Via Nelson standing by the ocean basking in the sun, wearing sunglasses and a white top

The Make Waves Program

Here at CONQUERing, we're on a mission to empower others.

Nominate a Wavemaker

Recognizing Change Makers

We started our Make Waves Program to recognize young voices across the nation creating waves of positivity and change in their communities. Whether they’re speaking out on social media or hosting events in their hometown, we will recognize young leaders who are fearless in their pursuit of change. Each month, the selected changemakers will receive a CONQUERing “Make Waves” ring or necklace and a special-edition CONQUERing WaveMaker sweatshirt. In addition, they will be featured on CONQUERing’s social media channels to support and amplify their voices.

The Make Waves Program was inspired by our Founder's daughter, Olivia Nelson. Learn more about the origins of the program here

Meet our WaveMakers

Cash Daniels

Cash Daniels

Cash is more than just a 12-year old fish and wildlife lover. Since age 7, after hearing that the nearby Tennessee River was the most microplastic-polluted river in the world, he’s been hard at work. He has since removed 22,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River and started a recycling program to help pay for his work recycling aluminum. With that money, he has placed 44 monofilament bins around 9 state parks and local boat ramps to reduce fishing line waste in the river. And his work hasn’t gone unnoticed! Cash was named a top 5 Kid of the Year by Nickelodeon & Time magazine in 2021, was three-time Youth Conservationist of the year recipient for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, was recognized by Prudential with their Spirit of Community Award, received a Gloria Baron Prize, and was honored by receiving 3rd place with the Action for Nature award…just to name a few.

But more important than acknowledgments, Cash is still hard at work. Nowadays he can be found working with government officials on conservation efforts and addressing litter in his state. He’s also running a business he co-founded called The Cleanup Kids. The Cleanup Kids are on a relentless mission to protect the planet. They do this through direct action campaigns, speeches, interviews, and meeting with officials to help make change happen. Oh, and we can’t forget about his 2019 children’s book “One Small Piece," all about inspiring kids to help save the planet!

To learn more about Cash and follow alongside his journey, follow @theconservationkid on Instagram! 

Ethan D. Hill

Ethan founded Ethan’s Heart Bags4Blessings in 2017 when he was 6 years old. He took notice of a homeless gentleman who resides underneath a local freeway underpass on his way to school each day. He researched emergency needs of homeless individuals who resided on the streets and took $100.00 of his Christmas money in December of 2017 to purchase essential survival items as gifts. Each year thereafter, using his own money and donations from community members Ethan along with volunteers create care packages to distribute during street outreach to those individuals who are homeless and reside on the streets. When he is not working for those in need, he is a gifted and honors middle school student. He plays competitive golf, plays trumpet in the band, and works on the media ministry at church. He has been recognized on the Kelly Clarkson Show, numerous news outlets, and has received countless awards for his philanthropic efforts. Learn more about Ethan by checking out @ethansheartbham on Instagram!

Havana Chapman-Edwards

Havana is a young United States diplomat living in Frankfurt, Germany. She is the founder and Executive Director of Girls Have Rights, which is a youth-powered global non-profit providing education through diplomacy to eliminate barriers so girls have access to their basic human rights. Havana is also known for advocacy with gun violence prevention and has been featured on the cover of TIME magazine, the Today Show, and CNN. Recently, Havana started a book club with her children’s choir and has raised over $40,000 for books, school supplies, toiletries, and clothing for girls around the world. We are honored to further Havana’s mission by sharing her groundbreaking work on our platforms. You can learn all about Havana's efforts @thetinydiplomat on Twitter/Instagram.

Allie Weber

Allie is a 14-year-old maker, builder, and award-winning patented inventor. Since a young age, Allie has had a passion for making and creating, using all kinds of tools and materials. Throughout the past few years, Allie has received numerous recognitions, such as hosting Mythbusters Jr., winning first place innovator in the Smithsonian Spark!Lab Invent It challenge, and being named one of the top ten young scientists in the country by 3M and Discovery Education. Some of Allie's amazing innovations include a patented wearable frost bite warning system, as well as a respiratory therapy tool for kids called the Blowdart Spirometer. Allie uses her YouTube channel "Tech-nic-Allie Speaking" to inspire people of all ages to build, make and, create. At the beginning of the pandemic, she organized a global collaboration, called "#StayInPlayin" which consisted of almost 50 STEM youth making videos to keep kids at home playing and learning. Allie believes that "Kids are not the future, we are here now. We are not going to change the world someday, we already are." Make sure to follow Allie's Youtube channel and find her on Instagram @tech_nic_allie. We are so excited to welcome her to the Class of 2021 WaveMakers!

Khloe Thompson

Khloe is a 13-year-old international philanthropist. She started her own charity called Khloe Kares at the age of 8, which supports the homeless community, inspires the youth to be change makers, and installs water pumps and bathroom facilities in Ghana schools that don’t have access to clean safe water. Her goal is to build a school in Ghana by 2023. Khloe has also published two children’s books and is working on her third. She believes in creating opportunities for other youth to succeed and hopes to make all of her friends and peers know they are loved. Khloe is an outstanding WaveMaker, and we are ecstatic to recognize her work! You can head over to @khloekares on Instagram to see the impact she's making across the globe.

Temple Lester

Temple is a 13-year old entrepreneur, public speaker, and STEM Advocate. She is the creator of “STEM Girl Swag” and the inventor of the STEM Swag Box. The “STEM Swag Box” was created by Temple in 2019 to make STEM education fun. Her Go-Fund-Me campaign has raised over $5,000 to provide science kits to youth and supplies for her workshops. Temple also provides free workshops, seminars, and motivational talks to get youth involved in STEM. She is dedicated to introducing underrepresented youth to STEM and filling the gap. Through her advocacy, Temple has exposed over 100,000 people to STEM. Temple's work has received numerous awards, and she was recently featured in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture 2020 digital showcase for her award-winning documentary about Shirley Chisholm. We are excited to recognize Temple's work and invite her to the Class of 2021 Wavemakers. Make sure to check her out @justtemple on Instagram!

Dylan and Denver Humphrey

Dylan and Denver recently launched Fourddo Inc, a unique nonprofit that challenges youth to defy odds and DO life differently. Dylan & Denver “believe kids are motivated by other kids” and think it’s important to see youth doing positive things! By partnering with a few special organizations, Fourddo uses their platform to advocate for change and inspire other kids to find ways to give back. Dylan and Denver travel all around the country performing & speaking at schools and community events. They are also junior tennis influencers who enjoy sharing their passion for tennis throughout underserved communities. Head over to the Fourddo Instagram to check out this inspiring sibling duo. Welcome to the Class of 2021 Wavemakers, Dylan & Denver!

Niamani Knight

Niamani is the Founder of S.T.R.E.A.M. Kids Expo™ and Co-Founder of S.T.R.E.A.M. Global Innovations. After being selected at the age of 13 to participate in the first Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA Program) in Lancaster, CA, Niamani discovered the pressing need for industry exposure and interactive learning for young students. Therefore, Niamani created a platform for students and businesses to showcase their talents and discuss possibilities. S.T.R.E.A.M. programs emphasize science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and manufacturing and strive to connect the dots between education and career. Since the program launched in 2015, Niamani has collaborated with over 23,000 of her peers. She hopes to increase access to S.T.R.E.A.M. programs in underprivileged and low performing neighborhoods, to encourage a movement where kids are empowered to reach their fullest potential. We are honored to welcome Niamani into the Class of 2021 Wavemakers. Learn more about Niamani here!

Sammie Vance

In 2017, Sammie learned about the idea of a “buddy bench.” In her words, “If someone is lonely they can go sit on the bench and others know to go up and ask them to play.” Sammie was inspired to build a buddy bench at her school and set out to do just that. She collaborated with local businesses to collect recycled plastic caps and lids that could be turned into benches. Within 2 months, Sammie received over 1,2000 lbs of caps and was able to build 3 benches for her school! The project has continued to grow, as more people are collecting caps and wanting to do this in their own community all over the country and world. Sammie has received caps from all 50 states, as well as Africa, Israel, Germany and the Netherlands! Sammie continues to help groups near and far start their own collection and talks with groups and schools about the importance of being kind. She also hosts her own podcast called “Sammie Smiles.” Sammie is a true WaveMaker, and we’re excited to welcome her to our crew! Check her out at @sammiesbuddybenchproject!

Michael Platt

Michael is an inspiring baker, business owner, social entrepreneur and food justice advocate. Michael has been baking since he was 9 years old, but he became interested in the challenges of inequality after learning about the March on Washington at age 6. Inspired by a pair of TOMS shoes he received as a present, Michael decided that he would begin a baking business with a 1-for1 model. From the beginning of Michael’s Desserts, he has donated a dessert to someone in need for every one dessert that he sells. Michael also raises money for No Kid Hungry, a national non-profit that’s working to end childhood hunger. He has been featured on the Kids Baking Championship on the Food Network as well as many other news outlets for his impressive work. Please join us in welcoming Michael to the Class of 2021 WaveMakers – we can’t wait to see what else he bakes up! You can check Michael out @michaelsdesserts on Instagram.

Ian McKenna

A couple years ago, Ian learned that there were children at his school going to bed hungry. Wanting to make a difference for his classmates, Ian decided to take action. He raised funds and gathered volunteers to construct a raised bed garden and small fruit orchard at his elementary school known as the “Giving Garden” to provide the community with free access to fresh produce. After building the Giving Garden, Ian began to realize that many students didn't have the knowledge to prepare the produce they were receiving. He began offering cooking demonstrations and providing sample recipes to help teach the students that healthy food can taste good. Since 2016, Ian has grown and donated more than 3,000 lbs of organic produce from his backyard garden alone and 19,000 lbs from school and community gardens. Ian is a true WaveMaker, and we are honored to welcome him to the Class of 2021. Make sure to check him out @garden_for_hunger.

Black Lives Matter Leaders

Our first WaveMaker recipient is an inspiring group of high schoolers in Mason, Ohio. In June, seven strong young women led a Black Lives Matter march throughout their local community. Ayesha Chaudhry, Mariah Norman, Courtney Banner-Lynch, Janae Hayes, Lexi Fedders, Leah Herbert and Sydney Womack planned the march together after meeting in an AP government class at Mason High School. With lines of marchers spanning a few miles long, these inspiring young women brought together a diverse group of community members in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The rally was a massive success, and Mason community members of all ages were in attendance. We are so excited to recognize these impressive young women as our first CONQUERing WaveMakers, and we know they are going to continue making waves in their community.

Anah Ambuchi

Anah is a rising anti-bullying advocate with a passion for filmmaking. At 11 years old, Anah wrote, directed, and produced an award winning short film titled "Made in His Image," which was based on Anah’s experience with bullying and colorism. "Made in His Image" was accepted into 12 national film festivals and received a special invitation to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Currently, Anah speaks at various schools and organizations about anti-bullying and recently co-hosted a virtual anti-bullying event which encouraged participants to spread love and kindness, and to stick up for those who are being bullied. As an aspiring filmmaker, Anah strives to use film to empower, encourage, and uplift others while bringing to the forefront issues like bullying and racism. Anah is a true changemaker, and we are ecstatic to welcome to her to our class of 2020 WaveMakers. Make sure to check her out @aambuchi on Instagram!

Rebekah Bruesehoff

Rebekah(she/her) is a thirteen year old trans activist who is on a mission to spread a message of hope and improve support for transgender and LGBTQ youth. At the age of eight, Rebekah experienced an intense period of anxiety and depression. However, after hearing the word “transgender” and understanding what it meant, Rebekah was able to clearly articulate her gender identity and socially transition with the support of her family. Currently, Rebekah strives to spread a message of hope for transgender and LGBTQ youth internationally through public speaking, media appearances, and her social media platform. Working alongside her mom, Jamie Bruesehoff, Rebekah provides educational opportunities and advocates for policy changes that protect and support LGBTQ+ people of all ages. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Rebekah to the Class of 2020 Wavemakers. Head over to her Instagram @therealrebekah to learn about the impactful work she’s doing!

Kayla Pak

Kayla is a high school student and mental health advocate. Kayla started her journey with mental health in 7th grade and recently began to use her own social media platforms for change. In October 2020, Kayla posted her first video about mental health, and since then her accounts have continued to grow. As a teenager herself, Kayla hopes to provide comfort for her peers and break down the stigma surrounding mental health. She recently became a part of @mentalhealth.mvmt which has allowed her to grow her following and ultimately her impact. Through her advocacy, Kayla strives to remind others they're never alone and inspire them to reach out for help. You can check out some of Kayla's work on her TikTok or Instagram pages @kayla.pakk. We're excited to welcome Kayla to the Class of 2020 WaveMakers!

Jaden Winn

Jaden Winn

Jaden is a youth activist and social change artist from Portland, Oregon. His desire to support those who are marginalized and underrepresented first took form when he saved his 3rd-grade teacher's job from budget cuts. Now 20, Jaden has spent the last 12 years of his life creating projects, leading rallies, lobbying for climate justice, and advocating for those experiencing homelessness. Through a GoFundMe project called 100 Items in 100 Hours Jaden fundraised over $2500, created 30+ cold weather safety kits, and received several large bags of in-kind donations of cold weather clothing --all in about 100 hours. With the success and momentum of this project, Jaden established Youth Igniting Change, a youth alliance dedicated to providing a platform to support, uplift, and empower young people to discover the power of their voices to create a better tomorrow. Check out more about his work and his projects on YouthIgnitingChange.com or on his Instagram @jaden.winn.

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