Meet Eight Founders Driving Environmental Change

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What if making a living was also a chance to make a difference? Taking the plunge to start any venture may seem like it requires a full commitment to all aspects of running a business, but for this class of changemakers, there’s another driving force: making the world a bit better. From making coffee fairer to protecting marine life and improving the world’s access to drinkable water, these are the founders who are creating change through commerce.

Kristina Velkova and Sara Douglas of Vitaclean

The hard water and perpetual rain in London became a damper on good hair days and inspired best friends Kristina Velkova and Sara Douglas to brainstorm ways to change the water quality within their showers. To combat England’s weather effect on their hair, the ladies founded Vitaclean and launched a showerhead with an aromatherapy fixture to filter hard water and neutralize chlorine.

But Kristina and Sara also wanted to create a lifestyle product with an impact: their high-pressure showerhead uses up to 25 percent less water than conventional heads. In the U.K., where the average person uses 40 gallons of water per day—with a third of that attributed to showers—the impact compounds over time. Vitaclean also dedicates part of its sales to charities responsible for water projects.