‘We’re here to make sustainability cool, fun and accessible.’

Albertson

“Peter and I knew each other growing up playing tennis tournaments in our teenage years. We committed at the same time to play at Williams College, where we’re seniors. We’d walk to tennis practice and see Solo cups littered on streets and across campus, and they’re not easily recyclable. Williams is by no means a party school, but we’d see [cups everywhere] and we’d think how big of an issue this must be at other college campuses.

“We started the company Earth Brands about two years ago. We launched with our first product called Earth Caps, hats made from recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton. We wanted to give back and make it something meaningful. We’re surrounded by mountains [in college] and we appreciate nature. But we were also seeing climate change and pollution from plastic. So, for every hat that we sell, we donate $5 to environmental organizations. Make A Change World installs trash barriers in rivers in Indonesia to stop trash outflow into oceans. The Bondh E Shams organization uses solar panels to pump water from aquifers to places around the world that need fresh water. We’ve donated over $15,000. Then we came up the idea of Earth Cups, which is our focus. We’re here to make sustainability cool, fun and accessible.

This summer, we’ll be producing all our products here in the United States. We’re really excited about that. It’s a big leap, but we know it’s the right thing to do.

“We thought there must be a better solution, and we did research and landed on Earth Cups, 16-ounce plant-based biodegradable and compostable cups. They can turn into soil in about 90 days. We launched that last April. It’s been awesome to see the growth on college campuses, to see the movement we’ve been building in our generation. We have about 2,000 college ambassadors who help us build up our brand.

“Last summer, we started to focus on breweries, bars, stadiums and festivals across the U.S. This summer, we’ll be producing all our products here in the United States. We’re really excited about that. It’s a big leap, but we know it’s the right thing to do. We’re hiring people and expanding into new products and materials, looking into seaweed and algae as an alternative to plastic. It’s crazy how interested companies are and how much demand is out there. From coffee shops to restaurants to big stadiums, this is definitely on everybody’s mind, and we’re happy that it is.”

Interviewed by Rachel O’Brien – Morano

‘There were so many things we couldn’t do. It was important to focus on what we can do.’

South Hempstead

“Before COVID, I was running an entertainment event planning company and photography business while also working for an airline. It all stopped in March 2020. I had to go on leave because I have a serious autoimmune disease. I was thinking about my friends who are nurses and friends who had to close businesses. I asked myself how we can mutually support the frontline workers while supporting the businesses. Then it just came to me!

“I went to a friend who owns a café and said that if we could get people to pitch in, we could get takeout platters and send them to hospitals. Then we asked a pizza place to do it, and it spiraled into helping many businesses. I was feeling badly for the stores that were for gift giving and for the kids who were suddenly not allowed to celebrate birthdays. We’d even do lawn birthday parties where we’d get balloons and gifts, and I would set it up for frontline worker kids, all for free. Other people who had kids celebrating would buy the [gifts], and the money would go towards the frontline people. A gift store owner said to me, ‘I wasn’t going to be able to pay my electricity until you came.’

“I went to other stores, and we made 100 Easter baskets for frontline workers and brought them to hospitals. We had floral companies help for Mother’s Day. We just kept thinking, ‘How can we symbiotically help one help the other?’

I hope what I do inspires others to go out and do similar things.

“Years ago, my kids were in the hospital around the holidays, so we’d do something called ‘Cancer Won’t Stop Santa.’ Every year we took on a family who was going through a pediatric cancer diagnosis, and we’d cover their Christmas completely. Now we did ‘Pandemic Won’t Stop Santa’ and helped 33 families have gifts for their kids.

“I’ve learned that I’m good in a crisis, and doing these things is also a way for me to deal with it. Keeping so busy was helping me not freak out about how scared I was. It’s important to always look for the one positive thing you can do in a situation that you have no control over. There were so many things we couldn’t do. It was important to focus on what we can do. I hope what I do inspires others to go out and do similar things.”

Interviewed by Iris Wiener

‘The doctors said I had a chromosome disorder, and I wouldn’t be able to walk or talk. Somehow, I proved them wrong.’

Dix Hills

“I was born with a rare chromosome disorder called chromosome 18q deletion. It occurs when the long arm (q) of chromosome 18 is missing. Some of the features are low muscle tone and hearing loss. I was also born with clubfoot, which is a deformed foot that is twisted so the sole cannot be placed flat on the ground. They found out I had clubfoot during an ultrasound when I was in my mom’s stomach.

“When I was 3 months old, my face was pale, and I had to go to the emergency room. They did blood tests and said that everything was fine and to go home. My mom insisted that there was something wrong – and she was right.

If everyone looked the same, the world would be so boring.

“When I was 2 years old, I got help from my mom’s best friend to help me talk. I’ve had 12 surgeries: Five of them were because of my clubfoot. I used to wear hearing aids when I was 5 years old. When I was in seventh grade, I was getting my bat mitzvah invitations, and after we got them, I started mumbling words, had numbness in my arm, and I couldn’t walk straight. I went to the hospital, and they found out I had migraines. I’ve had to do occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech classes.

“Going into high school was a real struggle for me; I have a learning disability, so some of the work was very hard. But in 2020, I graduated with a Regents diploma. I went to the College of Mount Saint Vincent bridge program for two years, and I did a lot during my time there: I was the social media coordinator for Best Buddies, I was the director of communications for the club’s activities board, I sang at two shows, and I was also a model for a club I was in.

“One big achievement is my Instagram account, @disabilitiesunite, which I founded so people with disabilities can find friends just like them. My parents always used to tell me that everyone is different. If everyone looked the same, the world would be so boring. When I was in fourth grade, I had to write a sentence with the word “unique.” My mom helped me, and I wrote, ‘I am Sydney and I am unique.’ Now, if ever I feel different and I’m not happy with myself, I always think of that sentence.”

Interviewed by Hannah Fusaro

‘I was 13 years old, the youngest in my class, and already feeling the stress of doing well in school.’

Muttontown

“I was in eighth grade when I had my first panic attack. After school, my mom drove me to the doctor, where they put a tube down my throat, diagnosed anxiety-induced asthma, and gave me an inhaler. I was 13 years old, the youngest in my class, and already feeling the stress of doing well in school. Initially, my parents wrote my anxiety off as something every kid has to deal with. As an Indian American family rooted in Hindu values, my parents generally weren’t receptive to the idea of mental health.

“Eleventh grade was one of my hardest years, with COVID-19 hitting during the college application process. My asthma was coupled with an eating disorder. I couldn’t keep anything down and basically got by on one meal a day, usually dinner. Researching about my emotional struggles led me to discover the website Deconstructing Stigma: Changing Attitudes About Mental Health [deconstructingstigma.org], which has a section with stories of South Asian women. I read about Ramya, Dimple and Mrinal, who all suffered from the stigma associated with mental illness in our community. I next found Games for Seva, an Indian cultural community dedicated to promoting game design and persistent leadership, where my article, ‘Deep conversations, playing games, and mental health,’ was published.

Lessons learned from my struggle with the stigma around mental illness have empowered me to develop a vision for the cultural and global prioritization of South Asian women’s mental health.

“Soon I began working as a mentor and started to share my experience as a South Asian woman. Before long, other women opened up to me about their stories. Subsequently, I was inspired to create Kali’s Karma, an Instagram account, @spiderinthetoilet, podcast and blog, specifically curated resources for South Asian women’s mental health. It’s grown to 850 followers, some of whom have guested on my podcast [Satori], discussing their struggles with borderline personality disorder and anxiety.

“Currently, I am 18 years old and a freshman at Hofstra University, studying psychology and thinking about the future. I aim to become a clinical psychologist and work in clinics in India. Lessons learned from my struggle with the stigma around mental illness have empowered me to develop a vision for the cultural and global prioritization of South Asian women’s mental health.”

Interviewed by Jim Merritt

‘When you have a connection with an animal, they can really soothe who you are inside.’

Lindenhurst

“My mom was an immigrant from Guyana, working two jobs while my grandmother raised me. Horses were not an option for someone living on Section 8 housing in Brooklyn. She saved money to take me on our first vacation to a dude ranch, and that changed my life. After, I wanted to ride, but she said we couldn’t afford it. I met a New York City police officer who helped me when I was 12. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am today. When you have a connection with an animal, they can really soothe who you are inside. I’ve been riding for 32 years, and I’ve been a professional equestrian since I was 23.

“Providing access to the officer’s horses created a space of exposure to equestrian sports, which in turn provided discipline to keep me straight in school and my priorities, gave me responsibility and helped prepare me for the U.S. Navy in missile defense and intelligence. Right now, I’m focused on the Metropolitan Equestrian Team, which I founded in 2010. MET is the only nonprofit in the globe that does education and horseback riding, regardless of socioeconomic status.

Never give up on your dreams. Work for what you want. Hard work brings positive results.

“What the officer did for me is what I’ve developed for MET. We utilize the equestrian sports to keep kids interested in academics and get them into over 400 colleges with equestrian teams. It’s really important to be an example to our students because of that perseverance the police officer — and my mom— instilled in me. MET started with one location in Brooklyn. Now our headquarters is in Times Square, and we’re in nine other states.

“MET provides collegiate advisory, horseback riding, after-school tutoring, leadership classes and programs around STEAM. We make our students diverse in their portfolio of experience to become strong college applicants. MET is designed for the experiences provided to me by an equestrian community that loved me during my mother’s financial hard times. They took me into their homes and provided me with access to equestrian sports and a lifestyle I never would have been able to achieve otherwise. I’m able to now provide that to the next generation. The values Heidi passed on to me that I pass on to my students are: Never give up on your dreams. Work for what you want. Hard work brings positive results.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘I stopped performing in 2011 after I started losing body parts.’

Medford

“I always liked stand-up [comedy] when I was younger but never had the guts to do it myself. In 1977, I saw an ad for a comedy club in Massapequa, and it was open to anybody who wanted to try. I went there and saw a guy get heckled so bad I couldn’t go on stage. I didn’t have the insides to do it.

“Over the next 23 years, I worked at the bank, in real estate and at the post office, but it bugged me that I didn’t face my fears. I was always the funny guy at the party, but it’s not the same as being onstage in front of strangers. I didn’t try again until 2000, when I said to myself, ‘Look, you either do it or you don’t.’ I went up there for 5 minutes, I got one laugh, and I was hooked. Then two times becomes three times; you get a little better each time. It got easier and easier, and by three years later I was working for a comedy club and started producing shows, which I still do, but I stopped performing in 2011 after I started losing body parts.

Do I still try to get the people in my life to laugh? Every. Single. Second.

“It started with my left big toe. I got a cut on my toe playing tennis, and it turned gangrenous. They saved the rest of my leg, but years later I got gangrene again on my left foot, and I lost the rest of those toes. Then, just days after getting home from that, I fell and ripped a four-inch bone out of my right heel, which went up into my ankle and severed most of my Achilles tendon. My doctor did his best, but the injury threatened my heart, and I lost that leg below the knee.

“I’ve had 130 procedures; my last was a heart bypass in September. I also have peripheral arterial disease, so my hands are always freezing. I was also 284 pounds at one time; now I’m down to 150, and I did it the old-fashioned way: amputation … That’s a bad joke. You have to look for the humor, right? People say to me all the time that I should get back up onstage, but I can’t stand without assistance for very long. I miss the rush of performing, which I haven’t done for around six or seven years. I kind of stay away from seeing live comedy these days; it’s hard to be around it, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get over that. Maybe someday I’ll get back to performing. But do I still try to get the people in my life to laugh? Every. Single. Second.”

Interviewed by Melanie Gulbas

‘Last summer was my 62nd year as a lifeguard. When I realize that I can’t save someone or spot someone in trouble, then I’ll leave.’

Syosset

“Last summer was my 62nd year as a lifeguard. I’m probably the longest working lifeguard in the U.S. that still has to pass the competitive test. I grew up in NYC, and when I was 17, they were training lifeguards at the 54th Street pool, so I took the test.

“When I graduated high school in 1960, I would ride the A train to Rockaway, 2½ hours each way, and would make $6 each day to sit on a lifeguard stand for 8 hours. What else are you going to do when you’re 18 in the city and could be sitting on a lifeguard stand?

“After four years, I left Rockaway for Jones Beach, where I was lifeguarding and made a captain — they even named me the “Golden Lifeguard” after year 50 — until 2015, when I missed passing the test by a tenth of a second! To pass the test, you had to swim 100 yards under 80 seconds, in addition to running. At 50 years old, I could do 59 seconds. As I got older, the numbers started to float. Instead, I passed a different test in Atlantic Beach and have worked at The Sands since 2016.

As long as I can do it, I will.

“When I go to parties, there are so many interesting people, and all anyone wants to know about is lifeguarding. It’s a big thing to be able to save people’s lives and make a big difference while getting to enjoy the summer.

“I have many stories, but one that sticks out is when I was opening a lifeguard stand and another lifeguard and I heard something. We both turned to find a sand bar had collapsed in front of the rocks. A family of five got swept out. Luckily, they stayed together; if they had parted, we’d have had to decide who’d get to live. We brought them all in. In November, I got a text from the father: ‘We’re all here having Thanksgiving dinner because of you.’ That makes it so meaningful.

“When I started working at The Sands, I was older. I didn’t know how the renters there would feel about that, but it was 180 degrees different from how I thought. They respect having an older person and realize that our word is a bond. One guy said, ‘I want you to realize we’re grateful to know that once we’re down on the beach, we’re safe with you.’ As long as I can do it, I will. When I realize that I can’t save someone or spot someone in trouble, then I’ll leave.”

Interviewed by Iris Wiener

‘If I could give a message to children who have disabilities who are struggling in school right now with people bullying them, just tell someone about it.’

Merrick

“I’m 29 years old and have a learning disability. I also have anxiety (PTSD) from being bullied very badly in school as a kid. I’m an artist, and I’m working on a graphic novel about what it was like to have a disability and be in special ed. I want to help other kids who are going through what I went through and share my story.

“I was 14 when I realized that I wanted to pursue art. I was in middle school when I was the most bullied. It was difficult for me to communicate what was happening, so I needed a way to express myself. When I was young, I read books that made me feel that the person was having the exact life as me, like Shannon Hale’s ‘Friends’ series and ‘Thank You, Mr. Falker’ by Patricia Polacco, who wrote about having dyslexia. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone.

“I’m writing a children’s book to help other children with bullying when they have a disability. I hope that those children will learn that there are other people that have gone through the same thing. We’re hoping my book will be a sensitivity awareness for people who bully, to make them aware how hard other people are struggling, to be kind to everyone because they don’t know what battle they’re fighting.

You’re not alone, so you don’t have to feel like the only person in the world that this happened to.

“I went to an art therapist, and art became the best way for me to get my emotions out. My disability was the catalyst that helped me to perfect my art. I am self-taught through YouTube videos and books. I do everything from stained glass to pottery to abstract art to portraits.

“I also want to give back, so I do cake decorating and make cupcakes through Birthday Wishes for children who live in a shelter. And I cook for 25 people at Bethany House, a shelter for women and children who are homeless. I also volunteered with the Friendship Circle, helping children with special needs have a friend.

“If I could give a message to children who have disabilities who are struggling in school right now with people bullying them, just tell someone about it. Tell a grown-up. I think there were people that tried to ask me, but I didn’t tell them because I thought I’d make it worse. The message of my book is that you’re not alone, so you don’t have to feel like the only person in the world that this happened to.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘It’s not really about getting business. It’s more about finding people who can support you throughout your career.’

Oceanside

“I started my own digital marketing agency in Oceanside back in 2013. Social media, web design, SEO were all very new things to me at the time. I was 23 when I started the company. I was super young and I tried networking, but a lot of people didn’t take me seriously.

“I would go to networking events, but I found a lot of the people had their own friends. Whether it was because they just didn’t understand what I did for a living, or because I was young, they just weren’t paying attention.

“I found a group of younger professionals who were starting law firms, real estate agencies and all different businesses. We were all from the same generation and dealing with the challenges of opening a business. That’s why we were able to come together and collaborate to help each other because we were all in the same boat.

I get to hire local people and have them help local business owners.

“It was not just that we did business with each other, but we actually became friends. It was nice to hang out with people who understood that drive, hustle and passion. When that group was dissolving, I didn’t want to lose that connection and invited people to form our own group.

“I started the Unicorn Network in 2016 as a group of millennial entrepreneurs. Currently, we have about 600 members on Long Island and another chapter in Manhattan. Of course, now our lives have shifted. When we were in our 20s, we were starting businesses, and now we’re starting families and getting married. We still talk with each other and connect with people who can relate, understand and support each other professionally.

“COVID caused a slew of new challenges, making it difficult to meet people, plan events and raise money for charities. Now there are even more challenges. Some of us don’t need to network. Our businesses have already taken off, and people are prioritizing other things.

“It’s not really about getting business. It’s more about finding people who can support you throughout your career. I love what I do. I get to hire local people and have them help local business owners. I want to keep the momentum going. I want to keep inspiring people and make sure that any professional challenges or questions someone has about business, that they have a place to receive help.”

Interviewed by Dan Offner

‘I will always love Ireland. You never forget where you’re born. My culture reminds me of my independence and braveness.’

Copiague

“I was born in Ireland in a lovely little county in a village on a plateau called Roscommon. We had a farm where I used to feed the animals. We would grow potatoes, and I’d have to sow the vegetables in the ground. I’d bake potato bread and soda bread. I would enjoy watching “Little House on the Prairie,” and while watching would say, ‘One day, I’m coming to America.’

“I came to the great country of the United States when I was 23 and landed in New Hyde Park. I’m the oldest of eight kids, and I’m the only one that ventured out to New York. I didn’t know a soul. I said, ‘I’m going to give myself six months to a year.’ I was a bit homesick, but I wouldn’t give in.

“By six months, I knew everybody! I was 37 when I met Frankie in the Nassau County Inn, where the Irish music was playing, and he was on the keyboard. I met him again a while later in the Catskills. That’s when we decided to go out together.

“Back in Ireland, I would sing in different bands, so I did it here, too. Frankie thought I was so good of a singer that he wanted to get a band together with me. The two of us became Mary G. and Frankie Lees. When I get a four-piece band to play with me, I call us Mary G. and Shamrock. I love to do a lot of Patsy Kline, but we do a mixture of everything.

I came to the great country of the United States when I was 23 and landed in New Hyde Park.

“Frankie and I got married back in Ireland three years after meeting. The wedding was in Strokestown, in County Roscommon, in a nice hotel there called the Percy French. The ceremony was in the church in Ballagh, Kilrooskey, where I was raised and went to Mass.

“I will always love Ireland. You never forget where you’re born. When I go there, it is not a vacation; it is very emotional because it’s hard leaving and saying goodbye to my family. Now I put up St. Patrick’s Day decorations, and I am a part of the Irish community. I perform all over Long Island and in the Catskills, as well as other parts of America, Ireland and England. It keeps my heritage alive.

“My culture reminds me of my independence and braveness. I can keep enjoying my culture through my music and sharing my memories and homeland with my husband and friends. After all, Irish people have a great sense of humor and know how to have a good time.”

Interviewed by Iris Wiener