Join us in store to meet these three local Problem Solvers from the New York community. We will hear presentations from each speaker and learn about what inspires their work. Come and show your support—Vote for the project that hits closest to your heart. Good times guaranteed!

Anthony Marinos,

Senior Manager of Business Development

Charity:Water

Since 2017, Anthony Marinos has served as charity: water's Senior Manager of Business Development, crafting and executing various brand partnerships to help bring clean water to more people in need. He spent the earlier years of his career in marketing and sales roles at various startups (most notably Zipcar) before realizing that his talents would be better utilized at an organization dedicated to actually changing the world. Widely known by those close to him for his unshakeable optimism and endless energy, Anthony is excited to see the day when every person on the planet has access to clean water once and for all.

Willis Elkins

Executive Director

Newtown Creek Alliance

Willis Elkins is the Executive Director of the Newtown Creek, a non-profit organization with the mission to Restore, Reveal and Revitalize Newtown Creek, a 3.8 mile Superfund waterway in Brooklyn and Queens. Willis joined NCA in 2013 and has since developed and overseen a number of the key organizational programs relating to restoration and water quality improvements, as well advocacy, planning, community outreach and environmental education. Willis is co-chair of the Newtown Creek Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG), a member of Brooklyn Community Board 1, including chair of the Environmental Committee, and a founding member of the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse where he volunteers and leads canoe trips on and around Newtown Creek.

"The Living Dock is a floating structure providing critical habitat for native salt marsh grasses and a variety of marine wildlife that have suffered from tremendous amounts of pollution and habitat loss in Newtown Creek over the past 150 years. Following the success of our initial 200 square foot dock, launched in 2015, we have created a second dock for the headwaters of the Creek and are collaborating with staff and students from LaGuardia College on new iterations to further improve ecological benefit and habitat.

With a severe lack of public access to Newtown Creek, we have found great value in utilizing tools like the Living Dock as a way to document and showcase the marine wildlife that is returning but often not recognized by the thousands of people living, working and commuting in close proximity to the murky waters. Demonstrating the existence of wildlife in a Superfund site has altered perceptions amongst individuals and agencies, ultimately driving increased stewardship and protection for our local waterway."

Lydon Kersting

Inventor of xPLOR - an expandable pack for lightweight outdoor refugee

Lydon Kersting is a 2018 Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, AMC 4000 Footer, and aerospace engineer (hence her trail name "Rocket").  When not in the clean room or on the launch pad, she can usually be found exploring a new trail, training for her first ultra-marathon, learning how to play the guitar, or helping her friend convert a van. While thru-hiking the AT, Lydon began brainstorming a product that would combine her passion for the outdoors and her engineering background to make the outdoors more accessible and safer for lower-income and at-risk populations. Over the course of her senior year at Princeton University, Lydon designed, modeled, prototyped, and rigorously field-tested xPLOR - an eXpandable Pack for Lightweight Outdoor Refuge.

The cost of high-quality outdoor gear places a significant barrier to socioeconomic diversity in the outdoors. An affordable pack-shelter hybrid that combines load carrying with protection from the elements would make camping and backpacking more accessible for low-income populations.  Such a product is critically needed by refugees fleeing political and military disaster. Refugees rarely carry any form of shelter, but, upon reaching areas of asylum, depend on insubstantial UN-issued tarps that provide limited protection from weather, insects, disease, violence, and sexual exploitation. xPLOR seeks to address both of these underprivileged populations through a portable, weather-proof, temporary shelter that doubles as a lightweight, high capacity pack for injury-free, independent, affordable travel.

xPLOR – an eXpandable Pack for Lightweight Outdoor Refuge – is an all-in-one, affordable, lightweight 55L backpack, 1-person tent, rain poncho, and pack cover kit that satisfies the need for quality, affordable backpacking and camping gear. A large 1-person tent deploys from the front pocket of the internal framed pack. The lightweight telescoping hinged frame and foam padding of the pack provide the tent support structure. A removable rain poncho stored in the top of the pack serves as the tent rainfly during inclement weather. In repurposing adjustable components throughout the product, xPLOR minimizes the amount of material used to create a lighter and more sustainable product while maximizing functionality for a wide user size range. With a 4.8 lb total weight and $109 materials cost, xPLOR is more affordable and lightweight than both  budget and high-end pack-tent-rain jacket-pack cover combinations. Robust, ergonomic, user-friendly, and rigorously-field tested, xPLOR is poised for rapid, high-volume manufacturing to  serve, protect, and empower at-risk and underprivileged populations in the outdoors.