2010 Fellow Update from the Field
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2011-01-29 14:47
Echoing Green Fellows and alumni have flown in from all over the world to attend our annual Current Fellows’ Conference in Austin, TX. It’s been exciting to see, reconnect, and reflect with the Fellows and special guests, and we’re thrilled to provide this update on seven members of our extraordinary class of 2010:
re:char designs and builds small-scale biomass energy plants in small farming villages. The carbon-negative power plants eliminate waste while providing clean energy for lighting, refrigeration, mobile phones and other devices. At the moment, 2010 Echoing Green Fellow Jason Aramburu is testing the latest prototype which will be re:char’s largest and most cost-effective biochar production system.
2010 Echoing Green Fellow Scott Warren launched Generation Citizen to expand democracy by empowering historically under-represented youth to participate in the political process through an action-based student-led curriculum in America’s high schools. They now have programs in Boston, Providence, and New York City, and are working with eight universities to empower more than 2,000 students to participate in the political process.
Shining Hope for Communities combats intergenerational cycles of poverty and gender inequality by linking tuition-free schools for girls to essential social services in the Kenyan slum of Kibera. 2010 Echoing Green Fellows Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner recently opened a Community Center and a 14-room clinic, providing the community access to public toilets, high-quality education, job skills training, and holistic health care.
Enzi, founded by 2010 Echoing Green Fellow Ashni Mohnot, enables people to invest in students’ higher education in exchange for a share in their future income for a set period of time. This microfinance initiative, which reduces the financial barrier to education and creates a new asset class, was recently profiled in The Economist.
While interning in Tel Aviv, Israel, 2010 Echoing Green Fellow Becca Heller learned that many Iraqi refugees were living in dangerous situations and lacked the legal representation to resettle in safe countries. She established the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) to provide legal assistance to refugees and support to those who have resettled. In addition to taking on 52 new cases last semester, IRAP is currently advising the White House on reforms to the Special Immigrant Visa procedure for Iraqis facing death threats as a result of their work in the United States.
Finally, we’re proud that two 2010 Echoing Green Fellows are finalists for the Unreasonable Institute mentorship program! JamieYang of EGG-energy and Abhishek Sen of Biosense Technologies along with 43 other promising social entrepreneurs were selected from a pool of 300 applicants for their financially self-sustaining and globally significant social ventures.
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