Troy Swope
Chief Executive Officer at Footprint
When I get up every morning and head to work, one thing that is always top of mind for me is my four kids. Not only am I motivated to create products that will hopefully help make our oceans and our planet a cleaner place, but I love seeing the passion that they now share with me about why it’s so important to eliminate single-use plastics. And it’s not only my kids.
All the time I’m reading stories or seeing videos online of the difference that the next generation is fighting for – especially Gen Z. They are walking out of class and protesting. They are using their voices on social media and breaking through. They have a fire within them when it comes to saving this planet. That’s why I was so honored to meet Eden.
Eden was introduced to me at Footprint through a fellow employee. She told me she shared our passion for saving the oceans and wanted to help any way she could. In talking to her I was impressed how, at only 12 years old, she is already thinking not only of the future she will witness but of those even younger than herself. She is thoughtful and forward minded, and I’m excited to have her work with us.
We now have some different projects we are coming up with that Eden is going to help out on – acting as our official Footprint Youth Reporter. I’ll let her introduce herself further in her own words:
“Hi everyone! My name is Eden. I’m 12 years old and from Gilbert, AZ. I'm passionate about saving our oceans because it is important to me that future generations can experience the same kind of beauty there that I have.
My mom is from California, and I've grown up visiting California almost every summer - and practically living at the beach! We lived there for one year when I was 6 and from my school you could smell the ocean air. I loved that. I hope I never have to describe to my future children how pretty the clean, blue water was. Or how amazing all the sea creatures were.
My favorite ocean memory is when I was about 8 years old and went to Mexico. I was playing in the water with my friends and family, and all of a sudden we saw a fin pop out of the water! At first, I was super scared and thought it was a shark, but I realized it was a dolphin when it began to jump in and out of the waves. I had never seen a wild dolphin that close before and I hope one day I can get even closer!
In my free time, I love to dance, spend time with my family, and hang out with all of my friends. I'd love to help inspire other kids my age to stop using plastic when they can.”
Check out the first interview Eden and I did together, where she asks me about why the next generation of Ocean Heroes inspires me, and what I do in my daily life to eliminate single-use plastics. And look for more to come soon!
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For more on the latest of the plastics crisis follow me on Twitter @Troy_Swope and on Instagram @Swope.Troy