Emma Harris, CEO

Emma is a junior at Notre Dame Preparatory School. Travel has always been a big part of her life, and it has played a major role in her decision to start this nonprofit. Her mom is Peruvian, so she grew up hearing about her experiences and learning about the culture and communities she comes from. Through visiting different places and seeing how people live in various parts of the world, Emma began to notice that access to education and basic school supplies is not the same for every student. In many communities, kids are motivated to learn and succeed, but don’t have the notebooks, pencils, backpacks, or other materials they need to fully participate in school. Seeing this made her realize how easy it is to take those basic resources for granted. It also made Emma feel motivated to do something that could help make a difference, even in a small way. As a sophomore in high school, she decided to turn that motivation into action by starting a nonprofit focused on collecting and distributing essential school supplies to underserved students. Through this nonprofit, Emma hopes to combine her love for travel, connection to her Peruvian heritage, and passion for helping others into something that can positively impact students and communities around the world.

From the age of 18, Ben has been driven by a passion not only to travel the world, but to serve the communities he encounters along the way. Solo travel opened the door for him to experience diverse cultures, traditions, and ways of life, shaping his perspective and inspiring him to use travel as a platform for meaningful impact.

Ben is currently a junior in college studying finance at the University of South Florida. Alongside his studies, he focuses his volunteer work primarily in Latin America, where he has led self-planned service trips to Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Through these initiatives, he has helped deliver donations and essential supplies to schools and communities, contributing over $2,000 in direct support to local organizations and families.

He is continually seeking new opportunities to create positive change and build connections across cultures. As Co-Founder of Blue Bayside Foundation, Ben is dedicated to expanding the organization’s mission of supporting underserved communities and making a lasting impact where it is needed most.