Inspired by the young scientist and innovator Gitanjali Rao, CG Roxane LLC, the family-owned and operated maker of Crystal Geyser® Alpine Spring Water®, is kicking off an annual commitment to communities with the announcement of a $55,000 annual award program beginning in August 2021.

The California Youth Sustainability Awards by CG Roxane, LLC aims to encourage and support young community leaders who are making a difference for sustainability in their communities by taking action for the planet. CG Roxane — as evidenced by their investment in environmental innovation and deep partnerships with organizations like American Forests and the California Coastal Commission — has a long history of supporting environmental groups, and would now like to extend that support to young individuals fighting for the planet’s future every day.

The annual award program will recognize young Heroes, Champions, and Leaders in the world of sustainability, rewarding and encouraging them to continue making a sustainable impact upon their communities and the people around them.

Announcing Our Finalists

Hero Award

Kyle Tianshi (15 yrs, San Diego, CA) developed NEREID, in response to Bill SB1422-California Safe Drinking Water Act: Microplastics, a patent-pending device that can characterize microscopic particles in water using a 532nm laser, an image processing algorithm, and a micro-computer. He engineered the device as a low-cost alternative for the 1 million Californians that do not have access to clean water.

Champion Awards

Marcus Lee (17 yrs, San Jose, CA) helped design an award-winning autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) that uses artificial intelligence (AI) object detection to detect and remove plastics from the ocean. He and his team formed ChelonAI, a non-profit organization that aims to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, where Marcus serves as CEO and oversees software and AI development.

Sarah Goody (17 yrs, Corte Madera, CA) is a climate activist and founder of ClimateNOW, Chair of the Corte Madera Climate Action Committee, youth activism mentor, non-profit organization volunteer, author and corporate sustainability advisor.

Leader Awards

Romal Mitr (16 yrs, Dublin, CA) is the founder of Reimagining Earth which works to take strides towards normalizing the use of creativity to combat environmental problems whether it be through film including workshops and festival participation, carbon footprint mapmaking, proposing bills to bridge perceived gaps in legislation or nurturing her passion for origami using recycled materials and distributing her crafts to medical communities as therapeutic gifts.

Ethan Hua (14 yrs, San Mateo, CA) started the H.O.P.E. (Help Our Planet Earth) Uniforms Program in 2019, aiming to serve the community by accepting, recycling, and reusing school uniforms in order to reduce contributions to landfills. This eco-friendly program has provided over 1,000 articles of clothing to over 175 families and is currently servicing five schools in the San Mateo-Foster City school district.

Viren Mehta (16 yrs, Cypress, CA) was a 2019 National Soapbox Speech winner, presenting in Washington, D.C. his views on climate change and his solution, zero-emission school buses, directly helping to catalyze the establishment of two zero-emission school buses in his school district.