UOG Tritons's video: Week 6: Panel of Social Entrepreneurs

CIS2020- Week 6- June 5, 2020 The second panel in Week 6 of our series focused on social entrepreneurs who are setting a standard through sustainable business development. This panel was curated and moderated by Amanda Ellis, the CIS2019 keynote speaker. Nui Source Fiji’s Co-Founder and Director, Ilivani Vamainabuke, spoke on her experience as a solar engineer, which has allowed her to network with stakeholders in raising awareness and engage with key communities about solar projects. She says these projects help elevate socio-economic viability of women in households, creating longevity and a ripple effect in the community. Voyaging Food’s Founder and Director, Brynn Foster, is a first-generation farm enthusiast working to understand the barriers to entry in both the farming and value-added manufacturing industry in Hawai`i. Being aware of the challenges of food security and wanting to be part of the solution, she started her company by making flour along with gluten-free baby teething biscuits from Hawaii grown heritage canoe plants like taro and breadfruit. Ethique’s Founder and CEO, Brianne West, started her 100% plastic-free cosmetics company as a way to rid the world of plastic bottles and have a positive environmental impact. Ethique packs the functioning ingredients of shampoos and conditioners into bar form, cutting out the need to ship water and plastic bottles. She hopes to change the way people look at business as it is the biggest driver to positive change. Adimaimalaga Tafunai is the co-founder and executive director of Women in Business Development Inc. in Samoa, and has worked for over two decades to drive economies and create opportunities for people in small island communities. She says it’s important to allow island communities to be a part of the cash economy by supporting their need to bring products to the marketplace. For more on the conference, visit www.uog.edu/cis2020.