by Maya S Penn
As I continued growing my business, I started seeking out more and more eco-friendly fabrics to work with, like hemp, burlap, organic cotton, and vintage silks. I experimented with using natural fruit and vegetable dyes and herbal teas when coloring scarves and T-shirts. And rather than feel stifled or hemmed in by the need to make everything eco-friendly, I let my imagination guide me. For example, my mom and I love watching old black-and-white movies, especially those from the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, and that inspired me to make a whole line of cloche hats with vintage beaded and lace embellishments. (When you think cloche, think Angelina Jolie in The Changeling or the great dancer-singer-actress Josephine Baker.)
It wasn’t just eco-friendly clothes that I sold through my company, either. I also went back to the garden. Since most of the women in my family (especially my grandmothers on both sides) have a history of making their own scrubs, tonics, and lotions with natural and organic ingredients—the deep conditioner–hot oil treatment I use on my hair, for example, comes from a recipe my grandmother invented and handed down—I’ve been able to branch out into beauty products. I’ve got just about everything I need to make (and sell!) my hair elixir—organic oils and a blend of herbs—growing in my own backyard.
And these days, my concern for the health of our planet doesn’t just figure into my creative endeavors and personal choices (about what to wear, eat, or buy), but into every business decision I make. Even my business cards are made from 100 percent recycled, chlorine-free paper.
The necessity of being a good steward to the environment, however, wasn’t the only awareness with which I was raised. My parents also instilled in me the importance of giving back. We’d often stock up on canned foods to donate to local food banks. All of our old clothing went to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. And we regularly gave money to local nonprofit organizations or homeless shelters. This was such a natural part of my upbringing, in fact, that I knew whenever I started a business, I’d immediately begin to donate some of my proceeds.
Of course, in the beginning, I didn’t have much to offer—I told you those first orders trickled into my Etsy store pretty slowly. But whenever I could afford to give, I would. Sometimes that was just ten or twenty dollars, certainly not enough to erase world hunger or to clothe everyone in need. The thing about giving back, though, is that it doesn’t matter how small the gift is, it still matters.
Once my business started to take off, I was able to increase the size of those occasional donations to as much as $100 or $200. And within a few years, after I’d gotten some press coverage and national media attention—after Maya’s Ideas had exploded into something larger than I could have dreamed—I was able to make a much bigger pledge: a fixed percentage of my profits (rather than a random dollar amount) would go to organizations that I worked closely with and was passionate about. Every year for the last five years, I’ve given between 10 and 20 percent of my proceeds to groups like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hosea Feed the Hungry, the Captain Planet Foundation, Live Thrive, and the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (an eco-friendly organization founded by the talented actor and humanitarian—I’m a member of their kids’ division).
As proud as I was to offer a percentage of my profits to charities and nonprofits, though, I quickly realized that I wanted to do more. I wasn’t content to just give money. I wanted to start whole projects that I could shepherd through from start to finish. I wanted to launch my own initiatives that might effect real and meaningful change. I had so many ideas, in fact—after all, I am still a Flip-Flopper—that I realized I needed a way to organize them. The things I wanted to do extended beyond the realm of a clothing line. Which is when I got another one of those Big Ideas: I was going to start my own nonprofit.
I might have been hesitant to tackle such a large undertaking had I not already launched my for-profit business, but starting Maya’s Ideas had given me confidence, as well as a sort of blueprint to follow. Just like I’d researched other Etsy shops for help pricing my items, I knew I’d need to research other nonprofits to learn more about how they’re organized and structured. Once I’d armed myself with information—step one in that Big Idea Strategy—I realized that I’d need to file for 501(c)(3) status (that’s what allows charitable organizations to be tax-exempt). Finally, I set up a website and started promoting the nonprofit through social media (one of the many things I’d learned how to do). Within only a matter of months, Maya’s Ideas 4 The Planet was born.
A few months before the official launch of my nonprofit, I heard about a local reuse-and-recycle event called Metro Atlanta Kids Recycle Day (which was being organized by another one of my friend-tors, the awesome and wonderful Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe of Live Thrive). The name pretty much says it all—it was an event meant to encourage kids to bring in their recyclables, learning more about environmentalism in the process—and I was pumped. This was, after all, just the sort of event I wanted to be involved with. In fact, the only problem I could see was that Metro Atlanta Kids Recycle Day was on track to be a somewhat small gathering.
It seemed to me that the bigger the event, the greater the impact; I figured the cause could only be helped by more kids (and their parents) pledging to come out. So I ran to the computer in my mom’s office, downloaded the Metro Atlanta Kids Recycle Day logo, imported it to MS Paint, typed out all the relevant information—who, what, where, when, etc.—and printed out a homemade flyer. (Turns out, I was a bit of a graphics ninja, even as a preteen. Although I did have to print the flyers in black and white, since our printer was fresh out of colored ink . . . but no matter.) I grabbed my freshly printed stack of flyers and a roll of tape, loaded those up into my little red wagon, and trekked through the neighborhood, taping flyers to people’s mailboxes. It was my first-ever act of “activism,” and I was hooked.
So, by the time Maya’s Ideas 4 The Planet was up and running, I had a new—and even bigger—project ready.
I had already written and illustrated a children’s book called Lucy and Sammy Save the Environment, the story of two sheep (yes, Lucy and Sammy are sheep), who team up to save the planet from the evil Pollution Monster. In addition to selling the book, though, I realized that I could donate copies to schools and local libraries, as well as give books away at some of my speaking engagements. I also thought it would be appropriate to print the books on 100 percent recycled paper. Which left me with a new problem: Where was I gonna get the money for that? (Recycled paper isn’t cheap!)
Another great thing about giving back is that there’s very often an organization or a nonprofit or even a for-profit company out there that can help make your vision a reality. And that’s how I discovered the Pollination Project, a nonprofit that provides $1,000 seed grants to social entrepreneurs and change makers around the world. In 2013, I applied for and was awarded a Pay It Forward Loan to print and distribute my book. (Pay It Forward Loans are zero-interest loans; once they’re paid back, they’re immediately transferred to a new borrower. That means the same $1,000 gets paid forward again and again and again, each time helping a new project and new people.) I was also named to the Pollination Project’s Youth Grantmaking Advisory Board, which means I get to weigh in, along with a team of young activists, on who gets the next round of seed grants.
Sticking with the theme of environmental activism, I’ve since made an animated short starring Lucy and Sammy (when Lucy forgets to pack a blanket for their trip to the beach, she surreptitiously knits one from Sammy’s wool, leaving a napping Sammy not only naked, but sunburned!). I have an animated series called The Pollinators, about bees and butterflies and hummingbirds that get to be superheroes, in the works, too. I also have BEE A HERO T-shirts (featuring some of the main characters from The Pollinators) for sale in my online store. But environmentalism isn’t the only thing I’m passionate about, nor is it the only area in which I want to be a force for good, a positive change maker . . .
Sometimes, no matter what social issues you’re naturally aligned with, no matt
er what causes you’re naturally passionate about, you hear about a news story or read an article or discover a problem that you’re so affected by, you just have to get involved. That’s exactly how I felt when I learned that millions and millions of young girls in developing countries around the world miss as many as five days of school a month because they don’t have access to—of all things—sanitary pads. What’s worse, in the absence of safe and hygienic products to use, these girls turn to dangerous alternatives to deal with their monthly cycles: leaves, rags, cotton, even mud. When you total up all those missed days from school, however, you realize that the problem is much more than a health or hygiene issue, it’s a matter of equal rights. When girls miss as much as a quarter of their classes, they fall behind, becoming that much more likely to drop out.
This issue has been in the press a lot lately, and I’d heard that a number of nonprofits had sprung up in recent years in the hope of addressing the global need. That, of course, was excellent news. Of those nonprofits, though, a number of them were donating disposable products—and that, to me, seemed a little like trying to put a Band-Aid on a very large problem. (Because what happens when those disposable products are gone?) I didn’t want to ignore this issue, or leave it for other people to solve. I wanted to help, too. I just had no idea what to do. How could I possibly affect the lives of girls living in countries like Nepal and Uganda, thousands and thousands of miles from my Atlanta home? Talk about an overwhelming undertaking.
I thought about the issue for months, until one day—wham!—I had another one of those Big Ideas. I had an eco-friendly clothing company. I had experience using eco-friendly and biodegradable fabrics. Why couldn’t I just make some reusable sanitary pads? I immediately started sketching ideas and experimenting, coming up with prototypes and test kits. Sure, I had no idea how to get them halfway around the world. I had no idea if they’d even work. But at least it was a small step forward. And if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that when you get out of your own way, put aside your doubts, and just have faith—when you do it afraid—everything tends to turn out okay. Things have a habit of working out.
Around the time I started making my first prototypes and test kits, I was invited to speak at a MedShare fundraiser. MedShare is a nonprofit that donates surplus medical supplies and equipment from hospitals and medical supply manufacturers to those in need throughout the developing world. It’s not just a life-saving health organization (MedShare has donated supplies to nearly one hundred countries), it’s also an environmental advocacy group—it has prevented tons (literally tons) of perfectly good medical equipment from being dumped into landfills. So, naturally, I was honored to speak at their event. It would also be a great opportunity for me to talk a bit about my sanitary pad project and my desire to help those in need.
I think MedShare and I must have been brought together for a reason, because what happened next can only be described as a sort of cosmic-connection moment: After my speech, the folks at MedShare and I decided to become partners. Medshare, along with a few other organizations I’m working with, is going to distribute the sanitary pads I’ve been making. As I write this, we’re preparing our first shipment for delivery to girls in Nepal, with many more shipments planned. I never could have made a project like this happen entirely alone—my sanitary pad project is yet another example of why a thriving support network is so helpful—but now Maya’s Ideas 4 The Planet has a part to play in making a global change.
CAN ONE PERSON REALLY CHANGE THE WORLD?
The thing is, I never could have imagined, back when I was eight, making headbands in my studio or asking my mom if I could open an Etsy store, that I’d become a nationally recognized philanthropist, an environmental activist, or a role model. Those were things, in fact, that I never actually set out to be.
Sure, when I first started doing some public speaking, I was sometimes introduced as a role model; I just didn’t think much about those words at the time. To me, they seemed like just another title, something to add to the list, like “clothing designer” or “entrepreneur.” But once I’d spoken on the TEDWomen stage, once my speech had gone viral and kids and teens from around the world began contacting me to tell me I’d inspired them in some way, that I’d encouraged them to pursue their own passions, that’s when it began to sink in.
At first, being a “role model” sounded like an awfully big job. Eventually, however, I realized that most people who are in some way inspirational or influential—including the people whom I’m most inspired by—didn’t set out to be that way, either. I don’t think Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that bus because she was trying to become one of the most recognizable leaders of the Civil Rights movement. I don’t think the Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas became a gymnast because she wanted to motivate young athletes. They each just focused on the thing they were passionate about.
We sometimes think the most inspirational people have to be these hugely famous cultural icons, but that’s not necessarily true, either. Very often, people are most inspired by those around them, by everyday, ordinary folks. You’ve probably been inspired by your parents, or your teachers, your pastor, or someone else close to you. In fact, almost everyone in the world is an inspiration to someone, including you. You have most likely already inspired someone out there, whether you realize it or not. Maybe it’s your younger brothers or sisters, or other kids at school (just think how many freshmen idolize members of the senior class, or how much you were impressed by those fifth graders back when you were still in kindergarten). Maybe it’s the person you were kind to when others might have bullied or made fun of him.
What I’m saying is, being inspirational doesn’t have to be heroic. Changing the world doesn’t have to be about making grand gestures. Whatever your contributions, be they as small as preparing someone a meal or as large as launching a charity or sparking a nationwide movement, whether your actions inspire just one person or one million, they have a ripple effect throughout the universe. Even the smallest actions can lead to very big change.
And yet so many of us are too intimidated to even try to make a difference. We’re too afraid to aspire to something so seemingly monumental as changing the world. Why do you think that is?
Personally, I think there are a few different reasons:
We don’t think we can make a difference. I believe that most people in the world would absolutely lend a helping hand if they felt like they could. I think that most people genuinely do care about our dwindling natural resources, the pollution of our planet and destruction of wildlife, the hungry and the homeless, human rights issues and violence, animal cruelty and injustice. The problem isn’t that people don’t care. It’s that they don’t know what to do. The issues plaguing our world can seem so massive that we fool ourselves into thinking they can be solved only with big, bold actions. We’re so afraid of not doing enough that, instead, we do nothing at all. We’re afraid that we can’t make a change, so we don’t even try to.
We assume that someone else will do it. Have you ever thought, There are so many important, better-educated, and more well-connected people out there who are already tackling [insert important social issue here]. What do they need my help for? I’m betting the answer is yes. Now, stop for a minute and consider just how many people out there are thinking this exact same thing. How many people don’t chip in precisely because they think someone else will? I hope you really think about that. I hope it has a mind-blowing effect. Because the result of that kind of thinking is a whole lot of inaction. It’s imperative that everyone do his or her part.
We don’t have time to give. This is practically a universal complaint—almost all of us feel stressed, at least some of the time, by the demands of our everyday lives. Work, school, chess club, prayer group, dance class, tennis practice, you name it. But ask yourself: Are you really too busy, or is it that you think a particular issue isn’t as important as everything else you’ve got going on, that it isn’t worth you
r time? That may be a sign that your true philanthropic calling lies with a different issue. Go back and study that dream board.
We don’t feel like we know enough about an issue to help. You know what? Maybe you don’t. Maybe you know virtually nothing about greenhouse gases or the illegal ivory trade or women and girls’ rights or worldwide refugee crises. Luckily, a lack of knowledge is an easy problem to solve. You already have lots of practice putting that curiosity of yours to work, don’t you?
The first step to getting involved is to overcome this kind of thinking.
It’s true that some issues can seem really big or even scary from the outside looking in. Chances are, though, that whatever issue you’re thinking of—poverty, breast cancer, environmental injustice, or gun violence—you probably know someone, in your family, your school, or your community, who’s been directly affected by it. When you start to realize that something is personal rather than foreign, not only can it motivate you to do something about it, but doing something about it can also seem more manageable, more imperative, and less scary. In fact, tackling something personal is how my friend Mary-Pat got her start.
YOUTH WHO ARE CHANGING THE WORLD: MARY-PAT HECTOR
Antiviolence Activist, Civil Rights Leader, Public Speaker
Age: 17
Hometown: Lithonia, Georgia
At just ten years old, Mary-Pat had already seen the devastating effects of gun violence up close and personal—four of her friends had been tragically killed. Undeterred by her young age, she decided to do something about it.
First, she founded Youth in Action, a nonprofit that tackles issues like bullying, gun violence, and drugs by mobilizing young people to become change makers in their communities. The organization grew quickly, with chapters springing up in multiple states, and Mary-Pat’s extraordinary work did not go unnoticed: in 2011, she was given the Woman of Power Award at the twentieth-anniversary convention of the National Action Network (NAN), a civil rights organization founded by Reverend Al Sharpton.