by Sara Novak / Source: Ecosalon

eco

Meet Maya Penn, a teen who plans to save the planet one idea at a time.

When I was 14 I spent most of my time talking on the phone, fantasizing about my crushes, and doing my homework. I had no plans to save the planet and quite honestly knew little about my impact on it. But Maya Penn, a 14-year-old fashion entrepreneur and environmentalist, doesn’t just put my teenage accomplishments to shame, she’s also quite impressive compared to most adults I know.

“Ideas make the world go round,” she said in her recent TED talk.

Maya has been expanding on her ideas since long before she was a teen. She founded Maya’s Ideas at age 8, where she designs and handmakes eco-friendly clothing. Her mom taught her to sew and since then she’s been taking bamboo, organic cotton, and leftover fabrics and creating designs that have been purchased from all over the world. They’ve been worn by Michael Franti, Jasmine Guy, Sara Blakely, and Samuel L. Jackson. And she donates 10-20 percent of her profits to environmental charities. Forbes Magazine even featured her business at age 10. She says she’s putting her love of art and the planet to work.

Read more @ Ecosalon