Teen’s Makes $34K a Month!

Daily Upsider on January 21, 2024

At 12, Bella Lin faced a problem: her guinea pigs kept disappearing in her parents’ backyard. Unhappy with traditional cages, she started drawing prototypes to create a better enclosure. When Lin was a senior in high school, she invested using $2,000 from her savings, she launched GuineaLoft on Amazon in November 2022. GuineaLoft took off, selling nearly 11,000 cages and generating over $410,000 in 2023 — an impressive average of $34,000 per month.

After taking a break from GuineaLoft for a while, Lin is back at it. Now juggling academics, extracurriculars, and college applications, Lin spends about 20 hours weekly on GuineaLoft. Her dad’s connection to a Chinese factory helped bring her prototypes to life refining designs, opting for acrylic instead of glass and biodegradable bottoms. Lin manages a six-person team in China, handling product design, pricing, marketing, and overall strategy.

GuinneaLoft gained attention and earning Lin $10,000 in investment funds from BizWorld. The businesses impressive 25% profit margins are all currently reinvested back into the company for growth. Lin has also managed to find a lot of satisfaction from the endeavor. “Witnessing the tangible effects of [GuineaLoft cages] through customer reviews and emails is empowering,” says Lin. “As someone who once placed great emphasis on academic validation, the success … of [my side hustle] has boosted my confidence in navigating life beyond high school.”

Cape Verde — Malaria Free after 50 Years!

Daily Upsider on January 19, 2024

Cape Verde has become the first sub-Saharan African country to eliminate malaria in 50 years, going three consecutive years without a transmission case.

The achievement is attributed to measures such as providing free malaria diagnoses to travelers, active mosquito control, and improved testing and treatment standards. The island nation’s geography also contributes to the sustainability of this success.

Cape Verde’s Health Minister, Dr. Filomena Gonçalves, acknowledges the collaborative efforts of health professionals, collaborators, communities, and international partners. Mauritius was the last African nation to eliminate malaria in 1973.

A Sharp Drop in Amazon’s Deforestation

Daily Upsider on January 18, 2024

Amazon’s deforestation has dropped by 55% since last year, reaching its lowest levels since 2019. This decline is considered a significant achievement, particularly for the newly-elected officials in Brazil and Colombia.

The information comes from the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project, utilizing the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite to track forest cover and loss across all Amazon nations, as reported to Reuters. Brazil, with a 59% reduction in primary forest loss.

The Amazon Rainforest’s role as a crucial carbon dioxide absorber is highlighted by some scientists as Earth’s primary tool against climate change. The Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project anticipates that the deforestation data will enhance the negotiating position of Amazonian countries for international conservation funding at the Paris Agreement summit, COP28.

— On a related note, we just ran an article about an amazing discovery in the Amazon that proved a very popular theory wrong. You can read it here.

Also, if you would like to know the truth, here is what the Amazon actually does in the environment and why things are better than most people realize.

AI Helps Find Missing Children

Daily Upsider on January 18, 2024

John Walsh, co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and host of “America’s Most Wanted,” expresses concerns about the technological gap between law enforcement and criminals, particularly in smaller jurisdictions. Criminals, including human traffickers and sexual predators, utilize advanced technology and encryption, posing challenges for law enforcement.

Cellebrite DI, Ltd. addresses this issue with the launch of “Operation Find Them All,” a donation initiative providing its technology to nonprofits combating child endangerment.

Matt Parker, co-founder of The Exodus Road, said he saw what a difference one piece of Cellebrite technology made in investigating the human trafficking of Rohingya Muslims in Malaysia in 2015. Through “Operation Find Them All,” Parker hopes to bring Cellebrite technology to other countries, even if the governments have previously not prosecuted human trafficking cases.

Cellebrite’s CEO, Yossi Carmil, stresses the strain on law enforcement resources and the company’s commitment to supporting these organizations. Kent Nielsen, digital forensic investigator for the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office in Texas, said his department currently uses Cellebrite technology to process data gathered from cell phones as well as its AI-driven software to analyze the data to find potential leads.

The initiative aims to enhance investigative processes, as demonstrated by success stories from law enforcement agencies already using Cellebrite technology. Walsh hopes increased access to technology will empower organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Hockey Fans Break Record for Charity

Daily Upsider on January 17, 2024

A professional ice hockey team in Pennsylvania, the Hershey Bears, set a new franchise record last week, not for goals scored, but for the number of teddy bears tossed onto the ice by fans.

The annual Teddy Bear Toss collects toys for charity, and this year, 74,599 stuffed toys were collected— surpassing the previous record of 67,309.
The event is part of the club’s Hershey Bears Cares program which showcases the philanthropic activities and volunteer efforts of Bears players and staff members throughout the community. Since its inception in 2001 the tradition has collected nearly a half million cuddly creatures for children in need.

The Sweigart Family Foundation also donated $55,000 to Children’s Miracle Network in Hershey.

The Bears went on to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, improving their AHL-best record to 29-7-0- this season.