Bridging the Gap Between Style and Sustainability: A Highschool Startup Journey

Jewelry is one of the most universally treasured items in the world. It can be carried as a symbol for wealth and status, be seen as a representation of a religion or belief, or can even be used for an individual's own creative expression. Additionally, jewelry can be tied to one’s heritage and culture. Gold accessories are treasured in India because they represent prosperity and auspiciousness, silver is significant in Hmong culture because it’s a symbol of prestige, and precious gemstones like Jade are valued in China because of their connections to purity and immortality. Jewelry is everywhere, but have you ever considered the environmental and societal consequences of these accessories?

The mining of gold, silver, and precious gemstones, which are highly used materials in jewelry, can be extracted with mining methods that are destructive towards our environment. Harmful mining practices can lead to land degradation, soil erosion, deforestation, resource depletion, and even the destruction of both human and animal habitats. Myanmar, one of the world’s largest gemstone producers, has faced direct hits to its natural landscapes with its beautiful mountains being destroyed due to their jade mining industry. Silver mining activities in Mexico have caused land displacement and water contamination in their various communities. Mining methods that tend to be environmentally unfriendly play a big role in harming our Earth.

Read an article about Myanmar: How a Beloved Gemstone Became a Symbol of Environmental Tragedy in Myanmar | Pulitzer Center

An alternative for these mined materials would be plastic. Plastic is much easier to acquire, and is also more practical and affordable. However, the production of plastic increases greenhouse gas emissions which can negatively impact climate change and lead to global warming. Plastic also contributes to our ever-growing landfills and takes hundreds of years to decompose, thus escalating microplastic contamination. The harmful production and inclusion of these materials makes jewelry far from earth-friendly.

Mounds View High School students Selina Wang, Siri Leana-Thao, and Tingting Wang discovered this problem while coming up with potential business ideas for their school’s startup club. After learning about the negative impacts jewelry can have on our Earth, they decided to come up with a solution to fight this environmental dilemma. To combat the destructive mining methods of precious metals and gemstones, and the growing amounts of plastic, they created EARTHA.

EARTHA is a student-run startup that crafts 100% sustainable and earth-friendly accessories from recycled glass beads. Their beads are sourced from Krobo artisans in Ghana, Africa where they take glass waste, such as broken bottles and fragmented windows, and transform them into incredible beads. The collected glass waste is first crushed up into a fine powder and heated up to fuse particles together, creating molten glass. The molten glass is then poured into clay molds where it spends around 10-15 minutes being heated up in a clay kiln. After they’re taken out of the kiln, holes are created using cassava leaf steams and the beads are polished using sand and water.

By purchasing handcrafted beads from the Krobo artisans, EARTHA can assure they’re being produced in an earth-friendly way while also actively supporting the businesses of artisans. After receiving the beads, EARTHA members will bead them onto a cotton or leather string, finish off the ends with a braided leaf design, and secure the handmade accessories with two non-toxic glues. All EARTHA products, which are currently bracelets, necklaces, and hair accessories, come in a variety of colors, styles, and patterns, ensuring that there’s an adornment for everyone to enjoy. They’re stylish, durable, and completely adjustable, making them perfect for any occasion or to serve as the perfect gift. Unlike other eco-friendly jewelry on the market, EARTHA is distinct because of their usage of all-around earth-friendly materials, making their products truly 100% sustainable.

Ever since the creation of this student run company in the Fall of 2023, EARTHA has reached various congratulatory milestones while making an important impact on the environment and their community. Their first year consisted of selling at multiple art fairs, festivals, and outdoor events, including the Hennepin County Fair where they received first place in both the youth and jewelry categories. They have hosted numerous bracelet making workshops at retirement homes where senior living residents could make their very own customized bracelets, all while listening to a short speech about EARTHA and its mission. They have also participated in multiple events and competitions such as Junior Achievement’s (JA) Pitchfest and Company of the Year (COY) competition, as well as the MN Cup entrepreneurship competition hosted by the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship.

They recruited a new member at the start of their second year, following senior Selina Wang’s graduation in Spring of 2024. Sophomores Jessica Huang, Siri Leana-Thao, and Tingting Wang continued to expand their business in exciting ways during EARTHA’s second year. They hosted more school sales, were featured in their school’s award winning newspaper, The Viewer, and began forming partnerships with school clubs where they served as their fundraiser. Customers can purchase accessories on EARTHA’s Etsy shop while choosing the option to donate a portion of the profits to support the clubs.

In addition to school groups, they started partnering with environmental organizations such as ZIRAN. In May of 2025, EARTHA was invited to sell their earth-friendly accessories at the Twin Cities West Metro Asian Fair, serving as a fundraiser for ZIRAN. They also expanded their bracelet making workshops outside of senior living homes by hosting one at the fair where it was met with great success and happy customers. With EARTHA’s rising traction, their CEO, Tingting Wang, was invited to speak at the May Forum event. They also had the wonderful opportunity to introduce the company to other environmentalists at ZIRAN’s volunteer appreciation dinner.

EARTHA has seen great success since the start of their journey and is expected to reach many more exciting milestones. Their mission to bridge the gap between style and sustainability, all while spreading awareness about harmful mining practices and the concerning growth of plastic waste, has touched the hearts of many, while even inspiring people to start taking a more earth-friendly and responsible path. If you are interested in supporting EARTHA, you can find their products at Churchill Street Restaurant, La Vie Est Belle Boutique, Soderberg’s Floral & Gift, and River Bank Gift & Decor, all located in Minnesota. You can find their products available online on their Etsy shop with more information on their website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Visit EARTHA website for more info

Their second year also continued with their participation in multiple competitions. They competed in Junior Achievement’s Ignite event as well as their Company of the Year competition. They won first place in JA North’s COY competition, earning them the 2025 JA North Company of the Year title as well as the People’s Choice Award. Following this accomplishment, they were selected to compete against the top 15 student companies from around the nation at Junior Achievement’s National competition, Future Bound, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia. They also appeared on Minnesota Live’s KSTP station on July 7th, sharing about EARTHA and their experience at Future Bound. Looking ahead, EARTHA will be participating in the MN Cup's youth division competition for the 2025 season.

Watch the interview from KSTP MN Live: Junior Achievement North’s Company of the Year - KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News