The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability and Global Futures Laboratory joined with the East West Center and Ka WaiWai collective in Hawaii on Saturday, February 1 to promote sustainability solutions from women innovators and entrepreneurs involved with the WE Empower United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Challenge.
As part of the event, WE Empower held a special brunch that brought together four women leaders and business innovators: Kauʻi Sana; Brynn Foster, the founder of Voyaging Foods and the 2019 WE Empower Challenge global finalist; Leah Lizarondo, the founder of 412 Food Rescue and a 2019 WE Empower Challenge awardee; and Jen Nielsen, a WE Empower partner and the founder of ekko.world and Ekko Score. The latter three women presented their innovative business solutions to help mitigate climate change and create more sustainable futures. Each of these extraordinary women are making a difference in their communities by addressing the climate crisis, re-imagining food systems and shifting paradigms on sustainability.
In a blog post on ekko.world, Nielsen reflected on her experience, saying: "It is mostly women entrepreneurs who are front and centre in developing new ways to feed a burgeoning planet, building a kinder and more sustainable world, and fixing the broken pieces of our world and regenerating new corners."
Mahalo nui to Sana, Foster, Lizarondo, Nielsen, Tiana Henderson and Amanda Ellis, executive director of Hawaii and Asia Pacific for the ASU Wrigley Institute, for sharing your stories and leading the conversation on sustainability. Mahalo to the ASU Wrigley Institute, East-West Center and the Global Futures Laboratory for sponsoring the event!