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Here's what we've been writing about these days.

Discover original, relevant articles written by young voices exploring the topics of impact entrepreneurship and early-stage startups, as well as our three focus areas: health (mental and physical), environmental sustainability, and learning.

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Sustainability

Are Sea Vegetables the Unlikely Heroes of the Climate Crisis?

November 14, 2022
The hype surrounding the seaweed farming industry has exploded over the past decade, leading some to frame kelp as the solution to global warming and others to denounce it as…
Mental HealthSustainability

For the Love of Water Cycles and Mental Health, Don’t Ignore Your Eco-Anxiety

October 12, 2022
I’m grateful to have grown up alongside the mental health movement. I am happy that as I grew, the encouragement and assigned importance for having discussions about mental health grew…
Sustainability

Empowering Rural Women: How This Packaging Startup is Spearheading a Model for Effective Sustainable Impact

September 13, 2022
In the year 2022, in addition to a vast array of accomplishments, a multitude of global issues remain unresolved. And women in general continue to face difficulties within a society…
Physical HealthSustainability

Soy Isn’t the Bad Guy: How Soy can Contribute to Global Food Security

August 11, 2022
Growing up in a Korean household, soy took on a variety of forms in our kitchen and dining room: soy sauce, tofu, soybean sprouts, soybean paste, red pepper paste, soy…
Business & Entrepreneurship

How Accepting Crypto as Payment Can Help Entrepreneurs Make Positive Impact

July 14, 2022
It is hard to deny the rising popularity of cryptocurrencies in the modern world.  Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have recently shifted from something I considered distant, abstract, and largely inaccessible -…
Physical HealthSustainability

Why We Need Diverse Actors in the Battle Against Food Insecurity (from Big to Small… to Twitter)

June 16, 2022
I see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs on my Twitter feed all the time. Or rather, I find my lips curling into a smile at badly edited images of the pyramid,…
Physical Health

What’s Period Poverty All About? + Two Ways to Tackle It

May 12, 2022
T he phrase “period poverty” is an odd and unexpected combination of words. What does period poverty actually mean? Are the struggles associated with menstruation really serious enough to earn…
Mental Health

Send a Letter—Your Friend (& Brain) Will Thank You

March 17, 2022
I never understood why we had to write letters in elementary school. We would sit down after recess, locate our favorite pencil, promptly break it, asking psssst does anyone have…
Business & EntrepreneurshipMaking Impact

What Does Impact Actually Mean? + 6 Business Buzzwords We Use All The Time

February 11, 2022
Introducing impact Words seem to lose their meaning the more you hear them. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard the phrase “the new normal” over the past…
Physical HealthSustainability

Sustainable Alternatives to Your Plastic Toothbrush

December 17, 2021
The other morning, I learned that the American Dental Association suggests replacing your toothbrush every three to four months. Though that fact wasn’t necessarily surprising to me, it got me…
Sustainability

4 Ways I Freed Myself From the Grips of Fast Fashion

November 13, 2021
I was looking through my closet today and came to a surprising realization: almost everything I was looking at was either thrifted or received as a hand-me-down. It was a…
Physical HealthSustainability

How Plant-Based Seafood Became My Path Out of Existential Despair

October 16, 2021
About two months ago, I ran into a complicated moral dilemma. It was a rainy summer night, and I decided to cancel my plans to snuggle up on my couch…
Learning

Post with #Purpose: How Social Media has Developed Remarkably Alongside Social Movements

August 13, 2021
I find that one of the most difficult tasks is inspiring myself. I would love it if inspiration could show up at my door every day. However, that is not…
Mental HealthPhysical Health

How Kefir and Psychobiotics Gave Me More Energy and Better Focus

July 12, 2021
You know the feeling when there just doesn’t seem like you have any more to give? Despite all your best efforts to get a project going or paddle your life…
Business & EntrepreneurshipPhysical Health

Small Bites, Large Footprints: Exploring 2 Food-Related Projects for Peace

June 18, 2021
I had an epiphany while out on a date today. I arrived at the waterfront in Georgetown early. While waiting for my date, I laid on a grassy hill under…
Making Impact

Bicycles of Change: How I Selected the Right Vehicle for Impact

May 14, 2021
Publishers note: Saffanah, our newest writing intern, is a recent international security Master’s graduate who is Turkish and Saudi. She currently lives in Northern Virginia in the United States. “Why…
Making Impact

Democratizing Impact: This is why Stardust is feeling reflective in its 6th year

April 16, 2021
Stardust Startups turns six this year. Maybe it seems strange to picture a project as maturing, but it hasn’t just grown in size. Born from an intuitive fire that transformed…
Business & EntrepreneurshipMental Health

3 Tips from Mindkit, a New Mental Health Startup, for Crafting a Stress-Free, Self-Care Regime

February 13, 2021
Nobody needs any convincing that we live through challenging times that weigh heavy on our mental health. While many of us look for coping mechanisms to deal with looming lockdowns…
Mental HealthSustainability

Fungi & Fairies: How 3 Days of Foraging in Ireland Enlightened my Connection to Nature

January 14, 2021
An Irish Autumn is a closing curtain. Watching winter creep closer every day amidst evergreen horizontal rain, people search for time to soak up sunshine spots like they drop candy…
Business & Entrepreneurship

How Universities Can Foster Entrepreneurship for a More Creative, Innovative Future

December 16, 2020
Connecting on Zoom today are Constance Perez and Michaela Deneva (not pictured above), student associates of the Student Executive Team (SET) at McGill’s Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. On top of…
Business & Entrepreneurship

What does it take to be a student entrepreneur? The answer with Ange Blécon and Nylan Raufaste, co-founders of Entrepotes

December 16, 2020
Being at university means that I am surrounded by talented people: those who have a gift for music, those who can solve complex mathematical problems, those who understand politics and…
Mental HealthSustainability

Composting to better mental health

November 9, 2020
When the darkness closed around me, I did what any one of us would do: solve a problem that was within my control. So, I set out to find a…
Business & Entrepreneurship

Third Culture Kids + Entrepreneurship = Winning Combination

October 13, 2020
At Stardust, we aspire to shape an innovative and creative community, where individuals and startups can make an impact and share their ideas with everyone. By supporting entrepreneurs from all…
Sustainability

I Eliminated Half My Plastic Waste in 5 Months: Here’s How

August 14, 2020
Last September, my roommate and I started an indoor worm compost. Seeing how easy it was to save so much organic waste, we wondered how we could further reduce our…
Mental Health

Let’s Start Prioritizing Well-Being over GDP

July 16, 2020
Mental and physical health are linked, not only to one another, but also to some crucial external factors. Readily available education, access to affordable healthcare, strong communities and interpersonal relationships,…
Sustainability

What Our Behavior During the Pandemic Could Mean For the Planet

June 16, 2020
We are facing two major global catastrophes in 2020, yet only one is being properly addressed. The coronavirus, as of the time of this writing, has killed over 400,000 individuals,…
LearningMental Health

How To Break Through Quarantine Boredom

May 16, 2020
Is it just me, or are we collectively sick of social distancing? It was cute for a while. A welcome break from our routines, perhaps, or a sudden stay-cation and…
Business & Entrepreneurship

Confidence: What It Means For a Small Social Impact Entrepreneur

May 16, 2020
Being a creative spirit is hard. First you need the inspiration, then the motivation, then the support. And when you think you have it all, you realise you need the…
Business & EntrepreneurshipMental Health

How Discovering Creative Entrepreneurship Set Two Friends on a Journey Towards Spreading Joy

May 8, 2020
“It is all a very happy accident.” - Betty Coppens, co-founder of JOSO To make the most of even the smallest opportunity is something that does not have any price-tag,…
Mental Health

4 Habits to Resist Fearful Narratives and Push Through to Personal Growth

April 14, 2020
This is not just another post in which I convince you that the Coronavirus is a tremendous threat or that to say home is a heroic mission. No, I don't…
Physical Health

Break the Taboo: Let’s Talk About Periods

March 14, 2020
“Aunt Flo is visiting”, “the English have landed”, “strawberry week”, “the monthly statement”... There are many ways in which women around the world avoid saying the words “menstruation” or “period”.…
Business & EntrepreneurshipSustainability

Appreciating Our Harvest

November 16, 2019
With Thanksgiving on the way, it’s the perfect time to show gratitude to the earth’s harvest. As climate change continues to threaten our natural resources, it’s essential to not just…
Sustainability

Political and Social Discourse Surrounding Straws

October 5, 2019
Another environmental cause with a lot of social complexity is the anti-straw movement. The idea that not using plastic straws to reduce ocean pollution has risen in popularity in the…
Learning

Living to Learn: Essential to Human Nature

October 1, 2019
Zhu Xi Even though I’m no longer in school, when September rolls around, I get the urge to buy notebooks and pencils, excited by the potential and fresh energy that…
Making Impact

Cast your vote for our co-creator Jean!

July 29, 2019
Our very own co-creator and Executive Director Laura Jean Palmer-Moloney has been nominated as a League of Women Voters candidate by the Beaufort Woman's Club in North Carolina! Help Jean…
Making Impact

Stardust in New York City

July 1, 2019
Find Your Way // Show The Way Event for Entrepreneurs Making a Difference Raise awareness Attract applicants Attract successful business-people Attract partners Our event had two venues—the first location at…
Business & Entrepreneurship

The Challenges of Doing Business in Zimbabwe

January 12, 2019
Zimbabwe is a country that uses multiple currencies; it does not have its own. Because of this, people in Zimbabwe have lost confidence in the banking sector. They prefer not…
Sustainability

Technology of the Future: The First Ion-Powered Aircraft with an Onboard Power Supply

November 26, 2018
E than Krauss has a patented Self-Contained Ion Powered Aircraft (US 10,119,527). The device has no moving parts and is able to carry its power supply onboard. It is also…
Making Impact

Growing Our Entrepreneurial Network

October 11, 2018
Growing our entrepreneurial network At its very core, the mission of The Stardust-Startup Factory is to support emerging entrepreneurs and help their initiatives grow. This year we're proud to launch…
Business & Entrepreneurship

“Break the system and do what you love doing“: How women entrepreneurs can make the business world work for them

September 3, 2018
You could say that the business world was made for men. Statistics show that the odds are stacked against women rising in the business world, from the United States’ inadequate…
Business & Entrepreneurship

How Millenials Are Challenging Misconceptions

February 20, 2018
Entitled, antisocial, technology-dependent, and lazy – these are the common perceptions that Generation Y, or “millennials,” face when appearing in the new working environment. Often considered a generation of weakness,…
rehab detox opioid epidemic eastern north carolina carteret county women faith-based
Business & Entrepreneurship

How an Ex-Narcotics Officer is Helping North Carolina Women Struggling with Addiction Find New Paths

December 1, 2017
Through the superficial lens of the evening news, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, our society can seem overly materialistic and self-centered. Therefore, in this world that seems to be teeming with…
Making Impact

Celebrating our 2nd birthday!

September 30, 2017
It was our birthday on Sept. 28! 🎉🎈 We’ve spent the first two years 'calibrating our instruments' to find new ways of supporting emerging entrepreneurs. For our third year, we’ll be…
LearningMental Health

Why I Stepped Back from Grief

September 26, 2017
The transformation of grief to purpose is my life’s work. Maybe it always has been, but I know for sure that it’s been my life’s work since the September 27th,…
Sustainability

On the Search for Sustainability in Urban America: Interview with Lynette Widder

February 5, 2016
After wandering about Manhattan on my quest to educate myself to the world of sustainability in urban America and beyond, I have found myself lost in a swirl of conflicting…
Physical Health

A Reflection on Dis-ease: What Actually Influences our Health

January 5, 2016
W e are told that many diseases, childhood conditions, and most immuno-related diseases have a genetic basis, that we carry the genes that predispose us to develop certain maladies. Let's…
The Stardust-Startup Factory pottery diy learning
Learning

Formal education vs. self-taught: which leads to finding your passion?

December 5, 2015
M y cousin Angus was the epitome of a self-educator. The last time I was visiting with him, he was showing me all these different webinars that he had been…
The Stardust-Startup Factory new york city sustinability
Sustainability

Searching For The Big Green Apple

November 17, 2015
F irst of all, I must admit, I am a neophyte in the world of sustainability. Living in a city with eight and a half million other people around you…
The Stardust-Startup Factory
Mental Health

Why self-care is not self-indulgent

November 13, 2015
I worked as a Registered Nurse (RN) in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for several years.  Many days I was so busy with my critically ill patients that I didn’t…
LearningSustainability

How my fiancée and I built our tiny house for under $3k

November 12, 2015
I  first started seriously thinking about building a tiny house around February 2013 and Lily was really into the idea of building a tiny house on wheels. After looking at…
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