her goal of promoting a socially aware and sustainable perspective in all of her endeavours.
Aja Barber | Writer, Stylist & Consultant (she/her)
For speaking truth to power on all things fast fashion and more
Aja Barber is a well-known vocal critic of fast fashion—if you’ve followed her for a while now, you’ll know that she doesn’t shy away from telling it as it is. On her platform (mainly Instagram), Aja talks about everything that’s wrong with the fast fashion industry, and about where the fashion industry is changing. And while the industry has to take steps to make sustainable options more inclusive, Aja believes and wants to help people think differently about sustainability. Regularly, you’ll find her talking about how people can take accessible steps towards a more sustainable world. Oh, and don’t miss out on her commentary on issues related to fast fashion: on racism, feminism, colonialism, and more…
Alexandre Tsuk | Founder, RefillMyBottle & BGreener (he/him)
For empowering people to make a difference, from inside to out
Alexandre Tsuk is guided by a desire to motivate others to make a positive difference in the world. He believes that if we improve our relationship with ourselves, we can advance in the world, have stronger relationships with others, and with the earth. Following a long career in hospitality, Alex founded BGreener, an Indonesian group of 160 business changemakers: a community of people who help each other develop and expand their businesses, and solve issues, guided by a desire to make a positive impact in local and global communities. Today, it’s the unseen force behind tourism businesses’ efforts to address social and environmental issues in communities.
Andrea Richey | Executive Director, Hong Kong Shark Foundation (she/her)
For passionately advocating for shark conservation and against shark product consumption
Andrea Richey used to be a legal recruiter and worked for the Wall Street law firm Paul, Weiss in Hong Kong, but one day, Andrea began to think that there had to be something more to life than what she was doing. This motivated her to dedicate her time towards volunteering—it was then that she saw an image of shark fishing and finning, and was blown away at the cruelty involved and the unsustainability of the killing of sharks. Today, Andrea is now the Executive Director at HKSF, and is known worldwide as the “Shark Lady”. She’s at the frontline of shark protection in Hong Kong, raising awareness and educating people about shark conservation, passionate about and active in including the younger generations to join conservation efforts.
Asad Rehman | Executive Director, War on Want (he/him)
For leading the way on incorporating the addressing of economic and social injustice in the climate fight
Having tirelessly worked in the non-government and charity sectors for over 25 years—that’s a quarter of a century—Asad Rehman’s expertise has led him to be today at the forefront of the climate justice movement in the UK, and around the world. Previously the head of international climate at major environmental NGO Friends of the Earth, Asad is now the executive director of War on Want, a movement committed to ending poverty and inequality. Such problems demand global answers, which is why Asad is also a co-convenor of the Global Green New Deal project, which is all about aiming to push the Green New Deal beyond where it was popularised: the US.
Assaad Razzouk | The Angry Clean Energy Guy (he/him)
For being a hands-on expert on all things clean energy
Assaad Razzouk is a Singapore-based Lebanese-British renewable energy entrepreneur and expert, with an impressive portfolio to boot. Chairman and CEO of Sindicatum Renewable Energy, and the CEO of the Reneum Institute, he’s busy developing renewable energy projects all over Asia. He offers his expertise on various boards of different organisations too. But that’s not all: he’s also a regular commentator and podcaster on all things… you guessed it, renewable energy. On his podcast, The Angry Clean Energy Guy, he breaks down just about everything, and he’s often cutting through the confusion and busting myths about oft-misunderstood topics. You won’t want to miss an episode.
Barney Swan | Founder, ClimateForce (he/him)
For bringing us closer to sustainable futures, one tangible solution at a time
Have you ever skied 1000km over 60 days to the South Pole? Us neither, but Barney Swan has. Pulling a sledge with supplies and shelter, Barney skied to the South Pole surviving purely off clean technologies. This proves that clean energy is possible, even in the harshest of conditions. Naturally, Barney’s life mission is to design a more sustainable future—if he’s proven that skiing to the South Pole with clean energy is possible, then we definitely can power our world’s systems with clean energy. This is why he’s founded the charity ClimateForce: to reduce 360 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions before 2025 by making sustainable development solutions accessible, relevant and engaging.
Billie and Ann Dumaliang | Trustee and Project Officer, Masungi Georeserve (she/her, she/her)
For modelling sustainable tourism and local community empowerment
Billie and Ann Dumaliang are sisters who you’ll most likely find in the rainforests of Rizal, a province in the Philippines. Why? Well, they run Masungi, a 450-hectare award-winning georeserve that allows visitors to bask in the beauty of nature and come close to wild flora and fauna, without the environmental footprint that tourism usually involves. Masungi is probably the sustainable tourism destination of your dreams: a biodiverse sanctuary for hundreds of native wildlife species, it’s one for the outdoorsy types among us. But beyond being a destination, it’s also focused on using geotourism and the geopark model as a bottom-up approach to conservation, growth, and rural development.
Chad Frischmann | Architect, Drawdown Solutions Framework (he/him)
For driving the world towards a regenerative future through effective climate solutions for people and planet
Chad Frischmann is interested in real solutions. He works as a system strategist. With his interdisciplinary background in public policy, human rights, sustainability and environmental protection, his life work centres around building a regenerative future linking people and planet. Those of us who work in the environmental space, or those of us who care about saving the planet, will probably be familiar with Project Drawdown: aimed at helping the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Chad was there at the very inception of Project Drawdown. He’s the lead investigator and architect of the Drawdown Solutions Framework and leads a global collaborative of researchers and contributors expanding the ‘System of Solutions’ to achieve drawdown and create a regenerative future benefitting all.
Christabel Reed | Founder & Director, EcoResolution & Advaya (she/her)
For empowering individuals to embark on the dual journey of inner and outer transformation
Christabel Reed is the co-founder and director of Advaya, Initiative Earth and EcoResolution. Her work and rest is energised by a fascination in how we heal our relationships with ourselves, each other, our environments and the cosmos. For Christabel, we cannot separate these entwined journeys if what we envision is a kind of collective transformation that goes beyond the surface. Advaya began in 2015 when Christabel and her sister Ruby Reed wanted to explore the intersections of ecology, community, spirituality and wellbeing. Advaya is now a global platform for transformative education that serves exactly that mission. Through events, online courses and a media platform, Advaya aims to empower folks to start their journey of intertwined healing, to do inner work and outer work.
Djoann Fal | CEO & Co-founder, GetLinks (he/him)
For driving meaningful social change through technology
Djoann Fal isn’t your typical Silicon Valley techpreneur, though he might sound like one. Having co-founded GetLinks when he was just 22 in a region foreign to him—Southeast Asia—and having gotten his company funded by Alibaba at 25, he’s recognised as one of the most successful young entrepreneurs. He’s even been selected as a Kairos Fellow, by an organisation supported by the Rockefeller Family, Richard Branson and Bill Clinton, to support the most innovative under-25 entrepreneurs. But like we said, Djoann isn’t your typical Silicon Valley guy. He’s a visionary entrepreneur, digital transformation guru, and self-proclaimed proud geek: passionate about forecasting the future and driving meaningful social changes in the world through tech.
Ingmar Rentzhog | Founder & CEO, We Don’t Have Time (he/him)
For empowering the everyday individual to hold corporations and governments accountable
Ingmar Rentzhog is a serial entrepreneur with a background in the finance industry. But don’t let this Silicon-Valley-sounding background fool you: Ingmar is far from just your average fin-tech startup bro. A Climate Reality leader and a member of the European Climate Policy Task Force, Ingmar is serious about pushing corporations and governments to do better for the climate. Some time ago, he realised that world leaders won’t solve the climate crisis for us, but that we need to hold them accountable anyway because they’re in power and they can change things en masse. So how can individuals, who often feel disempowered, push those in power to do more? With this question in mind, We Don’t Have Time was born.
Isabelle Delannoy | Founder & General Manager, Do Green-Symbiotic Economy (she/her)
For showing us how to live in harmony with the Earth & rethinking our economy to be regenerative
Like many of us, Isabelle Delannoy has spent the last decade searching for solutions to the ongoing environmental crisis. During her search, she came across the concept of a regenerative economy: the kind that, unlike our current, extractive one, seeks to give back and restore our Earth. Today, Isabelle is the founder and general manager of Do Green-Symbiotic Economy and is an expert in sustainable development and emerging sustainable models: of which, the symbiotic economy is one. In fact, she’s even written an entire book titled “Symbiotic Economy”, which lays out a modern economic model towards living together with the Earth, in hopes of regenerating our planet.
Isaias Hernandez | Environmental Educator (he/they)
For creating a safe and accessible space on the internet for environmental education
When you talk about accessible environmental education, Isaias Henandez, the mind behind QueerBrownVegan, is no doubt going to be your go-to Instagram account. Between colourful graphics, illustrations, videos, and simple but effective textual explanations, Isaias makes environmental education accessible and exciting. His account is mostly concerned with unpacking terminologies, posing questions or defining concepts. But perhaps more importantly, Isaias’s activism is now also focused on increasing the visibility of those who have not been as visible in the community, specifically queer/trans BIPOC folks, who have been at the forefront of environmental movements and yet are often erased from environmental narratives.
Jack Sim | Founder, World Toilet Organization (he/him)
For his work in changing the world in the most unexpected ways
Jack Sim isn’t your typical rags-to-riches story. He overcame the odds to become a shrewd businessman and property developer, but something changed in him when the Asian Financial Crisis hit. He realised that he wanted to help people, but not in the way that you’d expect. Starting with founding the Singapore Recovery Association, Jack began to work on toilets and public sanitation. Eventually, Jack set up, in 2001, a global non-profit organisation that aims to enhance toilets and sanitation worldwide: the World Toilet Organization (WTO). Through the WTO, Jack started to, as he does today, promote clean sanitation and public health policies, through collaborating with governments, academic institutions, foundations, UN agencies, corporate actors, and more.
Jason Pomeroy | Founding Principal, Pomeroy Studio & Pomeroy Academy (he/him)
For building towards more a sustainable world, one blueprint at a time
How do we build back better? Literally—that’s the question that’s on Jason Pomeroy’s mind. A multi-award-winning architect, academic, author (and TV host), Jason is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on environmental and sustainable architecture. His projects are pretty much all over the world: his career has spanned Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and includes notable projects like energy-efficient homes that use solar panels and rainwater captured from the roof to produce electricity. He’s written books, lectured and spoken globally, and has even established a Studio and Academy, all to further training and education to make sure that builders and architects have the skills needed to build us towards the sustainable world we need.
Kamea Chayne | Host, Green Dreamer Podcast (she/they)
For inspiring us to change how we see wellness and for platforming voices towards just and regenerative futures
Kamea Chayne’s journey shows us that there are indeed numerous different ways to be an activist in our digital age. Her journey started in the sustainable fashion space, as a blogger focused on conscious fashion and living. After that, she pivoted to focusing on the wellness space, looking to explore the intersections between personal wellbeing and Earth’s wellbeing. In 2016, she authored a book encouraging people to expand their views of wellness to more holistic definitions. Then in 2018, Kamea embarked on a new phase of her journey that she’s still in today—starting Green Dreamer: a podcast and multi-media journal that delves into holistic healing, ecosystem restoration, true abundance, and universal health.
Katrina Razon | CEO & Founder, KSR Ventures, Co-producer, Wonderfruit (she/her)
For modelling the way in giving back across everything she touches
Katrina Razon is a woman who wears many hats, and one with many interests too. Her portfolio includes jobs as a producer, art director, DJ, activist, yoga instructor, and she’s also an experienced diver and surfer—heck, she’s even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. But her involvement in sustainability is why she’s a Green Warrior: she’s a venture capitalist who believes in driving investments and money towards social good. Today, she runs KSR Ventures and is an active investor, who seeks out key inflexion points in outstanding net positive companies that are working to solve economic, social, and environmental challenges in innovative ways. Katrina believes that investors have a duty to lead our planet toward more sustainable futures, and acts on that core belief. Katrina is also a business partner and co-producer of Wonderfruit, one of the world’s few sustainable music festivals
Kuo ShihYun | Co-CEO & Founder, lablaco (she/her)
For making fashion more circular, through her pioneering work in the digitalisation space
Kuo ShihYun is a pioneer in the fashion digitalisation and blockchain technology space. A data and digital innovation entrepreneur with over eight years of experience in luxury retail buying and merchandising management, data systems and digital media, she now lives between the fashion capitals of Paris and Milan but works in the realm of the digital. In 2016, Yun co-founded lablaco: the first Circular Fashion Network, with a mission to speed up the digitalisation and transformation of the fashion industry towards a circular economy. With lablaco, Yun is bringing together technology, and sustainability to redesign a new ecosystem for the fashion industry by implementing new sustainable business models and redefining relationships by leveraging blockchain.
Larry Tang | Founder, Locofama Group (he/him)
For pioneering the SLOW movement in Hong Kong
“Organic food ain’t supposed to taste so good!” is the tongue-in-cheek tagline on the Locofama website. And yet, the Locofama Group in Hong Kong is out to do just that. With restaurants and concept stores LOCOFAMA, SOHOFAMA and SUPAFOOD under its belt, the Group is aiming to bring organic food to the mainstream. The mastermind behind these concept stores is none other than Larry Tang. These organic farm-to-table restaurants have paved the way for the Sustainable Lifestyle of Organic Wellness (SLOW) movement in Hong Kong, and Larry is out to continue expanding their community, building out their mission, and making a positive difference… all while making sure it’s delicious too.
Leyla Acaroglu | Founder, UnSchool of Disruptive Design (she/her)
For changing the game in sustainability with design
Leyla Acaroglu is a sociologist, sustainability expert and designer: she combines all of those into her work to lead the transformation to a better, more sustainable economy. Internationally recognised as a leading force in the movement for a sustainable and circular future, Leyla’s main interest is in shaking things up by design. Leyla’s not just a designer: she’s also an award-winning one at that, with a focus, of course, on sustainability (she’s a UN Environmental Programme Champion of the Earth). She’s a big believer in Disruptive Design, which she talks about as creating intentionally disruptive creative interventions that are functionally imbued with the objective of challenging the status quo and making positive change.
Malcolm Wood | Co-founder, Steelhead Group & Maximal Concepts (he/him)
For wearing many hats and carrying sustainability through to food-making and film-making
“I think it’s perfectly logical for a nature and food-lover like myself to incorporate all these elements in my life. If you love food, you’ll care about where it comes from. And you’d want to spread the message about promoting sustainable living and protecting Mother Earth. Everything is linked; you can’t take without giving back.” It’s this belief that drives his environmental work: which not only brings his passion for sports and conservation together but also brings food and sustainability together too. Malcolm is on the board of several charities and organisations, is actively involved in various environmental projects, and he’s a filmmaker: involved in the world-renowned production “A Plastic Ocean”, and a set of environmental films coming soon to highlight global environmental issues and their solutions.
Mayur Singh | Co-founder, Green Collective SG (he/him)
For innovating businesses and finance for good, towards sustainable development
Mayur Singh is a firm believer in sustainable development and spends much of his time thinking about how to build businesses that are driven by purpose, and towards inclusive growth. Mayur is what you’d call an impact-driven entrepreneur: someone who cares about sustainability, and who cares about infusing that into businesses all around the world. In fact, Mayur’s lived in four countries and has co-founded three companies across Asia and Europe. With his background in finance, and interest in sustainable development and pushing for effective societal change, Mayur aims to empower people to prepare, save, and invest in the things that matter to them.
Nicolas Sabatier and Coline Debayle | Co-founder and CCO, Time for the Planet (he/him, she/her)
For creating a platform that empowers entrepreneurs and everyday people to take climate action
Nicolas Sabatier and Coline Debayle are big on entrepreneurship for good. In 2010, after he crossed France on foot, Nicolas discovered the power of entrepreneurship as a mode of action and became convinced that it’s possible to use social and environmental impact as indicators of success for companies, rather than just measuring by the amount of profit companies make. He proceeded to experiment with new economic and managerial models by starting four companies until he co-founded Time for the Planet, of which Coline is the CCO. Time for the Planet is a non-profit company that creates and finances companies that fight global climate change. Their mission? To fundraise 1 billion euros to create 100 companies fighting against global warming.
Pete Phornprapha | Founder, Scratch First (Wonderfruit, Fruitfull) (he/him)
For bridging art and culture with impact
If you’ve ever tried to Google “sustainable music festival” in Asia, chances are you’ve come across Wonderfruit. Here’s the architect behind Wonderfruit: Pranitan “Pete” Phornprapha. Wonderfruit, held near Pattaya in Thailand every year, has been around since 2014, and is first and foremost, a celebration of art and culture. But what’s different about Wonderfruit, aside from being also a celebration of Thai culture, is that it’s an art and culture festival whose purpose is creating a better relationship with our planet. And as Pete says: “We fool people into coming out here on the basis of having a good time”—tongue-in-cheek, of course. But the point stands: it’s about making sustainability creative, engaging, fun and sexy, rather than being too scientific, or serious. Engaging people to look and discover beyond the surfaces.
Renyung Ho | Founder, MATTER Prints, VP Brand HQ at Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts (she/her)
For pioneering artisanal fashion and driving change beyond textiles
Renyung Ho is a familiar name in the ethical fashion and sustainable tourism space. She’s the founder of MATTER, and is a second-generation leader at Banyan Tree Hotels, an international hospitality brand. As an independent entrepreneur, impact investor, humanitarian and writer, Renyung brings her expertise to everything she touches. At Banyan Tree, she’s spearheaded sustainability initiatives and has woven wellbeing into the very fabric of the hospitality experience. But we’ve long known her for her work in the ethical fashion space. Renyung is one of Singapore’s pioneers in artisanal and slow fashion, and is well-known for her work with MATTER, an ethical fashion brand with a purpose of impacting change beyond textiles.
Robbie Lockie | Director & Co-founder, Plant Based News (they/them)
For making plant-based news and living accessible for all
If you’re a vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or considering to be any of those, you’ve probably heard of Plant Based News, an award-winning conscious living and vegan news platform, with a monthly audience of over 60 million people. The co-founder and co-director behind the platform is none other than Robbie Lockie, who’s been vegan for almost eight years now. Today, Plant Based News stands as a powerful digital media outlet that publishes news and current affairs, fitness, personal transformation reports, interviews, and recipes related to veganism and plant-based living. It’s best known for its annual flagship documentary series, which regularly receives over 2 million views.
Samata Pattinson | CEO, Red Carpet Green Dress (she/her)
For tirelessly working to mainstream sustainable fashion and design
The sustainability conversation in fashion has been around for what feels like a while now, but back in 2011, it wasn’t very much. Samata Pattinson was what you’d call an “early adopter”. In 2011, she joined Red Carpet Green Dress as Campaign Director and rose through the ranks to Vice President, and in 2019, became the CEO. Her vision for Red Carpet Green Dress focuses today on the expansion of RCGD’s global presence, a long-standing exclusive partnership with The Academy—the Oscars, ongoing collaborations creating accessible sustainable products for the world (working with impact brands and sustainable retail), and education with a focus on the youth, creating entertaining and educational digital content focused around sustainable fashion.
Sandhya Sriram | CEO & Founder, Shiok Meats (she/her)
For pioneering cell-based meats in Asia and the world
What does biotech and stem cells have to do with sustainability today? The answer lies in the food we eat: but a very new kind of food. And Sandhya Sriram is more than well-equipped to tell you everything about it. A scientist, entrepreneur, investor and mentor, she’s passionate about biotech and stem cells and is on a quest to use biotechnology to disrupt Asia’s and the world’s food industry towards doing more good. Today, Sandhya’s the CEO and co-founder of Shiok Meats, the first cell-based clean meat business in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Their mission? To bring delicious, clean, and healthy seafood to your table. With Shiok Meats, she’s proving that sustainable options can rival traditional options, and do good for the animals and the planet while at it too.
Skeena Rathor | Co-leader, Spokesperson & Strategist, Extinction Rebellion (she/her)
For building and visioning towards better futures through Extinction Rebellion
Skeena Rathor is a trauma therapist, body and brain growth mentor, heartfulness, and heartmath teacher. With her experience in these fields, it makes complete sense that she’s the co-founder of the Guardianship and Visioning team of Extinction Rebellion (XR)—yes, the Extinction Rebellion. Skeena’s also the co-leader, spokesperson and strategist for the global environmental movement that’s pretty much changed the world. XR seeks to force government intervention by peaceful civil disobedience to prevent climate system tipping points, biodiversity destruction, and the possibility of social and ecological collapse. XR is part of Skeena’s personal quest to make politics more humane, ethical and truthful—outside of XR, she’s involved with local politics too!
Swaady Martin | Founder, YSWARA, Tounché Global Consciousness Summit & LovingKindnessBoma (she/her)
For revolutionary change-making through entrepreneurship, consciousness-raising and citizen-building
Swaady Martin is the kind of woman that we think of when we say “changemaker”. As she says herself: “I was born in a family of changemakers. My parents nurtured a strong sense of consciousness and responsibility to make the world a better place, starting from within.” Today, as a serial entrepreneur, consciousness activist, author and international speaker, Swaady is no doubt a changemaker by all counts. She worked with various corporations and numerous entrepreneurial initiatives for over two decades and carried her expertise into founding one of Africa’s most admired brands, YSWARA, an African tea company. Beyond her entrepreneurial work, Swaady believes in elevating community consciousness, which she does through her Global Summit.
Veerappan Swaminathan | Founder & Director, Sustainable Living Lab (he/him)
For rising to the challenge of sustainability through making and building Maker institutions
Veerappan Swaminathan is a pioneer of the Maker Movement in Singapore and is busy steering the movement in Asia towards enabling a sustainable future, using systems thinking, community development and technology. To drive the movement forward, he’s less involved in the “making” per se and more involved in building maker institutions. To date, he’s started the Sustainable Living Lab (a social enterprise), OneMaker Group (an events company), Makedemy (a provider of maker education) and the Singapore Makers Association (a trade association for Makers). Across all his work, he’s driven by his life goal: to leave things better than when he found them.
Vivie-ann Bakos | DJ BLOND:ISH (she/her)
For inspiring communities towards living more sustainably, through the power of music (and partying)
Vivie-ann Bakos, better known as BLOND:ISH, is a green warrior that wears many hats. She calls herself a serial collaborator, spiritual seeker, brand boss, rush of energy, and just about everything in between. While most people will know her for her DJ work: she’s not only a DJ, but also a producer, promoter, and record label head. We know her, though, for her environmental activism that puts front and centre what she does best: connecting people. And for her infectious positive energy. Her mission is two-fold: spreading positive vibes on the dancefloor and doing what’s right by nature. The core values of spreading positive vibes via music and eco-friendly, plant-loving actions, represent the central pillars on which the BLOND:ISH mantra is raised.
Yolanda Thein | Founder, GreenGroves (she/her)
For dedicating her time towards protecting one of our most precious ecosystems
Yolanda is a model turned sustainable digital creative, who advocates for mitigating the use of single-use plastics from our daily lives. But you’ll most likely find her talking about mangroves, or more specifically: GreenGroves, an organisation that she founded, to raise awareness of nature’s natural solution to the climate crisis… mangroves. Yolanda, inspired by coral reefs, wondered what other ecosystems could help us in the climate fight. That brought her to mangroves, which, like coral reefs, need restoration efforts because of the severe degradation and destruction of these ecosystems by humans. GreenGroves’ wider goal is to get as many people as possible on board to reduce, reuse, replant, and restore.