Sneaker Impact News

On Sneaker Impact News Episode 51, host Bryan interviews Danny Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Miami-based nonprofit BLUE Missions, about its mission to “connect communities to clean water and people to their purpose.” Danny shares how a high school trip to the Dominican Republic inspired him to co-found BLUE Missions in 2010, later scaling it from a passion project to full-time work, and growing from nine to 21 projects in a year. He explains their community-led model with local water committees and gravity-driven aqueducts, plus sanitation work building ventilated improved pit latrines, in-home filtration, and a developing sustainability pillar focused on composting, reforestation, and education. BLUE Missions has completed 100 water projects, connected 42,000 people to clean water, and built bathrooms in 200+ communities. They also run the 16-week Building Young Leaders program and invite volunteers, chaperones, and donors to get involved.

Stay Connected & Learn More

Website: https://www.bluemissions.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluemissions

Danny’s Recent Tedx ‘Find Your Drop’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPRy765oILo

Support/Donate: HERE

Urban Impact Lab’s People-First Approach to Building Better Cities | Miami Climate Week + Community-Led Design

Sneaker Impact News host sits down with Irvans Augustin, co-founder of Urban Impact Lab, after touring the Sneaker Impact facility to discuss people-first urban planning, creative placemaking, and moving cities from ideas to implementation. Augustin shares how he and his wife (with backgrounds in IT, marine biology, and urban planning) founded Urban Impact Lab 13 years ago with a non-traditional, community-centered approach, viewing cities as living networks shaped by residents’ needs. They discuss Miami challenges including affordability, transportation, waste, recycling, composting, design-driven behavior change, and the Doral incinerator disruption, plus examples like Southwest Ranches’ compost program and Miami’s recycling education efforts. Augustin highlights a North Miami flood-prone lot transformed into a community-designed “Good Neighbor Park” that absorbs water. He also promotes Miami Climate Week (March 14–21) led by Miami Climate 365, featuring countywide events and community activations.

Stay Connected/Learn More
https://www.urbanimpactlab.com/
https://www.instagram.com/urbanimpactlab

Sneaker Impact News interviews Samantha Choy, marketing and communications manager at Students Run Philly Style (SRPS), a Philadelphia youth mentorship nonprofit pairing grades 6–12 students with volunteer running mentors to train for major races like the Broad Street Run and Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. Choy describes her role managing social media, partnerships, and the Mentoring Milestones newsletter, plus promoting SRPS’s charity runner program, including new Berlin and Dublin Marathon bibs. SRPS, founded in 2004, serves over 1,500 students annually across nearly 60 teams with 400+ mentors and a nine-person staff, using running to build confidence, goal-setting, coping strategies, and active-lifestyle skills. The episode highlights SRPS’s Sneaker Impact partnership via Philadelphia Runner, which since May 2024 collected 442 boxes and recycled 11,247 pairs, diverting about 14,740 pounds and saving an estimated 113.63 tons of CO2. The script also features SRPS’s MUP diversion program with the District Attorney’s Office, where youth complete race milestones (5K, 10-mile qualifier, and a half marathon) to have fees paid, charges dropped, and records expunged, with reported ~95% completion and sustained success.

Please like and share to help educate and raise awareness! 

Stay Connected/Learn More

https://studentsrunphilly.org

https://www.instagram.com/studentsrunphl

Support: https://studentsrunphilly.org/donate/

Run world major/international marathons with SRPS: https://studentsrunphilly.org/other-ways-to-help/

Sneaker Impact News visits the Town of Southwest Ranches council meeting with the Zero Waste Advisory Board, where chair Harold Gubnitsky, board members, and council leaders discuss making the town a sustainability leader while preserving its rural lifestyle. They highlight key initiatives and challenges including education to reduce recycling contamination, increased outreach via newsletters and social media, and a composting pilot with Filthy Organics using five-gallon buckets that has already diverted about 6,000 pounds of food waste and returns finished soil to residents. Officials describe efforts to oppose a nearby incinerator proposal, encourage equestrians to route horse manure to agricultural reuse, and explore diverting yard waste like palm fronds into mulch. They also discuss quarterly hazardous waste drop-offs, a proposed reuse/swap program, and a potential partnership with Sneaker Impact to collect and recycle footwear with diversion and carbon-savings reporting.

Please like and share to help educate and raise awareness!

Stay Connected/Learn More
southwestranches.org/
Instagram @townofswr

♻️ Celebrate International Day of Zero Waste in Southwest Ranches! 🌍
Join us Sunday, March 29, 2026 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM at Southwest Ranches Sanctuary Park Pavilion, 16020 Griffin Road, Southwest Ranches, as we come together to promote sustainability and simple actions that make a big impact in our community.
✨ Event activities include:
👟 Sneaker donation drive
♻️ "Thing swap"
👜 Plastic bag exchange

More About The Town of Southwest Ranches Zero Waste Board
This Board provides input to the Town Council concerning environmental safety concerns and issues as they pertain to the health, safety, and well-being of the environment and the Town’s residents. The purpose of the Board is to chart a path towards zero waste by reducing the amount of waste disposed in landfills, promote waste prevention and reuse of materials. Meets: The 1st Tuesday of every month at 7:00PM at Town Hall, 13400 Griffin Road, Southwest Ranches, FL 33330.

In Attendance: November 4, 2025 Board Meeting
Harold Gubnitsky, Chairman of the Southwest Ranches’ Zero Waste Advisory Board; CEO of Clean Earth Innovations, LLC.  

Rose Allbritton, board member of Town of Southwest Ranches Zero Waste Advisory

Town of Southwest Ranches Vice Mayor Gary Joblonski

Town of Southwest Ranches council members
Bob Hartmann
Jim Allbritton
Debbie Green

Council Liaison: Council Member David S. Kuczenski, Esq.

Staff Liaison: Dan Stewart, Deputy Town Clerk

In this Sneaker Impact News episode, Bryan interviews Jake Gordon, Associate Director of Client Services at Geared for Green, a sustainability company that builds circular economy programs for organizations by collecting plastics and other recyclables and turning them into new products. Jake explains how they handle hard-to-recycle materials, partner with nationwide recyclers, and provide tracked, transparent reporting to prevent greenwashing. He highlights CIRQboard, a high-strength polymer sheet made from recycled films, bags, and wraps used for furniture, fixtures, flooring, and more, including takeback recycling at end of life. They discuss event recycling like major Florida boat shows that generate massive amounts of shrink wrap, plus sustainable apparel made from plastic bottles. Jake also shares Trace AI, a rewards app using QR-coded bins and image recognition to incentivize proper recycling, and Circular Express Box for shipping recyclables via FedEx.

Please like and share to help educate and spread awareness!

Stay Connected & Learn More

Website: Gearedforgreen.com

Instagram: @gearedforgreen and @apexsustainablefurnishings

Circular Express Box 

TraceAI App

Geared For Green Catalog

Geare For Green (YouTube Channel)

https://www.plasticsindustry.org/blog/from-private-equity-to-plastics-circularity-jake-gordon-at-geared-for-green/

Join us in this engaging episode of Sneaker Impact News as we welcome Andy Polk, Senior Vice President at the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA). Andy discusses his extensive role in shaping the future of the footwear industry, driving innovation, sustainability, and strategy. Learn about the FDRA's mission, the complexities of footwear tariffs, and the push towards circularity and sustainability in shoe design. Andy also shares insights from his career, the importance of thoughtful consumer practices, and the evolution of the footwear business in a changing global landscape. Don't miss out on this comprehensive look at the footwear industry and what lies ahead!

Stay Connected & Learn More

fdra.org

Follow the FDRA on Instagram @fdra1944

FootwearInnovation.com

ShoeSustainability.com

[email protected]

Join Sneaker Impact News host Bryan as he interviews special guest Haley Grace Poe who was crowned Miss Earth USA on July 6th, 2025, in Washington, D.C. following the premiere of the first-ever reality TV series based on a pageant in the United States, Pretty Down to Earth. She created her initiative, the Microplastic Awareness Project (MAP), to address the growing microplastic pollution crisis. Through MAP, Haley has hosted cleanups, advocated for single use plastic reduction, and initiated legislation at the state and federal level to address plastic pollution. Haley covers topics from overcoming shyness to become a leader, her passion for environmental advocacy to life as a beauty pageant contestant, and more. Please share and subscribe to the channel to help us spread more awareness and education. Thank you!

Stay Connected/Learn More

Instagram: @haleygracepoe @microplastic.awareness.project @missearthusa

Youtube.com/@haleygracepoe 

Youtube.com/@missearth 

[email protected]

Sneaker Impact News: Designing Sustainability with Particle Play Co-Founders

In Episode 44 of Sneaker Impact News, host Bryan welcomes Krissy Harbert and Amanda Rawlings, co-founders of Particle Play. The discussion covers their backgrounds, the creation, and mission of Particle Play—transforming post-consumer and industrial waste into innovative brand environments and products. They emphasize sustainability, local partnerships, and community building within design. Bryan and his guests discuss various upcycling projects and the challenges of introducing eco-friendly materials in mainstream markets. They also share their personal passions and sustainable practices. Join for an inspiring conversation on pushing the boundaries of sustainable environmental design.

Stay Connected & Learn More

IG: @particle.play

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/particle-play

Press: https://linktr.ee/particleplay

2023 Brand Launch

**Please like and share the video and subscribe to the channel to support sustainability**

Upcycling Sneakers with Noor Hachem: A Family Passion Project

In this episode, we chat with Noor Hachem, a 21-year-old university student with a strong passion for sneakers. Noor discusses her involvement in Sneaker Impact, a family business focusing on upcycling sneakers. She shares her personal connection to the project, her family's deep roots in the industry, and how they are partnering with universities to give fashion students an opportunity to upcycle sneakers. Noor also emphasizes the importance of sustainability and supporting micro-businesses. Follow Sneaker Impact on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to stay updated on their journey and innovative projects.

To learn more and get involved, follow Sneaker Impact on Instagram and YouTube.

https://www.instagram.com/sneaker.impact

https://youtube.com/@sneakerimpact

Building Community Through Running: The Nameless Run Club Story

In this episode, host Bryan the Botanist sits down with Drew Tegui and Stefan Finke, the passionate co-founders of Nameless Run Club. They discuss their motivations, origin stories, and the unique approach that sets their organization apart. From introducing cold plunges to curated wellness experiences, Nameless Run Club is more than just running—it's about building a community. Discover how they started from humble beginnings, the partnerships they've formed, and their vision for the future. Special shout-outs go to their supporters and various partners. Don't miss hearing about their upcoming events and innovative plans on how they keep their runners engaged.

Stay Connected & Learn More

https://www.instagram.com/namelessrun/

https://namelessrun.com

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