Award Winner

Grand Award Winner (Young Adult)

Marina Gana Vida (the Philippines, established in 2007)

Marina Gana Vida (MGV) encompasses three interlinked concepts: Healthy Food for Consumers, Vibrant and Resilient Coastal Households, and Happy Earth. We transform constraints in the Davao Mariculture Industry into livelihoods for the coastal poor living on US$ 1-2/day from capture fishery/subsistence activities. MGV provides the platform to access and build assets that facilitate them to take on critical functions as growers, net manufacturers, caretakers and harvesters. MGV contributes to coastal resource rehabilitation, and sustainable healthy food supply, by enabling the poor to engage in eco-friendly growth-oriented employment and enterprises, vital to improving competitiveness of the chains. Key Revenue cum Impact Streams:

Hatchery-bred seedstocks. Micro pond operators that traditionally relied on wild seedstocks, now have opportunities to produce year – round, under eco-friendly conditions, at increased survival rates, through: a) easy payment terms; b) no minimum volume requirement; c) proximity; d) shorter production cycle; and e) technical assistance.
Fresh Fish. Supply of premium quality fish at farm gate price for small volume purchases, makes our demo farms self-financing, while enabling micro fish retailers, processors, and brokers to improve profit margins.
All Natural Processed Fish. Through all – natural, healthy, delicious food products, we nourish our consumers, the Muslim women group that co-operates the processing plant, the growers and workers aligned to natural farming and Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP), and Mother Earth.

MGV is currently operated as a unit of Strategic Development Cooperation – Asia (SDCAsia). The founder Jonah Nobleza, an employee of SDCAsia, started work on the business model in February 2007, with support from SDCAsia management and his co-founder in-charge of processing operations. Day-to-day operations are supervised by 3 fishery technicians. MGV operates under a flat hierarchy for a faster response to market needs/changes.

With a current outreach of 2,500 households and indirect benefits of 10,344 individuals, MGV has incrementally increased their income by 35-45% (US$57 to US$103). The Muslim women are earning for the first time, their own income. Players have access and use of hatchery-bred seedstocks. Products from the community-based processing plant have afforded urban populace niches, with healthy and special diet alternatives.

Within 10 years, we envision MGV to be the Philippines' leading supplier of all natural marine products, and progressively integrate in its operation 10,000 households, as labor force and/or independent businesses/suppliers, with net incomes of at least 30% above the poverty threshold. To facilitate the shift to a full organic/natural farming system, our immediate priority is to set-up a community-based feed mill.

Merit Award Winners (Young Adult)

MINIWIZ (Taiwan, established in 2006)

MINIWIZ is a globally recognized innovator dedicated to eco-solutions through practicing the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. At MINIWIZ, we synergize expertise in design, engineering and manufacturing to deliver innovative solutions by applying existing and future green technology. Our theory of change is that businesses with a focus on sustainability could create positive impact on both social and economic levels.

Arthur Huang, a university professor, engineer, architect, and entrepreneur, co-founded MINIWIZ in 2006 when he was 28 years old, and since then the company has grown organically into a profitable international eco-solution brand, employing over 40 full-time professional engineers, architects and designers. Creativity and flexibility are at the core of the MINIWIZ management team, consisting of energetic professionals from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds.

MINIWIZ was the creative team behind the EcoARK, built for the 2010 Taipei International Expo with 1.5 million POLLI-BricksTM, hexagonal building blocks made out of 100% recycled PET (plastic drinking) bottles. MINIWIZ turned the plastic waste problem into a sustainable and cost-competitive architectural solution. It is now commissioned to design and build substantial commercial complexes using Polli-Bricks. National Geographic Channel featured the MINIWIZ team in the “Megastructure: EcoARK” program aired internationally across 150 countries. MINIWIZ was among the finalist for the 2011 Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Award.

MINIWIZ has also developed never-before-seen waste composites called POLLIBER, made with recycled thermoplastics and agricultural waste. Beginning with smaller consumer products, such as iPhone case and wine packaging, these are incremental steps towards architectural applications for POLLIBER, which will include ceiling panels, shading, wall panels. The vision is to build entire structures out of sustainable materials. Traditional buildings consumes 46.9% of the total fossil energy in the US and European Union. 100% made from trash, this is MINIWIZ's eco-aggressive commitment, to turn waste into resource, problem into solution.

MINIWIZ aims to become the most innovative and influential players in sustainability development with testified methods to transform trash into sustainable materials. We are committed to delivering eco-friendly building materials and stylishly, innovatively designed green consumer electronics to encourage sustainable consumption. MINIWIZ is working with Harvard Graduate School of Design to research into sustainable construction and materials with a specific focus on Asia. In the next 5 years time, MINIWIZ will be expanding its global distribution platform, extending its product portfolio and venturing into strategic upstream opportunities in recycled and bio-based polymer.

Horizon Volunteer Consultancy (China, established in 2005)

Horizon Corporate Volunteer Consultancy (HCVC) commits to becoming China's leading professional consultancy in corporate volunteering and offering the largest supporting platform. Since its establishment, HCVC has assisted over a hundred corporates, including nearly fifty top 50 enterprises with the help of over 100,000 volunteers who have contributed over one million hours. A total of over 500 charitable organizations and over 100,000 elderly, children and disabled have been directly served and over a million communities and groups have been benefited indirectly. In 2011, HCVC was named by the British Council one of the ten best social enterprises and was invited to visit the U.K.

The sustainable operation of HCVC is fully financed by the income generated from professional planning, training and assessment services and resources:

Pair up charity resources and corporate needs, and design volunteer activities for corporate volunteers to offer services more readily and quickly. The service is now available in all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China;
Promote the systematic and organised service model of corporate volunteers, assist enterprises in the formation of volunteer associations, provide corporate volunteer service system solutions and promote sustainable volunteer activities among corporates.
Corporations will be able to share resources and achieve win-win through HCVC's networks.
Being a professional corporate volunteering consultancy, HCVC is committed to promoting the development of the volunteering sector through research.

Since entering the charity area in 2001, Dr. Wang Zhongping has gained rich experience from offering consultancy and training service to dozens of companies and enjoys a high reputation in the industry. Mr.Zhang Xu, Head of Shanghai Office, Project Director Ruan Sifan and Senior Project Manager Liu Yongli have over ten years of volunteer experience. Project Manager Kang Yun has worked in the education and environment fields for more than seven years and Project Manager Liu Ning has been engaged in volunteer service for over seven years. This experienced team of 15 full-time employees guarantees the rapid development of HCVC.

Volunteering can make a difference. We look forward to joining hands with those who share our passion and promoting volunteering in China.

Rising Star Award

Hongbalun (China)

Hongbalun (China) provides teenagers and their parents with interesting knowledge of science though its website, iTunes Podcasts, APP store (released in December 2011), magazines, books and broadcasting, as well as free lab courses at regular intervals. We endeavor to supply first-rate articles, programs, and lab courses to popularize science for kids. With parent-child interaction and hands-on science learning experience, we hope parent-child relationship can be enhanced.

Hongbalun (www.hongbalun.com) spreads the knowledge of science, mathematics, and cooking skills through stories, financial planning and comics. Hongbalun Special (www.hongbalun.org) is especially founded for visually impaired people. The offline activity (Science Camp for Kids) is the project of MaD Change in Action (PRC). We organise activities such as Bookcrossing and present visually impaired people with MP3s and audiobooks. We found free science lab and cooking courses to all school-age children and their parents.

Hongbalun cooperates with more than 20 organizations and the media and establishes libraries for children in 2 cities. The listenership of Hongbalun’s programs is ranked top 5 among the classification of children and family in China Podcast. The programs have been invited to broadcast in Jiangsu Binhai People’s Broadcasting Station.

At present, the team of Hongbalun is divided into 2 parts—the product development group and the public benefit project group. We plan to develop products with our original works, thus raising funds to support public welfare activity.

As long as you bring your eyes, ears, and hands, Hongbalun will take you to the playful and amazing world of science!

View MaD Award 2011 Winners