Millennial Makers: Working Today to Innovate Tomorrow

Millennials continue to debunk the Me-Me-Me stereotype.

- Millennials have record levels of voter participation and are a generation interested in civic service careers, volunteerism and innovation. Despite their self-starter streak, the 18-33 year olds are fighting against the stereotypes that dubbed them the Me-Me-Me-generation. Meet the millennials whose work dismantles that notion. – LaToya Bowlah (Photo: Commercial Appeal /Landov)

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- Millennials have record levels of voter participation and are a generation interested in civic service careers, volunteerism and innovation. Despite their self-starter streak, the 18-33 year olds are fighting against the stereotypes that dubbed them the Me-Me-Me-generation. Meet the millennials whose work dismantles that notion. – LaToya Bowlah (Photo: Commercial Appeal /Landov)

Tony Hansberry Jr.  - Whiz kid Tony Hansberry Jr., 18, was a student at Darnell Cookman School of Medical Arts when he developed a technique that reduces the surgical time for hysterectomies. Hansberry’s method proved to be three times faster than the traditional method. In 2009, Hansberry, age 15 at the time, demonstrated his technique to a large assembly of doctors and surgeons as part of the University of Florida’s medical education week. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

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Tony Hansberry Jr.  - Whiz kid Tony Hansberry Jr., 18, was a student at Darnell Cookman School of Medical Arts when he developed a technique that reduces the surgical time for hysterectomies. Hansberry’s method proved to be three times faster than the traditional method. In 2009, Hansberry, age 15 at the time, demonstrated his technique to a large assembly of doctors and surgeons as part of the University of Florida’s medical education week. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

Sade Powell - Sade Powell, 19, is a part of the Young Women of Color HIV/AIDs Coalition in New York where she works to help implement New York City’s mandatory sex and HIV education in public schools. She first got involved with HIV advocacy at the age of 14 and has since addressed the increasing HIV rates among women of color and serves as a source of empowerment for adolescents. (Photo: Courtesy of We Speak) 

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Sade Powell - Sade Powell, 19, is a part of the Young Women of Color HIV/AIDs Coalition in New York where she works to help implement New York City’s mandatory sex and HIV education in public schools. She first got involved with HIV advocacy at the age of 14 and has since addressed the increasing HIV rates among women of color and serves as a source of empowerment for adolescents. (Photo: Courtesy of We Speak) 

Stephanie Asanate - Stephanie Asante, 19, and her close friend Nshira Turkson, 20, launched “Born With Love,” which supplies toys and clothes to orphanages in Ghana through community drives in Virginia. The nonprofit stemmed from a modest project the ladies launched during their senior year of high school called Goo Goo for Ghana. (Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Asante)

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Stephanie Asanate - Stephanie Asante, 19, and her close friend Nshira Turkson, 20, launched “Born With Love,” which supplies toys and clothes to orphanages in Ghana through community drives in Virginia. The nonprofit stemmed from a modest project the ladies launched during their senior year of high school called Goo Goo for Ghana. (Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Asante)

Brandon Ford - Brandon Ford, 20, is a member of the Hybrid X team at West Philadelphia High School which develops fuel-efficient cars. The team faced-off against corporations and universities in the 2010 Progressive Automotive X Prize competition and won the Mainstream Division. In recognition of his work as a young engineer, Ford was invited to sit with Michelle Obama at President Obama’s state of the union address in 2011. (Photo: West Philly Hybrid X Team)

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Brandon Ford - Brandon Ford, 20, is a member of the Hybrid X team at West Philadelphia High School which develops fuel-efficient cars. The team faced-off against corporations and universities in the 2010 Progressive Automotive X Prize competition and won the Mainstream Division. In recognition of his work as a young engineer, Ford was invited to sit with Michelle Obama at President Obama’s state of the union address in 2011. (Photo: West Philly Hybrid X Team)

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Zoë Damacela - At age 14, Zoë Damacela started designing and making dresses that she would sell to her friends for $13. Today, at the age of 21, she has a successful, eponymously named, four-year-old clothing company. In recognition of her success as a young entrepreneur, Damacela was invited to the White House first in 2009 and again in 2011 to speak on behalf of the group Start Up America. (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

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Zoë Damacela - At age 14, Zoë Damacela started designing and making dresses that she would sell to her friends for $13. Today, at the age of 21, she has a successful, eponymously named, four-year-old clothing company. In recognition of her success as a young entrepreneur, Damacela was invited to the White House first in 2009 and again in 2011 to speak on behalf of the group Start Up America. (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Sixto Cancel - Sixto Cancel, 21, works with the National Foster Care and Alumni Policy Council to help develop policies and provides a youth perspective for the Department of Health and Human Services on improving foster care. He designed and leads a pilot program called Stellar Works, which prepares children in foster care for a post-secondary education. As a child, Cancel spent 11 years in foster care. (Photo: Courtesy of Sixto Cancel)

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Sixto Cancel - Sixto Cancel, 21, works with the National Foster Care and Alumni Policy Council to help develop policies and provides a youth perspective for the Department of Health and Human Services on improving foster care. He designed and leads a pilot program called Stellar Works, which prepares children in foster care for a post-secondary education. As a child, Cancel spent 11 years in foster care. (Photo: Courtesy of Sixto Cancel)

Jamira Burley  - Jamira Burley oversees Philadelphia’s Youth Commission, which advises the mayor and city council on issues that affect an estimated 600,000 young adults. At 24, she is the youngest person to head a city agency. The group is currently pushing for the Youth Promise Act, which aims to reduce youth violence. Burley is also a member of the United Nations Youth Advocacy Group, which is working to obtain education for all youths worldwide by 2015. (Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage)

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Jamira Burley  - Jamira Burley oversees Philadelphia’s Youth Commission, which advises the mayor and city council on issues that affect an estimated 600,000 young adults. At 24, she is the youngest person to head a city agency. The group is currently pushing for the Youth Promise Act, which aims to reduce youth violence. Burley is also a member of the United Nations Youth Advocacy Group, which is working to obtain education for all youths worldwide by 2015. (Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage)

Lorna Rutto - Lorna Rutto, 28, founded EcoPost, which recycles plastic waste as an alternative to timber and manufactures it into durable and environmentally friendly fencing posts. In 2011, Rutto received the Cartier Woman’s Initiative Award for her creative solution to Kenya’s plastic litter problem. (Photo: Courtesy of Lorna Rutto)

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Lorna Rutto - Lorna Rutto, 28, founded EcoPost, which recycles plastic waste as an alternative to timber and manufactures it into durable and environmentally friendly fencing posts. In 2011, Rutto received the Cartier Woman’s Initiative Award for her creative solution to Kenya’s plastic litter problem. (Photo: Courtesy of Lorna Rutto)

Saran Kaba Jones  - Saran Kaba Jones, 30, founded FACE Africa to provide access to clean and safe drinking water in Liberia. "I decided to focus specifically on water because the issue of water really crosses all aspects of development," Jones told CNN earlier this year. "It affects education, it affects health, it affects gender issues, so for me there was nothing more basic than the issue of water so I decided to make that my cause." (Photo: Courtesy of Saran Kaba Jones)

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Saran Kaba Jones  - Saran Kaba Jones, 30, founded FACE Africa to provide access to clean and safe drinking water in Liberia. "I decided to focus specifically on water because the issue of water really crosses all aspects of development," Jones told CNN earlier this year. "It affects education, it affects health, it affects gender issues, so for me there was nothing more basic than the issue of water so I decided to make that my cause." (Photo: Courtesy of Saran Kaba Jones)

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Nick Cannon - Nick Cannon, 32, the chairman of TeenNick, is America’s youngest television executive. Cannon is credited for creating the network’s HALO Awards which outperformed the network’s average ratings among teens by more than 27 percent. He also simultaneously hosts a morning show on CBS Radio and NBC’s America’s Got Talent. (Photo: Jeff Schear/Getty Images)

Vashtie Kola - In 2010, tastemaker Vashtie Kola, 32, became the first female to design a shoe for the Air Jordan brand, which was first introduced to the world in 1985. She has also directed videos for artists including Kid Cudi, Solange, Jadakiss and Justin Beiber and worked as the director of creative services at Island Def Jam. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for NYLON)

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Vashtie Kola - In 2010, tastemaker Vashtie Kola, 32, became the first female to design a shoe for the Air Jordan brand, which was first introduced to the world in 1985. She has also directed videos for artists including Kid Cudi, Solange, Jadakiss and Justin Beiber and worked as the director of creative services at Island Def Jam. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for NYLON)