A reality show with a conscience is striving to make its way around the globe. Cue the Bamyan Media venture which aims to create Reality TV to inspire and educate a new generation of social entrepreneurs around the world. The venture was founded by three talented young ladies, Anna Elliot, Jasmine Stine and Lucy Lindsey. Interested in helping the venture thrive? Read on….

First, Why the need? More than 70 million young people around the world are unemployed, and among them are potential leaders of tomorrow. Too few have access to the resources and know-how of entrepreneurship and sustainable business. The world urgently needs leaders to create innovative solutions to persistent problems of poverty, violence, and environmental degradation, where top-down development strategies have failed. These potential social entrepreneurs are out there—but they need inspiration and support.

How can it be done? The venture will produce an original reality TV series in developing countries that rewards the courage, dedication and creativity of social entrepreneurs while teaching the skills needed to lead a successful business. Harnessing the power of mass media to inspire a new generation, it seeks to entertain audiences with a competition that:

• Establishes social entrepreneurs as the next pop heroes.

• Encourages the spread of environmentally & socially innovative business practices.

• Links entrepreneurs to practical resources, such as finance & training that can turn their business ideas into a reality.

Contestants compete weekly before the show’s expert judges, testing their business acumen and market readiness. Each episode has its own theme, such as management or environmental impact. Viewers vote via text messaging for their favorite social ventures. Everyone, from viewer to top contestant, is involved in making social entrepreneurship a heroic and achievable reality.

The Journey towards the goal… The venture has been selected as a finalist by the Unreasonable Institute, if chosen, one of the co-founders, Ms. Stine, would be put through a 10 week business bootcamp for young social entrepreneurs. This, in turn, would give the venture the opportunity to work closely with mentors, build connections and ultimately pitch business plans to a conference for investors and philanthropists.

How you can take part in this exciting venture!

1) Sponsorhsip: Learn more and pledge!!

2) Spread the Word! Social networkers and Bloggers unite. Let’s get the message out their!

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For the first time in years, I checked out a Ricky’s NYC store. For those who are not familiar with the company, Ricky’s is an “edgy, ultra-hip ‘beauty shop’ specializing in hair care, cosmetics and unique fashion accessories.” It’s pretty much a one-stop shop for anything cutting edge in the beauty industry.

Ever since I decided to make my way towards greener pasture, I thought it best to avoid such stores because they seemed like the type of places that would not offer healthy beauty alternatives. Plus, I didn’t want to be tempted by all the clever marketing applied to these products: “hair like silk, lips like Angelina’s, eyelashes so long you could knock your neighbor over…” I think you get the picture.

Well, I was completely wrong and have definitely been missing out. Just about every product category comes in an eco-friendly version. I couldn’t believe it! They actually don’t seem to promote this fact which is good because it shows a sort of seamless integration taking place in the industry.

Their About Us page simply states: “Ricky's is constantly forging ahead, seeking new projects and devising new ways to share their vision of beauty with the world (with a supersized dose of fun in the process of course).” I guess that says it all, their vision of beauty has a natural, eco-fab penchant.

When I first started making changes in my beauty routine I had to run around to find descent products, now, they are all in one great place and the range is constantly expanding. Thus far, its stores are mainly located throughout NY but plans for a nationwide expansion are well on their way. Kudos to them!!

Since the beginning of summer, Sephora is another store that has made strides toward adapting to a market that is increasingly eco-conscious. Sephora created its own internal standard for their natural products—and a green “Natural Sephora” logo to identify those that pass the test.

I’ve also noticed in the newly redesigned Duane Reade stores there are similar eco-beauty sections as well.

Great progress! This is all good news because there shouldn’t have to be a compromise between being fashionable and eco-friendly.

Thank goodness, the gap is being bridged!

BUT, I still say, BUYER BEWARE! So much of the savvy marketing has now been applied to the organic/natural bandwagon. Greenwashing is alive and well so I still refer to the trusty cosmeticdatabase.com as much as possible. Should a product not be listed in the database, it can easily be submitted for analysis.

Happy Shopping!

Be sure to check out What Crushed Lime Likes for tried and true beauty.

Vanessa - Crushedlime.com

A moment we all dread but will have to face at least once, twice or thrice in life, is moving. Well, July 31 was moving day in the Crosbie household. Last time we moved, about 3 years ago, we bought over a hundred dollars worth of cardboard boxes. I hoped we would find someone to take them off our hands so they would at least be reused, but nobody did. All these brand new boxes that were used only once were done away with. What a waste!

This time, that was not an acceptable option. So I searched the net for a more eco-friendly solution – not only eco-friendly, but a downright wiser solution. I came across a whole variety of them, from plastic boxes that are loaned out by the moving company to box matching billboard services: you need a box – you borrow a box.

My husband and I opted for the plastic box choice. We went with Movinggreen.com, a division of Arthur Werner Moving & Storage Inc, which has been around since 1910 and provides services to the tri-state area (NY/NJ/CT).

The company concept is the following:
“Slowly but surely, we are changing the way we do business. We began with reducing the amount of paperwork. We eliminated all our brochures and made everything available online. All communication such as proposals, quotes, support issues, and billing are done electronically. All our boxes have been redesigned and made from recyclable plastic. This eliminates up to 90% of waste that is generated during a move.”

The process was very simple: start by filling out the on-line estimate, next a representative gets back to you with a quote. From there, we decided it was quite comparable to other moving services so we called to schedule a box drop off about a week before our move. We packed the boxes and on moving day watched the movers go. They stack all the boxes and hustle them out of the apartment. It went fast. The rep was very accommodating for the pick-up time scheduling - I think they ended up giving us three weeks. Lastly, the boxes were picked up and that was that. No guilt!!

Next time you move, plug in “moving green” into google to find all kinds of great eco-sensible moving options around the country. It’s just another way to make every little action count!!

Check it out - Movinggreen.com

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I checked out my first Green Drinks event on Wednesday, July 15. It was held on the fabulous patio of Tavern on the Green (NYC). The location name is only oh-so appropriate for the actual event. Under the stars and hundreds of lanterns dangling from the trees, with a band playing just the right amount of music to set the mood, a garden full of people met and mingled over the one thing they all have in common: being green.

For those who are not familiar, Green Drinks is a monthly social networking event for global change. The mix of people ranges from of NGOs, academia, government and business. Basically, if you are interested in the planet, you belong. Chapters have been set up in countries and cities around the world and the phenomenon is expanding. The New York City Chapter was started in 2002 by Margaret Lydecker, a long-time sustainability advisor, who set out to meet and mix with environmentally-minded people after relocating to New York. The premise is Attend, Engage, Connect. Very simple.

I must say, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going in but it was a real pleasure to see so many people from so many walks of life who actually seem to care about the cause. It’s like; the green thing is really catching on. Some may say, of course, it’s been catching on for a while now, but sometimes you really have doubts. These doubts stem from the backlash, be it political or social, that the green movement still seems to get.

I’m sick of hearing that because of the recession, it’s too expensive to be green and “oh, I have much bigger things to worry about.” Really? You have bigger things to worry than not having air or clean drinking water… Really?? Do you want to go back to living in the Stone Age with no resources to use when all you have to do is alter your thinking and habits in the slightest way to make a difference? Really??? When the overall impact can actually save serious money?

Oh that’s right, we’ll all be moving off to Mars anyway and have a new place to destroy, after all, it’s so easy to get to - just a flight away… that takes about 520 DAYS!!!
I understand that for some, in these hard times, being green can seem harder to do but too many use tough times as an excuse - that is not acceptable!

I digress; the evening was a success from my perspective. Not only was it a lovely evening in one of the most spectacular locations on Manhattan island, but I met some interesting people and made some contacts that I will certainly follow up on. When the goal is the same, everything else just flows.

You could feel the energy in the air and it seemed like one of those nights where not only were contacts made, but ideas were shared and I’d even go so far as to say love connections developed. There is something enchanting about being in the open air in Central Park in the summer – pure magic!!

Learn more about Green Drinks

Find out how to start a Green Drinks in your city

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The Bike in Style Challenge awards ceremony was held at the LVMH Tower Magic Room on Tuesday, June 2 in New York City. The event was in recognition of the winners of a fashion challenge: design biking attire that can serve as both functional and fashionable. The requirements included a poncho, a jacket and a travel bag for both men and women. In other words, it’s time to let go of the spandexy shorts image plastered in all our minds. We are ready for something with mass appeal. The challenge was a collaborative effort between LVMH, the NYC Department of Transportation and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

It is always a positive sign when high fashion takes part in such eco-events because let’s face it, that is where every trend starts. In this case, we have a lot to gain from the trend: better health and a cleaner city. Celebrity guests Donna Karan, Marion Cotillard, and Hilary Duff were present to lend their support to the eco-cause and the FIT participants involved in the competition.  

The event was hosted by the Chairman of LVMH Inc., Renaud Dutreil. Over the years, LVMH has worked to bring fashion and environmental sustainability together. It started 15 years ago with the establishment of their Environmental Department at the headquarters in Paris. Most recently, they have made an investment in Edun, the ethical fashion company owned by Ali Hewson and her husband Bono.

Guests at the event included:

- Designer and philanthropist, Donna Karan: Ms. Karan and the DKNY design team helped the students capture the essence of NYC in terms of “energy, colors and fabric.” The ultimate goal is to make “fashionable, functional urban biking a reality.”

- Celebrity Designer and biking enthusiast, Hilary Duff: Ms. Duff helped judge the competition and support the cause.

- Oscar-winning actress and Environmentalist, Marion Cotillard: Ms. Cotillard was also a judge and shared some remarks regarding her concerns for the planet for “generations to come” unless aggressive steps are taken at this very moment.

- First Deputy Mayor, Patti Harris: Ms. Harris helped reinforce the Mayor’s green and clean initiatives, “The Bloomberg Administration is dedicated to making New York the world’s cleanest, healthiest city and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.”

- Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation, Janette Sadik-Khan: Ms. Sadik-Khan elaborated on the city’s efforts by discussing past and prior initiative to make, among other things, the city more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

- President of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Joyce Brown: Ms. Brown discussed the parameters that her students were given to take on the challenge. This competition set out to test their “own skills in creating, practical, fashionable activewear that will help promote cycling as a mode of transportation.”

- The winners of the Bike in Style Challenge: Jessica Velasquez, awarded first prize and $5000; Jane Carlton, awarded $3000; and Stephanie Murphy, awarded $2000.

The designs created by Ms. Velasquez will be unveiled this summer, in conjunction with the return of New York City’s “Summer Streets,” in which a stretch of 6.9 miles of street from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park is closed to cars for people to run, bike, walk and take part in activities.

Bike in Style with the right bike - Prototypes for Fendi Selleria and the Suisse Hublot:

A big congratulation to all the winners. Now, what are we waiting for? Let’s all get out there!

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