In 2008, Corentin de Chatelperron, still a student, was researching the natural fibre jute in Bangladesh. A few months later, he set off on the first boat in the world to be made form this material. Discover his incredible journey.
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I’ve helped a million Filipinos out of extreme poverty
Tony likes to define himself as a radical optimist. When we learned that his efforts had already helped one million Filipinos out of abject poverty and that he planned to help another 5 million by 2024, without so much as a penny in his pocket, we were ready to follow in his footsteps and make his philosophy our own.
I teach people to read with dominos
Javier is a magician. His quick and easy literacy method has already enabled a million people to learn to read and write within 6 months. With other methods taking a year on average to achieve the same results, it may be just a matter of time before his method is used for teaching all the world’s languages.
I wash cars without water
When this young executive decided to start a business washing cars without water, no one could believe it. But at a moment of great concern over social and environmental questions, the public has shown their support in droves. Brilliant.
My soleRebel shoes get extra miles out of old tires
This young designer is changing the image of her country and proving that it’s possible to create jobs and make money starting from zero. Her soleRebel shoes made from recycled tires are simply brilliant.
I created a new recycled and recyclable material
Guilherme has a talent for hybrids, like this one made from salvaged wood and assorted plastics. It’s a new recycled and recyclable material that is beautifying buildings and terraces in tropical countries.
Our bank lends buffaloes
How can Thailand save its dwindling water buffalo population? Through an innovative lending and breeding program, deemed the Royal Buffalo Bank.
I bring sunlight to those forgotten by development
The son of a large Indian family, Amit worked for many years alongside the poorest of the poor in the textile industry. Moved by their terrible living conditions, he decided to devote a portion of his time and money to making them a solar lamp for them to use after nightfall.
My nets capture water from the clouds
It’s the purest freshwater in the world, moving in clouds a few hundred metres above the sea. Carlos captures it in the high-mountain deserts of the Andes.
I designed an anti-rockfall textile
This South African native developed a material that helps to prevent cave-ins in mines when digging in the galleries. It’s a crucial technology that saves numerous lives.