Anna Sparling, age 18 Peak to Peak Charter School, Lafayette, CO Teacher: Kristie Letter Women in developing countries cannot always go to work or school when menstruating because they do not have proper resources. Gender inequality increases due to this natural process beyond women’s control. My design is a backpack with supplies that enable women...
Gabrielle Toms, age 17 Lakewood High School, Lakewood, OH Teacher: Anne McQuay The obstacle I’m tackling is the accidental use of incorrect pronouns at my school. As a non-binary person who doesn’t frequently use things like makeup, I’m often referred to by the wrong pronoun. It’s an incredibly frustrating obstacle to deal with almost every...
Hannah Warmbrod, age 17 St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, Sewanee, TN Teacher: Osei Hill People experiencing homelessness or poverty often do not have regular access to facilities where they can bathe and do laundry. This is especially hard on kids in school, who may feel discomfort and insecurity in addition to facing bullying caused by this issue....
Design Visionary Kickstarter Since its launch in 2009, Kickstarter has become a key piece of the internet’s creative infrastructure, serving as a powerful tool for designers and other creative people to take their ideas directly to the public, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. Its first funded project, “Drawing for Dollars,” raised $35 from three people. Since then,...
Climate Action Sponge Park by Susannah Drake Designed by DLANDstudio, the Gowanus Canal Sponge Park™ in Brooklyn, New York is a proven new form of green infrastructure that captures and cleans dirty urban stormwater runoff and addresses the global problem of contaminated streams, rivers, aquifers, and oceans. Completed in 2016, the Sponge Park™ is in...
Emerging Designer Studio One Eighty Nine Co-founded by Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah in 2013, Studio One Eighty Nine is an artisan-produced fashion lifestyle brand and social enterprise. The luxury brand creates African and African-inspired content and clothing, working with artisanal communities in Africa that specialize in traditional craftsmanship techniques and focusing on empowerment, job...
Architecture Snøhetta For over 30 years Snøhetta has designed some of the world’s most notable projects integrating architecture, landscape, interiors, branding, and product design. The firm is dedicated to building equitable and sustainable places to enhance human society and natural habitat. With seven offices across the globe, Snøhetta’s noteworthy projects include the Library of Alexandria...
Communication Design Scott Dadich Scott Dadich is a founder and co-CEO of Godfrey Dadich Partners, a communications design and strategy firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, that helps organizations tell better stories—from documentary films and longform journalism to corporate strategies and brand marketing campaigns. He has led work with Nike, Apple, The Obama Foundation, IBM,...
Digital Design Design I/O Founded in 2010, Design I/O is a small studio passionate about creating immersive interactive environments, new forms of storytelling, and developing prototypes that lead toward a more magical future. Led by partners Emily Gobeille and Theodore Watson along with Nicholas Hardeman and Anna Cataldo, the studio takes a playful approach to...
