Michael, Danny, and David are three young entrepreneurs who are working to develop innovative solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. They are a group of passionate, innovative students who are looking to bring a series of machines to ecosystems that are suffering from the invasion of waste. They are focusing on specifically on the removal and prevention of ocean plastics from reaching fragile habitats. Their talk demonstrates how three students can help solve a global crisis. Using a machine they developed themselves, they are helping to make a change. Michael Arens is a social entrepreneur from St. Louis. He is currently a junior Entrepreneurial Business major at Xavier University. Michael would like to dedicate his career toward developing innovative and creative solution to some of the world's most complex environmental problems. He plays for the Xavier ice hockey team and is a fan of new music and films.

Danny Powers is from Kansas City and has always had a deep passion for the oceans. He is currently a junior, majoring in Marketing and Economics at Xavier University. Danny's drive for innovating and finding new solutions to problems is something he hopes to bring to the issue of global climate change. He plays for the Xavier Ice Hockey team and is an avid spike-ball player.

David Constantine is an entrepreneur out of Buffalo, NY. With his entrepreneurial mindset, he is determined to make a difference in one of the world's biggest ongoing issues. David is a junior entrepreneurial business major at Xavier University. He is vice president of the university's squash team and is a dedicated Buffalo sports fan. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx