The Ingenious System to Grow More Food With Less Water

If there’s one high school competition I’d love to see, it would be schools competing for which one can do the best job of teaching students how to live more sustainably. Third generation farmer Kaben Smallwood has my vote for creating an aquaponics greenhouse at a rural public school in Kiowa, Oklahoma. Kids are harvesting crops for their school lunches while learning about water-thrifty systems that combine fish and plant farming. His company now has $40,000 and mentoring support to keep growing, with an award from the 2013 Hitachi Foundation Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program.
 

The Company That’ll Change How You Throw a Party Forever

Nothing says “successful party” like a huge overflowing trash can full of paper plates and plastic cups. But ugh, so much waste. Brooklyn performance artist Emily Doubilet took this on as problem she could solve with a new business with a conscience. Her “Susty Party” products are eco-friendly, colorful and manufactured in the U.S. by an Ohio non-profit that employs visually impaired people. She’s one of five $40,000 winners of the Hitachi Foundation’s Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program this year.