Grant Fifteen | Nyoka Design Labs
Sponsored by: Lightning Rock Winery
Nyoka Design Labs is a small social enterprise with the big vision of disrupting the wasteful plastic industry.
They create sustainable alternatives to single-use, toxic, wasteful products – and at the same time foster safer spaces for youth and less represented communities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to come together and innovate solutions.
Nyoka created with world’s first bio luminescent, Earth-friendly glow stick by using materials that actively capture carbon and mitigate climate change in alignment with the UN sustainable development goals.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their product launch was delayed and their primary target audience, and impact, practically disappeared: eliminating plastic waste from music festivals. They pivoted to global emergency lighting, humanitarian aid, and increased focus on STEM education.
Prior to the pandemic they would facilitate in-school STEM workshops, volunteer-run at no cost. However, due to COVID, they had to adapt and create an online model to still reach youth and continue their engagement.
“Education is one of our main priorities as a social enterprise, however, we are lacking the funds to fully launch the support required.”
The grant will go towards STEM education resources, including their Earth-friendly light wand science kits, that they will mail to high-school students participating in their online innovation and entrepreneurship workshops for youth in under served groups.