Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Kickstart This!

Some weeks when I put together this list, it's more difficult by the sheer number of fantastic projects out there looking for funding. This was certainly one of those weeks!

I managed to pare it down to my top five. Check 'em out and give them some love (read: money).


How gorgeous are these AVES: Bicycle playing cards?! The bird nerd in me loves them even more because they also appeal to the art-lover in me.
The name for the deck, "Aves" comes from the proper scientific classification for birds. "Aves" is also Latin and Spanish for "Birds." These fine art playing cards were hand drawn by a world-class artist before being turned into digital art prior to being transformed into gorgeous playing cards, just for you.

Karina Eibatova is the artist for this deck, and she spent months illustrating this. She studies nature, including birds, and from her efforts has come an absolutely stunningly elegant natural bird deck.

I'm really intrigued by Dragonfly: A female-led feature film. And not just because the team creating it is working toward gender equity in film, although that's certainly a big part of it. I love the concept of the film and would love to have the chance to see more like this!
On one side of the camera, Dragonfly is a story of homecoming and healing for a Minnesota family divided by divorce and illness. On the other side, it’s a story about three women tackling their dream of filmmaking head on and the amazing team of people who came together to devote their time and talent to making that dream a reality. It's been an exhilarating, humbling, beautifully wild ride and we’d love to have you hop on board and join our team.

We all know that representation matters. And when it comes to encouraging more girls to go into STEM fields, it's important that we start when they're young, showing them that it's a viable and engaging career choice. That's why I love the idea of the SEE IT BE IT: Profiles of Women who Love Math and Science calendar.
Amanda is a creative director and design strategist, with over a decade in the design industry. She's led design and strategy for websites, digital campaigns, videos and more. She's also a mom, an artist, a feminist, a science junky, and believer that more girls making more things will make our world a better place.

Beth is a specialist in energy technology, and has interdisciplinary degrees from UC Berkeley and Harvard University. Although she was fortunate to attend a science and technology high school, she had little access female role models working in those areas. She wants to make sure other girls are inspired to pursue math and science opportunities in school. Interesting fact: She has her own "I love math" t-shirt and was asked several times if it was a joke!

Throw Like A Girl promises to be an empowering piece encouraging women (and girls) to rise up and pursue their dreams.
An empowering play that uses humor and drama to inspire women to be bold and courageous. The play does this by turning what many have considered to be a negative phrase into a positive. Although it’s true that certain aspects of manhood are revealed in a… not so flattering light, it is not done much, and great care is taken not to damage their delicate sensibilities.

And now for something completely different from the usual list of books and films and games, how about a stylish (and eco-friendly!) clutch-turn-bicycle-bag made to go from riding to carrying? The Athena Clutch is a purse that connects simply and easily to any bike's handlebars, top tube, or rear rack with two reflective straps.
Traditional purses slide around while riding, leaving you distracted and riding one-handed while you adjust. Stuffing your purse inside a bike bag leaves you hauling around bulky gear at your destination. Many bike bags are too casual for work or out on the town.

The Athena Clutch addresses these frustrations with an upscale appearance and simple bike attachments that don't look like gear. It was designed and tested by cyclists who bike year-round, and who were tired of compromising style for function.

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