

Patricia, Noreen and Anne (l. to r.) show off a line of handbags from their flagship company, Jacinto & Lirio.
J&L is an eco-friendly enterprise that showcases the Filipino innovation of plant leatherization, a process that turns pesky weeds like the water hyacinth into a leather-like material, which J&L then transforms into fashionable and functional statement handbags.

Yara started The Green Initiative (www.thegreeninitiative.me/) when she was 16 years-old because she wanted to clean up the Middle East.