Céline Semaan’s life was changed when her advocacy for open licensing led to NASA releasing satellite images of Earth from space. Gazing at these images of the planet from far above, the perspective sparked a theory that would come to define her life: if communities across the world could see these images of the planet we share—and the visible-from-space impact we have on it, visible from space – they’d feel a greater responsibility toward protecting it.

Céline’s upbringing—which involved living abroad after her family left Lebanon as refugees, and later returning home—gave Céline an up-close look at the tough realities of urban living, and led her to her eventual career path.

Education is a hallmark of Semaan’s work as she focuses on the relation between small, everyday actions and their big-picture impact that global systems have on the Earth. Semaan says her motto is “Small is beautiful.” It’s also the ethos that steers Slow Factory’s curriculum. Slow Factory’s Open Education program focuses on individual and business impact and is taught by a diverse group of educators, guiding community participants as they learn about plastic use, supply chains, and how to become a more conscientious contributor to the global economy.

Celine believes in the power of learning and un-learning. She also often leans on unconventional tactics to bring others that same moment of perspective she felt from the NASA photos of her childhood —like bringing designers to landfills so they can see the reprucissions from unsustainable production practices.

For Celine, bringing corporations and communites into the process is important. Because it’s the big commitments and system changes, as well as the simple actions – fixing or repurposing broken items instead of throwing them away, shifting supply chains away from exploitative systems and finding opportunities to integrate upcycling into everyday business practice – that truly make the difference.