BlogHer VOTY 100: Meet Our Eco Impact Warrior Honorees

Explore the entire BlogHer VOTY 100 digital issue.

Voices of the Year (VOTY) is BlogHer’s annual celebration of women doing culture-shifting work for the greater good. This year, we’ve expanded this initiative into the VOTY 100, a list of changemakers across 10 categories: Wellness Champions, Small Business Owners, Creators, Eco Impact Warriors, Next Gen Creatives, Biz Experts, Innovators, Social Impact Leaders, Storytellers, and Community Builders. 

From climate change to responsible fashion to intersectional environmentalism, no stone is left unturned among this impressive group.

Claire Imani May, Founder & CEO of Rebundle

What is your proudest moment of the past year? 

Launching the first U.S.-made, plant-based braiding hair.

When you’re in a rut, how do you get inspired?

Other founders. Love being reignited by other founders who have gone through what I’m going through.

What is something you wish you knew at the start of your career?

I couldn’t have known that this is what I’d be doing at 26, in the middle of my career. I’m just going with it, enjoying what’s enjoyable, meeting a lot of people, and learning a ton.

Leah Thomas, Founder of Intersectional Environmentalist

Leah Thomas is the founder of The Intersectional Environmentalist, a resource and media hub aiming to advocate for inclusivity in the environmental justice movement. She is a self-described eco-communicator or an environmentalist with a love for writing. She’s passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism and thinks (rightly) that we could all be a little bit nicer to our home planet.

 

Ayesha Barenblat, CEO and Founder of Remake

(and former BlogHer speaker)

What is your proudest moment of the past year? 

Launching the now-viral #PayUp campaign was a pivotal moment in my career and my proudest accomplishment for 2020. The year started off really hard. Fashion brands en masse canceled orders citing COVID-19 as retail stores shuttered. This left the women who make our clothes without wages, hungry, and out protesting on the streets. We fought back and won. All in all, the PayUp coalition was able to get 25 brands to #PayUp and recover $22 billion in canceled contracts.

I was personally really heartened by the show of solidarity for garment workers across the world, especially from the South Asian diaspora, who wrote to brands, fired off tweets, left comments on Instagram, letting brands know that we will buy nothing until they #PayUp. All in all, we had 270,000 citizens sign our petition to hold the fashion industry accountable.

When you’re in a rut, how do you get inspired?

In my office, I have a picture hanging on my wall of Char Wong, a garment maker I had met while filming our documentary short, Made in Cambodia. When we met, she carried herself with such fierce dignity despite all the turmoil of making poverty wages and working punishingly long hours while making clothes for Zara, H&M, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Advocacy work is hard and can take a toll both physically and mentally. So when I am having a bad day, I look at her portrait in my office. She gives me strength to fight on. Char Wong is a constant reminder that women are resilient and that Remake’s work matters.

What is something you wish you knew at the start of your career?

I started my career believing that if I worked diligently, then I would automatically be rewarded. Turns out as a first-generation immigrant and a woman of color, without any networks or safety nets to fall back upon, this was simply not true.

Over time I realized the importance of building a network of mentors and allies who believed in me and were invested in my future. This is advice I would give to my younger self or anyone just starting out career-wise. To nurture a network of people to support you as opposed to just putting your head down and doing the work.

 

Nadia Nazar, Madelaine Tew, & Jamie Margolin, Co-Founders of Zero Hour

Alarmed by inaction on the part of elected officials and the frequent silencing of young voices, especially in regards to climate change’s imminent impact on their futures, these young women banded together to create something bigger, something that would ensure adults listened to youth voices. Together, they founded (alongside Zanagee Artis) Zero Hour, a movement connecting young people who advocate for a clean and safe environment across the nation.

 

Ashley Renne, Environmental Activist & Influencer

(and former BlogHer speaker)

What is your proudest moment of the past year? 

I said yes to stepping outside my comfort zone. I’ve gotten quite comfortable in my role as a content creator. It’s familiar, it’s lucrative, and it’s predictable for the most part. But growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone. I became a mom, co-founded a secret startup company where I’ll be launching my own sustainable product line (will reveal later this year!), pitched a TV show, and I’m preparing to launch a podcast. These new milestones and pursuits have all uniquely helped elevate me to new levels, both personally and professionally.

When you’re in a rut, how do you get inspired?

I always remember one word: Impact. Knowing my why always helps re-center and re-invigorate me. In everything I do, I want to leave a lasting positive impact on people, animals, and the planet. When I’m lacking the motivation to get things done, I remind myself of my mission and why I can’t stop now.

What is something you wish you knew at the start of your career?

Know your worth and then add tax! I have it plastered on my office wall to always remind me not to minimize my value. There were many times when I allowed my fear of losing a potential contract to overpower my strength to stand up for what I’m worth. I’ve learned that if a client wants to work with me, negotiating isn’t going to scare them away. A knowledgeable client understands that negotiations are a part of the business. De-valuing yourself for a client who doesn’t recognize your magic isn’t worth the regret you’ll feel later for allowing yourself to be taken advantage of.

Quannah Chasinghorse, Model & Activist

Quannah Chasinghorse is an Indigenous model and activist working around Indigenous issues and climate change. She has traveled across the country advocating for the protection of her homelands in Alaska from oil drilling, and she’s worked tirelessly trying to help conserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 20 million acres that face danger due to global warming. Chasinghorse uses her social media platforms to advocate for environmental issues, and has modeled for Vogue, Calvin Klein, and more. She is Hän Gwich’in and Oglala Lakota, and was signed with IMG Models in December 2020.

Silvia Vásquez-Lavado, Humanitarian, Adventure Mountaineer & Social Entrepreneur

What is your proudest moment of the past year? 

To have the once-in-a-lifetime gift to write my memoir, In The Shadow of The Mountain, yet the ability to write it with my utmost open heart, giving it all of my heart and soul, and having the strength of staying sober while revisiting some incredibly painful aspects of my life. I can’t wait for all of you to read it.

When you’re in a rut, how do you get inspired?

A good walk, bike, or climb in nature. Watching a sunrise or a sunset is the best way to recalibrate about the immensity of natural beauty and the best way to reinvigorate our inspiration in the world.

What is one thing you wish you knew at the start of your career?

The importance of seeking a mentor and not being too afraid to ask. For too long, I stayed quiet and ultimately undermined the power of our voice and how far it can take us.

 

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Marine Biologist

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and Brooklyn native. She is the founder of the nonprofit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, which works toward implementing science-based and forward-thinking strategies for coastal communities and serves as a laboratory for state and federal initiatives. Johnson is also the co-founder of the climate initiative The All We Can Save Project, which works to grow feminist climate leadership, and she co-hosts the podcast How to Save a Planet, which talks about how to solve the climate crisis.

 

Karen Ramos, Founder of Get Out Stay Out

Karen Ramos is the founder of the nonprofit Get Out Stay Out, a grassroots, Central Coast nonprofit that invites Indigenous migrant youth to get outside and discover themselves in the natural environment. GOSO works to provide outdoor programming and natural spaces to help migrant children build self-confidence, leadership skills, and community. Ramos is passionate about diversifying the outdoors and her nonprofit provides representation for people of color in the outdoor industry. Ramos is also a full-time student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo University.

Dominique Drakeford, Founder of MelaninASS & Co-Founder of Sustainable Brooklyn

Dominique Drakeford is the founder of MelaninASS and the cofounder of Sustainable Brooklyn. MelaninASS (Melanin And Sustainable Style) is a digital platform covering sustainable fashion, natural beauty, wellness, and land sovereignty efforts by BIPOC people. Sustainable Brooklyn is an organization working to bridge the gap between sustainability and targeted communities through events and resource management. Drakeford has a BA in Business Environmental Management and a master’s degree from NYU in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Fashion.

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