People For The Planet
Mahdiyyah Muhammad
Fabric Alchemist + Fashion Designer
Mahdiyyah Muhammad
Mahdiyyah Muhammad @mahdiyyahofficial is a Sustainable Fashion Designer and Educator who is leading the charge for eco-friendly fashion through her innovative Fabric Alchemy practice. By upcycling discarded clothing and incorporating a zero-waste design approach, Muhammad is not only promoting sustainability but also educating others on the healing properties of natural fibers.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
My why and inspiration comes from respecting nature and our connection to the environment, while of course considering the often ignored contributions of black women in the sustainable fashion and arts realm.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
I’m most passionate about using my experience, and skill to draw parallels between our connection to nature, history, and existing in a more consciously aware way that will help our planet, and it’s inhabitants with respect to those often left out of the conversation while we’re here.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
In my daily life I recycle, upcycle, swap, and donate. I eat a plant based diet, prepare most of my own foods, travel using public transportation, and take care to align with other brands and people in the fashion and art space whose values intersect with mine.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
My hope is for the issues we currently face to stop being danced around. Accountability must be the first step, but before that even happens, people must be educated about the historical reference points that got us here to begin with.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
I align with all of them, but I’m particularly fond of SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Kerry Bannigan
Executive Director of Fashion Impact Fund
Kerry Bannigan
Kerry Bannigan @kerrybannigan, is a visionary social entrepreneur who uses fashion and media to promote sustainability and empower women. Through her @FashionImpactFund, she supports female-led fashion businesses to drive workforce development and economic empowerment for women.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
The unwavering commitment and relentless dedication of female founders to transform the fashion industry.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
Supporting female founders that are contributing critical system change for women in the fashion industry to earn fair wages, operate in safe and ethical working conditions and achieve effective leadership.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
Support independent ethical businesses, shop preloved, decrease use of single-use plastics by using reusable bags and containers when can, eat vegetarian, when possible walk, public transport or car share.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
A fair and inclusive fashion workforce that in turn collectively transforms communities for people and planet.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? https://sdgs.un.org/goals
SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Ngozi Okaro
Founder of Custom Collaborative
Ngozi Okaro
Ngozi Okaro @the.ngozi.okaro is a social entrepreneur who is making a positive impact in the fashion industry through her leadership of Custom Collaborative. Her organization creates opportunities for no/low-income and immigrant women to participate in sustainable fashion, empowering them with skills and resources to build successful careers.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
I started because I wanted women to have avenues to good pay, doing what they loved. Also, because I thought that people should have access to clothes that fit.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
Oh, people and planet have equal bearing for me, but I am really passionate about protecting animals and their habitats. None of them caused the climate problems, and they are probably having a hard time figuring out what went wrong and how to adjust.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
I reduce plastic as much as possible. Upcycle until only down cycling is possible — like remaking clothes and then when the remakes fall apart, using them as cleaning cloths! I try my best not to purchase new clothes. And most important, my work means that I get to introduce dozens of people into environmental sustainability, so they can create their own practices and spread the word.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
Wow, that’s a big question. I hope that the people who cause or allow the most harm wake up to the reality of how tough climate change has been and is going to be for so may people. My prayer is that we will then be able break our addiction to fossil fuels, and plastics, and at least end private jet and unnecessary space flights.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? https://sdgs.un.org/goals
SDG 12
Fabian Hirose
Founder & CEO of FHMC Ltd
Fabian Hirose
Fabian Hirose @fabianhirose, is a seasoned consultant in the fashion industry with over 20 years of experience, providing clients with practical and enduring solutions to improve performance and achieve their goals. With a focus on creativity and growth, he assembles a team with the appropriate experience and expertise to meet the unique needs of each engagement.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
Business Sustainability is at is core of our professional practice. We are centered on supporting the impact that generates businesses on the planet.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
Keeping the planet healthily alive and supporting its existence is our passion. We focused on working shoulder-to-shoulder with individuals, teams and organizations, supporting their mental health and well-being while running and leading a fashion business. We understood that by doing so, the decision-making process generated by the leaders would be more consciously driven, developing better sustainable solutions within the system.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
Reducing plastic, second hand, volunteering, public transportation and avoiding mass consumptions of food and goods.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
We are continuing the legacy of keeping our home aligned with its/our needs.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? https://sdgs.un.org/goals
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Mariama Camara
Founder + CEO of Mariama Fashion
Mariama Camara
Mariama Camara @mariamacamaraofficial_, is a multi-talented entrepreneur who has made a name for herself in the sustainable fashion industry. She is the founder of Mariama Fashion Production (@mariamafashionproduction) and sustainable product line Kanafrik (@kanafrik). She is also the co-founder of There Is No Limit Foundation, an international non-profit organization empowering women, children, and communities.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
My why is that I always thought that a business who just makes money was a poor business. I always believe in giving back to our community, our world. I believe in paying attention to what’s happening to our world and how we can become an agent of change in bettering our world our planet. And that’s why with my production company I started thinking about responsible ways of producing textiles by creating workshop for the artisans in Côte d’Ivoire and guinea with partners to replace synthetic dyes with natural dyes by using local plants, foods to create textiles. This same reason inspired me to create Kanafrik to make accessible clean and sustainable skincare products and food, recycling and refill station in Africa. What’s keeps me going is my passion. I am a humanitarian by nature something I learn from my parents and wants to continue the legacy. I believe we are what we give.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
I am passionate about empowering others and creating a source of income for women and artisans and advocating for them. We only have one planet; I feel like we must all do our part to save it and leave it better for the next generation to come. We must all take into consideration the current issues happening with climate change and global warming. Working in the fashion industry for all these years and knowing that our industry is among one of the most polluting is important that we all play our part to make it better and sustainable for our planet and the consumers.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
Saving energy, limiting food waste, creating refill station in my store for my clients to learn how to use and recycle. Offering reusable bags instead of single use plastic. all our Kanafrik products sold in the United States are in reusable and recycle packaging and all natural. Via my production company we are reusing all the textiles waste to create new products and educating our clients, consumers and artisans to produce responsibly.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
A peaceful planet, a preserve nature clean and safe for everyone to live in.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? https://sdgs.un.org/goals
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 1: No Poverty
Cameron Saul
Co-Founder of Bottletop & Togetherband
Cameron Saul
Meet Bottletop founder Cameron Saul @bottletopofficial, who runs a British artisanal luxury brand and leads the #TOGETHERBAND @togetherbandofficial Campaign to promote awareness and action for the 17 SDGs. Through sustainable design and supply chains, Bottletop economically empowers women and Indigenous communities while catalysing consciousness and behavior change towards social and environmental issues.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
Because I believe people can own and wear beautiful things that also leave a beautiful impact on people and the planet!
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
Combining skills and economic opportunity creation with our cross-cultural design processes is where the magic happens.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
Only eating meat on very special occasions where I know it’s origins, wearing vintage and sustainable brands, cycling as much as possible and trying to be of service in the most effective ways with my single life battery pack!
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
That we can restore and rewind this miracle in motion that we all get to call home.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Today I’m picking SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goal, because today we need to come together to resolve the cascading and interconnected crises that we face. Collaboration has been at the heart of everything we have done with BOTTLETOP for the last 20 years.
Ayanat Yesmagambetova-Ksenbai
Creative Director of AYANAT & Co + Partner at Eternal Sources
Ayanat Yesmagambetova-Ksenbai
Ayanat is a Kazakhstan-born entrepreneur with a passion for integrating her country’s culture into the global community, particularly through championing the spirit of women in Central Asia and intertwining it with the strong, driven spirit of American women. As a nomad, Ayanat believes that life is a quest, and she follows her own journey to make her dreams a reality.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
I always felt that we all have bigger purpose in life that we need to pursue especially in my native country of Kazakhstan post Soviet region I was always driven to come to the world capital of New York and try to integrate my country’s culture into the global culture. I always wanted to champion spirit of the women of Kazakhstan and Central Asia and intertwine that with the strong and driven spirit of American women and in doing so I realize ones again that at the end we are all the same, we are all driven by one thing; dream big and then find a way to make those dreams come true. Life is a quest a journey and as a nomad I always follow my own journey.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and planet?
As a designer I want to make things that add beauty to the world without compromising the state of our magical planet and nature, as a skincare maker my goal is to heal people’s skin utilizing the incredible power of nature and its natural ingredients and as an actress my wish is to inspire people and especially young women to pursue their dreams no matter what.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
I do all in my power and encourage others to use less plastic, walk more or bike more than drive and look for natural ways to power your daily life routines. It’s not easy but if we all do it it’ll have a massive impact at the end when it is quantified altogether.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
My hope is very simple although today it looks a lot more complicated; I want peace on this healthy and healing plant earth and enjoy and cherish all of the gift that our majestic earth has giving us.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
Creating sustainable jobs for underserved and less privileged women.
Stephanie Benedetto
CEO + Sustainable Business Leader
Stephanie Benedetto
Meet Stephanie Benedetto @queenofraw, “Our science-based software, Materia MX, drives supply chain efficiencies for more sustainable and profitable businesses, keeping excess inventory out of landfills and turning pollution into profit!”
IRK: Tell us your “Why”?
I’m doing this for my children. I want them to have clean water to drink, clothes that aren’t toxic to wear, and a planet to live on.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
I am on a mission to solve the world’s water crisis. And my focus is textiles, which by some accounts is the second biggest polluter in the world of clean water. But that also means that textiles have the power to solve the world’s water crisis if we rethink how we do things.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
There was this one moment in particular when I was walking my then 3-year-old son, Jacob, down the NYC streets. And of course, it was noisy and loud like NYC is. And I heard something coming out of the stroller. So I leaned in. And all I could hear was, “Are you naked right now? No, because you’re using fabric. It’s everywhere. And it’s polluting your water.” He was doing my 60-second pitch. On the one hand, it probably means I spent too much time practicing that 60-second pitch while pushing the stroller. On the other hand, if he at 3 years old could get it, then anyone could get it. And we can and will change the world.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
By reducing waste, we have already saved over 1 billion gallons of water. That’s enough clean water for 1.4 million people to drink around the world for 3 years. So never doubt that the actions you take can’t change the world!
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goal.
Marina Testino
Artivist
Marina Testino
Meet Marina Testino @marinatestino, a creative force and strategic expert in the realm of sustainable fashion and conscious consumerism. Her work has spanned across various sectors, from working with top fashion brands such as Gucci and Stella McCartney, to collaborating with renowned organizations such as Greenpeace, United Nations, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, all in an effort to drive change towards a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”
Solutions! Activism has a tendency to put all of its focus on problems instead of what we can do about them. It’s crucial that we are aware of these issues, so this is not always a bad thing. However, “doom and gloom” messaging can only get us so far. Instead of dwelling on issues in this way, I choose to focus on the steps we can take to resolve them. Perfection is impossible, but progress can happen each and every day.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
Plastic Pollution is number one for me. I grew up surrounded by nature near the sea, so I have always felt close to it. Even my name, Marina, was inspired by the ocean. When I was young, my dad sponsored a group of biologists to protect turtles in Tulum, and we had the opportunity to release them back into the ocean each time we visited. As I grew up, it was devastating to learn about the vast amounts of plastic and microplastic pollution in the oceans and the effects it has on aquatic life. Knowing this, I had to take action and speak to these issues, their effects, and what we can do to better protect the sea and the life within it.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
Avoiding single use plastics in my day to day (takeout coffee, takeout food, straws, plastic bottles…), carrying a refillable water bottle, traveling by train instead of planes when possible, turning off lights when I leave a room, turning off the faucet in the bathroom instead of letting it run (while brushing my teeth/ shampooing), and saying no to plastic bags at all costs. If I happen to forget my reusable bag at the market, I will only purchase what I can carry by hand.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
More accountability. For governments to enforce protective laws, to support more local, sustainable production and consumption, and to aid in the research and development of new technologies. For brands and corporations to see beyond profits and take responsibility for their social and environmental impacts. I also hope to see individuals continue to stand up and demand the changes they want to see, fully embracing the power we have as consumers.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? https://sdgs.un.org/goals
There are several SDGs I identify with. Goals 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 all speak to me. But if I had to choose one, it would be Goal 17, which focuses on partnerships. My work is centered around connecting people and unifying forces to fight for a better planet. Joining that with creativity and education to raise awareness is what all of my campaigns are about. For example, I partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and activists around the world to shed light on the issue of microplastic pollution with #WeSeaThrough. By joining forces, we can amplify our voices, strengthen our messages, and increase our impact.
