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Join the Wave: Supporting Boulder’s Young Innovator in Ocean Conservation
EmpowerGen Article on AboutBoulder.com
In the heart of Boulder, a city renowned for its blend of innovation and natural beauty, we have the incredible opportunity to support a young entrepreneur whose mission is to make a global impact. Emma Kraft, a driven student from UC Berkeley and a Boulder native, is leading the charge in creating Coral, a revolutionary sunscreen designed to be beneficial for the ocean ecosystem. On July 15, at Integrated Work in Boulder, we will gather to champion Emma’s inspiring work and call upon our community to support her dream.
Emma’s journey began when she was just five years old, strolling through the Natural Products Expo in her stroller, inspired by her entrepreneurial mother. Growing up amidst the innovative spirit of Boulder and summers by the ocean in Maine, Emma’s love for both the mountains and the sea has driven her to find solutions to environmental challenges. Her dedication led her to Dream Tank at age 12, where she honed her skills and committed to creating products that make a real difference.
During a visit to Hawaii, Emma discovered the devastating impact of conventional sunscreen on coral reefs. This realization sparked the idea for Coral, a sunscreen that not only protects our skin but also contributes positively to the ocean’s health. Emma’s innovative approach goes beyond reef-safe to reef-beneficial, ensuring that every swim can help restore our precious marine ecosystems.
Emma’s passion and determination are evident in her numerous accomplishments. Now entering her senior year at UC Berkeley, she has developed Coral with the support of leading scientists, secured a patent-pending formula, and assembled a formidable advisory team. Her mission is to raise $13,000 for the R&D grant phase to finalize product development and continue her groundbreaking research.
I am honored to be one of the three female social entrepreneurs supporting Emma at this event through my youth-focused work at Dream Tank and Teens and Parents On Track, along with Vicki Nichols Goldstein (Inland Ocean Coalition) and Jennifer Simpson (Integrated Work). We believe in her vision and are committed to helping her succeed. Boulder, known for its strong community spirit and commitment to sustainability, is the perfect place to rally support for Emma’s cause.
Emma’s words resonate deeply: “If one drop of sunscreen can create such a significant problem for the ocean ecosystem and for our skin, then let’s change the formula and make sunscreen part of the solution.” Her innovative mindset and dedication to environmental sustainability are what we need in today’s world, where stress, anxiety, and negativity often overshadow hope and progress.
We invite the Boulder community to join us on July 15 to support Emma Kraft and her pioneering work with Coral. This event is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a call to action to invest in the future, to believe in the power of small wins, and to inspire hope in our youth. Together, we can turn the tide and create a ripple effect of positive change.
To attend this special event and be part of this transformative movement, please RSVP HERE.
To request more information or a meeting with Emma, EMAIL HERE.
To Contribute to Emma’s Coral Campaign for R&D funds, DONATE HERE.
Let’s show our support for Emma and the next generation of innovators who are determined to make the world a better place.
In hope and solidarity,
Heidi Cuppari
EmpowerGEN Column Past Articles Here
Limited Space. RSVP HEREBrown University Winternship 2024
Be part of our summer camp showcase! Sign up to mentor / collaborate and/or Attend our video pitch event and learn about our camp’s mission, activities, and impact. Get inspired by our presentation, brochure, website, and video. Join us to celebrate our achievements and receive a certificate of completion. Don’t miss this opportunity to support our camp and make a difference! Invite your friends and family to cheer for us too!
Sign up Now to Mentor and Collaborate with us during the 2 weeks (Jan 8-19, 2024) – click here to sign up and join the adventure!
Attend Pitch Event / Save the Date:
Date: Friday, January 19, 2024
Time: 10:00AM EST – 11:30AM EST
Where: Zoom / Virtual
Dream Tank: Project Spark Pitch Tickets, Fri, Jan 19, 2024 at 7:30 AM | Eventbrite
Background: For the 3rd year in a row, we are hosting a 2-week program development sprint with diverse Brown University students as interns, funded by Brown University.
2 Week Program Outline Below
Why You Should Be Thinking More About Water
LIVE LINK ON ABOUTBOULDER: Why You Should Be Thinking More About Water | About Boulder County Colorado
By: Rachel DeStigter
For the next issue of the EmpowerGen Column, I invited Rachel DeStigter to write an article about something she’s passionate about. Rachel is a young leader and dedicated international studies graduate who is seeking to earn a Ph.D. in sociology. Rachel worked closely with me at Dream Tank as a NextGen Innovation Fellow in our Development department in 2021.
I am delighted to publish Rachel’s article this week. Enjoy!
With great hope and love for water, Heidi
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“Why You Should Be Thinking More About Water”
By: Rachel DeStigter
I know that in the age of climate change we young people have more than enough to worry about, but hear me out about water. Water scarcity, especially where I live in Colorado, is a major issue and, like most major issues, I believe it needs more young people to help solve it. I also believe that a huge part of how we fix this issue starts with how we think about water. For this article, I’m going to be talking about the Colorado River, but a lot of this will apply no matter where you live.
Take a moment and think about how you use water
Are you thinking about water bottles and drinking water? What about dishwashing and showers? Those things matter, but they are actually only a small percentage of our water use. If you’re like most American households, your biggest water use is actually watering lawns and gardens 1 . Even that is tiny compared to the amount of water used for agriculture. Of all the water we use each year from the Colorado River, 86% goes to agriculture and over a third of that is for crops to feed livestock like cows and pigs2 .
More ways to think about water
Water is essential for life. Plants and animals, from beavers who dam up mountain streams to desert cacti who store up water in their trunks, have adapted to make the most of their local water sources. We humans also depend on water- it makes up the majority of our bodies after all. Beyond water’s importance to our health, many cultures have spiritual connections to water. You yourself may have been baptized with water, or participated in a rain dance. You and your family have probably also bought water, as a plastic water bottle at a convenience store or a monthly water bill for your home. With so many uses and so many meanings it is impossible to fully explain the value of water, much less figure out how we should best use it. We still have to try though.
How do you think we should use water?
Maybe you’re thinking a bit more now about how you use water and what it means to you and your community. Use the following questions to guide you as you think about how we should use water as a society.
Who should be in charge of managing the water?
- The government?
- Corporations?
- Local Communities?
- Water experts?
Who should get to use the water first?
- indigenous people?
- People who grow food?
- People in cities?
What should we do if there is not enough water for everyone?
These are complicated, tricky questions and there is no one right answer. No matter what you were thinking though, you probably came up with something better than the current system of water management that we have for the Colorado River.
What does the current system look like?
If you live in the Southwestern U.S., then your water probably comes from the Colorado River Basin. There are about 40 million of us in total 3 and many more people outside the region who eat food from here, vacation here, or buy things made here. The Colorado River is governed by a complicated mess of laws and agreements. Many of these agreements are old, from back when much fewer people lived here and before we entered a 20+ year, climate change fueled mega drought. They also historically did not include Mexico or any of the indigenous tribes that also depend on the river.
Recently, the states have come back together to renegotiate the Colorado River Compact, a 100-year-old agreement that is at the heart of water rights in the west. During this year’s water negotiations in Boulder, Colorado, seven states sent representatives, and notably, so did 13 tribes 4. Over the past few decades we have also gotten better at conservation. Environmental advocates have pushed to conserve water for local ecosystems, and in many cases, they have won. There is still a lot of work to do to fix the Colorado River’s water shortage, but it is a start.
Why we need young people
The Western U.S. keeps growing while our water resources shrink. But we still have a lot of water to work with if we can figure out how to use it more wisely and distribute it more fairly. We need innovative solutions and fresh perspectives- two things that young people excel at. More importantly, these are our homes and this is our water. We deserve to have a seat at the negotiating table, especially young people who come from marginalized communities.
What can you do?
- Minimize outdoor water use. Don’t water your lawn as much and if possible convert to local, low-water plants
- Eat less meat and dairy. Meat, especially beef, takes a lot of water to grow and feed. You don’t have to go vegan or vegetarian if you don’t want to, but even eating a couple vegetarian meals a week or smaller portions of meat helps.
- Learn about water issues. Pay attention to local news articles about water, watch educational videos, and read books about water.
- Think about water. Talk to members of your community, visit local water sources and get inspired. Write a poem, paint something, or put on a performance that shows your perspective.
- Become an Advocate. Connect with local water organizations, support laws and regulations that you believe in, and spread the word in your community.
- Get Creative. The sky is the limit for ways to conserve water, protect wildlife, and make a difference. Create your own invention or organization related to water and find other people to help you develop and promote it.
- Sign up to write an article and share your voice on Dream Tank’s EmpowerGen column and join the ‘EmpowerGen’ Revolution – Dream Tank (wearedreamtank.org)*
My Recommendations to Learn More
Book Recommendation: Where the Water Goes
Video Recommendation: Who’s Really Using up the Water in the American West
Podcast Recommendation: Parched
Sources
- “Outdoor Water Use in the United States,” Water Sense: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, February 14, 2017. https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/www3/watersense/docs/factsheet_outdoor_water_use_508.pdf
- Vox, “Who’s really using up the water in the American West,” YouTube video, 5:54, September 26, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gN1x6sVTc&ab_channel=Vox
- “Colorado River Basin Fact Sheet” U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, 2016. https://www.usbr.gov/climate/secure/docs/2016secure/factsheet/ColoradoRiverBasinFactSheet.pdf
- Shannon Mullane, “Colorado River officials weigh how to cut water, include tribes ahead of looming negotiations” The Colorado Sun, June 12, 2023. https://coloradosun.com/2023/06/12/colorado-river-negotiations-tribes-top-priorities-2026/
Embracing the Journey: Sending Your 18-Year-Old into the World
I found it hard to write the EmpowerGen article these past couple weeks (Last article here). As I stand on the precipice of one of the most significant rites of passage as a parent, the emotions swirl within me like a tempestuous sea. The moment has arrived to bid farewell to my 18-year-old daughter, Summer, as she spreads her wings and steps into the world. The cliché “they grow up so fast” reverberates through my thoughts with an intensity I could never have fathomed. In this chapter of EmpowerGen, I invite you to join me on this emotional journey, as we explore the profound transition of saying goodbye to our children, woven together with the stories of Summer and myself. It’s a story of love, nostalgia, regret, and pride, as we navigate the bittersweet path of letting go.
A Journey through Memories:
Our journey through parenthood is punctuated by a series of moments that have sculpted the individuals our children have become. I find myself reminiscing about the days when Summer sold painted rocks and love potions on Pearl Street, the innocence of her early entrepreneurial ventures, and the dreams she held close since her childhood. Each fragment of memory is a piece of the puzzle that has brought us to this crossroads. It’s a mosaic of shared laughter, late-night conversations, and moments that stitched our souls together.
Embracing Regret and Celebration:
As I reflect on the years that have passed in what feels like the blink of an eye, I’m not immune to the pangs of regret. Regret for the missed bedtime stories, the rushed moments, the times I wished I could have been more present. Yet, these feelings dance alongside an overwhelming swell of pride. As Summer stands at the cusp of her journey, I am reminded of the remarkable young woman she has become. The regrets fade as I witness her resilience, determination, and character, a tapestry woven with threads of experiences and growth.
From Nurturers to Navigators:
The transition from being the constant nurturer to becoming a guiding navigator is both exhilarating and terrifying. Research from the American Psychological Association underscores the importance of fostering independence in young adults, yet the task of relinquishing that protective mantle is a poignant one[^1^]. As Summer embarks on her college journey, I realize that my role has transformed into that of a steady lighthouse, offering guidance from a distance, while giving her the space to chart her course.
The Hero’s Journey Unfolds:
The mythic archetype of the Hero’s Journey finds its echoes in our lives as we witness our children step onto their own paths. As Summer prepares to enter Leeds Business School, her journey mirrors the classic stages of the Hero’s Journey – from the Call to Adventure in her early entrepreneurial endeavors to the Road of Trials and the Crossing of the Threshold into the uncharted territory of adulthood. It’s a narrative that bridges generations, a story that has been retold through countless ages, and now, it’s the story of my daughter.
Finding Strength in Transition:
Our journey, my journey, is not unique. Countless parents have stood at this juncture, faced with the intersection of pride and sorrow, hope and uncertainty. Research from Psychology Today offers insights into navigating this emotional terrain, advocating for embracing vulnerability and seeking support during these times[^1^]. The truth is, as we send our children into the world, we too are in a state of transition – one that challenges us to reframe our perspective, to celebrate the milestones, and to find strength in this poignant release.
Conclusion:
As the last fragments of childhood slip through our fingers, I hold onto the memories that have defined our shared journey. The painted rocks on Pearl Street, the love potions, the laughter – they all converge into this moment of departure. Summer’s journey, intertwined with my own, is an embodiment of the circle of life. It’s a journey marked by tears of nostalgia, the ache of letting go, and the soaring pride that accompanies watching your child embrace the world’s possibilities. And as my son Cody, now 15, takes his steps into adolescence, the cycle continues. The embrace of beginnings and farewells, a dance that defines parenthood.
*To explore more narratives of growth, empowerment, and transition, visit our EmpowerGen column: Join the ‘EmpowerGen’ Revolution – Dream Tank (wearedreamtank.org)*
[^1^]: Psychology Today – “Navigating the Transition to Adulthood”: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/navigating-the-transition-adulthood