Category: News

When did you first become aware of Positive Planet?

Two years ago, I met Jacques Attali and he shared his passion for the French organization he had created, Positive Planet. It is devoted to “making the world more positive,” economically, socially, environmentally, and democratically. He has long been committed to making a difference, and he shared his vision of launching Positive Planet in the U.S. We had a fascinating conversation, followed by another… and then he asked me if I would be interested in leading the launch in the U.S., which I thought about for a bit. Ultimately, his idea resonated with me because I have always been driven by a desire to give back. I was the first U.S. volunteer. I am proud to say that now there are over 60 of us.

Why do you think you had that drive to give back?

I was born and raised in Southern France by an immigrant family from Spain and Italy. My family was quite poor, yet I was fortunate since in Europe access to education is less expensive than it is in the U.S. If you study hard as I did, you can get a high-quality education. I was very blessed all along my journey. I had wonderful mentors who encouraged me to think big, be bold, and value my education.

When I was a student, I worked a lot of jobs to stay in school. I studied business because I felt like an entrepreneur at heart. I graduated with a Master’s degree in entrepreneurship, though I have never launched a business myself. I got lucky at the beginning of my career as I was hired by IBM, where I fell in love with the world of technology. From the start, I told myself that one day, when I found my voice, I would try to change lives as my own life had been changed by the people who mentored me.

Several people gave me a chance, and that is what inspired me to come forward now and say – I want to give back. And that is what drew me to Positive Planet’s mission. Its focus is on extending a helping hand to people with the ambition to better their lives who do not have access to the education, connections, or funding for the support they need. We want to teach entrepreneurs “how to fish”, as the expression goes. We focus on giving them tools to help themselves and their communities. There is obviously a big need in America – so many people have big dreams, they have the desire and the drive, they just need a little help to make their dreams come true.

What support does Positive Planet need in the U.S. to ensure its core idea of “helping people help themselves” is effective?

In Europe, Positive Planet is supported by local governments. It is a credible and reputable non-profit organization with a long track record of success in transforming lives and their related communities. They have impacted millions of lives.

In America, we are early in our organization’s journey. We are seeking critical partnerships to enable us to scale and create a real impact. We launched a marquee program with the goal of helping entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses. We take them through a three-year journey, which starts with our 10-week Accelerator Hub program, focusing on helping entrepreneurs in underserved communities build their business plans and launch their businesses. After the Accelerator Hub, they embark on a journey of continuous learning, sharing, and networking, with the support of our communities of corporate partners, coaches, volunteers, and other entrepreneurs. Through the whole journey, we provide entrepreneurs with access to the knowledge, capital, and connections they need to thrive and make an impact.

We are looking for corporate partners that know what it takes to launch and grow businesses in the U.S. and have a corporate social responsibility imperative to create an impact for socially and economically underserved communities. We have already run three cohorts of entrepreneurs through our initial program in partnership with Genpact and CapGemini, with fantastic feedback from the entrepreneurs. The amazing professionals at our partners, be they coaches or subject matter experts, have been able to make a real difference in collaboration with the Positive Planet volunteers. We are looking to expand our partnerships with other corporations that share our values and priorities.

Do you feel that in some way society and businesses are only now catching up with where Positive Planet has been concentrating its efforts for so many years? There is a renewed emphasis all around us on proactively trying to address some of the inequities that are the result of years of entrenched economic and social challenges. There is a recognition that the playing field is not even, that meritocracy alone cannot solve such deep inequalities.

Absolutely, at Positive Planet we meet budding entrepreneurs where they are. If they have an idea, they can reach out to us, and we will give them access to a pool of coaches, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, industry subject matter experts, and topical mentors. We will help these aspiring business owners refine their business plans and develop three-year outlook and operating plans. Then during those three years, we will check in regularly with them to learn what outcomes they have achieved. We will provide them with support in coordination with our four communities: corporate partners, coaches, subject matter experts, Positive Planet volunteers, and the other entrepreneurs going through our program. The program will also be agile so we can improve it to better help future entrepreneurs. For example, our current Accelerator Hub graduates shared their desire for support with financing and networking, and we are adding to our curriculum and securing partnerships in these areas.

Our target entrepreneurs are those truly in the start-up phase: businesses that have between zero and one year of activity and business owners with income of less than $30,000 per year. We are also open to people who have ideas and just do not know how or where to start. Our coaches will work with them on how to pitch their ideas to investors, how to distill their ideas into a business model, and help them identify actions to materialize their ideas into sustainable companies.

What is the greatest challenge you face in terms of scaling the programs, especially as an organization that stands on the shoulders of international giants but is still mostly unknown in this country?

Right now, our organization is made up entirely of volunteers. I am so grateful to the volunteers who are supporting us, giving their hearts, time, and skills to make a difference and support our growth. Our biggest challenge is to build a model that can scale up rapidly because we believe the need in front of us is immense. For that, we have to secure and retain the best talent. We also have to find corporations and other organizations that are ready to invest in the continued development of Positive Planet. All this so that we can grow our programs and impact many more lives. Our goal is that at least 85% of every penny we receive going forward, from the generous gifts from our Board of Directors to every individual and corporate contribution, goes to support our entrepreneurs. Ideally, we would also like to have the funding in place to hire a core dedicated operational team solely focused on our growth and program delivery. Our mission aligns with the values of so many companies: we have the same goals and interests regarding sustainable development and promoting and encouraging gender equality and equal opportunity and inclusion for all. We just need to get the word out there more.

What has been most rewarding for you in your own journey?

Without a doubt, it is seeing the participants in our Accelerator Hub program graduate. Then hearing from them how their personal lives have changed, how we gave them hope and the tools to change their lives and have an impact in their communities. It is very emotional witnessing actual impacts in such personal and tangible ways. We need more support from organizations to be able to expand this opportunity for transformation to many more lives.

Running an all-volunteer organization is a daunting task: you need to keep everyone engaged and inspired, constantly. How do you stay energized and inspired?

I have been extraordinarily lucky in the two years that Positive Planet US has been in existence. All the volunteers keep me inspired, at every level of the organization, from an incredibly dedicated leadership team to the dozens of people around the country and around the world who choose to give their very best to such an important cause, without being obligated to do so. They are so loyal to their beliefs and values. We are building something together – we graduated over 38 entrepreneurs in one year, in some ways that is just a start, but that is also a large number of lives that have been transformed. To hear how they are actively creating a more positive world, how they are changing the future, one step at a time, is deeply rewarding and it keeps me energized – it is extraordinary to see their journeys. I cannot wait to see what our graduates and future entrepreneurs create, and how they in turn pay it forward in their communities!

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Second Accelerator Hub offers resources and expertise to five times as many startups selected for their potential to give back to their communities.

We are excited to welcome 29 participants to our second “Accelerator Hub” program, dedicated to helping minority women in the U.S. kickstart and grow a business. Selected by Positive Planet US’s Board of Directors for the originality of their business idea and its social and economic impact on their community, the 26 startups will participate in this intensive 10-week program supported by project partners Genpact, a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation. 

The Accelerator Hub includes weekly coaching sessions to help create and master business plans and provide a knowledge base for startups, finance, sales, and marketing. Participants will also be offered access to special bonus sessions presented by key industry experts from exclusive partnerships with Positive Planet US. 

The 29 participants are:

Shalini Akur, Alexandra Shvets, Audrey Muhammad, Christine Matovich, Jacqui McKenna, Priya Jaswal, Charlotte Bowens, Ashima Sharma, Natasha Norie Standard, Gloria Henderson, Azizah McEntire, Tierra Bartolotti, Huan Xia, Valeria Alvarez, Monique January, Porscha Mcwhite, Rawchaayah Charles, Roberta Arleatha Byrd, Norma Thibodeau, Stacy Chong, Baily Rose, Janée Artis, Uma Iyer, Wanxi Yang, Cheryl Cunningham, Janae Bosquet-Wright, Y. Elaine Rasmussen, Cathleen Trigg-Jones and Ana Jakimovska.

“We are pleased with the success of our first Accelerator Hub program, which enabled six women to develop their businesses in an unprecedented economic climate. We are now excited to offer a second program with five times as many promising enterprises,” says Ingrid Gonzalez, President of Positive Planet US.

Thank you to all the candidates who took the time to apply to this program. Congratulations to these amazing women for being selected! Our accelerator program is specially designed to provide personalized coaching for minority women entrepreneurs at the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey and look to take their new business ideas to the next level. It aims to set them on a course to success not just for themselves but also for their community.

Positive Planet has an unmatched track record of helping millions worldwide create sustainable development solutions for disadvantaged populations, particularly women and youth. To support our efforts, you can get involved by volunteering or donating to Positive Planet US. 

Iced Out Water Ice 

Crime rates in the U.S. have significantly declined over the last decades but the incarceration rate has increased. As per the latest data from the U.S. Department of Justice, around 65,000 Americans are released from prison annually. The increasing rates of incarceration has resulted in a large population of formerly incarcerated individuals across the United States. 

These individuals make a difficult transition from prison to re-entering society. During the transition, they face many challenges and roadblocks including finding a stable job and living a normal life like everyone else. The unemployment rate of formerly incarcerated individuals is nearly five times higher than the general population in the United States. 

As a second chance for the formerly incarcerated individuals, now businesses are making a huge difference in their lives by providing them with stable employment opportunities. Keeping this in mind, Cydney Preston has come up with a brilliant street cart business model called Iced Out Water Ice. She exclusively employs formerly incarcerated individuals to provide them with career opportunities at a competitive wage and unbiased workplace. 

Cydney Preston,  our Aspiring Entrepreneur 

Cydney Preston, a New York based African American, is the founder of Iced Out Water Ice. This mission-led for-profit street cart provides quality Italian ice and ice cream  to the East Harlem community. She exclusively employs formerly incarcerated individuals to provide them with a second chance to re-shape their lives. 

Iced Out Water Ice is a 4-month-old start-up that has a B2B/B2C business model. The main idea is to serve Italian ice and ice cream that can be consumed by all ages making everyone in the community enjoy them. Her customers are the East Harlem community which currently account for 111,452 individuals, that is 48,006.4 people per square mile. 

Her vision of becoming a successful woman entrepreneur made her come up with a unique street cart business idea that is not only socially conscious but also aims to reduce recidivism in her community.

Positive Planet US Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the US 

Cydney Preston is an aspiring woman entrepreneur. Since it’s her first business, she is eager to acquire the in-depth knowledge and skills to become a successful entrepreneur and create a thriving start-up business. She applied for the Positive Planet Accelerator Hub program to learn from our industry experts and explore the business opportunities that can help make it a tangible profitable business.

We at Positive Planet US, are proud to support rising entrepreneur, Cydney Preston with our Accelerator Hub Program.  Our program is especially designed to provide 1:1 coaching for minority women entrepreneurs who are at the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey and looking to take their new business ideas to the next level.

North Node

According to The 2020 Nonprofit Employment Report by John Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, the non-profit sector is the third largest private employer in the US. Despite an increased number of volunteers, the estimated total value was $167 billion in 2017, a $17 billion decrease from 2015. While more people are volunteering over time, they are doing so for fewer hours total as reported but the Corporation for National & Community Service, “Volunteering in America.”

During these unprecedented times, non-profit organizations are strained. All aspects of their work have been impacted and the pandemic has triggered a funding crisis.

Non-proft organizations are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in different ways. Some of them are now unable to run their organization because of the lack of financial resources, and social distancing policy, whereas others face an unprecedented surge in demand, such as food banks and medical support. 

More than ever, non-profit organizations need to reinvent themselves, find new ways of working in the sector and new opportunities to survive. 

Emily Penzo, our Aspiring Entrepreneur 

Emily Penzo, one of the Accelerator Hub finalists aspires to support non-profit organizations. 

She started in the sector by volunteering for a breast cancer non-profit organization called You Can Thrive, where she is now a board member. You Can Thrive is a breast cancer non-profit organization that provides a well-being service for those diagnosed with cancer, helping survivors to heal their mind, body, and spirit, so that they can thrive. 

As a cancer’s survivor herself, she found strength to fight her cancer thanks to this organization. Getting support from them, and seeing how devoted they were, has inspired Emily to help others who are enduring difficult times. Ultimately, it helped her take the leap to change her life path and become an entrepreneur. 

Emily’s entrepreneurial journey starts with North Node, a social enterprise startup that connects volunteers and non-profit organizations in NYC.

North Node aims to provide user friendly service and unique experience for individuals to join philanthropic communities and build meaningful everlasting connections. 

North Node tagline is “connecting Minds, Hands and Hearts for a better tomorrow”. It is a volunteer recruitment management platform and a donation fundraising system for non-profit organizations. It is also an open platform for volunteers to share their passion and give back to the community. This support to better match volunteers and non-profit organizations is essential to assure NGOs can run properly.

Through the realization of her entrepreneurial dream, Emily found her life purpose. It is to create a positive impact for the community, particularly non-profit organizations in NYC where she lives. Emily said that her goal is to be

“A social entrepreneur that can lift up her community and make a difference in this world”.

Positive Planet US Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the US 

Emily has applied to the Positive Planet US Accelerator Hub program in order “to gain valuable business insights that can help North Node reach new heights”. Our accelerator aims to provide Emily with all the necessary tools and resources she needs to turn her passion and ideas into a thriving business. Through this Accelerator Hub, we aim to deliver PPUS’s core purpose, that is, to empower underprivileged community members by providing them means to become entrepreneurs.

We, at Positive Planet US, support social entrepreneurship initiatives. We believe that businesses should support a social cause and improve the world we live in. For this reason, it is an honor for us to support Emily with her North Node project. We truly hope her project will bring a positive impact to the nonprofit sector.

Douglas Digital Kids

“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children”

said Nelson Mandela.

Children are our nations’ future and tomorrow’s citizens, that is why it is essential to start teaching them moral values while they’re still young. 

With the rise of new technologies, children are spending more time than ever in front of screens. It is particularly affecting the Black and Hispanic communities in the United States, where “Black and Hispanic children consume nearly 4½ hours more media daily than white children (13 hours of total media exposure for Hispanics, 12:59 for Blacks, and 8:36 for Whites), according to Tufts University.

Despite the fact that Black and Hispanic kids are consuming more television than their peers, white characters are still dominating the media industry. Media plays a huge role in the acceptance of racial diversity and understanding of different cultures. Because children identify with television characters, it is more important than ever to make sure that the images children are seeing on television are a proper reflection of their real environments and it is paramount to give them something to aspire to. 

Julie Obaso, our Aspiring Entrepreneur

Our Accelerator Hub finalist, Julie Obaso, with her startup Douglas Digital Kids would like to fill this gap in the marketplace. The aim of her project is to create and showcase animated content and stories for Black children.  

Douglas Digital Kids is an interactive platform that is formatted as a cartoon series featuring various Black and African characters from around the world. 

Black American and African kids will therefore receive a fresh, redefined perspective and narrative of themselves, that is traditionally not shown on media screens in America and around the world. Not only will the series entertain, but it will enhance learning, literacy and self-esteem skills of Black children in America and the African diaspora. While Douglas Digital Kids will help alleviate a lack of sufficient diversity in the children’s entertainment sector, it will also benefit white children, who will be exposed to a diverse range of voices, cultures and perspectives.

In addition to helping young kids, this platform will also provide a place for Black content creators to display their talents to the community. Douglas Digital Kids will be a means for Black animators and content creators to tell their stories in their own voices, to showcase their talent and innovative art in an authentic, uplifting and meaningful way. 

Positive Planet US Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the US 

Julie is a driven entrepreneur who would like to “raise representation in her community and uplift her community through positive initiatives”. She applied to the Positive Planet Accelerator Hub in order to build a solid foundation for her business, and develop her project to its highest potential. Our Accelerator Hub is a tailored coaching program that was developed to jumpstart these types of new initiatives operationally, providing them with structured business education and hands-on experience to help them evaluate market opportunities.

We at Positive Planet are proud to support Julie in taking her business to the next level and helping minority children finally have their voice represented in the media industry.  Douglas Digital Kids will help children of color improve their self confidence, gain a better understanding of their cultural heritage, and dream bigger. 

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Bloom Design & Development

When it comes to gender equity in architecture, there is still a long way to go. Women are underrepresented in architecture at all levels of practice.  A survey by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) shows that only 15% of their licensed members are women. 

In the hope of forging a different future for women in this industry and breaking the status quo, Luisa Bustamante and Lucia Eastman have decided to join forces in order

“to have an impact on the built environment as women and to pave a new path for women today and for generations to come”.  

Our Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs

Together, they have created Bloom Design & Development. With a combined experience of more than 20 years at some of the most prestigious architecture firms, their mission is to produce innovative and design-forward spaces that transform lives and neighborhoods for the better.

Their idea is to combine top-tier work experience with their unique cultural backgrounds to fill a longstanding gap for families and young professionals in the marketplace. 

The architecture industry has long been dominated by a pretty singular vision and group; limiting its scope and expression. By merging thoughtful design with a clear understanding of consumer needs, they want to give families, of all types, the opportunity to see themselves in a home that reflects their needs and values. 

They plan to implement this by buying land, building on it and designing living spaces themselves. By handling everything from scratch, they will have better control over the outcome, saving money and time.

Their objective is to provide quality architecture and socially-responsible developments that strengthen and enhance diverse communities.

Positive Planet US Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the US

Luisa and Lucia applied to the Accelerator Hub program to get a guiding hand from experts in building their startups. They have a deep level of experience in design and architecture, but wanted to build expertise in business development and marketing. 

The Positive Planet US mentorship program was developed to help jump start businesses operationally, providing them with structured business education and hands-on experience with evaluating market opportunities in their niche and fine-tuning their business plans. During this mentorship program, Luisa and Lucia will get the support of their mentor to further define their products and services, identify potential customer segments, and learn how to apply for business loans. The tailored coaching program and skills developed during the accelerator will help them take their business to the next level.

Discrimination is not only a problem in the architecture world, it is a social problem. We, at Positive Planet US, believe in gender equality and we think it is important to have diverse opinions and viewpoints. Women and men, together, create a more balanced society, leading to an improvement in the quality of life for everyone. Our coaching program is set up to help Luisa and Lucia succeed in their entrepreneurial dream in this challenging industry for women.

Positive Planet is pleased to announce the launch of its new initiative: Smile in a Box. 

Due to the pandemic, hunger has surged in the United States. It is estimated that 1 in 6 Americans could face hunger*. For this reason, we have decided to launch an emergency Covid-19 response to help families in need: Smile In a Box. 

We will be  joining forces with Branches Long Island to fight hunger in New York State. This partnership’s main objective is to combine Branches Long Island long-term experience in distributing food to families in need, and Positive Planet US expertise in running NGO programs and promoting entrepreneurship initiatives.  

This joint initiative is designed to extend the reach of Branches Long Island’s food distribution centers in order to help more families in need.

Positive Planet US will provide immediate relief to families directly impacted by Covid-19 in New York state by providing boxes of food and other essential products to them. 

In addition to providing immediate relief, Positive Planet will also grant free access to its eLearning platform to everyone in the program to help them develop their skills and abilities to succeed in their entrepreneurial dreams. In doing so, Positive Planet continues to promote social inclusion through entrepreneurship.

“I am delighted to see this new collaboration, together, by combining our field knowledge we are supporting two important Sustainable Development Goals: ending hunger, and economic growth”

said Ingrid Gonzalez, President and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Positive Planet US.

This is Positive Planet US first initiative of this kind in the United States, we are looking to expand our reach in the United States by partnering with other NGOs. 

About Branches long Island: 

Branches Long Island was founded in 2019 by Samantha Morales after she realized the amount of people in need on Long Island. She started out doing it alone and once she became a legal 501c3 she quickly grew! She is joined by an amazing group of women who dedicate their time every week to better the community.

Branches Long Island helps those in need with no judgments. They work side by side with many social workers and homeless shelters on Long Island offering a variety of services. As of May 2020 they opened their first location in Middle Island, NY and plan to offer classes and counseling along with their weekly blessing boxes which provide necessities to the families in crisis on Long Island.