The American Midwest is quickly becoming a blue-collar version of Silicon Valley

The country of Jordan has one of the scarcest water supplies of any country on earth - one that can barely sustain its population, especially with Syrian refugees pouring in and further straining limited resources. Poor piping infrastructure and leaks greatly contribute to the shortage. An organization called Water Wise Women is training women in plumbing skills, empowering them to repair leakages in their homes and communities to help save precious water.

The poorest are the ones living in the most unhealthy neighbourhoods where air particles are more detrimental. The Climate Action Plan is dedicated to using cleantech while also using this as an opportunity for job creation for city's poorest as a way to help them live above the poverty line.

In Zanzibar, hundreds of households too poor and remote to have access to the electrical grid are getting low cost solar power for the first time, from a group of local female engineers trained by and Indian NGO. It's the first of several "solar mamas" projects planned for parts of rural Africa, and it's turning some traditional gender roles on their head.

The effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels and hotter global temperatures, are already having drastic impact on many communities, especially the rural, agricultural regions of countries such as Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Mozambique. Earthrise explores how people in these communities are learning new skills, implementing new techniques, and are striving in every way possible to adapt to these environmental changes while creating hope for sustainable growth in the future.

Creating a synergy between the various stakeholders in a city’s economic performance leads to success. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the tech industry is thriving thanks to cross-sector collaborations between the region’s universities, businesses, and local government. By working together, entities like Carnegie Mellon University, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and Keystone Innovation Zone program have created a space that is attractive to financial capital and the growing tech sector.

The nonprofit Africa Research Association Managing Development teaches communities in Obanliku, Nigeria, to run their own businesses in things like gardening, soap making, and marketing, and helps establish cocoa cooperatives to keep them from depending on deforestation for income. The program also requires communities to designate parts of the forest for conservation and trains members to protect those areas.

GEMDECONQ rents wheelbarrows to workers and trains them in proper conduct. This gives people who cannot afford their own wheelbarrow a chance to earn more than the average minimum wage and eventually venture into less demanding forms of work.

Refugees are accessing services that enable them to set up and run small businesses through the help of an initiative in Cleveland. The MED program has helped launch 30 entrepreneurs through training, technical help, and $50,000 in startup capital and loans.

Vending machines are dispensing basic grocery items such as milk and cooking oil in parts of Kenya. The machines allow patrons to customize their purchase instead of buying prepackaged sizes. This helps cash-strapped citizens who need to buy smaller portions. They’ve also created economic opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Programs like Motor City Match and Grown in Detroit help entrepreneurs launch Black-owned food businesses in Detroit. The businesses sell healthy foods in neighborhoods often lacking in nutritious options or in the infrastructure needed to support startup businesses. The supportive programs offer grants and training that have nurtured dozens of new businesses, which themselves have formed a supportive network among their peers.