In this vivid and electric episode of Compost, Cotton & Cornrows, Dominique Drakeford is joined by the incomparable Maya Penn — youth climate solutionist, award-winning animator, founder, and unapologetic disruptor shifting culture through creativity and care.

Maya opens up about the realities and responsibilities of being a youth activist at the forefront of climate justice — carving space in a movement that often tokenizes youth while demanding labor without systemic support. With nearly two decades of experience (yes, starting at age 8), Maya reflects on how her early curiosity became a catalyst for global advocacy — and why today’s youth activism must go beyond awareness to radically rebuild systems from the root.

They dive deep into the need to center climate justice — not as a trend, but as the core framework for collective liberation — reminding us that climate is not a siloed issue, it’s the multiplying force behind everything we care about.

Maya also shares her passion for animation as activism, lifting the veil on her groundbreaking film ASALI: Power of the Pollinators — a visually lush, emotionally charged environmental short she wrote, directed, and animated, featuring a powerhouse cast (Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis, and more). Through Upendo Productions, Maya is proving that art, especially from the margins, can shift the world.

Tune in for a journey into:
🌀 The growing pains and power of Gen Z climate leadership
🌺 ASALI: Power of the Pollinators and animation as climate education
🛑 How environmental injustice shows up community and conversation
📣 Why we must center climate justice — not just “climate change”
🖤 Storytelling, cultural preservation, and the spiritual nature of sustainability

This episode is a love letter to young visionaries — and a reminder that the revolution will be illustrated.

https://mayasideas.com/

https://www.asali.movie/

Compost, Cotton & Cornrows: the space where Black & Afro-Indigenous Vanguards are redefining sustainability through storytelling!

@Compost_Cotton_Cornrows

What happens when you infuse radical transparency, ancestral ingredients, and community-rooted ethics into the beauty game? You get HanaHana Beauty—and a founder like Abena Boamah-Acheampong who's shaking the table with intention. In this dynamic episode of Compost, Cotton & Cornrows, Dominique Drakeford dives deep with Abena to explore the spiritual, political, and deeply personal layers of building a brand that refuses to compromise.

From sourcing shea butter directly from cooperatives in Ghana and paying double the asking price, to redefining what it means to sustain—not just the earth, but the people behind the product—Abena doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks it with grace and grit. This isn’t your average clean beauty convo. It’s a powerful meditation on ethical sourcing, supply chain storytelling, and dismantling beauty industry norms with the audacity to be real.

They unpack:
✨ The sacred power of simplicity in Black body care
✨ Why marketing must reflect the diversity of Blackness
✨ The tension between financial growth and founder sustainability
✨ Healing through community, faith, and the beauty rituals of our elders
✨ Unlearning overconsumption and resisting the Amazonification of our needs

If you’ve ever felt the pull to align your beauty practice with your values—or you’re a founder striving to do business differently—this episode is your balm and your blueprint.

hanahanabeauty.com

Compost, Cotton & Cornrows: the space where Black & Afro-Indigenous Vanguards are redefining sustainability through storytelling!

@Compost_Cotton_Cornrows

What does it take to plant new roots on foreign soil—literally? In this global episode of Compost, Cotton & Cornrows, Dominique Drakeford speaks with Franklyn Hutchinson, a Trinidadian grape farmer living in Yamanashi, Japan. Without formal training, Franklyn carved his way into one of the world’s most meticulous agricultural markets—learning from local elders, YouTube, and an unwavering commitment to self-sufficiency.

Together, they explore the science, sweat, and spirit behind Japanese grape cultivation, the myth that growing food is only for the poor, and how small-scale community gardening can spark major shifts in food justice. Franklyn reminds us that sustainability isn’t just about solar panels and policy—it’s about how we manage what we already have. Soil. Skill. Space. Intention.

From makeshift trellises to dreams of bringing high-quality grapes back to Trinidad, this episode is a testament to ancestral grit, diasporic determination, and the power of growing for yourself, your people, and your future.

Tap in if you're ready to:

• Rethink sustainability beyond trend
• Get inspired to grow your own food (yes, even in a container!)
• Hear a rare story of Caribbean diasporic farming in East Asia
• Honor farming as both science and sacred art

Key gems from Franklyn:

“It’s not good to turn down an opportunity to learn something. It could help you later in life.”
“Some people think only poor people grow food. But that thinking is why food so damn expensive.”
“Even if it’s just 1% of what you eat—grow something. That’s sustainability.”

@rosy_grapes-yamanashi

Compost, Cotton & Cornrows: the space where Black & Afro-Indigenous Vanguards are redefining sustainability through storytelling!

@Compost_Cotton_Cornrows