The FEED Project

In 2000, start-ups were all the rage, but ever since the dot-com bust, young entrepreneurs have become somewhat a rarity. This makes Lauren Bush's and Ellen Gustafson's endeavor all the more remarkable: they have created and designed a reusable tote bag they sell at Whole Foods, and use the proceeds to feed schoolchildren in Rwanda; the idea is not only to feed children but to incite them to go to school. It's incredible to think that (from the Whole Foods media page) "each bag purchased for $29.99 will help provide 100 nutritious meals to hungry school age children in Rwanda." Bush and Gustafson met when Bush was a honorary spokesperson for the UN World Food Program and Gustafson served as Communications Officer. And yes, Lauren Bush is the niece of the President, but few children or relatives of wealthy people ever bother doing something meaningful, in particular on such a large scale. (Ellen Gustafson is the daughter of H. Robert Gustafson, a senior consultant at Lehigh's Enterprise Systems Center.) Good luck to them!