Meghan – Dare to Innovate

I watched Meghan’s presentation at MIT Scaling Development Ventures conference in 2017, an event hosted by MIT D-Lab to bring social entrepreneurs and supporters together to make a more equitable world. I liked her energy and loved the name and mission of Dare to Innovate through entrepreneurship to end unemployment in Africa. I reached out …

Caryl and Olivia – Healthier Rice and Lives

I came across Lotus Foods in 2015; it stands out not only by its colorful rice and package but also the wholesome mission: better rice, better farmer life, and better environment for all. I grew up in Taiwan and the back of my home were rice farms. I saw farmers’ life. Thus, I vote with …

Prof. Hwang – Teaching Practical Education

Prof. Hwang is different in many ways. He ran a tech company while teaching at the university. He emphasized more on the application than the theory in the class. After I returned from Finland as exchange student, I worked at Prof. Hwang’s company while finishing up the last few classes. I led five-person team in …

David – Teaching for a Brighter Future

David and I met at an Edtech event in Austin during 2018 SXSW EDU. He had a big smile and I was fascinated by his story; David started in Finance, as an account manager of mutual funds in Boston then spent 20+ years in Asia as a finance and technology leader. He came back to …

Jeremy – Big Acts to Save Our Planet

Jeremy loves outdoor; he is an active runner, biker, and hiker. He started Atayne, an active apparel company yet it’s not just another T-shirt company. Each Atayne was made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, certified to be free of harmful chemicals, and supporting local economies: made in USA. Atayne was also a B Corp that …

Sam – Making Life Brighter

When hosting TEDx Millriver: Innovation in 2012, I came across Jane Chen’s Embrace TED talk; it stayed with me and started my interest in learning and supporting social innovation/ enterprise. I read about Stanford’s Design for Extreme Affordability then Sam and d.light. I was fascinated by his story and mission… Sam’s neighbor was badly burned …

Heather – Making it Work!

Heather and I met at MIT Scaling Development Ventures conference in 2017, an event hosted by MIT D-Lab to bring social entrepreneurs and supporters together to make a more equitable world. Heather, who received PhD of Mechanical & Ocean Engineering from MIT, shared her story: Practical Education Network (PEN). I was moved and touched by …

Yuliya – Turning Passion into Mission-Driven Opportunity

Yuliya and I met at Greater Stamford Toastmaster in 2011. I was a new member. I knew she is “special” from the first time I saw her speaking (evaluation). Yuliya has a keen ear of listening; she provided speakers thoughtful feedback in a positive demeanor. We became fast friends as we share many traits and …

Carly – Committed to Excellence

I met Carly at a Toastmaster club visit in 2018 when I was a division director. She was the club VP of education. Though the club was started 2 years ago, the meeting was well-organized and attended. After the meeting, I asked Carly if she could share some tips as some corporate clubs struggled to …